Simillimum Journal 2014

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 1
SIMILLIMUM
Simillimum is a journal published by naturopathic physicians for all people
interested in homeopathy. It is dedicated to the practice of classical homeopathy
as formulated by Samuel Hahnemann in the Organon of Medicine. It also
explores modern methods of homeopathy that have a basic foundation in
classical homeopathy. The editors encourage homeopaths of all professions
and backgrounds to write for the journal; we welcome accounts of cured cases,
essays, articles, and letters to the editor.
The journal is published annually in July. Material must be submitted by

March 1st to be considered for the coming issue. To subscribe to Simillimum,
become an HANP member by filling out the membership form within or online.
General HANP membership is open to everyone and includes a subscription
to Simillimum and access to exclusive content online. HANP is a nonprofit
organization with no owners or stockholders. It relies on the volunteer work of
the HANP Board and Simillimum contributors.
Lead Editor: Jennifer White, ND, CCH, DHANP

Copy Editors: Alex Blanton & Autumn Louise Schaefer, PCH
& Ian Luepker, ND, DHANP
Formatting: John Palombo Art & Design
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HANP Board of Directors:

Lisa Amerine, ND, DHANP
Ian Luepker, ND, DHANP
Les Moore, ND, DHANP, CCH, LAc
Autumn Louise Schaefer, PCH
Jennifer White, ND, CCH, DHANP
President: Ian Luepker, ND, DHANP
Executive Assistant: Stacy K. Logay
Website: www.hanp.net
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©2014 Simillimum, The Journal of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic

Physicians. All rights reserved . ISSN 1526-1964
2 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

Editorial
Jennifer White, ND, CCH, DHANP .................................. 5
Letter to the Editor

Jamie Oskin, N.D. .............................................................. 7
ARTICLES
Book Review: Polarity Analysis in Homeopathy, A Precise Path
to the Simillimum by Heiner Frei
Jamie Oskin, ND .............
The Table of Plants: A Review

Michal Yakir .............
A Dogged Case of Psoriatic Arthritis, Hypertension, and

Ophthlamic Shingles
Douglas Falkner, MD, MHom .............
The Mueller Method: Digging Deeper Into Your Homeopathic Toolbox

Manfred Mueller, MA, DHM, RSHom (NA), CCH and
Christina Mueller .............
Belgium Conference Overview: Miasms Influencing Health

and Disease Classical Homeopathy with Henny Heudens-Mast
Laura Bridgman, ND, CCH .............

A Case of Suicidal Depression in a Young Man (The Sensation
Method in Action)
Stephen King, ND, DHANP .............
Book Review: The Toxic Relationship Cure by Jerry M. Kantor

Jennifer White, ND, DHANP, CCH .............
Method of Complexity
Krista Heron, ND, DHANP .............
Eizayaga and Clinical Therapeutic Options

Karen Allen, CCH .............
New England School of Homeopathy: The Cycles and

Segments Approach to Homeopathic Case Analysis
Chris Chlebowski, DC, ND .............
A General Introduction to the New Homeopathic Plant

Systems of Jan Scholten and Michal Yakir
Laura Coramai .............
Arguments for Keeping Homeopathy Scientific By George

Vithoulkas
The Four Elements in Homeopathy

Misha Norland, FSHom and
Mani Norland, DSH, RSHom .............
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder and Polarity

Analysis: Features, Cases, Results
Heiner Frei MD, Pediatrician FMH, Homeopathy FMH ..........
Book Review: The Natural Medicine Guide for Travel and

Home by Richard Pitt

Freddie’s Descent into Autism: An Illustration of CEASE Therapy
Anke Zimmermann, ND .............
Repertorization and the Vithoulkas Expert System

Steve Olsen ND, DHANP
A Case of Dis-Ease
Nazirahk Amen, ND, L.Ac, DHANP .............
The Art of Remedy Differentiation

Richard Pitt .............
DIRECTORY OF DIPLOMATES .............

Editorial 2014
I am very pleased to offer our community a positive look at various
homeopathic methods. Though this is an extensive list of methods,
it is by no means exhausted. The HANP’s purpose is the inclusion
of all methods that are designed by homeopaths into our commu-
nity.
I hope the variety of opinions expressed in this issue provoke

dialogue and the exchange of ideas. Disagreements are bound to
occur (as you’ll see in George Vithoulkas’ article compilation), and
should be encouraged. How else can we prosper as a community if
it isn’t for those who hold us to our principles and those that take
us into new, inspiring realms. They are the checks and balances of
our system so that it doesn’t get stuck in traditionalism nor fly off
into etherealism. Similar to the two halves of the brain, we need
both sides! On one side we have analytics and structure, and the
other is boundless and creative.
By focusing on what homeopaths have in common, I am certain

that we will find solidarity. We can all agree that Hahnemann was
a brilliantly inspired man who believed in a medicine that wielded
the inner wisdom of living organisms; and that promised more pro-
found long-term wellness than man-made drugs that can induce ad-
ditional injury. We agree that suppression is a real and unfortunate
circumstance. We agree in Hering’s Law for the lifting and avoid-
ing of suppression. We agree in employing the “wholistic” view in
our understanding of pathology, health, and case taking. We agree
in the Law of Similars (though we disagree with what determines
this similarity), use of the single remedy vs. combination remedies,
and the value of potentized remedies and the minimum dose….
Fundamentally, we disagree on only two main points: provings be-
ing the main source of knowledge and Doctrine of Signatures.
Harris Coulter in Divided Legacy articulates: “Homeopathy’s years

of triumph were equally the time of its greatest peril, since the re-

laxation of external pressure brought to the fore a weakness which
the movement had manifested since its earliest days. This was
the division in opinion between the pure Hahnemannians and the
revisionists.” Today these external pressures are a strong and real
presence, most recently seen in the class-action lawsuits against
homeopathic companies. And yet, despite how Coulter describes
the homeopathic scene in the past, today our community faces not
only external pressure but also internal tension.
It is our hope at the HANP that our community recognizes that

we have more in common than not. We can agree to disagree, and
we should do so. If we come together as a community, we will be
stronger in warding off real adversaries.
Please enjoy!
Jennifer White, ND, DHANP, CCH

Lead Editor, Simillimum

Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I am dismayed at the changing of the spelling of the words

“homœopathy” and “Bönninghausen” in my article Polarity
Analysis in Homeopathy, A Precise Path to the Simillimum. I was
quite intentional in the spellings utilized.
I can empathize with Simillimum’s policy to retain consistent

American spellings within the journal. However, language changes
over time, and as a culture we rarely consult a dictionary to
understand the origin of words. To many people, this spelling issue
is a trivial debate, yet the very name of our profession is actually of
great importance that warrants deeper reflection.
The diphthong in “homœopathy” is the proper spelling to

indicate the Greek origin of the word, “omoion”, which gives the
etymological connection to the “Law of Similars.” As George
Dimitriadis has said,
“I would here point out to our American colleagues,
that the spelling of Homœopathy is improperly rendered
“Homeopathy” even if it be done for the sake of phonetic
consistency with the rest of their language, for in this
special case, the diphthong (œ) is significant in that it
indicates the source of the term from the Greek “όμοιον”
(omoion; Latinicised as omœon or omœo as a prefix =
similar [Similia in the Latin]). To replace the prefix homœo
with homeo removes its etymological connection to the
foundation stone of its existence, the “Law of Similars.”
We must retain the diphthong within the term Homœopathy
– how would it be for psychiatry to be written as syciatry
(which would similarly remove any connection to its
etymology from the Greek “ψυχή” (psychy [=soul])); or
physics (Gr. φυσική [physics, physical]) where the “ph”

informs the scholar of its Greek root, as “Fisics” (itself
suggesting a Latin root); taxonomy (Gr. τάξις [taxis, class]
as tacsonomy, etc. These few familiar examples should
serve as ample evidence that the roots of specific terms
must not be removed if we are to retain their fullest
meaning and therefore a sense of connection, especially for
future generations, to our inheritance.” [Letter to the Editor,
submitted May 2002, JAIH]
“Homœopathy” was the standard spelling used in American

publications in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This spelling
has unfortunately been dropped in modern American writings.
However, “homœopathy” is still the English spelling used
internationally outside of the United States. Perhaps this will spark
a revival in the use of the diphthong in spelling homœopathy in
America.
Sincerely,
Jamie Oskin, N.D.

ARTICLES

Book Review:
Polarity Analysis in Homeopathy,
A Precise Path to the Simillimum
By Heiner Frei
ISBN 978-3-95582-001-5
307 pages, Hardcover.
Book Reviewed by Jamie Oskin, N.D.
Introduction:
Narayana Publishers recently published the first English edition
of a book by Heiner Frei, M.D., Polarity Analysis in Homeopathy,
A Precise Path to the Simillimum.1 This book summarizes Frei’s
work that led to the rigorously designed, double-blind, randomized
control trial,2 which demonstrated that individualized homeopathic
treatment was superior to placebo. Frei’s development of the
Polarity Analysis (PA) methodology3 is based on an extension of
Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocketbook with an attempt to
modernize the repertorization process to increase the consistency
and reliability of homeopathic prescriptions.
The book is hardbound and very clearly presented. It is
easy to read for those new to homeopathy as well as advanced
homeopathic practitioners. The book includes 38 case studies that
clearly present the PA methodology of repertorization and matches
the prescription via the law of similars to the accurate remedy. The
book is divided into three modules: acute illness, chronic illness,
and hyperactive children and multi-morbid patients. In these
modules Frei teaches the methodology for PA beginning with more
straightforward cases and advancing to more complex cases.
The strength of Frei’s work is in his highly consistent and
reliable results using homeopathy to treat a wide range of
serious acute and chronic conditions. He truly achieves the goal

Hahnemann espouses in the Organon of Medicine in the first two
aphorisms, which refer to restoring the sick to health in a rapid,
gentle, and permanent way.4 The PA analysis method has allowed
Frei to successfully treat more than 40 patients per day in his busy
private practice in Laupen, Switzerland, with reported results of
over 80% accuracy of successful prescriptions, the outcomes of an
excellent clinician. Because of the large volume of patients Frei
treats, he has been able to impressively document his success with
PA in many published papers and even illustrate that homeopathic
treatment can be more cost effective than conventional care.1, 2, 3, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
The Polarity Analysis Methodology:

Frei describes that the PA methodology of repertorization “is
calculated for each remedy by adding the grades of the patient’s
polar symptoms. From the resulting value, the grades of the
corresponding opposite polar symptoms are subtracted. The higher
the polarity difference calculated in this way, the more the remedy
corresponds to the patient’s characteristic symptoms, assuming
there are no contraindications.” Polar symptoms (e.g. thirst/
thirstlessness, cold aggravates/cold ameliorates, desire for open air/
aversion to open air) are thoroughly defined in the endnotes.27a This
is an attempt to live up to Hahnemann’s aspirations that medicine
can be practiced “if we may use the expression, with mathematical
certainty.”16
Frei uses a computerized version of the repertory,17 which
allows for very rapid repertory analysis with PA because the
software calculates the polarity difference. He then checks Hering’s
The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica18 to compare the
top two or three ranked remedies from the PA repertorization
to make the homeopathic prescription, via a Hahnemannian19
match to a remedy according to the law of similars. In the book,
Frei gives supporting evidence for his prescriptions by quoting
Hering’s Guiding Symptoms, yet he also suggests that other materia
medicas20, 21 may be used.

Initial Reflections on Polarity Analysis:
Frei proposes that the PA methodology of repertorization
results in a “mathematical procedure” that leads to higher rates
of successful prescriptions when compared with conventional
homeopathic methods. Frei bases this claim on prospective
outcome studies22 where he compares his results to a control group
consisting of his patients that were treated with a conventional
homeopathic approach to repertorization (where he utilized
Boger-Boenninghausen’s Characteristics, Materia Medica, and
Repertory23), prior to his development of the PA methodology.
Throughout the last decade, Frei has refined the PA procedure with
the addition of checklists of polar symptoms and modalities for
the patient to fill out to aid in case taking, which he explains on
pages 26 to 28. For example, on pages 217 to 219, Frei presents
a prospective outcome study for the homeopathic treatment of an
acute cough repertorized with PA and the aid of a checklist (CL)
and compared it to the results of retrospective cohorts using PA
without the aid of a CL as well as to a conventional homeopathic
control group. In this study, the group that was treated with PA plus
the aid of a CL had successful prescriptions of 83%, PA without a
CL 81%, and a conventional homeopathic treatment control group
75%.
Clearly, this research illustrates that Frei’s accuracy of
homeopathic prescriptions has improved with the PA methodology.
This rational, self-reflective research has been welcomed in
the homeopathic community. Because of the difficulty with
individualized homeopathic prescriptions, and the wide variety
of training in the current state of homœopathy, there is wide
variability between consistently reliable homeopathic prescribers
and unreliable prescribers, which Frei’s PA attempts to solve.24, 25
A next step for PA is to expand its outcome studies to include a
larger sample size of homeopathic practitioners to fully answer the
question whether PA is truly more reliable than the conventional
homeopathic prescribing method.
Frei is very humble and transparent in admitting on

page 38 that “since polarity analysis varies decisively from
Boenninghausen’s original procedure…this method” would not
have been made possible without the contributions of others.
More specifically, the PA methodology hinges on interpretations
by Klaus-Henning Gypser about how to utilize Boenninghausen’s
Therapeutic Pocketbook with respect to the “genius of a remedy,”
remedy grading, contradictory modalities, and polarities.26, 27 There
remain concerns about the PA methodology because Gypser’s
interpretations have been disputed with thorough documentation
from primary text sources by another Boenninghausen scholar,
George Dimitriadis.28, 29, 30, 31, 32 There also remain concerns about
the PA methodology based on the differences of interpretation
regarding the grading system, genius, and contradictions
within the Therapeutic Pocketbook. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 Frei’s published
efficacy utilizing the PA method, however, is impressive, and
as Hahnemann stated in Aphorism 1 of the Organon, the most
important objective in medicine is to restore the sick to health.
Conclusion:
I am happy that Frei’s book has been published in English,
and feel it should be examined carefully by the homeopathic
profession. In Frei’s book, there are many valuable clinical pearls
from an outstanding clinician. In the homeopathic community,
we are indebted to Frei for his tireless work to improve the
methodological precision of homeopathic prescribing so that
homeopathy’s efficacy can be documented in rigorous trials and
presented in the literature for the advancement of homeopathy
within the scientific community at large. I am personally grateful
to Frei because I was inspired to study Boenninghausen’s
Therapeutic Pocketbook in-depth after reading Frei’s rigorous
research demonstrating the efficacy of homeopathy for the
treatment of ADHD.2 Although I was trained primarily in post-
Kentian repertorization, I have now been utilizing George
Dimitriadis’ English translation of Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic
Pocketbook, TBR2,30 almost exclusively for the past year and have

seen significant improvements in the accuracy of my homeopathic
prescriptions and clinical results. Although I do not regularly
utilize PA in practice, I appreciate the research and work Frei has
done to revitalize the Boenninghausen Therapeutic Pocketbook.
I am planning on a future publication of the PA methodology to
critically assess its strengths and weaknesses. It is my hope that
these suggestions for improvement of the PA methodological
design be greeted critically so that we can continue to advance
homeopathy with fidelity to the work of Hahnemann and
Boenninghausen, as well as for the sake of the advancement in
medicine. Only in doing so may we better help the sick to achieve
safe, gentle, and effective relief from their ailments.
Disclaimer: Dr. Oskin has no financial ties to Heiner Frei or

Narayana Publishers. Dr. Oskin was asked to read and review this
book without any restrictions on the opinions presented.
Biography
Dr. Oskin is a naturopathic physician with a passion for

homeopathy. He is focused on helping families overcome childhood
developmental disorders. He is in private practice in Phoenix, AZ and is adjunct
faculty at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. He completed a
homeopathic selective residency at the Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center
that was fully funded by a generous gift from Standard Homeopathic Company.
Read more at http://www.AzNaturalHealth.com.

(Endnotes)
1 Frei, H., Polarity Analysis in Homeopathy, A Precise Path to the Simillimum,
Kandern, Germany: Narayana Publishers, First English Edition 2013.
2 Frei, H., Everts, R., von Ammon, K., Kaufmann, F., Walther, D., Hsu-Schmitz,
S.F., Collenberg, M., Fuhrer, K., Hassink, R., Steinlin, M., Thurneysen, A. Homeopathic
treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double
blind, placebo controlled crossover-trial. Eur J Pediatr: 164 (2005): pp. 758-767.
3 Frei, H. Polarity analysis, a new approach to increase the precision of
homeopathic prescriptions. Homeopathy 98 (2009): pp. 49-55.
4 Hahnemann, Samuel, Organon of Medicine, Fifth Edition, 1833, Translated by
R.E. Dudgeon, §§1-2.
5 Frei, H., Treatment for hyperactive children: homeopathy and methylphenidate
compared in a family setting. British Homeopathic Journal 2001, 90: 183-188.
6 Frei, H., von Ammon, Kl, Thurneyesen, A. Treatment of hyperactive children:
Increased efficiency through modifications of homeopathic diagnostic procedure.
Homeopathy 95 (2006): pp. 162-170.
7 Frei, H., Everts, R., von Ammon, K., et al, Randomized controlled trials of
homeopathy in hyperactive children: Treatment procedure leads to an unconventional
study design. Homeopathy 2007, 96: 35-41.
8 Frei, H., Thurneysen, A. Homeopathy in acute otitis media in children:
treatment effect or spontaneous resolution? Brit Hom J 90 (2001): pp. 180-182.
9 Frei, H. H1N1-Influenza Epidemic 2011: Experiences with Polarity Analysis.
Spectrum of Homeopathy, (2011) 3, pp. 26-37.
10 Frei, H., Self-injury in Borderline Personality Disorder and Polarity Analysis,
Homeopathic Links, (2009), 22, 1-4.
11 Rutten, ALB., Frei, H. Opposite repertory rubrics in Bayesian perspective,
Homeopathy (2010), 99, 113-118.
12 Frei, H., Asperger Syndrome and Polarity Analysis. Homeopathic Links,
(2011), 24; 19-22.
13 Rutten, ALB., Frei, H. Frequently occurring symptoms assessed by successful
cases. Homeopathy (2012) 101, 103-111.
14 Frei, H., Baby colic: Polarity analysis reliably points to the remedy. A case of
Kalium carbonicum. Spectrum of Homeopathy (2013), 1, 98-105.
15 Frei, H. A Masked Depression in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Polarity
Analysis. Homeopathic Links (2011), 24, 217-221.

16 Hahnemann, Samuel [1825]. Materia Medica Pura, New Delhi: B. Jain
Publishers, 2004, vol. 1, p. 17.
17 Boenninghausen Arbeitsgemeinschaft. Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic
Pocketbook (homeopathy software, English version), Ahrweiler: Bönninghausen Direkt
(Bernhard Möller), 2009.
18 Hering, Constantine [1879]. The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
(reprint), New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers, 1991.
19 By “Hahnemannian” prescription it is meant that the homœopath applies the
law of simila when selecting a prescription according to the instructions Hahnemann
gave in the Organon of Medicine (§§24 - 25) by intentionally attempting to distinguish the
remedy that is most similar (according to proving experiments of substances on healthy
individuals) to the symptoms of the patient’s presenting case of disease, which is void
of all speculative reasoning (§6, §110). Hahnemannian prescribing differs from modern
techniques, which incorrectly call themselves homœopathy, that utilize speculative
theories, such as doctrine of signatures, in order to select a medicinal substance.
Hahnemann, Samuel, Organon of Medicine, Fifth Edition, 1833, Translated by
R.E. Dudgeon.
20 Clarke, John Henry [1900]. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica
21 Gypser, Klaus-Henning. Materia Medica Revisa Homoeopathiae, Glees: K-H.
Gypser, Wunnibald Gypser Verlag, 2007 (English ed. Planned).
22 Frei, H. Die Rangordnungender Symptome von Hahnemann, Bönninghausen,
Hering und Kent, evaluiert anhand von 175 Kasuistiken. ZKH 4 (1999), 43:pp. 143-155.
23 Boger, Cyrus Maxwell. Bönninghausen’s Characteristics and Repertory
24 Frei, H., Polarity Analysis in Homeopathy, ibid., p. 8.
25 Hering, Constantine. Herings medizinische Schrifften, Band 1., K-H. Gypser
(publ.), Göttingen: Burgdorf-Verlag, 1988.
26 Bönninghausen, Clemens Maria Frans von. Therapeutisches Taschenbuch,
Revidierte Ausgabe. Gypser K.H. (publ.), Stuttgart, Sonntag Verlag, 2000.
27 Gypser, K.H., “Introduction to the German Revised Edition 2000,” translated
by Bernard Deutinger and republished in English in The Bönninghausen Repertory,
Therapeutic Pocketbook Method, first edition (TBR1) by George Dimitriadis. Sydney,
Australia, 2000: pp. 21-25.
a) “There is still another part of Bönninghausen’s method which has been neglected, the
so-called polarities, which can be applied without the previously described order of
symptoms for repertorisation, i.e. it may be used as well with other repertories. These are
symptoms whose nature allows for a possible opposite, particularly modalities, but also
other symptoms, e.g. thirst/thirstless or strong/weak menses. Bönninghausen advises,
for the purpose of securing the choice of the remedy, checking that one or more of the

symptoms not considered for repertorisation do not themselves contradict the Genius
symptoms of the remedy. For example: the repertorised symptoms lead to Pulsatilla.
Among the symptoms not taken into account are found a large thirst, decided well-being
in warm rooms and too early appearance of copious menses. Here we have significant
contraindications to Pulsatilla’s genius, so that it cannot be the curative remedy despite
the seeming appropriateness of the prescription.”
28 Dimitriadis, George, The Certainty of the Bönninghausen Therapeutic
Pocketbook Method, Zeitschrift für Klassische Homöopathie 2001: 45;3, pp. 96-115.
“The reason for Gypser et al. assuming a 3-grade remedy value from these works,
stems from the erroneous idea that only the 3 and 4 grades indicate “characteristics.”
Our explanation for rejecting this assumption have been provided above, and we here
only remind the reader that the remedy grades (from 1 to 4) within the TT indicate
characteristics.”
29 Dimitriadis, George, Bönninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocketbook, A Concise
Repository of His Clinical Experiences, Zeitschrift für Klassische Homöopathie
2001:45;6, pp. 223-237.
30 Dimitriadis, George, The Bönninghausen Repertory, Therapeutic Pocketbook
Method, Second Edition, The most accurate English re-translation of Bönninghausen’s
Therapeutisches Taschenbuch carefully corrected with reference to his original
manuscript, (TBR2), Sydney: Hahnemann Institute, 2010, p. 10.
31 Bönninghausen, CMF von, Therapeutisches Taschenbuch, Original Preface
from the 1846 English Edition (TPi).
32 Dimitriadis, George, ‘BOGUS’ BÖNNINGHAUSEN, the fundamental
flaw in ‘Boger’s Bönninghausen’, AJHM (2007), 100:1,50 (also available at www.
hahemanninstitute.com).

The Table of Plants: A Review
By Michal Yakir
The Table of Plants is, above all, a story of development: evolution of
the world, and within it, the unfolding of man`s evolution. The table
provides a bird`s-eye view of development at a few levels, where
from each, you can dive into understanding a Family, an Order or
just one plant remedy; you can decide or confirm a choice of remedy;
or, you can use existing information from cases then soar back to
a general understanding of a Family, a column, or the whole table
process. The table, like a macrocosm, is a way to see not only man’s
evolution, but humanity’s evolution and progress.
Much like the periodic table of the elements, plants may similarly be
arranged in a table, with the axes mirroring the actual evolutionary
stages of botanical development. Remarkably, these very axes parallel
the stages of development of the human ego-consciousness.
The first level provides the simple, basic, botanical background
necessary for understanding the orderliness and evolution of the plant
kingdom. This is the base for the theoretical homeopathic perspective
of the table of plants.
In plants, Order is based on the evolutionary development of species
and the knowledge of plants having simple to complex and specialized
structures. For example, greater uniformity of the number of flower
petals in the Family may decide the Order in one particular instance.
The more apparent these qualities are in a plant, the more advanced
the plant is considered to be. In a simplified way we can see two
directions of evolution: one is progression along the main groups of
the flowering plants (the Subclasses), and the second is within each
Subclass. These two axes allow us to assume a table-like shape that
shows the development of simple and primitive ideas to complicated
and modern ideas. Along these lines, we can view man’s potential
and the corresponding pathology when problems arise, and we can
view the evolution of a person and where this person’s evolution is
arrested.

The second level provides a concise Materia Medica analysis of
every plant remedy. Every remedy is discussed in terms of its location
within the table of plants. Virtually all of the remedies of seed-plant
origin found in the Materia Medica are represented to some degree.
This often helps a homeopath decide upon whether to give a hitherto
unknown remedy.
The third level portrays the theoretical rationalization of the table
of plants, the traits of its columns and rows, and the resulting themes
of each Family (see Table 1). This level describes the psychological,
philosophical, and sometimes spiritual qualities that come up when we
examine and arrange this information according to the evolutionary
order of the botanical Families, Orders, Classes, Subclasses, and so
on.
This method takes as a rule the idea that what occurs at one level of
life also occurs on other levels. In a fractal-like way, life is expressed
with wondrous similarity on every plane of existence “as above,
so below.” In this sense the evolution of the plant kingdom can be
correlated with the development of the human spirit and psyche
(as both share the innate nature of growth and development), to be
used as an indicator of where illness can be expressed, such as in
crossroads of life, at times of halted development, and deficient or
excessive, deformed, or otherwise imbalanced states.
The fourth level is another point of view of looking at man and the
world. It is deduced from man’s evolution to humanity’s evolution
and vice versa. The stages of development are established within
the fabric of the idea of the “man-world” evolution. This is why the
same pattern can be seen repeated in everything from the evolution
of the mineral kingdom to human development to the evolution
of humankind and civilization – from the Stone Age through the
birth of the big religions to our own day today. Every phase of
this evolution finds its expression in man’s life lessons: in his
relationship with himself, with family and others, in partnership
and sexuality, and in matters of work, money, belief and religion.
Even in the six chakras of the body we find a parallel to those
stages of development. On the macroscopic level, every column

has analogous expressions in the history of humankind, in cultural
development, and even in the literature and other documentation
that record the journey of going from the naïve state toward
maturity and adulthood. We see this in myths, legends, folklore,
and creation stories and in all the tales by which man has described
himself. In a fractal-like manner, the universe is expressing the same
patterns or templates in innumerable ways. Careful observation will
reveal the order that the archetypes and patterns of creation recount
and tell, over and over–the story of the wondrous order of the world.
And, we can read this via the spectacles of homeopathy.
Once all this is realized, it becomes self-evident that the Table
of Plants points toward a seventh column: the next stage of
development, the end of the octave, the seventh day of creation
(the Sabbath), the attainment of Christ or Buddha consciousness,
the coming of the Messiah. This next level, the highest dimension
of love, is associated with unconditional love. It is the integration
between the reality of personal and communal existence, between
the feminine and the masculine. It is the utopic end of the journey,
the promise that is seen from the perspective of the Table of Plants.
The columns represent the Subclasses of each of the two major
Classes (Monocots and Dicots) of the plant kingdom, portraying
a developmental journey of ego formation. Starting in a naïve,
unified, unaware, vibrant and life-forming feminine state and
developing toward the masculine state of differentiation and
eventual independence; from a state of being part of the whole (i.e.
the indistinct, fragile ego) and progressing toward the formation
and realization of its conscious individuality, now more in the realm
of the masculine element. In other words, we see the development
from unification to individuation. Along this journey, the ego
departs from the Garden of Eden (i.e. departs from its unaware
state) and progresses toward interaction and relationship with
another, eventually forming a new, conscious, responsible, and
aware connection with others and the world. We might say that the
columns represent the soul’s journey from having just the sensation
of love and oneness toward a differentiated ego that is now capable

of knowing and being conscious of love -- from just the sensation
of love in the first column to consciously knowing love in the last.
All the hindrances, inhibitions, and distortions in the way of this
progression are the pathologies we treat.
The column attributes are based loosely on the work of C.G. Jung. In
the transformative journey represented by the columns, the human
spirit aspires to obtain awareness and establish its uniqueness and
selfhood. The goal is to return to the Source, the time of being
a conscious and involved participant, an awakened witness to
creation’s essential wonder.
The rows, which subdivide each column (botanical Subclass)
into intermediate botanical groups known as Orders (which are
a higher level than Family), describe the level of maturity within
each column. The themes of every column begin in the first row
from the unprepared, ‘pre-state’, then moves toward the infantile
perspective on the column’s theme, and then progresses through
successive levels of maturity until the last row of the column, which
represents the end, usually a stuck situation that requires a remedy
to move to the next stage. The last row of each column not only
ends the column`s themes, but it also contains early signs of the first
row of the following column. The nine rows are divided according
to the stages of human maturation, starting from the prenatal stage
through infancy, childhood, adolescence and maturity and ending at
old age. Row attributes are based on Erik Erikson’s stages of human
development.
To summarize the columns and rows, every phase of ego-construction
is experienced within its column in different degrees of readiness
and maturity, thereby progressing through the developmental
stages represented by the rows within each column. Each point
of intersection of a given column and row contains one to several
Orders and Families of plants belonging to that stage. Let us look
more closely at this material:

Column 1- Not Here Yet: The essential motivation of Column
One is to learn to contain the fundamental life energy in a vessel,
which represents material actuality. Major themes of this column
include oneness, spaced-out feeling (Asar, Nux-m), idealistic
outlook (Staph), unity, non-duality (the Magnoliales), beginning,
naivete, unrealistic idealism (Nuph), childish worldview, dissolving
into and returning to the whole (Lotus), weak ego (Puls), lack of
definition, boundlessness, indistinctness (Asim), indiscretion (Acon,
Op, Puls, Staph, Pip-m), lacking boundaries, changeability (Puls),
impulsiveness and capriciousness (Acon, Podo, Cocc, Cimic, Act-
sp, Mormp, and others), amorphous feminine quality (Puls, Ran-b,
Op). The tools of the ego, which are the aspects of the emotions and
mind, are just being built and are not yet formed. But keep in mind
that the dominant element of the boundless, fluent feminine state
and the above qualities strive for control.
Column 2 – Here or There: At this primary stage of separation,
the ego begins to show itself, relinquishing the infinite, and limiting
itself by borders in order to define and separate itself, so it can begin
to build its own identity. This column presents issues related to the
capacity to perform. In this level it is neither here nor there; it is
between the worlds (Cann-i). Thus we get many issues of boundaries
and borders, mostly seen on the skin (Urtica, Ficus) and in the blood
vessels (Ham, Ficus). The ego has just separated; the desire to be in
the world is there, but the ego is still unprepared (Ulm) as it has just
separated. In other words, the initial separation has occurred, but the
ego has not come fully into its powers. Therefore the ego feels small
and weak, and it strives to be strong, yet it easily fails in achieving
this (the Fagales).
Column 3 – The Hero: The “I”, or young ego, tries to emerge and
detach itself forcefully from the now suffocating feminine element
[the dragon] and returns to it to reunite as a hero: Great on account
of himself. The pathology will be related to issues of the smothering
feminine quality, dominant mother, and being under the influence of
superpower dominance. The reaction would be rebellious rejection

of outer influences (Cact), autonomy, self-definition, striving for
independence, “to do what I want to do”, distancing, avoiding, and
even rough behaviour (the Cacti).
Column 4 - Maturity and Nurturing: The ego tries to gain the
ability to remain stable within its border while giving or receiving.
The lessons are of receiving and not being belittled by it, i.e. giving
without losing oneself (Bry). The issues are of standing on one’s
own feet and acquiring balance (the Graminales and the Grasses),
nurturing and mother-child relations (Thea, Abel, Choc), family
relations (Trit-v, Kola), the digestive system (Coloc) from rectum
(Paeon) to mouth (Bry), and metabolism (Dros, Sacc). In the end
(the last row), the ego feels stuck in the family situation, which is
once again a stuck, blocked sensation.
Column 5 – Me and the Other: The fifth column is about
building many tools (mental, emotional and physical) through
which the ego will be distinguished from anything other than itself.
The column begins with a relationship with another (the Roses).
As we progress down the column, the masculine element gains
momentum; it splits completely from the feminine and suppresses
it. The split allows awareness and consciousness to form and
develop toward performing, achieving, and acting in the world
(Ruta, Rhus-t). Work becomes an issue, but it is performed in a
rigid way. The ego feels defined by its achievements— “I am what
I work” and so on. The split allows the ego to gain distinction, but
it separates from its heart in the process (Anac, the Sapindales),
and this leads to a lot of rigidity. The Split is seen in many forms
(Mez, Anac); me vs. you (Melil, Deris, the Fabales), mind vs.
emotions. And, there is a tendency to suppress the emotions or
feminine aspect (Viol). The masculine, suppressive principle leads
to pathology related to paternal suppression, rules, regulations, and
rigidity (the Sapindales, the Euphorbiales, and the Apiales). The
mind becomes rigid (Guaj, Con, Aeth) and suspicious (Meli, Cic,
Con, Ang, Coca, Ruta, Manch and others), and eventually dull. The
reaction to the split and rigidity is restlessness and limb pathology.

Column 6 – Me versus the World: The themes of this column are
related to the development of the ego in the context of the group
and the world. It is a struggle for establishing its place in the world,
on one hand, and reuniting with the world, on the other, all the
while maintaining the ego’s acquired individuality and uniqueness.
We are at the end of the journey, and the ego has reached the
peak of its development. It is trying to reconcile the feminine
and masculine elements, and this leads to a visible and powerful
internal struggle (Bell, Hyos, Stram, Spig). This is the summit of
the ego’s development, and now it can only be measured against
the world at large. It needs the world to be in the background, so
it finds itself battling the world for its own needs. This column is
parallel to the time in which we are living currently; it is the era of
egoism). Thus, we see, on one hand, a strong ego (Dulc, Nux-v)
and even egotism (Ment, Orig, the Labiales, the Asterales), and
then, on the other hand, we see an awareness of the world and
others. This is representative of the pinnacle of development; the
ego is striving to develop beyond itself, and its lesson is to learn
to act consciously by integrating the two aspects of its nature. Yet,
as the issue of opening the heart (which was closed in the previous
columns) is not resolved because the feminine and masculine are
still battling for supremacy (Ign, Yohem, Meliss, Agnus, Vib), the
journey is ended unbalanced. These patient comes to us hurting,
bruised, injured, and battered from the battle of life (Arn, Bell-p
and the Asterales). One of the symptoms is that they want to be
touched—but only in a certain way. Thus, it seems they don’t want
to be touched. Really they do want to be touched, painfully so.
Example from a Case: This woman is in her 30’s. She’s married
and has two young babies. She complains of skin problems on her
hands: the area itches and discharges clear serum. Only boiling
water soothes it. Sometimes it gets covered in reddish-purple spots.
She has back and joint pain, and in fact all of her vertebrae and
joints hurt. Only deep tissue massage alleviates the pain. She is
slightly depressed, and lately her libido disappeared, plummeting

from high to nonexistent, though she still has sexual dreams.
The decline started before she even got married after a bad drug
experience. Before then she was full of life, danced, travelled the
world, and conducted business in many countries. “I was on top of
the world.” She used drugs in partying until she had this bad trip.
She says, “My light has gone out.” She became insecure, critical,
rigid, and afraid to leave home or be among many people. Even
today she is not comfortable to go out and face the world. She
turned in the direction of spiritual development by way of extreme
misanthropy.
The remedy was decided based on the repertory (ailment from drug
abuse is a keynote of this remedy) and confirmed by themes of
the 6th column (going out into the world in an egocentric way and
self-development are themes that match) and the 7th row (going
out and enjoying yourself as you are an adult now is a theme that
matches). The remedy is Agnus castus, from the Labiales Order
(the Mint families). In this group, the focus is outside the ego and
in the world. As a result the inside is neglected, and eventually they
lose themselves, ending with being sapped of energy.
With treatment using Agnus castus in high strength potencies, her

fears to be among people decreased, as did her insecurity to stand
up against the world. Her skin condition improved, and the itching
eventually went away.
The scope of this article is too limited to describe the whole story
of the table of plants. I invite you to learn more in the book2 or
seminars. Even more, look at your own cases from this perspective
and see for yourself how it follows the universal order that I have
just described. This is another gift from the kingdom of plants to us,
and it is amazing just how every other system fits right in.
‘Man-world’ is a term coined by philosopher Rudolf Steiner, referring to the link between
the man and the cosmos and the need to know both as a way for man to know himself.
Man is described as a microcosm that contains within it all the archetypes of the universe.
This idea, that man personifies all of nature (“as above, so below”) appears also in other

sources such as ancient esoteric texts and the Kabbalah. In the Kabbalah the term ”Adam
Kadmon” (the Primordial Human) is used to describe the patterns and paths of creation,
the holographic architectural map of the universe, the archetypal, fractal-like mould of the
world. The portrait of Adam Kadmon is an image of the universe in its entirety, but it also
details the path of humanity’s progress and evolution, where it originates from and where
it is headed, up to its anticipated remerging with the Infinite, where man and creation
achieve their charge: a broader consciousness. This term describes the embodiment of the
divine in the spirit of man, and its descent into matter, as a way of soul-transformation and
transcendence.
2
The book “The Table of Plants- Wondrous Order” is currently being translated (from
Hebrew), and will come out next year in Narayana Pub. However, a 2 pages summary
table is already available there.

Table 1: The Table themes and properties along the columns and rows
Intimacy, sex and temptation, Small vs. Big, Old age
heat and congestion, fertility, changes, ages of
Intimacy, relationships, avoidance. early separation, nerve system, transport, Confusion, Young adult
Heart. The ego in relationship to immaturity. Water and sexual
the group. Self-identity in the world. organs.
Sin and sexuality. Religion and Parental nurturing. Over-giving. Adolescence
community. Hierarchy. Above and Support or lack of it. Separation
and clinging. Connection to the Immaturity of sexual School age
below, inside and outside. Queen
family, to the nurturing roots. organs.
and princess. Standing for your
Containing. Abundance. Water, mucus Early childhood
own. Dictatorship, invasion of the
Hormonal and nerve system. membranes,
world. Babyhood-basic trust
Water – too much. uncertainty and
Heart and blood.
confusion.
Assimilation of the world. Digestion.
Being here or there.
Beginning of life
Before birth
Lilids Commelids Arecids Alismatids
Monocots

In group The other Nurturing The hero Here/ there Before
War/peace Doing Maturation Borders separation
Dicots
Developmental
Asterids Rosids Dillenids Caryophyllids Hamamelides Magnolids
stages
Antagonistic Death, beginning. Primary Death wish. Not wishing Basic, primal. Before birth.
world. War. Flee or collapse, emotional. Love, Fear of to be born. To Beginning, The
protect. Pursued, connection, heart. mother hood. exist, escapist. not conscious. unconscious.
fears, instincts. The Early birth. Confused. Before, pre-…
shadow. Spasm. Non mature
systems.
Lack existential No existential Borders in I want – I get. Infancy. Oral
confidence. No strength. security. beginning Satisfaction. stage. Basic
Fear of doing. Basic nurture. of life, in Nerve irritation. security & trust.
motherhood.
Control, holding. Rigidity, compulsiveness Forsaken, Small vs. Big, Containing, Babyhood basic
Contractions. holding. Work!! Paralysis mother hood, here or there. no borders, no trust. Will and
Letting go. Over of ability. Difficult separation, Clings. Find durability or shame.
sensitivity. Hostility. expression. not doing. strength. confidence.
Cannot contain the Paralysis of The matriarch.
world. ego. Appeaser.

Penetration and Borders. Skin and mucus Invaded, Unstable, Early childhood.
setting borders. membranes. Stinging, influenced. confused, Penetration.
Meeting the violent meeting. Early sex. Giant vs. Tiny. imitative,
world, secretion, Depression. Unbalanced. penetration.
thickening. Insist, against. Weak ego.
Setting targets, Law, Structure, order. Save the world Controlled, School age.
force vs. weakness. Rigidness. Religion with rigidity. irritated, Ability. Law and
Societal norms. Pressure, work, Heart, polarity. anxious. Ideal norms.
Duty to family. restlessness. world.
Over stimulation. Freedom, Mood swings, Limited. Weak, Childish ego Adolescence.
Desire to act in the limits. Eating desire to grow not doing, is confronting Hindrance.
world. Imagination. disorders. vs. fear. First confused adult Identity.
Body image. Sex. Guilt. Sex. motherhood. in actions. obligations.
How to give. Cannot cope. Fear.
Skin, joints. Confrontation.
Prove yourself. Separation, parasite, Abundance. Support, take Young adult.
Escape.
Struggle, ambition. weakness of will and Separate. responsibility Intimacy and
Detached, Try
Wants more. doing Nurturing – without the action.
to hold. Escape
Overactive. Hide. family. strength.
pain. Sleepy.
Cold Isolation.
Not controlling/
Me vs. the world. Society and work. Anger Feminine fear. For all: too controlling Adulthood.
Invaded/ fight and quarrels. Swelling Castration. difficulties in –rigid. Come to fruition.
back. War, blood, and shrinking. Coldness. Emasculation. fulfilling goals. Liver and
parasites, Allergies. Paralysis. End. paralysis.
Overwhelmed. Depressed.
Tumours, childish. Weak. Old age. End.
Crave intimacy, Nourish-ment.
Old, death, dry. Scars, Summing up.
touch –only on Old. Digestion.
rigid, blocked. The past. Life/process.
one’s own terms.
Oversensitive,
defend.
Fertility issues.
Pain.
End and beginning.
Changes.
Childishness.

Biography
Michal Yakir has been working as a Homeopath for more than 25 years.
Michal has developed her system of the plant table and continues to work on
it. She was a botanist and a models ecologist in her past. Today, she has used
her homeopathic and botanical knowledge (combined with late-night studies,
new homeopathic ideas, and work with colleagues) to synthesize the “Table
of Plants.” Other than that, Dr. Yakir was past chairwoman of the Israeli
Association for Homeopathy and present editor of the IACH journal. She is
currently teaching homeopathy and the “Table of Plants” in Israel and abroad.
You can see more information on her website:
http://www.homeopathy-plants.com
Michal Yakir. PhD, RCHom.

Modiin, ISRAEL
m-yakir@bezeqint.net

A Dogged Case of
Psoriatic Arthritis, Hypertension,
and Ophthlamic Shingles
By Douglas Falkner, MD, MHom
The following is a case of serious and diverse pathology, which

was cured by an unusual remedy. As an educator of students of
homeopathy, I would also like to demonstrate how understanding
basic Hahnemannian principles; skillful, clear, impartial case
observation; and facility with the repertory and materia medica
are sufficient to solve almost any case. A simple approach,
emphasizing objective observation, not complex and complicated
systems, can indeed consistently lead to accurate prescribing and
high rates of cure.
When I take a case, I generally like to speak and interject myself

as little as possible, allowing the patient to speak their truth fully
and spontaneously without interruption or distraction. I find that
staying rather quiet, though actively present, allows things to
unfold organically, with minimal direction on my part. As part
of the traditional doctor-patient relationship, one of our jobs is to
deeply honor the healing process, which begins in the consultation
room.
With the proper intent, we can create a kind of sacred space for our
patients to enter into, in which they can express and reveal what is
most important, especially the key features and symptoms of their
case. When the interviewer can stay very clear, present, caring, and
patiently attentive, it generally supports and encourages the patient
to feel safe, and thus to more easily find their way to honest, direct,
and authentic self-expression.

In the following case, I simply let the patient talk, with virtually
no interruption on my part. It is a case of a burly man in his late
40’s. He has a marked ruddy complexion and a gentle way about
himself. He presents with the diagnoses of psoriasis, psoriatic
arthritis, hypertension, and herpes zoster of the left eye. The
following narrative is what he shared with me, more or less
verbatim.
Please tell me why you came and how I might be of assistance?
I came to see you because the spiritual component of homeopathy

really intrigued me. I spent 12 years in Catholic school, after all.
But let me back up.
I am the oldest of three boys. I was raised by a young and strict

mom. I was force-fed Catholicism at a young age. In our house it
was “don’t speak unless you are spoken to.” I rarely got a choice
about things. Basically I lived in the shadows. Afraid to express
myself. When I tried, it felt like I was never listened to. I had this
morose, sick feeling.
I just felt like shit!
Already we get a strong impression of this patient. Almost

immediately there emerges images of emotional suppression,
things imposed against the will. He was force-fed, rarely got a
choice, lived in the shadows, afraid to express, never listened to.
All these combined led to a morose, sick feeling, I felt like shit.
Over the years, in reviewing many cases where the first

prescription produced what we homeopaths call miraculous cures,
I have found that strong elements or pointers to the remedy quite
often appear right at the beginning within the first words or non-
verbal expressions of the patient, sometimes even before—such
as in the waiting room, or when the patient calls to make the

appointment. It is as if the living organism, as a result of the
existing vital disturbance, is always expressing what needs to be
cured, if we are only willing to observe it.
In retrospect, in this case as well, the key components of the

remedy are offered right out of the gate. We know his opening
statements are important because they directly reflect how his
individual disease state has been undermining his constitution: he
has a morose sick feeling, I felt like shit.
However, knowing that crucial information frequently arises in

the very beginning, the challenge is to avoid thinking or seeking
possible remedy choices at this early juncture. In my opinion, the
student or beginning homeopath ought not to think about remedies
at all when engaged in the process of case observation. It’s better
to keep the mind fully attentive and present, open and clear, so
that the complete pattern of the disease can emerge, untarnished
by bias or prejudice. During case observation, our immediate task
is not to look for the remedy, but rather to strive for a complete
understanding of the living human being with whom we are
engaged.
Catholic school was a living hell. I fought it how I could in little

ways.
It was a constant battle I couldn’t express. My inner rebellion was
hard on my body as a kid. I moved away from home right after high
school.
Again, the patient tells us that he couldn’t express himself, but

he does have an inner rebellion that is hard on his body. We can
conclude that his inner dynamic is contributing to his state of
illness, not to his health and well-being.
My father was a staunch Republican and businessman for a big

oil company. My “evil” mom kept a super-duper tight ship. Once I

moved out she was “whatever” about it.
In my teens, 20’s, and 30’s, I was really hard on my body: worked

hard, played hard, crashed hard. I had four major knee surgeries
and multiple broken bones.
My arthritis stuff started in my late 20’s. I just forced my way

through it. A joint here or there exploding. It overcomes me, takes
me over. The inflammation and burning pains are killer. They
come with more frequency in different spots. I keep trying to peg
the rhyme or reason for it. Haven’t been able to knock down these
constant bouts.
At this point, we hear more about his life dynamic of being hard on
his body—mentally, emotionally, and physically. His strategy is to
try to knock down these constant bouts, basically trying the same
strategy that was enforced on him: self-suppression.
My current marriage has never been happier. I hold in a lot of

anger, I am so riled by the world. I take it all to heart, all what
these politicians do. I carry the world of events in my heart. I’m
so upset—I want it one way, the right way. Like a lack of control
about being able to help, help the down-trodden—the underdog.
Look at me barfing all this stuff out…
I always keep a close eye on the choice of words people use. When
he describes the manner in which he expresses himself, he uses
the word “barfing”— look at me barfing all this stuff out. So for
him, in order to speak about himself, to speak his truth, he has
to “barf” it out. It has to take a violent expulsion, rather than a
simple, flowing, natural, personal expression. To “barf” requires
overcoming the suppressive force of the esophageal sphincter on
the stomach contents, the purpose of which is to hold contents.

You see, I wasn’t allowed to express anger as a kid. I hold it in,
hold it in, then one little thing can set me off in a rage—though I
am never violent. It is a seething anger and frustration. I didn’t
fully know what I was feeling. I was never allowed a choice, like I
wasn’t valued. My opinion, thoughts, or wishes just didn’t matter.
Even in rage he held himself back—never violent. Thus more

evidence of suppression.
Why is masturbation a sin? Why are women second class? These

values were crammed down my throat. Catholic school was a
living hell: the priests and nuns were violent, all the structure of
uniforms and conformity. It was all forced—I was never allowed
a choice. The cloak and dagger, fire and brimstone, and it was all
false.
“Crammed” and “forced” all words reinforcing our observation

of the many levels and facets of suppression operating in the
case. Never allowed a choice. He reiterates these images from the
beginning of the case, and they weave through to the end. We are
thus much more secure in our understanding of the importance
of the suppression in his pathology. As I mentioned earlier, in the
process of case observation, our central aim is first understanding,
not finding solutions or remedies. It is becoming evident that we
are moving in the right direction and the image of the dis-ease is
emerging nicely.
There was this heavy set kid in class who was ballistically shy.
He always got the ruler on the knuckles as punishment. I rebelled
against that system, got teachers fired, tried to fight in little ways.
Growing up I had a 9 PM curfew in my senior year of high school.

Why? “Because I said so.” Not having any choice made me feel
forced. I became more of a wild child from 18 to 22 years old.

I worked hard to get good grades. It was a challenge.
I guess these joint pain explosions do occur when I do get stressed.

It tends to happen in the fall and the spring. It starts with things
tightening up, then full blown flaring with swelling and heat and
sometimes redness. The joint pains are burning, aching like a
toothache, swollen.
Looks like the process of the arthritic flares in the joints is trying to
release huge energy: explosions do occur, full blown flaring, with
swelling and heat. So we see all the suppression is needing to find
a vent somewhere in the system, and the joints act like one of the
pressure release valves of his organism.
I have psoriasis of the scalp, which I control with Selsun Blue. My

eye gets red and stings with the shingles. I use prednisone for that
and the arthritis, which works great, but it damages so much. My
blood pressure hangs around 180/100 without treatment.
I was married one other time. It was a cavalcade of things. The

divorce was gnarly. My eldest son in that marriage is estranged
from me. He was tainted by his stepfather. He sent me a scalding
letter.
When he distanced himself from me (his son) was when I played

really hard, too, and hurt myself a lot. Crashing and burning in
mountaineering, flying over the handlebars when mountain biking.
I broke my collar bones.
I kind of barfed it all out there…didn’t I?
I meditate to make my pain go away. Things are good for me. I

have a great life. I am financially comfortable.
I never shot a gun. Not into violence of any kind. The state of the

world right now has me, the human race---I feel horrible how
people lose voting rights, women lose choice, democracy is going
away. It gets to me…watching our earth crumble, people on social
security losing it all. It really gets me, it hurts. I feel sick to my
stomach. Throwing up at the audacity. Physically it nauseates me.
Here’s more of the barfing, forceful release of energy, leaving him

sick to his stomach.
So unequal, so unfair, so wrong. So angry with all the voter fraud.

Flush, flare, then done. Grit teeth, clench fists. Used to get on my
bicycle and ride.
There are many images of heat and pressure and holding in or

back: flaring, hypertension, scalding, grit teeth, clench fists, flush.
I like salty nuts, salt and vinegar chips, sauerkraut.
I work in the automotive industry. Restore cars and sell them.
I have this reoccurring nightmare about seeing a horrifying plane

crash. I wake heart-thumping and sweaty.
I shy away from confrontation or just take it. I turn into sheetrock
and just take it. I feel soiled inside, the anger and the resentment I
hold inside doesn’t feel good or clean—push it aside. I don’t want
that part in my life. I want to have choice. Don’t want to carry the
memories and thoughts of lack of choice, freedom, honesty. Don’t
want to be stifled, have someone’s thumb on me all the time.
Theme of suppression and not having choice is again highlighted.

We need to understand what his organism is telling us. At the end
of the day, whatever remedy we give has to help him overcome the
feeling of being stifled, like having someone’s thumb on me all the
time.

I’m a real dog person. I really love dogs. Never been a cat
person. My golden retriever was my truly best friend. There is that
unconditional love, loved to do whatever I do—peaceful, gentle,
kind.
At this point, the narrative ends. I feel the case is clear. There is
little left for me to ask. After explaining a bit about the process of
homeopathic treatment, I asked him how best to reach him once I
decided on a remedy. He replied, I’ll have my phone in my grubby
little paw. Here ended his appointment.
At this point, before thinking about symptoms, searching in the

repertory, and trying to find a remedy, my approach to working
with cases is that I teach students first off to come to a clear and
concise understanding of the case. This step seems both vital and
essential, as the ultimate remedy selected should closely match the
basic “feel” of the case in all of its most important facets. Also,
the effort to come to a clear conception of what needs to be cured
is part of what enables the student or homeopath to envision the
direction of cure in each individual case and what can be used to
assess follow-ups.
For this case, a synopsis may look something like this: Our
patient is a sensitive and gentle man suffering from hypertension,
psoriasis, and presumably psoriatic arthritis, characterized
by explosive flares, and marked burning and aching pains. In
addition he also has chronic post-herpetic neuralgia of the left
eye, which also is characterized by burning pains. Alongside his
physical complaints, the patient suffers from significant and life-
long emotional suppression, mainly of anger, from longstanding
domination by parents and teachers. He is very sensitive to
injustice and oppression in the world at large, and describes strong
emotional reactions to them, both expressed in his rebellious
nature and fighting for the underdog. When ill, he feels like shit,

nauseated, and even soiled inside.
With this working understanding in mind, the next step is to select

rubrics based on the salient and most characteristic symptoms
in the case, which are both central and unarguable. Selecting
strong, clear, unarguable symptoms maximizes the likelihood
that the indicated remedy will be included in the repertorization.
Relying too much on artistic, psychological, and speculative
interpretations of a case often results in a list of less grounded and
less scientifically supportable list of remedies, and may result in
missing the similimum.
One common trap I see students fall into is the tendency to

consider or look more closely at remedies that repertorize well—
those which include all the selected symptoms and are listed in
high degrees in the rubrics—rather than to objectively consider
all the main remedies coming through at the top end of the
repertorization. Remember, the repertory is never the final arbiter
in remedy selection. One must always refer back to provings and
materia medica, in order to determine which remedy is truly most
similar to the case in question. When a remedy covers a case well
mathematically but lacks the deeper essential feel of the case, it
generally falls short in producing the depth of cure we know is
possible with the simillimum.
At this point, I cannot emphasize enough the role of developing

a capacity for objective observation in case observation, for the
very reason that, in the end, it is only a clear understanding of the
patient in their disease—what Hahnemann calls clear perception
or impartial observation, using sound senses—that can lead us
to accurately identify which remedy shares the closest simile of
the patient’s vital disturbance. All the strategies, systems, and
philosophies rely heavily on this first step of learning how to
clearly perceive and knowing when one has actually captured the
“gestalt” of the case.

Once we have developed to a high degree our own capacity of
clear perception (Aphorism 3 in the Organon), and once we have
mastered this fundamental skill of objectively observing a case,
then the repertory alone, in a vast majority of cases, is a sufficient
tool to guide us to the remedy required. With good remedy
suggestions in hand, our materia medica can deftly assist us in
confirming which one remedy is best, in other words, the true
simillimum for the case.
Coming back to our patient, there were many characteristic

symptoms and some definite expressions that might be labeled
“strange, rare and peculiar (SRP).” Some of the SRP expressions I
found difficult to repertorize, so in this case chose instead to focus
on selecting rubrics that are most central and characteristic, saving
the SRP symptoms as confirmatory qualities that should be part of
the remedy chosen. The following rubrics are the ones I used to
solve this case:
1. mind; ANGER; ailments from, agg.; suppressed

2. extremities; PAIN; burning, smarting; joints (47) *
3. skin; ERUPTIONS; psoriasis (153) **
4. mind; LOVE; animals, for (33)
Other rubrics, which also related strongly to the central

understanding of the case, were found in retrospect after choosing
the remedy. They could be viewed as confirmatory or supporting
symptoms of the remedy. Here is a list of these rubrics:
Mind; ABUSE agg., ailments from (78) *

Mind; AUTHORITY, refusal to accept some one’s (39) *
Mind; DOMINATION by others agg. (60) ***
Mind; FORSAKEN feeling; children leave house, after grown up
(1) **
Mind; LOVE; animals, for; dogs, for (4) **

Extremities; INFLAMMATION; joints, arthritis (210) **
Extremities; INFLAMMATION; joints, arthritis; large (89) **
Extremities; PAIN; violent (82) *
Extremities; SWELLING; fingers (165) *
Eyes; INFLAMMATION; conjunctivae, conjunctivitis (232) *
Eyes; PAIN; burning, smarting, biting (496) ***
A repertorization of the first four symptoms selected above—the

ones which I considered unarguable symptoms in the case—
yielded the following list of remedies, covering either all four or
at least three of the symptoms selected: Sulphur, Sepia, Natrum
muriaticum, Carcinosinum, and Excrementum caninum!
Seeing the last remedy on this short list was initially a shock,
followed shortly by a flash of insight and inspiration. Admittedly
there were many facets to this patient that might remind one of the
remedy Lac caninum (the wandering joint pains, feeling of being
dominated and demeaned, with low self-esteem, the psoriasis and
anger), but that remedy only covered one of the rubrics selected.
At the time I took the case, I never even knew there was a remedy
made from “dog poop.” I knew nothing of its proving or symptoms
in the materia medica, but when I saw this remedy in the list of
possible choices everything lit up. Here was a patient who, like
Lac caninum, felt dominated and controlled all his life. He felt like
shit, always fought for the underdog, felt soiled inside, had his
phone at the ready in his grubby little paw, loved dogs to the point
that his dog was literally his best friend. From a scientific and more
grounded perspective, all the additional symptoms listed were also
covered by this remedy. And, on some intuitive level, this case, for
lack of a better, more scientific term, “smelled” of dog energy.
When science and art combine in working out a case, my

experience confirms that the best results usually ensue. Too much
science, and the remedies that emerge tend to feel stale and often

don’t take the case very far. Too much art and the remedies picked
seem poetic and often land far afield, offering little help to the
patient.
Homeopathy is a system of healing that calls for the blending

of science and art, the mind and the heart. When we learn to
incorporate both elements in our case-observation and our working
of remedies through repertorization, we often get the most
powerful results. Connecting with more of ourselves, we become
more open to resonate with the essence of things. We participate
more fully and directly in the sacred process of healing. When this
happens during the process of observing a case, we as practitioners
also benefit from the experience. As I said before, something in us
“lights up.” Having that experience is both exciting and precious.
He started on Excrementum caninum LM2. (LM1 was not

available due to the possibility of material substance still being
present—yuck!) The remedy was sent without a name to call it,
mainly because I couldn’t get myself to tell him the substance of
the remedy. Usually I support the patient’s right to know what they
are taking, and feel it is unethical to withhold that information
whenever the patient specifically requests it. Fortunately in this
case, the patient was fully trusting of his homeopath—like a dog to
his master—and he was comfortable not knowing the name of his
remedy. I truly thought that his knowing it may have presented an
obstacle to cure.
His first follow up occurred about six weeks after starting the
remedy. He reported no explosions or blistering arthritis attacks,
which had been coming steadily for more than 9 months. He felt
an overwhelming sense of calm. I am so much more at ease inside,
less angry, a lot more open and receptive. I am not riled up over
anything. I don’t seem to have a bone to pick (notice the imagery).
My meditations are so much more rewarding. More patient, and my
mind is not spinning wheels. His cheeks were less red, his blood

pressure was somewhat lower than usual, and he had three nights
of insomnia, which he used to have, but hadn’t had in years. His
fingernails and toenails seemed to be growing like crazy.
For me this first follow-up was most promising. The chief

complaint was improving and the general mental/emotional state
was definitely moving in a healthier direction. The patient looked
better and acknowledged feeling much better.
Fast forward another year. Here is what he described at his latest

follow-up, after having gone all the way up to an LM12.
I am just loving life. I am feeling so good. No worries, no pain.

Didn’t catch the flu my wife had. My hair and nails continue to
grow like crazy, I am even needing to shave more. I can make a fist
with my hands, which I haven’t been able to do for many years. My
eye is fine. I am off steroids, blood pressure meds, everything I used
to take. My blood pressure is normal, like 120’s over high 70’s. I
do yoga, exercise more and eat well. I’ve lost over 50 pounds. My
scalp is clear of psoriasis. My anger issues are so much less. I still
occasionally get some joint pains, but they are only a shadow of
what they used to be, and they hardly last long. I am never limited
by them like before and they are much less frequent. My marriage
is better than ever. We are having so much fun. And, my estranged
son from my first marriage has recently contacted me and wants to
get together. I am apprehensive but glad.
So here we see that the remedy is in the process of bringing about

a wonderful cure. In context, it is following Hahnemann’s ideal
of cure: rapid, gentle, and permanent. Along the way, this patient
has experienced some ups and downs in his symptoms, but the
long-term trends are all positive. On the whole, this patient is
experiencing the kind of transformation on all levels that we have
come to expect when the simillimum is found and is working its
magic. I am confident that, with time, a complete cure will result

from this, let’s just say, interesting remedy.
To be honest, I still cannot get myself to tell the patient the source
of his remedy. Instead, if and when he asks, I will probably put
on an evasive grin and respond, “maybe we should just put that
discussion off for now, since you are doing so well, and isn’t that
what really matters anyhow?” I hope he doesn’t press the issue, for
his sake and mine!
Biography
Douglas Falkner, MD, MHom is the Founder and Chief Instructor at The Falkner
School for Homeopathy, which offers practitioner training programs at both
beginning and more advanced levels, all interactive, live and online. Dr. Falkner
is a fully trained Emergency Medicine Physician, Clinical Emergency Medicine
Instructor, and Homeopath. With extensive training in both conventional
Western medicine and homeopathy, Dr. Falkner combines his knowledge of
modern medical science with a deep understanding of the homeopathic healing
art. He maintains a busy homeopathy practice in Ashland, Oregon, and also
offers phone consultations nationally and internationally.
Douglas Falkner, MD, MHom

MD/Homeopath/Teacher
The Falkner School for Homeopathy
www.thefalknerschool.com
541-552-1400
drfalknermd@gmail.com

The Mueller Method: Digging Deeper
Into Your Homeopathic Toolbox
Manfred Mueller, MA, DHM, RSHom (NA), CCH
and Christina Mueller
INTRODUCTION
The world has accelerated since the simple horse-and-buggy

days of Hahnemann’s time, and so our approach to homeopathic
treatment must become just as advanced and dynamic. With
technological, scientific, and medical progress, the diseases and
disorders we suffer from have become more complicated and more
aggressive. Identifying and removing obstacles to cure, antidoting
the secondary effects of past exposures, reversing multiple disorders
simultaneously, understanding individualization of potency and
dose, and treating the omnipresent predisposition to cancer are the
tools you need to tackle nearly all of the cases that walk through
your door. Your success rate will increase if you do. Healing will
progress at a faster and more profound pace. Your attrition rate will
decrease. And you will thrive in your practice. Imagine practicing
homeopathy to its fullest extent, the way it was meant to be practiced.
So let’s get started…
Why The Mueller Method?
When I was first studying homeopathy, I learned the prevalent “one

dose, wait, and watch” constitution-centered approach derived from
James Tyler Kent. And I practiced this way for the first few years.
I had some good successes and I had some substantial failures. It
was the failures that concerned me. I gradually realized that the
homeopathy I was practicing, and that of some of the best teachers
of homeopathy were practicing, was not yielding the same level of

clinical improvement as the cases published in homeopathic journals
100 years ago.
I delved deeper into the homeopathic literature, the older journals,

and especially Hahnemann’s writings. I realized that homeopaths
today were not applying our modern situation to some of the basic
principles of healing that Hahnemann had developed 200 years ago.
Neither were we incorporating many of the 6th edition Organon
principles. And we failed to integrate these principles into our
current practices and scientific understanding. We were not utilizing
all the tools in our homeopathic toolbox!
I began to systematically experiment, integrating the old principles

into today’s situations. I came up with a completely revised method
of practicing Hahnemannian homeopathy. After 25 years of research
and clinical validation, I am ready to present to you—The Mueller
Method—as this new approach has been affectionately dubbed
by students. We have tried in this paper to portrait, in very broad
strokes, what this methods is all about.
Just a brief word: By the time of this publication, I will have already
produced at least 22 tutorials covering, in detail, the different aspects
of what I will be discussing in this paper. The titles of some of the
tutorials will be listed, where applicable.
-Manfred
Drug Disorders
Homeopaths can learn from modern scientific research. For example,

Gary Null has shown in several studies that in the United States, not
cancer, not heart disease, but iatrogenic diseases ARE, by far, the
number-one cause of death (Null et al 2011). Hahnemann saw this
coming over 200 years ago. While he himself encountered mostly
natural disorders, he saw that drugs were more powerful than natural

diseases and could have more devastating effects.
“But artificial pathogenetic forces we call drugs are quite

a different matter. Every drug can at all times, and in all
cases, affect every living being and bring about its specific
effects in him, even clearly perceptible ones if the dose is
large enough. It follows that every living organism can at
all times, and without exception, be affected—as it were,
infected—by a drug disorder. As I have said, this is not at all
the case with natural diseases.”§32, Organon, 6th Ed., M.
Mueller’s translation
Hahnemann saw that every drug, even after only one dose had been
taken, left a footprint in the individual’s health that didn’t stop once
the drug left the individual’s system. This means that our modern
medical system with its pharmaceutical drugs, surgeries, vaccines,
medical procedures, and massive diagnostic imaging are doing us
in fast! They are the number-one cause of death today and the most
common cause of chronic disorders. Even in his time Hahnemann
was pessimistic as to their cure:
“The ruination of human health by the allopathic non-

healing art [more particularly in recent times] are, of
all chronic diseases, the most deplorable and the most
incurable. I regret to add that when they have reached any
considerable severity it is probably impossible to find or
discover any methods for their cure.” §75, Organon, 6th Ed.,
M. Mueller’s translation
What Happens When You Don’t Remove the Cause(s)
Have you ever had a situation where you knew the remedy but
after taking it, the patient did not improve? Manfred once did with
a case of a thirty-something year old woman named Shelly with
eczema all over her body. Shelly was worse from heat, had flaking

of skin with itching and scratching until her skin bled. Every time
she took the remedy Sulphur, she had a massive aggravation of
symptoms and yet never saw improvement. She finally had to
discontinue treatment.
This and several other cases hammered home what happens when
you don’t remove the cause. Removing the cause(s) is such a
basic clinical principle that Hahnemann put it into the first several
Aphorisms of his Organon. (§ 2-7). Upon taking a more careful
case, an important fact in Shelly’s environment was uncovered.
She was exposed to sulphur on a daily basis from the water in her
well. She drank, cooked with, and bathed in sulphur-tainted water.
Before you can treat for the effects of a cause(s), you first need
to remove the cause(s). It’s that simple. Once Shelly moved from
her home to a place with no detectable sulphur in the water, a total
and permanent cure of her eczema took place using...Sulphur, in
ascending Q potencies for the next 8 months. But we’re jumping
the gun. This gets us to Tool number one.
TOOL 1: REMOVING THE CAUSES OF DISEASE
In each case we take, we need to discover sustaining causes.

The easy way to do this is by educating ourselves on some of
the most prevalent causes of disease. In this summary, we’ll
focus on two very important, but often overlooked, causes of
chronic disorders today to underscore our point—the heavy metal
mercury and pulsed high frequency microwave radiation used in
telecommunications, including some interactions between the two.
In the tutorial called “Perceiving Disorders of the 21st Century, Part
1,” Manfred further goes into ways to identify prevalent causes of
modern disorders.
Mercury—The Insidious Poison

Have you ever had patients with pains and restlessness in the legs

that start after sundown and last till dawn? Have you seen patients
who grind their teeth and drool at night? Do you have patients who
are so sensitive in their mouths they cannot eat certain textures of
foods or swallow pills? Have you worked with children who act
crazy, pulling other children’s hair or noses? Have you treated
people with recurrent yeast or other infections or seen people with
homicidal and suicidal thoughts when looking at cutting utensils?
There are so many more symptoms (see the tutorials “Treating
Modern Mercurialism, Part 1” and “Chronic Mercury Toxicity, Part
2”), but if you answered “yes” to any of these, then you have seen
patients poisoned by mercury.
How Can You Be Poisoned By Mercury?
Mercury is installed into your mouth in “silver” dental amalgam

fillings; it’s injected in the form of the preservative thimerosal in
vaccines; it is a common ingredient of medical drugs, cosmetics,
skin products, hair dyes; it contaminates foods (mostly fish and
seafood); and it is a waste product from many industries—especially
the electronics industry—that pump it or dump it right into our air,
soil, and groundwater. By the way, the industry most responsible for
environmental contamination with mercury is…the dental industry!
Most importantly, it is passed through the placenta and through the
breast milk. Everyone who lives in industrialized society has some
level of mercury in their system.
There is no minimum safe dose of mercury. Some are more susceptible

to its effects than others—these are the ones also more susceptible
to cancer, the 90% of our society with the cancer diathesis. Those
with the cancer diathesis—that is, most patients, now also have a
hereditary weakness in metabolizing toxins, especially mercury. For
example, Fritz Vimy and Murray Lorscheider did numerous studies
that show mercury invades the vital organs and the nervous system
within two weeks of placing even just a single dental amalgam
filling. (Vimy/Lorscheider 1994). Even if you’ve had your amalgam

fillings replaced, without years of active detoxification that mercury
will still be in your system twenty years later. Once in the body,
mercury attacks every organ and every system.
Mercury removal is vitally important when you treat chronic

disorders. Mercury is a causative factor in many chronic disorders.
A permanent cure is impossible so long as this insidious poison
sustains a disorder. In the above-mentioned tutorials Manfred also
discusses the mechanisms by which the body holds onto chronic
infections as a self-protective mechanism to prevent cell death
(and organism death!) from this insidious poison. Before you treat
another person for candida or consider the use of an “anti-fungal”
drug, we highly recommend that you take those tutorials.
Microwave Radiation – No Place to Hide
Have you seen more and more people in the prime of their lives
suffering from memory loss (even minor problems), lack of
comprehension, or early signs of dementia? Have you seen young
people in their twenties who are losing their hair? Have you heard
of folks in their 30s and 40s who have had a stroke? Are you seeing
more and more patients complain of tiredness and fatigue? Have
you seen glaucoma and cataracts develop in patients before middle
age? Have you worked with families of children with brain tumors?
If you haven’t yet, you will soon.
In modern societies everyone is now continuously exposed to

“death rays”—pulsed high frequency microwave radiation from
cell phones, cordless phones, cell towers, smart meters, and wireless
telecommunication devices, including satellites, etc. The ubiquitous
exposure to these pervasive frequencies is silent and invisible, and it
causes serious harm sooner or later. Its effects are not to be ignored.
The studies are out there. Unfortunately, research on microwaves used

in telecommunication has a media-black-out in the U.S., meaning

people won’t find out about it through the mainstream media. It is
up to you to research it and educate yourself and your clients. A
good place to start is with Amy Worthington’s articles “Generation
X-ray” and “Generation X-ed Out.” Also we have a tutorial on this
very subject called “Microwave Irradiation Syndrome.”
One tip: removing all wireless technology from your immediate

environment will go a long way towards improving your health!
Oh, and, remember to use the tautopathic (homeopathic potencies
made from the offending substance) antidotes to finish clearing the
disorder that these forces have created!
The Interaction of Mercury and Microwaves
Mercury is a highly conductive liquid metal, hence its use in

semiconductor switches and electronic devices. Thus, when the
body is exposed to microwave and radiofrequency radiation, the
mercury in it will act as an antenna and amplify the radiation. In our
practice, those suffering from electrical hypersensitivity are always
found to have large amounts of mercury in their systems.
The 19th-century British homeopath John Henry Clarke knew about

this. Here is a quotation from his Dictionary of Practical Materia
Medica under the remedy Mercurius solubilis:
“...it turns those who are under its influence into weather-
glasses and thermometers likewise. An electrician, who at
one time was required to work with his hands frequently in
a trough filled with quicksilver, thereafter could not bear the
slightest shock of electricity, though before he could stand
very strong ones.”
Clarke’s observation is one of the first descriptions of the state of

electromagnetic hypersensitivity! To learn more on the subjects of
mercury and microwave radiation, we have three tutorials: “Treating

Modern Mercurialism, Part 1,” “Chronic Mercury Toxicity, Part 2”
and “Microwave Irradiation Syndrome.”
After eliminating the causes, you begin to treat the effects and this
brings us to Tool number two.
TOOL 2: ANTIDOTING THE EFFECTS – TAUTOPATHIC

AND ANTIDOTAL REMEDIES
Coming back to Shelly’s eczema case, we see that this was actually
a tautopathic use of the potentized Sulphur to antidote the effects
of the sulphur in her well-water. How do we know that Sulphur
was the tautopathic prescription (even though it perfectly matched
her symptoms)? Because Shelly had no prior history of eczema
before living at the house with the sulphur in the well.
Tautopathy is treatment using a potentized substance or agent that

caused the disease. It comes from the Greek word “tauton,” which
means “identical,” and “-pathy,” which means “suffering.” In the
last paragraph of the theoretical part of the book Chronic Diseases,
Hahnemann says the potentized agent that causes the disease is the
Simillimum. This is justification for this method of treatment, and
many other homeopaths have agreed. As Manfred has shown in a
recent paper, tautopathy was used systematically by many classical
era homeopaths (The Practice of Tautopathy During the Classical
Era of Homeopathy: A Review of the Literature, American
Homeopath, Vol 17, 2011).
In practical terms, this means we can use the potency of any toxin,
drug, or any type of radiation, etc. to counteract the secondary effects
of the respective pathogenic agent. That fact this works is supported
by modern experimental studies. We give credit to Hahnemann for
the brilliant insight into how to antidote artificial disorders:

“Not long ago, doctors tried to remove these hurtful
substances (commercial and pharmaceutical poisons
producing injuries and diseases), by emetics, diluent
drinks or purgatives, often with very unhappy results. They
operated under the erroneous assumption that these drugs
oppressed the stomach and bowels in a primary mechanical
fashion.
In reality, they changed the whole system in a peculiar, to
us still unknown, manner. Their effects can never be cured
like mere local mechanical irritations, as was formerly
imagined. However, we now know how to combat many
of these drug-induced disorders. The secondary action of
poisonous drugs brings about diseases of a DYNAMIC
nature. This class of diseases must be counteracted by their
appropriate DYNAMIC antidotes.” From Lesser Writings,
translation by M. Mueller
More than 200 years ago Hahnemann saw that the secondary
effects that develop as a result of drugs and other poisons are a
derangement in the biomagnetic regulatory system—the vital force.
This derangement is the energetic drug disease. The most likely way
to resolve it is by “antidoting” it with a potentized energetic remedy,
i.e. the tautopathic “pharmacode.” We use the term pharmacode
to distinguish this type of remedy from a nosode. Pharmacode (fr.
Gr. Pharmakon) means a remedy “prepared from a poison, medical
drug, radiation or other injurious agent.”
Antidoting the Secondary Effects
As we have seen in Lesser Writings, Hahnemann advocated that

we antidote the dynamic or secondary residual effects of drugs; in
other words, antidote the source of drugs’ long-term effects. The
secondary action of a drug is actually the defensive or adaptive
response produced by the body to the drug/toxin/agent. This dynamic
(energetic) drug disorder can last years, long after the drug has been

discontinued. This is especially so if it is suppressed or interfered
with by a new drug or other force (e.g. radiation, magnets, emotions,
etc). Long-term drug effects are the true chronic iatrogenic disorders
of our modern times. Side effects, including secondary effects, can
be induced by a single dose of a suppressive drug in susceptible
individuals. And we’ve all seen hundreds of cases like this, whether
we knew it or not.
To antidote the long-term dynamic effects, or secondary effects, of

these harmful exposures, use the tautopathic pharmacode, as referred
to in our tutorials. However, be forewarned that the avalanche of
health effects created by even one dose of a drug can require not
only the tautopathic pharmacode, but years of skilled long-term
homeopathic treatment. It is often the most susceptible individuals
who see the worst outcomes from conventional treatment, and it
is us homeopaths who are asked to pick up the pieces. The dozens
of Cipro (Ciprofloxin) or Levoquin reaction cases that have come
through our practice in recent years can attest to that fact.
Antidoting the Primary Effects
Again, we’ll look at Shelly’s case. We could not antidote the sulphur
from the well-water with potentized Sulphur to resolve her eczema
because the aggravating cause, the sulphur from the well-water,
was still influencing her body and causing its primary effects since
she was still using the water daily. This is an important principle:
While a physiological cause, i.e. crude drug, toxin or radiation, is
still directly influencing the organism and while it is still present in
the body, we are dealing with its primary effects.
For another example, after studying the effects of mercury during a

third-year homeopathic class, one of Manfred’s students surmised that
Mercury had to be the best antidote to her own mercury symptoms,
since it matched them exactly. Without first checking with him, she
took Mercurius solubilis in a 1M potency. She developed a terrible

“tettery” rash all over her body lasting more than a year—a well-
known mercury symptom. Why did this happen? Because she had
mercury in her system. The mercury acted as an obstacle to cure. So
much for giving the simillimum in high potency while the body is
still under the influence of the primary effect of a pathogenic agent.
In a case where the simillimum is the same remedy as the substance

poisoning the person, a better solution is to use a homeopathic
antidote and not a tautopathic pharmacode. For instance, this student
could have taken crude Hepar sulphuris calcareum as Hahnemann
used for this purpose. Since this is not easily available, repeated
doses of Hepar sulphuris in very low decimal potency, i.e. 2X or
3X all the way up to the 12X, can be very helpful to counteract
symptoms of mercury poisoning. As a note of interest, there are 125
remedies listed under the rubric “INTOXICATION, after mercury”
in the Complete Repertory. We routinely use many of these; however,
Hepar sulphuris is bar none the best and most commonly used
mercury antidote...in the 2-12X potencies. As a general rule, while
the primary effects are still present, a specific homeopathic antidote
is preferable to the tautopathic antidote. For further information,
please see our tutorial “Principles of Antidoting.”
In the case of mercury poisoning, Hepar sulphuris can only palliate

symptoms. In order to remove the sustaining cause—the mercury
itself—from the body, a professional scientific detoxification
protocol should be instituted. In our tutorials on mercury, you can
learn about a simple and effective heavy metal detox protocol to
permanently remove this terrible poison.
To antidote the primary effects of toxins and drugs, in addition to

homeopathic remedies, specific physiological antidotes are used,
such as vinegar for the effects of ether, or coffee for the effects of
narcotics. Modern methods of chemical buffering are also available
to absorb or neutralize poisons. There are many useful tips that
are practical and easy to employ on how to counteract the primary

effects of drugs and toxins listed in our homeopathic literature. An
indispensable resource of antidotes for poisons is Samuel Lilienthal’s
Homeopathic Therapeutics, where Lilienthal gives instructions on
how to antidote physiologically and homeopathically the primary
action of various poisons, and how to safely remove the poison
from the organism. One of our favorite examples is the use of white
flour, egg white, and sugar to absorb and remove mercury from the
digestive tract. Also, you may find suggestions under the rubric
“Antidoted by” in Frans Vermeulen’s Concordant Materia Medica
under the sections “Relations.” Robin Murphy lists a toxicity rubric
in his repertory. And finally, you may look up “Intoxication” under
“Generalities” in the Complete Repertory.
To sum up:
1) First we should remove the toxin from the body using
appropriate methods.
2) Then to antidote the primary effects of drugs/poisons, we
can use the
a) physiological antidotes, or
b) homeopathic antidotes, preferably in a crude or low
decimal potency, but not always!
3) And to antidote the secondary effects of drug/poisons, we
can use the
a) tautopathic pharmacode (or potency of the poison), or
b) homeopathic antidote in high potency.
See also our tutorial “Principles of Antidoting”
Timing Matters for the Reversal of Chronic Disorders
Suppose you decided to use Thuja to antidote a childhood vaccine.

To your surprise, rather than getting better, the young patient gets
worse. What’s happening here is the child was given Tylenol to
counteract the adverse reaction caused by the vaccine thus creating
an obstacle to cure, a separate disorder from the vaccine disorder.
So by giving Tylenol 30C to remove the obstacle to cure first, then

following up with the suitable vaccine antidote you can avoid the
aggravation and quickly affect a cure. Provided, of course, that Thuja
is the true simillimum to the vaccine reaction, which is rare! Instead,
more likely, the suitable antidote is the potentized pharmacode of
the vaccine, i.e. DTaP.
Here’s another example of a little girl with asthma. She was clingy,
whiny, and anxious, and felt better in open air. Clearly a Pulsatilla
case, yet Pulsatilla did nothing! We antidoted the albuterol inhaler
that she had previously been given by giving Albuterol 30C, then
repeated the Pulsatilla. The attack promptly stopped!
TOOL 3: REVERSE CLEARING OF IATROGENIC

DISORDERS OR REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL
TAUTOPATHY (RCT)
“The correct method is to prescribe for the present

conditions, bearing in mind as especially important the
latest symptoms that have arisen; then to follow the case
backward step by step, removing the ailments in the reverse
order of their first appearance. Finally, the constitutional
remedy becomes clearly indicated, and it will complete the
cure gently and safely.” Erastus E. Case, Some Clinical
Experiences of Erastus E Case MD.
This case from Manfred’s practice is an excellent example of how

layers upon layers of iatrogenic disease exist in a patient and how
we can use a few additional homeopathic tools to solve this. During
the history taking he elicited the following:
• Dolly, a 55-year-old female, had hot flashes. Her OB-GYN
prescribed Premarin (conjugated estrogen).
• The next year, she developed hypertension. Her general
practitioner prescribed Atenolol.
• Six months later, an arrhythmia developed and a cardiologist
prescribed Cardizem for her new heart condition.

• Within 8 months, she became clinically depressed and could
hardly make it through the day. A psychiatrist prescribed
Zoloft for her “latent” psychiatric problem.
• When the panic attacks began 4 weeks later, the psychiatrist
added Paxil to the mix.
Iatrogenesis at work! At this point, she had had enough and sought
out Mueller’s services—a referral from a friend. While the details
and reactions may vary, this scenario is sadly all too typical.
Investigating Drug Side Effects
There are several ways to learn about the side effects of drugs, and
it’s best to use a combination of them:
- Use a search engine, type in the drug name and the term
“side effects” or “health effects.”
- Buy your own copy of the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR)
book or disk. They are easily and cheaply available at used
bookstores, etc.
- Use websites like drugs.com, rxlist.com, and many others.
Note: Most drugs have numerous names. Sometimes you will have
to do a little digging. Or, you may want to shoot The Homeopathic
College a quick email. We’ve already done the research on many
of these drugs. We have more than 600 pharmacodes in our private
pharmacy.
How to Reverse Dolly’s Chronic Complaints
Dolly’s multiple drug disorders were reversed in accordance with the

chronology rule, as we saw in Case’s quote above. This chronology
rule is also found in Hering’s Law: begin with the most recent first,
and remove the oldest disorder last. In Dolly’s case, Manfred started
with the removal of the most recent drug—Paxil, and cleared for its
effects using a 30C potency in split dose. He continued in a reverse
order until each drug had been removed and antidoted. We call

this process “Reverse Chronological Tautopathy” (RCT for short).
However, with clients, we call them “clearing remedies.”
In the end, what was left was only Dolly’s underlying hormonal
imbalance. Concurrently to the drug clearing, Manfred started her on
daily doses of ascending liquid Q-potencies of Natrum muriaticum
each morning, beginning with the 1Q potency. For the next two
months, while still on the Natrum muriaticum, he systematically—
always going back in time—antidoted her previous medications,
even x-rays, MRI’s, and vaccines. Last, he added Carcinosinum
in ascending Q-potencies before bedtime, also beginning with the
1Q potency, in alternation with her Natrum muriaticum, to address
the inherited (constitutional) state she was born with—the cancer
diathesis. In 18 months, she was a new woman. This is how we
routinely reverse patient’s iatrogenic disorders.
Why Reverse Drug Layers First?
If Manfred had given Dolly a constitutional remedy such as

Carcinosinum in a high potency after the first appointment, perhaps
nothing would have happened, or perhaps she could have ended
up in the ER or worse, the ICU. In cases where a latent disorder
is present such as cancer, a high centesimal potency of the cancer
nosode could have adverse effects. Kent talks about this problem in
reference to the use of Tuberculinum in advanced tuberculosis cases,
and warns that such high potencies of the nosode could precipitate
the demise of the patient. That would not be a gentle and rapid cure,
as Hahnemann postulates in the first Aphorism of the Organon! We
know firsthand of several other examples where intense aggravations
have happened, and some have been mentioned in our tutorials.
Why does this happen? Because a constitutionally prescribed

remedy is too DISSIMILAR (and very often suppressive) to the
present acquired drug disorder(s), which is more recent than the
inherited constitutional problems you are trying to reach. In most

of those cases where serious aggravations occurred, a 200C potency
or higher was given. These constitutional remedies reach very deep
into the vital force stirring up multiple layers all at once without
providing the boost it needs. They aggravate the whole patient
because they try to rally the entire vital force for a fight it isn’t ready
for. Manfred calls this method the “sledge-hammer approach.” And
a sledge-hammer can do a lot of damage.
What We Learn From These Examples
When we clear the secondary effects of multiple drugs/poisons, the

patient’s health improves. We need to do this in reverse order, with
the most recent drug first, followed by the second most recent, etc.
With each clearing they gain back a piece of the vital force that was
invested in the drug disorder. Again, keep in mind that drugs can
only be cleared after they have been discontinued. In following this
rule of chronological reversal, you can avoid many aggravations.
For more information on a systematic approach of clearing all effects

of artificial disorders in a patient’s history with their respective
pharmacodes, we refer you to the tutorial on “Reverse Chronological
Tautopathy, Part 1” and its follow up “Treating Iatrogenic Disorders,
Part 2.”
Please note: prescription drugs should be discontinued with the

cooperation of the prescribing physician. For information on how to
treat patients on multiple medications, please see one of our latest
tutorials called “Treating People on Multiple Medications – Theory”
(there will be a second part covering more details on the practicum
and cases).
TOOL 4: INDIVIDUALIZATION OF POTENCY
People come with this story all the time. “After years of treatment,
I have not seen sufficient improvement from well-chosen remedies

by well-known homeopaths.” The answers to this are Tools number
four and five: Potency and Dose. Hahnemann carefully differentiated
between potency and dose.
- Potency is determined by the number of succussions.
- Dose is the amount administered of a given potency.
On Centesimal Potencies
Here are Manfred’s guidelines:

- Centesimal (Organon, 4th edition) potencies are limited
in their effects; anything above 30C is harmful, and in
repetition, will aggravate or harm sooner or later.
- They are quick acting and short lasting, making them
suitable, even ideal, for acute treatment.
- Dry doses should not be repeated.
- When plussed in water, C-potencies may be repeated with
caution.
- The higher centesimal potencies (above 200) can cause
serious aggravations. We rarely use them (the one exception
being serious acute situations, i.e. anaphylaxis, shock, etc.).
Benefits of Q-Potencies
For many reasons, the use of the Q-potencies has become a vital part
of The Mueller Method. But first, a little on the special properties
of the Q-potencies. Hahnemann saw the need for repetition of the
dose in chronic disorders. However, there was one problem. The
centesimal potencies could not be repeated with impunity. And
they were too harsh and short-lived in their effect. Q-potencies
(commonly called LM, which is a misnomer) are the ideal potencies
according to Hahnemann. They are very versatile. Q-potencies are:
- Deep acting and long lasting.
- Repeatable as needed; their effect lasting a day per dose.
- Easily alternated with more than one remedy at a time during
the course of a day, so long as they are compatible and have

no inimical effects on each other.
How they are administered:

- Q-potencies are given plussed in water (2-3 succussions
only). *We routinely use all our remedies in water, succussing
between doses. This method of delivery allows us to vary the
dose for those too sensitive to take a drop dose, thus helping
us to avoid unnecessary aggravations.
- You move to the next potency after 10 doses or 10 days,
whichever is first.
- You can go up in potency indefinitely.
The use of Q-potencies is especially important when giving deep-

acting remedies, the so-called polycrests, for multiple chronic
disorders. Q-potencies are vital to accelerating the healing process
by addressing more than one disorder concomitantly. You can also
easily skip a few days of remedies to treat any acute condition that
may arise, and then resume treatment once the acute condition
is finished. In fact, you can even continue the daily Q-potency
remedies AND treat for the acute at the same time. For example,
say your client breaks his leg during treatment. He would continue
on his daily remedies, but add, say, daily doses of Symphytum in Q
potencies in alternation with any as needed remedies for pain. And
don’t forget to antidote the X-ray he got in the ER before resuming
chronic treatment!
Accelerated healing is possible with The Mueller Method. Keep

repeating this to yourselves! Safe healing is possible with The
Mueller Method, keeping in line with Hahnemann’s principles
of “the most rapid, the safest and the most permanent cure” and
on easily comprehensible principles. There is more to say on the
selection of potency and dose than we can cover in this paper. For
more information, please see the tutorials “Advanced Posology,”
“Aggravations: Is the Healing Crisis Desirable or Necessary,” and
“Q-potencies: A Steady Drop Hollows the Stone.”

TOOL 5: INDIVIDUALIZATION OF DOSE
Have you come across patients who react to every dose of every
remedy they take, as if proving the remedy, not only having a
worsening of their existing symptoms but developing new symptoms
that you recognize belong to the remedy? Hahnemann has left us
with our next tool: the Dose. Due to the increasing prevalence of
the cancer diathesis, the constant irritation from ionizing and non-
ionizing radiation, and many other factors which are aggravating the
sensitivity of our patients, the dose will become more and more of an
issue in everyone’s practices. One solution is individualization of the
dose. Everyone needs the dose most beneficial to them. Hahnemann
mentions dose in §270 and subsequent Aphorisms in the context of
adjusting the dose to the sensitive patient. To understand more on
how to assess the individual sensitivity, please see the tutorial “The
Sensitive Patient.”
We don’t use dry pellet doses unless in an emergency situation

where the remedy is not already freshly mixed in water/alcohol
(within 2-3 months maximum). The next dose of the same potency
is always given in liquid. When you give a remedy in water, here is
a breakdown from the strongest way to administer to weakest one:
1. Drop dose – either sublingually, in the mouth, or on the skin
(haptic; transdermal).
2. Olfactory dose (sniff dose).
3. Dosage cups (a serial dilution, then taken olfactory).
TOOL 6: ALTERNATING REMEDIES
Have you seen clients that present with four or more chronic
disorders or syndromes that are completely unrelated to each other
or are caused by different factors? You hate to ask them to choose
which one is the most pressing or annoying as you know they are all
serious and in need of treatment. Instead of doing this, address all of
the disorders at the same time by alternating remedies that cover the

totality of symptoms of all their disorders. You may think that this
can’t be done. Recall the case of Dolly mentioned earlier.
You can spend a lot of time studying every new remedy that is
proven, repertorizing for hours and trying to find the one remedy that
will cover all the symptoms of the patient’s multiple conditions…
Or you can cover all four conditions with more than one remedy—
each remedy the simillimum to one condition. By doing so you
accelerate the healing process and improve the patient’s satisfaction
by addressing all concerns. And from Manfred’s experience, you
rarely need to use remedies other than the polycrests, even in the
most serious of conditions. The tool of alternating remedies speeds
up the recovery and deepens your level of cure.
Polypharmacy?
The alternation of daily remedies is not polypharmacy, since

polypharmacy is the mixing of multiple substances or remedies
into one concoction and into one dose. Allopathic medicine makes
use of this practice every day. Hahnemann practiced alternation of
remedies when two or more natural disorders coexisted in the same
individual at the same time. In which case, he would alternate, say,
a “psoric” with a “syphilitic” remedy to cover both disorders. The
Q-potency scale lends itself to the alternation of remedies quite
beautifully, without sacrificing efficacy (i.e. such as by antidoting
the effects of one remedy by taking the second one). When the dose
is repeated every day, the effect of the remedy is renewed each day.
This is what we call “extra-strength homeopathic prescribing!”
TOOL 7: TREATING THE CANCER DIATHESIS
It is not stretching it to say that more than 90% of today’s patients

suffer from the cancer diathesis or the “predisposition to cancer.”
It’s a wake-up call to the reality of our ever toxic and carcinogenic
environments, especially in industrialized societies. Those born with

the cancer predisposition also have an INCREASED susceptibility
to influences of all kinds–physical and emotional—not just to cancer.
They are more sensitive than others in all areas. On the other hand,
some of them will have no noticeable reactions at all until they are
hit with the dreaded “CANCER” diagnosis. However, 100% of the
sensitive patients show the predisposition to cancer, even though
their sensitivity levels vary vastly.
Opposing Symptoms
One of the tricky problems with identifying the predisposition to

cancer is that it is full of opposing symptoms. Here are some of the
more common ones:
- Hypersensitivity vs. lack of sensitivity.
- Prone to infections vs. rarely, if ever, sick.
- Adventurous eater vs. picky eater; eats only a few foods.
- Promiscuity vs. aversion to sex, or aversion to members of
the opposite sex.
- Extroverted vs. introverted personalities.
- Early development & onset of puberty vs. lack of
development, i.e. an adult with childish emotions; childish
features.
- Rebellion vs. conformity.
Because of its prevalence, we homeopaths should learn to identify

and remove this pariah to our health. The best remedy to accomplish
this is Carcinosinum in daily doses of ascending Q-potencies. This
is given in alternation with other indicated remedies. Carcinosinum
shouldn’t be added until extensive clearing (RCT) for suppressive
treatments, vaccines and other causative agents has been finished.
Otherwise, those pesky iatrogenic disorders or obstacles to cure
will show up sooner or later and you’ll see problems in treatment.
In Mueller’s clinical experience, it takes years of daily dosing with
Carcinosinum to truly remove this predisposition.

The Cancer Diathesis is a very big topic. We have produced several
tutorials, a paper and other talks on this subject. You will find them
on our website, www.TheHomeopathicCollege.org.
THE MUELLER METHOD PROTOCOL
So let’s look at a summary of how we approach a complex chronic

case using The Mueller Method.
Case Taking: The focus here will be on etiology of the disorder(s).

Chief complaints, additional complaints, detailed history (to include
drugs, surgeries, vaccines, all dental work, and other exposures/
traumas with approximate dates/years), family history, generals,
particulars, and then finally mentals.
Analysis: Do you see a pattern? Is it apparent that a certain disorder

began after a certain exposure? It is not always that apparent. What
current drugs are suppressing their symptoms? What emotional
factors, if any, are at play? Are there any other causes you can
identify?
Prescription: Select Q-potency remedies to cover every chronic

syndrome. Begin the clearing (RCT) process with C-potency
remedies. Select any additional remedy(s) for “as needed” complaints
(e.g. headache, asthma, pain, gallstones, etc). Set up supportive
protocols (e.g. supportive tinctures like Ginkgo biloba, Crataegus,
etc.) to facilitate discontinuation of suppressive or causative drugs.
Institute detoxification protocol with cilantro tincture and chlorella,
etc. Avoid known causes, and make suitable lifestyle or dietary
changes.
Follow-ups: Follow-ups are done every three weeks until stabilization

occurs. In cases of cancerous or other serious pathology, we begin
with follow-ups every 10 days. Then we move to three weeks then
six weeks and gradually to nine and then twelve weeks. Check back

for the future tutorial called “The Mueller Method – Case Taking”
where the specifics of his case taking methodology will be discussed
in detail.
CONCLUSION
The Mueller Method was designed to resolve modern complex

chronic cases. It can dramatically improve outcomes in your practice.
By using the whole homeopathic toolbox, it assures consistent
clinical success. Its rational basis will do wonders for your sense
of integrity as well as for your self-esteem. The result is that your
business and your reputation as a practitioner will thrive.
If you are interested in learning more about the Mueller Method,

please study the available tutorials in detail and contact Christina
Mueller for more information.
Biography
Manfred Mueller, MA, DHM, RSHom(NA), CCH is a professional homeopath

in private practice since 1986. He has been President of the North American
Society of Homeopaths since 2005. In 1989 he founded The Homeopathic
College, www.TheHomeopathicCollege.org, where he is Professor of
Homeopathic Theory & Practice. His distance learning school specializes
in advanced homeopathic protocols that are available as downloadable
modules or in CD format. He can be reached by email at Manfred@
TheHomeopathicCollege.org.
Christina Mueller is Director of The Homeopathic College. When Christina

first met her husband, Manfred Mueller, in 2004, she knew right away that
homeopathy was the “magic bullet” she had been searching for the past decade.
She began her homeopathic studies and clinical apprenticeship immediately,
and worked as his Office Manager from 2004 until 2009. Although motherhood
has taken a front seat to becoming a practicing homeopath, she takes every
opportunity to keep her homeopathic pencil sharp. She can be reached at
Christina@TheHomeopathicCollege.org.

Belgium Conference Overview:
Miasms Influencing Health and Disease
Classical Homeopathy with Henny
Heudens-Mast
By Laura Bridgman, ND, CCH
Henny Heudens-Mast is a classical homeopath in Leuven,

Belgium. She has been teaching a group of loyal students who
have eagerly filled her classroom for more than 15 years. Many
were introduced to her when she traveled to the United States,
teaching five-day seminars in Florida and Portland, Oregon,
twice a year. She did so for 12 years. Because of her extensive
teaching experience, she had a full classroom with an attached
kitchen, built above her clinic in Belgium. The setting is a
wonderful environment for learning homeopathy with a wonderful
international group of professional homeopaths meeting for five-
day sessions each spring and fall. The classes are in English.
Henny is a master homeopath with a deep understanding of materia

medica. She teaches in a classical way according to Hahnemann’s
principles. Students are shown her art of case taking and the laws
of healing at work in her video cases, and the remedies come alive
in her discussions, repertorization exercises, and observation of the
patient and family. Homeopaths have the opportunity to see cured
video cases with long-term follow-up. With Henny’s extensive
experience of seeing tens of thousands of cases, we learn to see the
remedies in a variety of guises, in different patients, all illustrating
the same remedy.
The agenda in these classes for more than ten years has been
to proceed through important remedies from A to Z presented
thoroughly and vividly by Henny. Currently the classes have come
to the letter P, ending this week with Psorinum, and we spent one

whole wonderful day on this remedy!
With each remedy, Henny asks the colleagues to say some things
that they think are important about the remedy at hand, then she
presents the remedy, describing important characteristics and
rubrics that distinguish it. With the remedy in mind we watch a
video case (or more than one) that demonstrates salient aspects of
the remedy. After that everyone repertorizes the case(s), then we go
around the room offering rubrics to the group. We come up with a
comprehensive and interesting repertorization to keep in our notes
and to absorb through the process. We have the visual and auditory
features that make the picture of the remedy come alive for us. We
also do some differential with remedies that are closely similar.
There is often good discussion and questions from the students.
It is a great pleasure to participate in Henny’s classes where all
colleagues explore homeopathy together under her gentle but firm
direction.
Henny brings a way of thinking about the remedies in terms of

their influence of Psora, Sycosis, Syphilis, Cancer, and Tubercular
miasms. For a discourse on the miasms, please read Henny
Heudens-Mast’s book The Foundation of the Chronic Miasms in
the Practice of Homeopathy (Similia Press, 2005), which is derived
from students’ notes taken during her classes on miasms with
emphasis on their usefulness for the homeopath. The understanding
of homeopathy through the lens of the miasms helps the student
and practitioner of classical homeopathy recognize, distinguish,
and categorize materia medica. Every remedy has some proportion
of each miasm, and determining which miasms are predominant
at the time of assessing a person’s case gives the homeopath
strong guidance in choosing or ruling out certain remedies under
consideration.
Chronic disease is a deeper layer that rules the person’s energy

and well-being; this is miasm. Although the symptoms are ever

changing, we can identify the disease and miasm through the
symptom patterns. The underlying chronic patterns and influences
manifest in our patients. It is essential to recognize and understand
them in order to cure our patients. Henny always takes the family
health history and the patient’s history, which, along with the chief
complaint and current disease picture, allows us to determine the
balance of the miasms.
Henny is very orderly and has well prepared and planned well what
she will convey to the class. She guides us on in how to recognize
the remedies that we are studying, using clear examples in cases,
which to show us how to see the remedy even when the case lacks
some symptoms that we all think are essential for prescribing
this remedy. For example, we watched a case that certainly was
Psorinum but without any rash. We also watched other Psorinum
videos that did have rashes. Through repertorization, we could
verify the correct remedy of the case without rashes, even though
it lacked the skin symptoms that we considered necessary for
its prescription. Every student really gets to know the remedies
covered and has ample notes to refer back to when studying cases
in their own practices.
In the class this spring (March 31 through April 4, 2014) that I

attended, we studied in detail remedies starting with the letter
P. We learned about Picric acid, Pimpinella, Pinus sylvestre,
and Platina. We spent all day on Tuesday (9 AM until 6 PM!)
on Platina; Platina was illustrated in seven quite different video
cases. The cases showed numerous examples of very challenging
conditions, from terrible skin rashes since infancy and the
after-effects of allopathic treatments to severe depression and a
cardiovascular stroke.
Of course as professional homeopaths we must look through

unbiased eyes to see the homeopathic phenomena. What we need
to know and understand in order to help the patient heal is from

a different perspective than that of the non-homeopath. Henny
teaches us how to see what needs to be healed, what kind of
information is important to observe, and how to distinguish what
may be relevant to the disease but not for homeopathy. As with
all good homeopaths, Henny is very aware of facial expressions,
manners of dress, body gestures and movements, the significance
of interactions, and behaviors among family and between patient
and homeopath. The words used by the patient and how they speak
are carefully sifted through for meaning, then verified with the
patient. We discuss these observations while watching the videos,
and of course, without the patient being present to hear.
Also this spring, we studied less commonly prescribed remedies:

Piper methysticum, Piper nigrum, Plumbum metallicum, and
Plantago. Henny started the discussion of Plumbum by concisely
presenting the most important attributes. Her presentation showed
her profound familiarity with this remedy, as well as with the other
remedies to which she compared it. We learned the mental and
physical phenomena that stand out for Henny, such as how the face
has a grey complexion and is sunken, how the musculoskeletal
tissue hardens, becomes atrophied, and wastes away, how the mind
and digestion slows and becomes dull, and how sclerosed attitudes
develop in these people. There can be dementia and loss of
identity; Plumbum can be suspicious and can misinterpret sounds
and sights. They can have constrictions and strictures in the urinary
and gastrointestinal tracts; nerves can be damaged, leading to
trembling, jerking, odd gestures, weakness, and paralysis of parts.
Alumina was compared to Plumbum with its stronger Syphilitic

aspect; then Mercury was compared with Plumbum with its strong
Syphilitic aspect. The specific characteristics of each remedy
interpreted through the miasms helps to categorize the remedies.
This miasmatic organization helps with understanding the qualities
of each symptom as it is expressed in the remedy. Homeopaths
know how a great variety of remedies may be listed under one

rubric. One remedy can be there for quite different reasons from
the others. The rubric may point to a minor or major aspect of the
remedy. The repertory is a catalog that helps us as a tool, but it
cannot flesh out the remedy in the way that a well-taken case can
do.
This spring, Henny also presented several small remedies, such

as Plumbago and Podophyllum. The Podophyllum case was an
amazingly complex, serious case of severe immune deficiency
with life-threatening skin rashes and susceptibility to infection
that was cured over the course of several years. Although the child
was on the edge of life, it was a miracle the parents were willing
to patiently watch homeopathy work with the child’s vital force,
trusting Henny’s sure and masterful care.
Henny, and the homeopaths under her supervision whose cases are
presented, prescribe for the homeopathic picture that is foremost.
At times she will use a nosode to nudge the case forward or out of
a hole. Sometimes, she will prescribe another remedy, often a more
Psoric remedy, as the case improves to bring it to good resolution.
She teaches us to respect the vital energies of each patient and to
be the unbiased observer waiting and watching for the vital force
to direct us when to repeat, change remedies, and what potency to
select.
We also learned about Prunus spinosa, Populus tremuloides, and

Plectranthus. Henny has used these remedies and has chosen to
teach them because she believes we all could find them useful
in practice. On the last day, Friday, Henny presented Psorinum,
first as a lecture on the remedy’s characteristic symptoms and
miasmatic analysis, then as several cases illustrating the differing
faces of Psorinum.
Henny carefully chooses the remedies she is going to present

and how she presents them, drawing on her nearly 40 years

of clinical practice and 30 years of homeopathic teaching
experience. There are many aspects of the care of a patient, such as
professional ethics, patient confidentiality, and other issues faced
by homeopaths in clinical practice. Henny discusses this in the
classroom. She also discusses the value of learning about what is
common in illness versus what is peculiar and characteristic for the
patient.
Henny encourages everyone in the room to participate. Everyone

is very engaged and actively involved. This is a nice experience.
There is always so much enthusiasm for the collective project. It is
always a week of community where everyone is included. Ample
break times between segments of the day allow for conversations,
sharing of experience among colleagues, spur-of-the-moment
walks, and helping Henny with chores around the tea table,
kitchen, and dining areas—where we happily spend other time.
Henny says she really enjoys teaching; she feels fortunate to have
the opportunity to explore her beloved homeopathy with others
who are passionate to learn it well and want to offer it as healing.
The ways in which homeopathy can help patients is unique, and
no other method can achieve the wondrous transformation so
exquisitely.
Biography
Laura Bridgman is committed to offering homeopathy as a profound and

insightful healing system to the people in Maine. She sees clients of all ages,
and continues her enthusiastic study in order to serve clients optimally. Dr.
Bridgman has studied homeopathy with Jayesh Shah, Rajan Sankaran, Massimo
Mangialavori, Jan Scholten, Roger Morrison, Nancy Herrick, Louis Klein,
Henny Heudens-Mast, Paul Herscu, and others. This past year she studied with
Henny Heudens-Mast again after many years’ hiatus; she has found it very
valuable to consider the influence of the miasms in understanding homeopathic
cases. Studying with Henny has given Dr. Bridgman a more profound and
clearer portrayal of remedies in addition to greater success in the management of
chronic cases.

A Case of Suicidal Depression in a
Young Man
(The Sensation Method in Action)
Stephen King, ND, DHANP
We all have good cases, memorable clinical successes that show us
what is possible in homeopathic practice. Such cases inspire and
encourage us to persist in our learning and to persist with patients
who are not progressing.
The elegant beauty of the homeopathic approach lies first in the

understanding that each patient is truly unique—unique in her
general nature and worldview, unique in the symptoms of his
suffering—and second in our ability to use this uniqueness to
arrive at an individualized prescription that catalyzes healing in
that particular patient.
Yet what is beautiful is also complexly challenging. The daily and

unending challenge is to achieve a curative result with each person,
to consistently perceive the uniqueness and to consistently arrive at
the correct individualized prescription.
Why does one patient with eczema—warm, uncovering the feet,

egotistical, craving sweets, averse to eggs—do well with Sulphur,
while the next, with the same symptoms, does not? Why does
one anxiety case—restless, hypochondriacal, afraid to be alone,
miserly, and chilly—resolve with Arsenicum, while the next, with
very similar symptoms, does not?
So how do we get to the uniqueness? A patient speaks of many

things. How do we know what to ask more about? How do we
know when we have all the information we need? And what do we
do with the uniqueness—in terms of analysis and prescription—

when it shows itself?
For more than 20 years, through seminars and books, I have been
learning from Rajan Sankaran and his Indian colleagues—Sujit
Chatterjee, Sunil Anand, Jayesh Shah, Nandita Shah, among
others. Over this span of time, my practice has benefited greatly
from the evolution of what is now known as the Sensation Method.
This method is a comprehensive attempt to create a framework for

consistent, reproducible results in homeopathic prescribing, and it
certainly has had this effect in my practice.
The Sensation Method is not a replacement for our traditional

methods of analysis—fundamental tools such as materia medica
(keynotes, essence, generals, peculiar or characteristic symptoms,
provings) and repertory (rubrics, structured repertorization). In
fact, in a case taken thoroughly, where the remedy is well known
to homeopathy through existing provings and materia medica, the
Sensation Method will confirm the same prescription suggested by
the other methods.
The Sensation Method was always intended to be used

synergistically with other approaches. When used in this way, it
can assist us in having a deeper understanding of the patient and
increased confidence in the indicated remedy. Sankaran discusses
these matters in his recent book, Synergy in Homeopathy (2012).
A detailed presentation of the sensation approach, as taught by

Sankaran and his colleagues, is beyond the scope of this article,
but I have included a case to serve as an illustration of the method.
In addition, here are a few basic elements of the overall approach,
as well as some of the practical ways that the method informs my
case taking and thought process:

1—The Sensation Method postulates seven levels of experience
and perception, in terms of human health and disease: level
one, name of the diagnosis or pathology; level two, qualifying
facts about the complaint, including specific local symptoms;
level three, emotion, including psychosomatic symptoms; level
four, delusion, alterations in general perception about one’s life,
and general symptoms; level five, vital sensation, the unified
experience of mind and body, expressed in non-human-specific
language; level six, energy (the dynamic disturbance of the vital
force), expressed with movement (such as gestures) rather than
words; level seven, the level of the unprejudiced observer.
2—The surest indications for the remedy will be found at level

five, the vital sensation level. The remedy’s source will be most
clearly portrayed here because the patient’s description of his
state will move deeper than emotion and the human “story.” This
is where the kingdom will become more clear—animal, plant, or
mineral.
3—The categorization of characteristics into Animal, Plant,

and Mineral. Animal issues revolve around “survival,” life and
death, predator versus prey, victim and aggressor, me versus him,
and the attack and defense mechanisms of the specific creature.
Plant issues involve “sensitivity” to a particular sensation or
experience and its opposite, and this is further organized around
sensations common to plant families. Mineral issues are focused
on “structure”—whether the patient has sufficient development,
maturity, and capacity within herself to handle the various
challenges of life, which are different depending on the pertinent
row of the periodic table.
4—In taking a case, I pay careful attention to symptoms and

descriptions, where there is unusual intensity, unexpected or vivid
language, hand gestures, or words and images that are persistently
used to describe more than one part of the person’s health.

All of these are likely to be expressive of the person’s deeper,
unique perception of things, i.e. of his inner state. Once the chief
complaint and other conditions and symptoms have been carefully
explored, these are the words, images, and gestures to inquire more
about.
5—I follow the trail of the responses to questions based on

the above criteria until the information has moved deeper than
simple emotion and human situational drama; this is beyond
what Sankaran calls “human specific” language and imagery. At
this level of perception (the “sensation” level), you can find the
patient’s underlying sense of things, indicating kingdom (mineral,
plant, animal) and miasm (Sankaran has developed an expanded
the group of miasm categories). This is where we can find the
most “objective” description of the nature of the substance that is
needed. Being able to arrive with clarity about the kingdom makes
the consequent study of rubrics and repertorization much more
efficient and accurate.
6—Our materia medica, established through provings and

clinical confirmation, is a moving target. The subset of substances
we know how to use is always growing, yet always limited
and sometimes insufficient. Any substance may be needed by a
given patient, whether we currently know much about it or not.
The Sensation Method, by facilitating a deeper understanding
of the indicated remedy, makes it more possible to consider and
prescribe substances that have as yet received minimal or no
proving exploration.
For additional information about the Sensation Method, see the

reading list at the end of this article. I have also included a case to
serve as an illustration of the method.

The Case
November 2007: Young man, 22 years old. He attempted suicide
approximately six months before. I was asked to see him by
his father, a patient of mine. He has moved in with his mother.
He began by speaking freely, and I let him continue without
interruption until he was finished with his spontaneous narration.
His affect was quite flat, with occasional moments of irritability
and a kind of low-level combativeness, as if looking for something
to oppose.
I tried to kill myself a few months ago. I took pills, but I vomited.
Then I bought a gun, but I couldn’t pull the trigger. So I called
my parents. Then I was in a psychiatric hospital for a month,
seeing various psychiatrists and therapists. The diagnosis was
“major depressive disorder, recurring.” They gave me Lexapro
(escitalopram), then Wellbutrin (bupropion), then Effexor
(venlafaxine) with Ativan (lorazepam). None of them helped me
at all. I discontinued everything a few weeks ago, and I will get
another doctor’s opinion in two or three weeks.
My physical health is fine. My diet and sleep haven’t been affected

much. Mentally, though, I have a lot of fatigue, most days. I sit
on the couch a lot . . . I am not working or in school right now. I
feel numbed out towards life. Maybe it’s a kind of callousness? Or
maybe it’s just my way of dealing with everything. The less I can
feel, the easier it might be . . . shut off from life. But then there is a
sense of helplessness.
But the worst is the violent thoughts, which are sometimes directed
inward. It creeps in . . . I get visual images . . . I see myself dying
in various ways. Its flashes of images, like horror movies. I see
images of sharp objects flashing in my head.
I do have lower back pain, and when I lie down, I get an image
of my spine being ripped out. I think it’s my way of dealing with

the pain. These flashes of images . . . it’s when I’m tired of being
depressed . . . then it turns to anger.
I never know what I should say. It’s very confusing.
I am always sweating. I like things on the cool side. I do not like

summer, especially if it is humid. It annoys me a lot when people
ask me if I’m cold. (He is dressed lightly for today’s cold weather.)
I like the weather around 50 degrees.
My diet is generally good . . . cereal in the morning, bagel and a

smoothie at lunch, and maybe a hot dog, chicken and sometimes
fish at dinner. I don’t like greasy food or fast food. I tend to be
thirsty, and I like cold water.
Please say more about feeling numbed out towards life.
It’s a defense mechanism, a way of ignoring my feelings,

thoughts, and trying to block them out. The numbness is usually
accompanied by these headaches I get, because it’s not an easy
thing to do, to block out your feelings, I guess.
Describe these headaches?
It’s in the back of my head (points to occiput), a constant pain. Or,

actually, more like a pressure, like someone is squeezing on that
part of the skull. (Here he makes his first hand gesture, bringing his
two hands together, as if compressing something.)
Especially on a bad day, when I am having bad thoughts, it creeps

in during the day. It can be subtle. Little things set me off, things
like errands and traffic. It’s an annoyance that builds, and then
the anxiety comes up. The anxiety is highest when I am around
people, out in the world. Like with driving a car. I hate to drive,
out in traffic, having to stop. The anxiety is mostly related to being

around other people. I have very little anxiety when alone, but
that’s when the depression is worst. I am anxious around people
and I try to get away from that situation, but then I am by myself
and the depression and anger and frustration is there. The anxiety
is set off by loud noises, people laughing. It makes me tense, and I
start to sweat.
How long have you had this anxiety?
Maybe my entire life. It got worse in high school and college, the
last seven or eight years. It’s a familiar feeling . . . anxiety, tension
around people . . . there’s no reason why. It’s just anxiety and
depression and headaches . . . It’s a higher level of awareness, not
a paranoia . . . It’s that pressure in the back of the head (same hand
gesture). It’s a tenseness, worse from loud noises, especially people
arguing, especially if it’s off in another room. It makes me very
uncomfortable. I just want to leave, but it’s not an option. I want to
tune it out, but it’s hard to ignore. I can hear the tenseness in their
voice. Maybe it is related to my parents’ divorce. They fought a
lot, leading up to the divorce. Petty things. I went to the basement,
watched television and tried to tune it out. A defense mechanism. It
was either tune it out or sit there and listen. My memory of all that
is sort of cloudy because I tried so hard to block it out.
Block what out?
Emotion in general. I don’t cry very much. I don’t like to evaluate

my life. I am not where I want to be. I am far behind. My
depression . . . I dropped out of school, and I don’t know where I
want to go, what I want to do. No job, no school. No idea of how
to do anything. I try not to sit down and look at where I am. I am
left behind . . . nothing accomplished, not making any progress.
Nothing to do, day to day. I don’t like to be on the couch, but I
don’t know what to do.

When I want a different emotion from the depression, anger is
readily available.
Tell about times in your life that had a big impact on you.
When I was seven, we moved to a new city. I left everything I knew,

starting all over again, making friends. I had been outgoing, but
then I turned inward. That’s the first time I remember having that
kind of anxiety . . . being stared at, someone watching me.
When I was 14, my parents divorced. I drew into myself, became

more inward (same hand gesture). Generally I try to avoid social
situations. I turn down invitations from friends. I keep things to
myself. I rely on myself more than anyone else. It’s only my opinion
about myself that I value. It’s a trust thing? I could always trust
myself. If I rely on others, there’s always that uncertainty. Others’
opinions did not weigh that heavily with me.
When do you feel the best? What things make you feel good?
I haven’t found any hobbies. I don’t like to exercise. I don’t really

like sports, and I am not a competitive person. I was never one to
push myself. What to do with myself? Maybe do something with
my hands . . . make something and then you see the result. Instant
gratification. I used to be fascinated with planes. My friend’s father
had a plane. I was attracted to designing and building things, and
I started college in mechanical engineering, but sitting in front of
a computer quickly became tedious, and I dropped out. I wanted to
build things.
Tell me about your sleep.
I sleep more than other people. I need at least nine or ten hours.
With less sleep, I wake with that headache. I do better with more
sleep.

Any dreams you could mention?
I usually never remember dreams, even when I try to remember.

But ever since I took the Effexor, I have been having more dreams.
They seem intrusive to me. I liked it better when I didn’t remember
dreams.
Intrusive dreams?
Yeah, in a recent one I was in a forest, carrying a dead body on

my shoulder, with the intention of burying it. I came to a clearing,
maybe some kind of park, where there were people around. I left
the body on the edge of the clearing and just walked away. I went
back to my car and just left.
What was it like to be in this dream situation?
It was a matter-of-fact feeling, not panic or anything like that.

You’d think if I had killed someone and was trying to hide the body,
that I’d feel panic . . . if I saw other people around . . . But this was
like I was doing some sort of a chore.
So, tell me, taking everything into account, what bothers you the
most? What is the biggest problem?
It’s the depression itself. It’s omnipresent, always there. I am only

going through the motions of life. It was the same in school. I was
there, but not really present, not really paying attention. I didn’t
want to be doing school, but I didn’t know what it was I wanted to
do, either.
Earlier you mentioned blocking things out, trying to get away from
certain things, avoiding certain experiences. Could you say more
about this?

I am trying to get away from a feeling of inadequacy. My lack of
life experience. I have been left behind. People my age are more
experienced than I am. Things come easier to them, especially
social things. So I draw inwards (same hand gesture), I tune people
out, I don’t feel like talking or interacting. I want people to ignore
me. It’s easier. Other people have friends, go out, do things. This is
very hard for me. When I am around people, even people I know, I
feel nervous, that anxiety, as if I am expected to say something and
I don’t know what to say, I feel that pressure in the back of the head
(same hand gesture). I learned to be sarcastic, if someone asks me
a question. I make a joke, then I don’t have to answer.
So this pressure in the back of the head, these headaches . . .

Describe it some more?
I’ve had them since elementary school, I think.
This pressure . . . . the squeezing you mentioned before . . . .

Describe that more . . . . What are your hands showing with that
gesture?
It’s a tight squeezing pressure. Like someone pressing very hard on

it. Like someone squeezing hard on a part of the body.
Can you say more?
It’s like one of those machines in the car scrap-yard that is

compacting cars, pressing cars into a little box (same hand gesture,
strongly).
So, if you let yourself feel this pressing and squeezing and
compacting, then how would you describe the complete opposite
experience from this?

It would be a sense of total relaxation. Comfort. You feel exhausted
and you sit down in your favorite chair, with a sense of familiarity.
Please describe this even more.
It is being very light and not weighed down at all. Like lying on a
very soft mattress, the ultimate comfort, and there is no pressure
at all on your body. (No gesture with this.) It’s something I do not
experience very often . . . .
I also sometimes get a heavy sensation in the chest, with a pain in

the middle of the chest. A sharp pain, like a knife, stabbing. (He
points to the midsternal area.)
How often does this happen?
Maybe six times per month?
Not weighed down at all, you said. So describe weighed down?
Weighed down with that mental fatigue. I used to call it laziness, but
it’s not. I don’t want to be where I am, but I am not able to get up
and move. I have to talk myself into getting up and moving.
Please describe this as completely as you can, from your

experience.
I am lying on the couch, being very heavy. I feel pressed into the
couch. My arm will tense up, but the arm doesn’t move.
What is that like? What comes to your mind?
It is like someone with a back injury, who has paralysis. He is trying

to walk, but the signals just aren’t . . . And on the worst days, I don’t
even want to move. I just lie there on the couch with my eyes closed . . .

Tell me, do you have any experience with recreational drugs?
No, I don’t even like the taste of alcohol, and I have never tried
other drugs.
Analysis
1—Name level (chief complaint): depression.
2—Fact level (qualifying or peculiar symptoms): suicidal

depression, couldn’t pull the trigger, mental fatigue, always
sweating, headaches, occiput, squeezing/pressing.
3—Emotion level: Anxiety, < around people, numbed out towards

life, emotions blocked, shut off from life, feelings of inadequacy.
4—Delusion/Mental level: flashes/violent thoughts of dying,

dream of carrying a dead body on my shoulder, like I am pressed
into the couch, can’t move, like someone with a back injury, who
has paralysis, prefers cold weather.
5—Sensation level (beyond human-specific language): heaviness,

weighed down, pressure, squeezing very hard, compacting,
pressing into a little box. And the opposite sensation—very light,
not weighed down at all, total relaxation.
Kingdom: Plant. There is an element of comparison in the case.

I am trying to get away from a feeling of inadequacy. My lack of
life experience. I have been left behind. People my age are more
experienced than I am. One could try to see this as an animal
remedy, but there is nothing else to support this—no victim/
aggressor, no predator/prey, no survival theme. One could also
try to see it as a mineral issue—a problem of chronological
development, a lack of maturation—but the patient’s perception, as
he describes it, does not come down to a fundamental perception

of lack of structure, lack of capacity within the self, which would
indicate a mineral.
What this young man persistently describes throughout, and
with the same hand gesture, is one particular experience or
sensation. This young man is sensitive to and reacts to a particular
experience. This suggests a plant medicine, especially after
he clearly describes the opposite sensation near the end of the
interview, albeit in response to a direct question.
Family: When asked about being “numbed out toward life,”

he mentions concomitant headaches. The hand gesture is first
seen with his description of these headaches: . . . a pressure, like
someone is squeezing on that part of the skull. Later we see that
he refers to the same sensation, with the same gesture, when
describing his longtime social anxiety . . . anxiety, tension around
people . . . . it’s that pressure in the back of the head . . . . I drew
into myself, became more inward. Thus the sensation is associated
not only with the headaches, but also with the general state.
By following the lead of the hand gesture, we accumulate a list

of phrases which characterize the sensation: pressure, squeezing,
a tight squeezing pressure, someone pressing very hard, someone
squeezing very hard, compacting, pressing into a little box,
weighed down, a heavy sensation, being very heavy, pressed into
the couch, paralysis.
The opposite sensation: a sense of total relaxation, comfort, a

sense of familiarity, being very light and not weighed down at all,
lying on a very soft mattress, the ultimate comfort, and there is no
pressure at all on your body.
This sensation language suggests the Hamamelidae family/group.
Miasm: As the patient says, his defense mechanism, when

experiencing the anxiety, tension, and pressure, is to avoid, ignore,

block out, numb out, shut off from life. He is avoiding the pressure
and heaviness. This suggests (in Sankaran’s categorization) the
sycotic miasm—a perception of a state which cannot be changed
and must therefore be tolerated by avoidance and denial.
Hamamelidae + sycotic miasm = Cannabis indica (See Sankaran’s

An Insight into Plants).
In retrospect, it seems likely that inquiring more about the

experience of a dead body on one’s shoulder (see the dream)
would have elicited the same sensation of pressure, heaviness, etc.
Also, had his earlier fascination with planes been asked about, it
is possible that more confirmatory language for the opposite of
heaviness would have come forth.
Cannabis indica can be found in many rubrics pertinent to this

case, including the characteristic mentals, physical generals, and
the specific headache and chest symptoms. Here are some of them
as found in the Complete 2009 Repertory:
Mind, dreams, dead, bodies (93)
Mind, Delusions, light, incorporeal, immaterial (53)
Mind, Express oneself, difficult (21)
Mind, Fear, approaching, others, of (48)
Head, Pain, squeezed or jammed, as if compression in (53)
Chest, Pain, cutting, sudden sharp, sternum (23)
Extremities, Paralysis, lower limbs, sensation of (82)
Generalities, Cold, becoming, amel (103)
Generalities, Lie down, inclination to (283)
Generalities, Lie down, inclination to, daytime (1)
Generalities, Heaviness, internal (297)
However, it is interesting to note that the Complete 2009 Repertory
does not list Cannabis indica for suicidal disposition. Nor is it
listed for the violent thoughts and images. Cannabis sativa is listed
in two places: Mind, Anger, violent; Mind, Delirium, violent.
Cannabis sativa also has: Anxiety, perspiration, with.

Plan: Cannabis indica 30c was given, to be taken once daily.
Summary of Follow-Ups
Six Weeks After Initial Prescription: In the past month or so,
I’m feeling a bit of improvement. He met with another psychiatrist,
who suggested he give psychotherapy a good trial. So he is seeing
a therapist once a week, plus hypnotherapy. Little improvements,
on a daily basis. He started walking on a treadmill, maybe every
other day. He has been getting up a bit earlier, sleeping a bit
more soundly. He tried rock climbing at a local gym and would
like to do more; he even set a goal to go once per week. Small
improvements.
Sleep?
He has been falling asleep quicker, not lying awake for an hour
like before.
Energy?
It’s a bit better, but it’s still a struggle. I battle myself to go walk on
the treadmill. (Mind, Antagonism, oneself, with)
Mental/Emotional?
A small but noticeable change, an improvement. I’ve been reading
more, instead of watching television. I am not so much tied to the
past. I am looking toward moving forward.
Violent thoughts?
I haven’t had any since I stopped taking those (psychotropic)
medications. (But actually he stopped these several weeks before
the homeopathic interview and initially said the violent thoughts
were the thing that bothered him the most at the time of the
interview.)
Sweating?
This is less. It’s from anxiety. It still happens when I am out around
people.

Headaches?
Not many, and not as intense.
Numbed out toward life?

There is a bit of progress. I’ve been working on this with the
therapist. It’s hard to recognize that stuck position. I try to fight
myself.
Heavy chest sensation?

Not since the first interview. I am just trying to take things day by
day.
Plan: Continue Cann-i 30c daily. Vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty
acids were also prescribed.
Three Months After Initial Prescription: Doing well, no major

problems. He goes rock climbing every week. He signed up to be
available for part-time/on-call work, unpaid, at a local cooperative
grocery.
Physical problems?
Nothing except some wrist aching from rock climbing.
Energy?
It’s been okay. Sleeping nine hours, go to bed and wake at a
regular time. But sometimes tired on waking or in the afternoon.
Mental/Emotional?
I feel I am definitely doing better/well, overall. I would maybe
like to get a part-time job. I’ve been getting the urge to get up
and move. I get bored just sitting around. He stopped seeing the
psychotherapist but was still seeing the hypnotherapist. She gives
me a new assignment each week.

Violent thoughts?
Not many, maybe a few since the last visit.
Low back pain?

Still has this, a mild/dull ache, it’s chronic, from bad posture.
Numbed out?
There is less of this. I feel a need to do something now.
Anxiety?
My anxiety around people and noises is still there. A sensory
overload.
Headaches?
None.
Heavy sensation in chest?

None. I only had this when I was at my worst.
Sweating?
He hasn’t been sweating. I’m not sure what that was in reference
to. (He doesn’t seem to remember talking about this before.)
What generally bothers you the most?

It’s definitely social interaction, my nervousness. I have to try
really hard to talk to people. It’s a real effort for me.
Plan: Continue Cann-i 30c daily, and add Cann-i 200c once per
month.
Five Months After Initial Prescription: I decided to go back to

school. It happened pretty quickly. I saw an ad for an automotive
training program in a nearby town. I had been thinking about
technical school for a while, something practical that I would
enjoy. I’ll be learning how to work on engines, automotive and

diesel. It starts in three weeks, and it takes 1½ years. That’s the big
thing going on for me now.
Generally?
I am feeling incrementally better. I am still rock climbing and am
improving my skill. The depression has been pushed further away,
not a problem now. The biggest thing now is the anxiety, which is
definitely better than before, but still something I need to work on.
I get nervous going out and doing things, meeting with people. The
problem is being around people. A social awkwardness. I overthink
things. It doesn’t lead to panic attacks anymore, but I easily get
knocked off course, in my mind. Something small can set me askew.
I am focusing on the anxiety with the hypnotherapist.
Physical problems?
A bit of allergies, which is not a new issue.
Lower back?
Generally good, sometimes notices it, but not much.
Heaviness, numbed out, violent thoughts, stuck on couch?

All of this is much less, or not happening. The biggest thing for me
is to realize that it will pass, if I wait a bit.
Energy?
Definitely improving. Sleeping okay. Sometimes crashes in the
afternoon, needs a 1-2 hour nap. This happens maybe once per
week.
Sweating?
Not much. It is tied in with the anxiety, which is not as
overwhelming as before.
What bothers you the most?

The anxiety is the overriding thing, the biggest impasse, going out

and meeting people. The anxiety is better than at the last visit.
Plan: Continue Cann-i 200c monthly and Cann-i 30c daily.
Eight Months After Initial Prescription: Things are going good.

I started school and it’s going well. I like the classes, and I also
like actually working on cars, working with my hands. I’m in
school six hours per day. So it’s nice to have something to be doing
with my time.
Anxiety?
I still see the hypnotherapist, working on the anxiety bit by bit. It
is definitely better. I am forcing myself to interact with people at
the school. Having to interact with people there is helping. I have
a slightly better comfort level about it. The anxiety is the biggest
obstacle in my life. I am impatient about it, I want it to get better
faster. I want to be normal, go out and do things with people, be
more independent. I am impatient, but I think things are headed in
the right direction.
Heaviness, numbed out, violent thoughts?

None. Because I am no longer overwhelmed.
A bit of low back pain, occasionally.
Plan: Discontinue the Cann-i 30c daily. Continue Cann-i 200c

monthly.
The Next Three Years of Follow-ups: Steady progress. Got a

part-time job and continued with the automotive program. Lost
the job during the economic downturn, was briefly depressed
by this and then bounced back and found another part-time
job. Started spending time occasionally with a friend from high
school. Continued rock climbing a few times per week and began
taking a woodworking class. Also started some running for
exercise. Reading a lot more books. As an assignment from the
hypnotherapist, began going out on weekends and doing fun things

all over the city. It feels good to expand out, do more things. Being
around people now is mostly a good thing, not too big a deal now.
I am learning techniques for facing what I feel, and this is very
helpful. Challenging myself a bit at a time.
His seasonal allergies (worse fall) began to be more prominent

again, after several years of minimal or no symptoms.
He graduated from the automotive program and then took a three-

month intensive training program in big diesel power generators,
a specialized skill, to be able to earn more money. The program
was in another state, so it was necessary to leave his mother’s
home, which he handled without a problem. He then went on to
find positions as a technician working with generators and large
engines, saved up money, then began to travel, exploring areas of
interest, including sustainable architecture and agriculture. With
each follow-up he reported no depression and a steady easing of
his social anxiety.
I continued him on Cann-i 200c, once per month during this time,
until he stopped seeing me. The last follow-up was in May 2011;
however, I still see his father, who keeps me informed on his
whereabouts and condition. He is now 29 years old, continues to
do well, and is currently exploring a career in ecotourism.
Suggested Reading List:

Rajan Sankaran:
An Insight into Plants, vol. 1-2 (2004), vol. 3 (2007)
Sensation Refined (2007)
Structure, Experience with the Mineral Kingdom, 2 vol
(2008)
Survival, the Mollusc (2008)
Survival, the Reptile, 2 vol (2011)
Synergy in Homeopathy (2012)
The Sensation in Homeopathy (2004)
Ashok Borkar, Pathology Factor in Remedy Selection (2013)

Biography
Dr. King has been practicing homeopathy for more than 30 years. He loves his
work and continues to learn about the art and craft of medicine, about listening,
and about the uniqueness of each human being. He likes that each new patient is
a wonderful opportunity to be of use, to help someone substantially improve his/
her health and life.

Book Review:
The Toxic Relationship Cure
By Jerry M. Kantor
Reviewed by Jennifer White, ND, DHANP, CCH
This book is an enjoyable read. Expect to be amused while
learning materia medica. But, don’t let the title of the book fool
you. You won’t be reading a book on PTSD (like I thought) but
will instead find yourself reading entertaining stories grouped into
traumas dispensed by a boss, parent, lover, friend, and spiritual
beyond.
It’s written in a narrative style with short descriptions of part-

factual and part-fictional patient vignettes. Each description comes
with Mr. Kantor’s analysis of what a possible curative response for
each patient would look like, which is often a modification of the
patient’s symptoms into less severe forms of illness where he then
suggests a less pathological remedy. He ends each patient section
with a short description of complementary remedies. There are 32
remedy scenarios in the book, which range from polycrests—such
as Nat-m and Lycopodium—to the rarely constitutional remedies
of Absinthum, Bismuth, and Gratiola.
This book would be an excellent adjunct for a student, and the

quickly read scenarios would make for an excellent book in the
waiting room. Mr. Kantor’s goal of appealing to the experienced
homeopath and the non-homeopathically educated is challenging
due to the large gap in knowledge between the two; this thread is
stretched thin while attempting to provide sufficient knowledge
while at the same time simply introducing an idea. For the
non-homeopathically educated, it would function well as an
introduction to the type of treatment that homeopathy offers.
And, for the experienced homeopath you will find the book to be

enjoyably entertaining, and you will find it to be injected with
occasional a-ha moments and treats of the few rare constitutional
remedy pictures.
However, as an experienced homeopath myself, I genuinely

look forward to Mr. Kantor writing a 2nd Edition that expounds
on his ideas offered in this book. If it were to combine these
ideas with materia medica, I think we’d find another jewel of a
resource book for homeopaths, similar to what the Desktop Guide
by Roger Morrison has been for many. The unique twist that
Mr. Kantor provides is very appealing—this being his Chinese
Medicine perspectives on the organ relationship to conditions
and his views on the somatization of emotional, mental, and
spiritual disharmonies. He also discusses an intriguing perspective
on the cause of disease in Appendix One and terms it Radical
Disjunct. He states that “when the denial of a need in question is
sufficiently extreme, an apparent paradox results: when provided
later, satisfaction of the need not only fails to satisfy, it worsens the
individual’s general state.” Expounding on these ideas would be
valuable to the homeopathic profession.
In the end, The Toxic Relationship Cure is nicely entertaining and

could easily serve to educate those new to homeopathy and the
non-homeopath. For the experienced homeopath you will find
seeds of thought and insight into health from an organ perspective
and perspective on somatization.
Biography
Dr. Jennifer White, ND, DHANP, CCH is a homeopath located in Seattle,

Washington. The majority of her practice is working with clients at the
constitutional (and fundamental) homeopathic level; she also works in
an Eizayaga-like and Vannier-like manner. She can be found at: www.
seattlehomeopathy.com.

Method Of Complexity
By Krista Heron, ND, DHANP
OBSERVATION OF COMPLEXITY
Massimo Mangialavori’s Method of Complexity is a methodology

that addresses the innate complexity of the patient.
Mangialavori’s intention is to decipher the myriad symptoms

and experiences of his patients and organize them into a coherent
and unified whole. It is this untangling of symptoms, in order
to identify fundamental themes of the patient and the medicinal
substance, in which Mangialavori excels.
The patient’s language and narrative reveals her strategy of

survival, disclosing her perception of her world and experience of
disease. The Method of Complexity begins with case taking where
the intention of the homeopath is to understand the inner nature
of the patient and the life path the patient is following. We are not
trying to change the direction of this inner nature, but rather help
the patient be as fluid and graceful as she can as she meets life’s
changes and challenges.
SEEKING COHERENCE
Mangialavori sets out to discover the simillimum by using a

myriad of resources. Rather than sorting through a list of unrelated
symptoms, he organizes them into coherent themes. Using medical
science and psychology he understands the patient’s experience as
completely as possible, making connections between the disease
and the patient’s narrative to best understand the relationship
the patient has with her disease state. Once he has digested the
symptoms into a few prevailing themes, and understood the genius

or spirit of the patient, he looks for a corresponding remedy.
His understanding of each remedy is enlarged by his study
of toxicology; the historical uses of a substance in herbalism,
alchemy, or even commerce; in the rich resources of mythology
and symbology that can be associated with our medicines;
and through a study of the botanical, biological, or geological
habits and habitats of these substances. With this wellspring of
information, Mangialavori seeks congruence between remedy
and patient. In Mangialavori’s book Praxis, A New Method of
Homeopathic Medicine, Vol. 1 Methodology, he lists the main
propositions of his model:
• Remedies are not more or less effective; prescriptions are.

• The aim of studying substances, remedies and clinical
cases is to identify characteristic symptoms and themes in
each and their coherent relationship to each other.
• “The category of family allows the grouping of similar
remedies with the assumption that certain symptoms and
themes are shared by most family members (even if some
of these symptoms are missing in the literature).”
• After establishing the resonance between a case and a
family of remedies, the unique aspects of each remedy are
used to differentiate them and select a prescription.
• A symptom has more than one meaning, and each of
its various meanings is determined by the context of
the patient’s words and its interrelationship with other
symptoms and themes.
• The hierarchy of motifs, themes, and symptoms does not
have a pre-formed structure and is different in each case
depending on where the “foci of suffering” emerges for
that patient.
• The convergence between the hierarchy of motifs, themes,
and symptoms in the substance, remedy, and patient is a
point of eventual arrival rather than a point of departure
for both study and clinical work. [I would like to clarify

what Mangialavori is saying here. It takes time and effort
to find coherence and relationship between substance,
remedy, and patient. The homeopath is cautioned to hold
initial assumptions with humility.]
MOTIFS, THEMES AND SYMPTOMS
Mangialavori has organized symptoms into several groupings,

depending on their qualities. First is the idea of a Motif, or those
observations by the homeopath that reflect “a broad aspect of
life experience.” This is what the homeopath first observes while
sitting with the patient, noting, for example, that they are anxious
or aggressive or athletic. These qualities tell you something about
the general terrain of the patient and the remedy.
Next are the Fundamental Themes. These express “an essential,

structural component of the remedy and its adaptive strategy and
are nearly always present in a case (though these themes may or
may not be explicitly expressed by the patient or identified by
the practitioner).” Examples of fundamental themes might be the
isolation experienced by Camphor, the violence and suddenness
of Belladonna or the sense of duality and forsakenness found
in Lachesis. Fundamental Themes can be modified with a good
prescription but will always remain with the patient, albeit with
less limitation. The Belladonna patient will always have some
suddenness in her symptom picture because of her tendency
towards acute expression of symptoms rather than chronic
degeneration, and the Camphor patient will always experience
the world in some way through a lens of loneliness but with less
suffering.
The third grouping is the Characteristic Theme. This theme is

a “distinctive aspect of the remedy which is frequently, though
not always present, and often presents as one or the other side

of a polarity based on whether the patient is compensated or
decompensated.” These themes “appear in some but not all stages
of a remedy’s evolutionary cycle.” For example, “Belladonna’s
tendency toward acute inflammation or Lachesis’ propensity
toward inflammation of the throat. While both symptomatologies
have been verified repeatedly, they are generally limited to one
period of the life cycle—in this case, childhood.”
The fourth grouping is the Coherent Symptom Group, or “a simple,

straightforward categorical collection of symptoms related by a
common expression, issue, or modality, which is often manifested
in different parts and/or functions of the body. The association is
logical but possibly also lexical—that is, identified by the same
term.” Loss of fluids is a Coherent Symptom Group for Camphor,
as seen in their delirium in thirst, their watery and profuse diarrhea,
urge to urinate, and perspiration.
When studying the patient’s case, Mangialavori seeks similitude

between the patient’s themes and symptoms and the remedy’s
themes and symptoms. This requires an additional step: the
analytic interpretation of themes for the patient. The greater the
coherence, the greater chance the remedy will be a useful stimulus
for the vital force.
THE CONCEPT OF THE HOMEOPATHIC FAMILY
The organization of remedies into families arises from a human

desire to understand how one thing relates to another and to
recognize their similarities. Rather than confine homeopathic
groupings to somewhat arbitrary or archaic taxonomic
classifications, Mangialavori chooses to categorize remedies
according to shared homeopathic symptom congruencies. His
core intention is to group remedies according to richly elaborated,
rigorously developed themes, which involves a sophisticated
interweaving of mental, emotional, and physical symptoms.

For example, various Asteraceae, such as Arnica, Bellis perennis,
and Calendula, are grouped with some Cuprum salts because all
share a strong martial attitude. Themes such as Integrity, Dignity,
Command, and Noli me tangere (do not touch me) are fundamental
to these remedies and so are placed into a family group he named
the ”Arnica-like remedies.” However, not all Asteraceae find a
place in this homeopathic family; instead, remedies like Nabalus
and Lactuca have themes such as Isolation/Avoidance and
Omnipotence which place them in the Drug-like homeopathic
family rather than the Arnica-like family.
THE CASE
Iberis amara is a remedy found in the Raphanus-like remedies, a

family comprised largely of the Brassicaceae. I do not have much
experience with these remedies, but after meeting with A.N., I
found myself prescribing this less well-known remedy.
A. N.
44-year-old male
Director of Choir
Singer
May 24, 2011
I have had symptoms for 10 years. My heart beats and pumps fast.
I started taking supplements for working out from GNC that had
caffeine in them in December and that caused more symptoms
of quick breathing and increased heart rate. Then they gave
me another product and it caused dead fear and my heart went
crazy for several hours. I don’t recall the name of either of these
products. I put some wet towels on my head and took some Advil
and then I started to get better after a half hour.
I went back to Hungary for Christmas and this occurred again on

December 20, without the product, and with milder symptoms. I
went to the ER and was told to breathe, and lay down; that always
helps. Maybe I was fine after about 15 minutes.
I went to my family doctor and she checked my blood pressure,

which was 120/80. I had an EKG. She recommended I go to the
hospital after looking at the EKG. I was surprised she wanted me
to go because nothing was wrong. The hospital repeated the EKG
3 times and everything was fine. They also did blood tests and I
had normal enzymes and blood sugar. My creatinine was a little
elevated but normal for someone who is working out.
I had a stress test on January 3, 2011. I went back to my family

doctor because I felt on edge sometimes, but with lying about on
vacation and relaxing all seemed well.
Last year was very stressful; my father died.
At the beginning of March, after a stressful day, I got my symptoms

again. Then they returned one week later. It was very scary. My
friends tried to be very helpful and suggested I might be having a
panic attack, so I decided to take it easy, but the symptoms didn’t
go away. Sometimes the symptoms would be lighter, sometimes
stronger, but now I am having them daily for 3-4 weeks.
I went to SugarPills and [Karyn] recommended some herbs [First

formula: Motherwort, California poppy, Dicentra.] and Rescue
Remedy. Second formula: Ashwaganda, Linden, Redwood, Bamboo
and Lettuce]. I calmed down while I talked with her, but my
symptoms didn’t end.
I went to a website on panic attacks and I could recognize some

things. I started a diet of no bread, gluten, or alcohol because
sometimes the symptoms would come after breakfast with bread.
And after wine I would feel so sad. I spoke with a doctor, via

Skype, on the website, who told me to meditate. They recommended
a product with vitamins and Withania somnifera and Ratanhia
from Hungary. I started to take the product and after the second
day I felt calm and more settled but still with some heart pumping.
By the end of that day I had more symptoms especially if I was
walking uphill.
I feel depressed; I don’t feel happy.
Before I wasn’t drinking coffee, if anything I was having decaf.
Onset?
I had some kind of dizziness and hard heartbeats. I felt more
aggressive; a negative feeling that made me feel weak and scared.
I tried wet towels on my chest and neck and after 5-10 minutes I
felt calmer. I was not thinking positively and I felt tired.
I don’t feel like myself. I always do many things fast. I run a

company of 40 people, I have two kids - a 19-year-old son and an
18-year-old daughter - and I take care of my mom, all from here.
?
It feels like my heart wants to jump. It feels too big in my chest.
It feels like a weight. I feel like I am locked in a metal vest and it
feels constricting. I can’t relax; I can’t feel my chest being open. I
look at the sky, not the floor.
?
There is no change in my respiration, well, maybe my breathing
becomes shallower. My hands are colder too.
Childhood?
I have two brothers. There were two stages in my childhood. I was
not comfortable in school; I did not have close friends; I was out of
company. I played the violin since I was 7. I went to music school;

that was my thing. I felt myself there. Then I went to music high
school and college for the violin. It was a classical singing college
as well.
I always had a job. I worked with the Hungarian National Radio

Choir from 1993 to 2010. We would go to rehearsals every day
from 10-1, 2-5. We had shows 5-6 times a month. There are 40
people in the choir now, but before there were 67. We traveled
abroad.
Did you feel anxious to perform?

At 14 I was in a dormitory. I felt nervous and my hands were
sweating. Someone helped me to learn to calm down, to
concentrate on the music piece, after that I really improved; that
helped me to do the maximum. I am able to control the stress. I was
also singing solos and doing my own classical shows.
I met the mother of my children but we divorced in 1997. It was

very hard after the divorce because I wasn’t with the kids; I
couldn’t even look at them on the street. It got better as they grew
up. Nicer and nicer. Better and better.
My daughter wants to marry this August.
I left the choir in 2010.
I am gay, but we didn’t divorce because of this. I think I knew

before but I think the problem was her mother. My wife wanted two
kids in a row. I was studying and building a house. She told me on
the phone that she filed for divorce. It was shocking.
After that I tried to find myself. I found myself to be comfortable

with men as well. I have never denied those wonderful times with
my wife.

All was fine, nothing wrong. The choir was a little xxx, although
not obvious, but over time we became closer. I found a new
relationship with a man and we lived together for a few years.
Then I met D. He was living there. We have been together for 10
years. He is not easy, but I am not an easy person either. I like to
take things easy, maybe too easy; maybe I look lazy or slow for his
habits. I am an artist.
I learned and changed a lot because of him. I always try to do my

best but many times it is not enough. What is ever enough? What is
good enough if someone can do it even better?
He is an extremely capable, intelligent.
I like land; I like nature and investments. So in the beginning there

were little misunderstandings, maybe… I feel very small, shut off;
quiet. Everything is so much in my mind and I can’t put it into
words. We would argue about Hungarian grammar. He cannot take
time off; he has to be busy. He has been going back and forth to
Hungary.
[A.N. asks for the door to the garden be open]
It is not easy to talk about these things. I couldn’t travel back and
forth. I always had a job; I always supported myself. Now I am not
working, I have no personal income. I still have my kids; I need to
support them.
D is doing an excellent job supporting me. I was taking it easy

but something is showing. He is a great person, but not an easy
person.
We had a very difficult time last night. Maybe I should go back [to
Hungary]. He says, “No you just have a mental issue, you need a
psychologist not a cardiologist.” So I booked a flight for June 8
and he blew up. I didn’t understand, I thought we discussed this.

All my failures over the 10 years come up in our private life. I like
my life without changes. You can go on, without bringing it up
every day otherwise it poisons life. Sometimes I can be selfish, even
if I do not think so. I am saying… perhaps… I am flexible. I can
convince myself I was wrong.
D’s support?
There are two ways. One way [he supports] is not easy and can
hurt. I do many things for us, many little, sometimes invisible
things. I am not perfect; someone could see I could do more and
better. This is our life together; this is my part. He is not 100%
happy with my part, how I am behaving, how I am not taking care
of him. Sometimes he points out when I didn’t do something.
What I am thinking is that D is not very happy. He is taking care of

me, of my kids. I don’t have to feel insecure because I would do this
for him, but I do, because… I don’t know…. There is a tiny border
between feeling generous and crazy; it is so difficult to keep things
in balance. Once it has [tipped] it is hard to pull it back.
Singing?
I have a voice coach but I haven’t been practicing. D is right; D is
always right. D says I should see [my voice coach] and I know he
is right but I wanted to get into shape first. So I didn’t call him until
last night. I realized D was right.
I am only using my throat now. My voice feels tiny like a mouse,

like my personality can’t open and step forward.
Father’s passing?
It was upsetting because of how he chose to deal with his
condition. He had a birthmark and it got worse. We asked him
to go [to the doctor]. I called the hospital [A.N.’s voicing is very
energetic]; I called the doctor [his voice sounds intense and
scolding]. He finally went to surgery to have the tumor removed

and then chemotherapy but his liver couldn’t take it; he didn’t tell
us. [A.N. takes a short breath] Then there was another one under
his arm…
We were not really close.
My mother lives by herself and she is 69. She went back to work.
I am always hitting my head [by accident and because of

awkwardness]. I get a headache sometimes from it.
I work out doing cardio, step and bicycle; some weight lifting. I am
flexible.
I had a tonsillectomy in 2005 after an infection. There was no

swelling but I had been infected many times. I have less flexible
vocal cords and I need to make an effort to use my voice. I had a
difficult time healing; it took 4-5 months to get my voice back. My
throat would be red and it hurt to use my voice.
Fears:
Darkness outside.
Dreams:
Traveling in space, flying. My soul feels endless, without
measurement. No existence; no end. I am not doing anything that is
good, I am just being.
My heart starts to beat fast in the morning but I am better once I

start to move around.
Analysis: diagnosis of panic, but he doesn’t know it is panic.

Instead he thinks something is wrong with his heart.
Plan: Iberis 30c daily. Ordered 200c from Helios.

APPLYING THE METHOD OF COMPLEXITY
My primary impression of A.N. was that he somaticized his
anxiety to his heart. Even though friends and his partner both
suggested this was more of a psychological issue, A.N. pursued
exhaustive investigations to assure there was no cardiac disease.
He also described working hard all his life, as well as working out
hard. I felt his athletic pursuits were to maintain youthfulness as
well as attractiveness, and that he felt he must do more and more
to meet unspoken expectations. I imagined that much of his drive
stemmed from his unhappy relationship with his father.
A.N. was remarkably sweet and mild, but there was a sense of
aggression especially when discussing his father, and describing
the arguments that he and D. had together.
I considered the above eight points to be central to his case. This is

my first step in analysis, reviewing the symptoms in the case and
summarizing the primary intent of the vital force in the patient.
The next issue was where to look for remedies that addressed these
key points or themes. I repertorized the case using MacRepertory
and ReferenceWorks and gathered thematic groupings of rubrics.
Anxiety
Fear within four words of too much medicine (4)
MIND; ANXIETY; indefinable (3)
Anxiety or fear death or heart or palpitation (470)
Heart sensation
Heart & circulation; CONSCIOUS of heart action (28)
Constriction chest (457)
Constriction heart (162)
CHEST; PAIN; bursting; heart, in; sensation of; being too
full (19)
CHEST; ENLARGED, as if; Heart (48)
Vise or band or vest or cage within three words of heart

(20)
CHEST; PAIN; vise, heart as in a (1)
CHEST; CONSTRICTION, tension, tightness; Heart; band,
as from an iron (1)
Palpitations
Heart & circulation; PALPITATION heart; exertion; agg.
(96)
Heart & circulation; PALPITATION heart; exertion; agg;
slightest, even (27)
Heart & circulation; PALPITATION heart; ascending agg.
(51)
VERTIGO; PALPITATIONS, with; heart, from (16)
CHEST; PALPITATION heart; anxiety, with (122)
CHEST; PALPITATION heart; cold bathing amel; washing
hands in cold water (1)
CHEST; PALPITATION heart; hard (3)
CHEST; PALPITATION heart; tumultuous, violent,
vehement (153)
CHEST; PALPITATION heart; weakness, with (5)
GENERALITIES; WEAKNESS, enervation, exhaustion,
prostration, infirmity; palpitation; with (4)
CHEST; PALPITATION heart (356)
Tonsils
Inflammation throat (433)
Inflammation tonsils (215)
Tonsils (520)
THROAT; INFLAMMATION, sore throat; Tonsils;
recurrent (49)
THROAT; DISCOLORATION; redness; tonsils (35)
THROAT; PAIN; General; singing agg. (1)
THROAT; IRRITATION; public speakers and singers, in
(1)

I scan the field of remedies in the MacRepertory graph looking
for congruency and noticing the presence of families or even
kingdoms. It can be meaningful to me to see a dominance of Noble
Metals in the first 20 remedies in a graph, or that a few Crataegus-
like family members are sprinkled in the first 30. Noticing that
certain remedies or families are in the first positions of the graph
allows me the opportunity for further investigation and study. This
is one of my indulgent pleasures when studying: short excursions
with various remedies that I may not know well. This undertaking
helps me understand how they may have a relationship with the
ideas and experiences expressed in my patient’s case.
I then consider the various remedies and choose one based on an

agreement or coherence between the themes of the remedy and the
patient.
In this case I studied the materia medica of a dozen or so remedies

but felt a significant resonance with Iberis amara.
UNDERSTANDING THE THEMES OF IBERIS AND THE

RAPHANUS-LIKE REMEDIES
Each of the remedies within the Raphanus-like family, to some

degree, address a different primary locus: Raphanus and Brassica
napus present with gall bladder, liver, and general digestive issues;
Sinapis nigra with respiratory symptoms such as allergies and sinus
complaints; Cochlearia armoracia with headaches, often associated
with digestive problems; Thlaspi bursa pastoris with prostate and
uterine complaints; Nasturtium aquaticum with bronchial and
bladder issues; Lepidium bonariense with liver complaints and
hypertension; and lastly, Iberis amara with symptoms of panic
along with cardiac and liver complaints.

FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Mangialavori identifies that this group of remedies has difficulty

digesting their emotions as well as food. There is irritability,
impatience, and aggression. They want to assert and dominate.
They also have a feeling of fullness, where something can’t pass
through, can’t be digested. This feeling speaks to emotions as well
as food that have difficulty being integrated.
Mangialavori describes haughtiness in these remedies, a sense

that they are surrounded by things that are not good enough. Their
relationships are difficult, and they may express an aggressive
attitude towards family members. The anger seen in these remedies
is fairly ineffective. They can be irritable and over-reactive. In the
case of Iberis this anger is less expressed and is translated into
anxiety, panic, and nervous excitement.
The Raphanus-like remedies can have a strong drive to overwork

in order to be recognized. Like Lycopodium, they can be attracted
to power and want social recognition. Power is a compensation for
their feeling of being useless and insignificant. Iberis often uses
athleticism and physical performance in contrast to the social or
political competitiveness seen in Raphanus and Cochlearia.
In general the Raphanus-like remedies outer presentation makes

it difficult for the homeopath to see what they feel inside. Iberis
amara, however, is more open, but may present with a certain
“false-image,” much like Niccolum, or Sulphur salts. It is
interesting that these plants often contain large amounts of sulphur
and grow in soils high in nickel.
The Raphanus-like remedies are also terrified of getting old,

dependent, and unable to perform. They are overactive and use
their work or sports as a means to defend against this fear as well
as to remain distant in their intimate relationships. What can be

initially observed in the Iberis amara patient is that she is often
athletic, and will disclose that her interest is motivated by a desire
to appear youthful more than her enjoyment of a sport.
CHARACTERISTIC THEMES
Iberis is more open and able to admit her fears, compared to

the other members in this family. She is more in touch with her
emotions; however, she is not typically interested in deep work
with the homeopath. To even begin working on herself she will
have to reach a significant level of decompensation, and then she
will do just enough to feel better and then stop treatment. She may
prefer to take medicines–antidepressants or stimulants–rather than
look inward. She will self-medicate, self-manage, and overuse, and
yet she can be fearful of taking too much medicine.
Iberis has many symptoms of excitement; there is an overactivity

of the nervous system and mind producing anxious states. Panic
attacks are common. They come out of the blue and feel severe.
She imagines the worst.
Cardiac problems are more evident in Iberis. She can have

hypertrophy of the heart, and heart pains and numbness that radiate
down the arm. She is overly conscious of the heart’s actions
and worries whether it is working properly. Palpitations and
arrhythmias are common, and typically she has more functional
problems than organic. This is a remedy that is also known
for pericarditis and dropsy. Heart symptoms are particularly
disconcerting to Iberis because they demonstrate how she cannot
keep up; that she is aging.
Iberis may be in constant competition with her spouse. Impotence

and sexual dysfunction may be present but is difficult for the
patient to confess.

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS
Muscle pains, especially a bruised feeling, is common. One might

confuse her pains with Calendula or Arnica, particularly because of
her athleticism, overactivity and overuse.
Physical exertion aggravates. She will overexercise to stay young

and to stay competitive.
She can have liver pains and complaints.
She can complain of memory loss, particularly short-term

memories.
FOLLOW UP
June 1, 2011, email from A.N.:

I’m taking the remedy for a week now. I feel better, I still have this
stronger heart beat once in a while but it is not that wild and does
not hold out as long as before.
I did not feel I have to cool myself down with cold water since a
week now. I’m also able to slow down and control my heartbeats
with slow breathing. However sometimes I still have those scary
thoughts about my condition, I get physically tired easily and have
to sit or lie down for 10-15 minutes.
I write back:
I have your remedy on order but it has not arrived yet. It should be
here by next week. Can you make the [30c] vial last until then? As
long as you get 3 little pellets once a day that should be fine.
June 8, 2011, email from A.N.:

In the last few days I was not doing well, I had to use cold water to

calm down my heart several times. Before the remedy I was a 9-10
(10=bad, 1=good). The best I got was a 6 in the two weeks and
now I am an 8.
Plan: I ask that he take one dose of Iberis amara 200c along with
daily sac lac, called Iberis 20c starting the next day.
June 17, 2011

Visit in clinic
After daily Iberis 30 I felt better, but then after 2 weeks I was not so
good. I had less heart pounding. It was less strong, less intense but
I was still getting it. I was a little better.
Then the second week something was collapsing back and it got
strong again. I had to go back to using cold water again.
After I took the 200c I felt better. Now when I have a bad day it
is not so bad. Yesterday I had a very good day but last night I
could not sleep until 2 or 3 in the morning. This morning I felt a
little bad but it was not spilling over. I said, “Calm down” and
it immediately slowed down. I do not have the panic feeling any
more. If my heart pounds I know I can calm it down. If I have to
catch a bus it accelerates a little but there is no panic. I do not
have the weakness any more.
I started yoga and the second time I went my heart pounded

terribly. Yesterday D and I went and it was very nice.
I am now taking showers with warm water, not hot. I like cold
water.
If I consider how I was before as a 10 then I am a 6 now.
I went back to my singing lessons.

A friend had a heart attack and he was in the hospital for 4
days. He was young. It was not so good to hear about that; I was
shocked. I think one problem is that we keep it inside and it eats us
up from the inside.
I connected with a Hungarian therapist via Skype and we have met

4 times. He wanted to know how I dealt with confrontation and
what has happened to me in the last year. He said to let things go;
he told me how to calm myself down. I use my singing breath and
yoga breath. Singing calms me down, it takes me away; it brings
me back to life.
D sees that I am better. Before I couldn’t do my daily things

but now I can. I will go back to Hungary in August with D. My
daughter is getting married; I will deal with some real estate and
see my mother. I will go for 2 weeks.
Analysis: appears to be a positive response
Plan: watch and wait
July 8, 2011, email from A.N.:

I was getting better and better for a couple of weeks after our last
meeting, then felt like the good progress did stop. My condition is
on the same level with a few not so great days sometimes. To be
fair these bad days are not even close to how bad the old bad days
were. I hope it does not sound too confusing.

Do you recommend to take the big dose again perhaps?
I write back by asking how much better he had been feeling and he
responded with his best as a 3 and that now he is a 4-5. I suggest
he take another dose of Iberis 200c and continue with the 20c.
July 19, 2011, email from A.N.:

Couple of days after I took the larger portion of the remedy I
started to feel better and better. On a scale of 1 - 10 I would rate
my condition somewhere between 1-2.
I’m also very excited to go home soon.
I like to cancel my next week appointment with you. I do not want

to find or make up any reason. I just simply feel to do so and I also
like to let you know I’m very grateful to you that I’m in a condition
where I’m able to cancel an appointment. I feel like I’m on the
right way getting out of that deep hole and I like to say thanks
again to you for helping me in these difficult times. It does not
mean I’ll disappear and get lost. I still like to stay in touch with
you if you don’t mind.
I respond:
I am so, so glad to hear you are feeling better. That is terrific! Stay
in touch, have a wonderful visit home, and let me know how you
are...
September 12, 2011 email from A.N., 3 months after first dose of
Iberis 200c:
I’m very happy to tell you, that I could rate my average condition
0.1 on a scale of 1 -10. I keep taking the Candytuft [20c] and I
believe in [these pellets].
My cardiologist did every possible test of my heart and [coronary

arteries] - what the best technology is offering today. My stress test
result is on the level of a 30 year old man. The ultrasound shows
everything right. The coronary CT scan is showing a few spots of
light, positioned on the inside wall of the coronary vascular, but
nothing major. The way of the blood flow is completely open and
free.
However my blood work show high cholesterol. It is 7.4 mmol/l.

The reference range is 2.6 - 5.2. My doctor here recommended
taking XETER which will lower my blood cholesterol but also
could do some damage in the liver.
There should be another natural way to lower blood cholesterol. I

like to ask your opinion of this case again. I’m planning to visit in
the States sometime soon. Maybe you can schedule an appointment
with me.
My Hungarian doctor was also [asking me] to check my blood

pressure periodically, three times every day for a month. I put them
in an excel sheet table and send it to him at the end of the month to
see and analyze it.
On the [other] side I’m very happy.
D got back to Seattle working. The time was too short [for] what
he was able to spend in Hungary. We did a lot during these few
weeks, did many [things with] our family and friends but the time
was not enough for a good recovery.
Our daughter L. got married. The ceremony was beautiful. The

young couple was very sweet and they looked so happy. It was
very moving. Our son B got accepted into the police academy of
Hungary. He is just going to finish his boot camp at the end of this
week. He is excited and likes the school a lot.

I respond that I will look forward to seeing him when he returns
and that I would like to refer him to a naturopathic colleague to
help lower his cholesterol.
November 21, 2011 email from A.N., 6 months after first visit:
I am doing very well, feeling good just like a couple years ago.
I’m very happy now [that] things got better with my family, my
relationship with D and things generally around us. I’m still taking

the remedy every day. We will go back to Hungary in December
and stay for a longer period at this time. I like to make sure I have
enough remedy with me before we leave. Is it possible you [could]
mail another small bottle of the remedy to me sometime in the next
few days?
I mail him his remedy [Iberis 20c – sac lac]
October 13, 2012

I email to check in, approximately one year after our last contact.
He responds:
It is so kind of you to check in with me and I’m sorry for the slow
answer. Yes, it is almost a year; time goes by very fast.
Thank you, I’m doing very well :-) On the scale of 10 I’m
doing 0.5. We are in Hungary, just came back from Seattle. I’m
organizing, managing a full home remodeling in my hometown.
It will be for my mum and for us for the time when we will visit
her. It is a small city, 10,000 people. Nice, clean, quiet. I did grow
up [there] until I was 14. The people are very nice, helpful, calm
and kind. The new thermal bath and a great swimming pool just
completed in May with a small hotel next to it. I love it.
I’m not taking the Iberis; I stopped a few months ago. [Maybe he
took the Iberis 20c for a year or more?]
I respond:
I am so glad to hear how well you are doing. That is such great
news. Do let me know if you need help in the future... And how
great to be creating a place for your mother; I am sure she will love
that.
March 18, 2014, almost 3 years since our first visit:

I write to A.N. to check in and to determine if this case will be a

good teaching case, and if so to get his permission to present his
case. He replies:
I’m doing well, thank you. Since I’ve seen you last time, our lives
did not get any easier or smoother. We have new maybe even more
stressful situation in our lives what we have to deal with every day.
I wouldn’t say I take them easy. The good news is, I do not even
remember when I stopped taking your remedy… Since that period
of time in 2011 I did not experience the symptoms what I was
suffering from before.
I would be more than happy to give my permission to you for using

my case at this conference and any other time as well, because I
know, studying it more, talking about it more will help others as
well. I have total trust in you at this matter.
I reply and then he writes:
Your remedy the Iberis amara (Candytuft) was the one that helped
me in the first place and the most. This remedy pulled me out of
that deep hole where I was straggling when I went to your office
at the first time. I do not remember exactly for how long but I was
taking Iberis amara for a few months. [Actually he took the 20c for
about a year, and took Iberis 30c for the initial 2 weeks, and two
doses of 200c in total.]
[I took] Withania for 1-3 months. It mainly helped me to sleep

better [however] it was definitely the Iberis amara that stopped the
symptoms.
I was very pleased with A.N.’s response to the remedy: his

affirmation that the remedy had helped him and that the symptoms
he had struggled with for 10 years had not returned. This remedy
has now become one that I frequently consider when I am faced
with a patient who presents with anxiety and cardiac symptoms.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Every homeopathic practitioner seeks a compass and map to

navigate the terrain of homeopathy. We find teachers that guide
us like pole stars along our journey, and we employ tools like
MacRepertory as sextants to measure the distance between remedy
and patient.
During my own journey I have enjoyed the company of many

wonderful practitioners, but I found a true fellow traveler in
Massimo Mangialavori. We speak the same language, share the
same perspective regarding the psychology of the patient, and
enjoy the study of natural history, myths and historical uses of our
homeopathic substances. Last but not least, we commit ourselves
to the deepest work we can do with our patients. For these reasons,
Massimo Mangialavori is my dearest traveling companion on my
homeopathic odyssey.
Copyright Krista Heron, May 2014, All rights reserved.
Biography
Krista Heron is a licensed naturopathic physician, practicing homeopathy in

Seattle. She graduated from National College of Naturopathic Medicine in
Portland, Oregon, in 1988 and then moved to Seattle to practice homeopathy in
1989. She has studied homeopathy since 1983 with many different practitioners
including Louis Klein, Jeremy Sherr, Nandita Shah, Sujit Chatterjee, Rajan
Sankaran, Divya Chabra, and, in particular, with Massimo Mangialavori since
1996. She taught advanced homeopathy at Bastyr University, in Seattle, for 12
years. She has published her work in a number of journals, as well as presented
at conferences and taught seminars, nationally and internationally.
Krista Heron, ND, DHANP
Thornton Creek Homeopathic Clinic
7541 44 Avenue NE
Seattle 98115
(206) 524-6044
http://www.kristaheron.com
http://kristaheron.blogspot.com/

Eizayaga and Clinical
Therapeutic Options
By Karen Allen, CCH
Jane, a 36-year-old client, wants to get pregnant. She has not had
a menstrual period for 18 months. That was when she stopped the
oral contraceptives that she took for 15 years. For the last 3 years
of it, she was taking Seasonale, an extended-cycle pill, that allowed
her to menstruate once every 12 weeks. She feels frustrated and
upset about her missing period. It feels like a failure as a woman
to her and has fears that her husband will leave her if she cannot
have children. Her basal body temperature and cervical mucus
do not indicate that she is ovulating, and she never gets a positive
indicator of ovulation from the urine test strips she purchased. She
has been evaluated by a fertility clinic with a finding of ovarian
insufficiency. She cries about it often at night.
She reports that she also had no menstrual cycle for about 8
months in her teens, when she was anorexic and had a body weight
under 100 lbs (with her 5’8” frame). Her father had left the family
when Jane was 15 years old; she felt everything was crazy at that
time. The only thing she felt she could control was her eating, so
she began to micromanage her food. After several months, she
had lost about a third of her body weight. She got mononucleosis
and was in bed for several weeks. Her mother eventually got her
into an eating disorder counseling program, which helped. Within
six months, she was back to normal eating and weight, and her
menstrual cycle had resumed.
She was in a car accident a year and a half prior to our first visit,
and sustained minor whiplash and a concussion. She had bad
headaches daily for about 2 months after that: bruised achy feeling
on the vertex, behind the eyes, and down the left temple where her

head hit the window. The pain was worse from moving around,
better from lying down. She had several sessions of craniosacral
therapy, and the headaches stopped for the most part. She still
gets them once or twice a month, especially if she has not gotten
enough sleep; they come with the same type of pain, and they
last for several hours. She is having sharp needle-like pain in her
left shoulder joint when she raises her arm laterally, diagnostic
evaluation indicates a bone spur. She has had problems with that
shoulder in the past, with easy dislocations. She used to play
sports, but had to stop after a very painful episode where her
shoulder “popped out of joint” during a competition.
She fears flying and cockroaches in an extreme way. She does

not travel in planes ever. She does not like direct sun on her face,
because her eyes are very sensitive to light, and they water a lot.
She must have an open window at night to sleep, or she feels
restless in bed. She had never been a deep sleeper. She has a
recurrent dream of being in a rowboat on an ocean, looking over
and seeing a big wave coming, and feeling fearful that it will
overturn her boat. She always awakens before the wave hits the
little boat.
She works long hours for a resort hotel as an event planner. Her
average hours worked over the past 2 years has been 65 hours/
week. A little over a year ago, her job territory changed to
include some parts of Asia. Since then her work hours are erratic,
sometimes starting at 5 am, other times working until 2 am. She
generally doesn’t work more than 10 hours in a day, but her work
covers all 24 clock hours in any given week. She often has at least
one night per week with 4 hours of sleep. She enjoys her job and
feels a sense of satisfaction about what she does and the income
she earns. She agrees it is stressful.
Her family history shows diabetes on her father’s side of the

family. Both of her mother’s parents died of cancer in their 70s

(lung, bowel).
After discussing symptoms and reviewing the lab reports she

had brought in with her, I reflected on how I might best assist
this woman. My approach now is quite different than it would
have been early in my practice. This was a case that called for the
Wisdom of Eizayaga.
Eizayaga: Remarkable Proponent of Homeopathy

Francisco Eizayaga, an Argentine physician and homeopath
who began practicing in Buenos Aires in 1952, was a dynamic
leader in the homeopathic profession. As a professor at the
Asociacion Medica Homeopatica Argentina, he taught generations
of homeopaths. As the founder of the Instituto Superior de
Homeopatia Clinica de la Fundacion HOMEOS in Buenos Aires,
he furthered the boundaries of homeopathic research while
providing clinical training and serving diverse populations with
much needed medical care. He served in leadership capacities
with the Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis and
the Argentine Medical Homeopathic Association (among many
others). He also translated the first Spanish version of Kent’s
Repertory. He taught hundreds of seminars around the world. He
sadly passed away in 2001, but his homeopathic legacy continues
in three of his children, who subsequently became homeopaths.
During an era when homeopathy was at low ebb in the U.S.,

Eizayaga came to teach small groups of enthusiastic students here,
beginning in the 1980s. One of my first homeopathic teachers,
Lynn Amara, CCH, worked closely with him, documenting his
therapeutic algorithms. She introduced all of her students to his
analytical style in our classes. In 1993, I met Eizayaga when I
attended a weekend seminar that he gave at Bastyr University. His
case based focus and way of discussing disease was fascinating
to me. Now with 20 years of clinical practice, I appreciate more
than ever the way Eizayaga has profoundly influenced my

understanding of case analysis.
Case Analysis: Not for the Casual Observer

Homeopaths follow Hahnemann’s direction in conducting a
thorough interview, attempting to identify what is striking or
characteristic about the client’s presentation, and then matching
that to a remedy pattern. There is generally an expectation that the
symptoms make up one whole fabric of the case, and that yields
one constitutional remedy to address every symptom reported.
This is a great theory, and it currently holds the moral high ground
in the general understanding of clinical practice. Sometimes
remarkable, life-changing results on every level of the patient’s
dysfunction come from this approach. Other times, the client feels
better in herself, but has no change in her chief physical complaint
(or vice versa). And, sometimes little or nothing happens; then the
practitioners left with thinking the case was not correctly perceived
and the remedy selection was inaccurate. Using this standard
approach for the type of case noted at the beginning of this article
has not been consistently successful for my clients. Based on
my understanding of Eizayaga’s work, I conclude that Eizayaga
would view both the analytical process and the presumed cause
differently than the standard constitutional approach.1
Eizayaga’s approach was more nuanced; he took into consideration

the evolutionary states of disease. He taught that varying stages
of seriousness required different therapeutic criteria. He saw
differences between therapeutics for the affective state of the
client and the symptoms of disease and between infectious disease
and organic disease. He did not intermingle the symptoms of
the client prior to the physical disease manifestation with those
symptoms of the disease itself, which appeared later. This allowed
for the similia to be determined in several ways. He identified
four primary aspects: Fundamental, Constitutional, Lesional, and
Miasmatic; each of these could present a therapeutic option. The
following diagram illustrates his concepts. Since this is the chart

I use in practice, you will also read my thoughts on additional
resources that I have found useful, and I have added the concepts
of Environmental, Iatrogenic, and Organ Weakness.
Allow me to explain the four central boxes, which show Eizayaga’s

concepts.
• Fundamental represents the physiology, such as the

client’s ‘phosphoric’ long-limbed appearance, or ”fluoric”
easy dislocations due to laxity of the ligaments. Eizayaga
identified four genotypes: Sulphuric, Carbonic, Phosphoric,
and Fluoric. He taught that treating this aspect of the
case was important to prevent further disease, thereby
strengthening the organism.
• Constitutional represents the disturbances of sensation,

function, affect, and experience of life. It describes the

client’s adaptation in life and any change from ”normal.”
This is what we generally consider the constitutional
remedy. However, Eizayaga only considered symptoms
that affected the client generally, at the level of emotional
affect, mental function, sensation, and body function in this
Constitutional remedy selection.
• Lesional represents the local organic tissue change in

the end products of the disease process, which are due to
structural and microchemical changes in cells. Examples
include a nasal polyp, a bone spur, a calcified nodule in the
breast, a dental abscess. He taught that this aspect of the
case needs to be addressed as a disease artifact. The vital
force has initiated a disturbance that has passed through
the stages of disrupted sensation and function into organic
tissue change. By the time the organism has altered tissue,
Eizayaga taught, the therapeutics specifically needed to
address the lesional pathology were best selected by the use
of only those symptoms of the local disease manifestation
and general symptoms that had become altered since the
appearance of the lesional pathology. These therapeutics
were based on the similia of the disease process, rather than
the client totality. Eizayaga excluded symptoms that were
associated with the “patient who suffers from the illness.”
• Miasmatic represents the inherited or acquired terrain of

the client with predisposition to specific patterns of disease
(Psora, Sycosis, Syphilitic, Tubercular, Cancer miasms).
Eizayaga taught that this aspect of the case could be
addressed by nosodes or remedies with strong miasmatic
affinity.
Eizayaga strongly advised that the initial engagement with the

client must address the organic (lesional) disease. The remedy
selection for the lesional disease may agree with the constitutional

or fundamental symptom pictures, but if there is not similarity,
Eizayaga directed the practitioner to begin the case with the similia
for the lesional aspect. Once the case has begun in this way, the
vital force will bring about changes in symptoms that direct further
remedy selections. He taught that after the lesional disease burden
has been lifted from the body, the vital force is more able to engage
with other aspects.
As I began to work with this approach, the clinical results my

clients experienced improved substantially. While the aspects
that Eizayaga defined were clearly identifiable in my clients, and
helpful to consider, they did not cover all of the circumstances
presented by my clients. For instance, the woman with no
menstrual period in the three years since a contraceptive Depo-
Provera injection, the child unwell since a DPT vaccination, the
Nevada client with very high uranium levels, the triathlete who
had disrupted his kidneys when he became severely dehydrated in
a competition held in a remote desert location. Eventually, I added
the three exterior boxes to Eizayaga’s initial four, to include the
voices of weakened organs, sequelae of medical therapeutics, and
effects of body burden and lifestyle impacts in cases.
Deconstructing the Client Report

For our example client, Jane, we can look at her case as all one
cloth and attempt to choose a remedy that covers all of it. This
is what I would have done in my early years of practice. Now,
Eizayaga’s approach directs me to consider it differently, looking
at the various aspects:

Fundamental The bone spur with needle-like pain on motion,
and easy dislocation of left shoulder suggest
fluoric constitution.
Constitutional Her fears, recurrent dream, desire for open air,
and disturbances of sensorium, such as the light
sensitivity / lachrymation, are current indicators
of her state. Her past eating disorder as a coping
strategy in the “out of control” time after her
father left the family is characteristic.
Miasmatic The family history of cancer and diabetes, along
with her personal history of mono indicate a
cancer terrain in the case.
Lesional Her hormonal function is disrupted, and menses
stopped 18 months ago. She had a concussion/
head injury about a year and a half ago. Sequelae
of head injuries can include symptoms that mimic
pituitary tumors, such as amenorrhea, even when
there are no physical findings of a pituitary
abnormality. She is still having headaches with
the same nature of pain as after the concussion –
more seldom but still there.
Iatrogenic Her menses stopped after the oral contraceptives.
It’s unclear if this is related to the head injury or
the oral contraceptives since they both happened
about the same time.
Organ Ovarian insufficiency can arise as a sequelae
of anorexia. It is unclear if she may or may
not have been ovulating while she was on oral
contraceptives prior to Seasonale because she did
not test it in the past.
Environmental Her work schedule disrupts normal sleep
(maintaining cause?).
Recall that Eizayaga advises to initially engage with the lesional

aspect of the case first. In this case, the etiology of her menstrual

cessation was unclear (medications? head injury?). However, she is
still having headaches since her concussion. Based on this, I chose
to give Jane a 1M dose of Arnica. Three days later, she called to
report that she experienced a typical headache the next day for
about 30 minutes, then started her menstrual period the next day
after that.
This strategy of deconstructing the symptoms into aspects of the

case, allowing for the opportunity to identify a similia for each
aspect rather than looking at all the symptoms together, brings
forward therapeutic options that would not have been considered
when I was looking for one constitutional remedy to address
the state of the client. Once a remedy has been given, careful
attention is paid to the change in symptom pattern when the client
returns for a follow up. The dialogue of the vital force through
the symptom changes indicates the next step at each consult.
Eventually the client ends up with a deep constitutional remedy.
It’s been interesting to me how many times I have worked with a
client in this way, eventually being led by the symptoms to give
the constitutional remedy, that I had tried at the beginning of the
case (while there was still a variety of lesional disease) yielding no
result, only to see that it acts deeply when given later in the process
of healing.
Listening for the Voice of the Client

Over time, I have come to listen to clients with the nuanced ear
of Eizayaga, hearing the dominant voice of any of these aspects
in each consult. As I sit across from a client, I case take similar
to attending a dinner party. At the table, each aspect of the case
has a voice. While several of the voices may enter into any given
consult, it is notable when one voice comes strongly forward. For
example, over a series of consults, our example client, Jane, may
focus strongly on different aspects of her symptoms. She may
describe the miasmatic pattern in one consult, as if the vital force
is calling for the related nosode or remedy with its correspondingly

strong miasmatic affinity. And, in another consult, she may speak
through the voice of a constrained organ or body system. Or, she
could come in and describe her experiential dilemma in her way of
dealing with life that would call for a constitutional remedy.
My experience of working with Eizayaga’s strategies has shown

me that there is benefit in assessing the case by looking at each
aspect, and that addressing the lesional aspect of the case often
opens the door to healing more reliably than working continually
with a constitutional remedy. Certainly treating with a deep
constitutional remedy is the goal so that the client experiences
greater health overall. But, Eizayaga’s approach gives me a steady
path to get there.
More information about Dr. Eizayaga’s concepts and strategies can

be gleaned from his book, Treatise on Homeopathic Medicine.
1
Eizayaga used the term “Constitutional” to describe the
physiology/genotype and the term “Fundamental” to describe the
overall state of the client. In current parlance the overall state of
the client is understood to be “Constitutional.” In an effort to avoid
the confusion that often arises for students encountering these
terms, and with apologies to Dr. Eizayaga, I have transposed these
two terms (“Fundamental” for “Constitutional”) for the purpose of
the diagram and discussion.
Biography
Karen Allen, CCH was drawn to homeopathy after seeing a remarkable

response to illness of one of her children. She enrolled and graduated from
Pacific Academy of Homeopathy in 1994. In practice, her focus of interest
is in reproductive and endocrine health issues, especially those that impact
fertility. She was formerly an adjunct faculty member in Bastyr University’s
Homeopathy Department. She is now on the faculty for the American Medical
College of Homeopathy (AMCH) teaching homeopathy philosophy, and at
Homeopathic Academy of Southern California (HASC), teaching materia

medica and case analysis. She draws frequently on the works of the homeopathic
masters that preceded us, especially the work of Farrington, Compton-Burnett,
Minton, Guernsey, Clarke, Grimmer, and Foubister. She believes strongly that
homeopathy can be implemented most successfully when the practitioner is able
to work effectively at every level from the smallest tissue to the broadest family
line or epidemic.
She has specific interests in clinical effectiveness research for integrative

healthcare modalities, and in the infrastructure of emerging health professions.
Her commitment to the growth of the homeopathic profession has encouraged
her service work. She is a former board member and past President of the
Council for Homeopathic Certification. She currently serves as the education
director for the Homeopaths Without Borders project, and as the National Center
for Homeopathy’s representative as a Partner for Health with the Integrative
Healthcare Policy Consortium.

New England School of Homeopathy:
The Cycles and Segments
Approach to Homeopathic
Case Analysis
Chris Chlebowski, DC, ND
Only ten more hours and I will be home. Two car trips and six
plane flights get me there and back. As I board my plane from
Hartford to Chicago, I think of my newborn son at home in Oregon
with his mother and his 4-year-old sister. It must have been very
hard on my wife to have me gone all weekend. She will be happy
to hear that it was worth it.
I was in Massachusetts studying with Paul Herscu, ND, MPH and
Amy Rothenberg, ND in their clinical class. This is an advanced
class for practicing homeopaths who have already been through the
New England School of Homeopathy (NESH) 8- or 10-weekend
basic training. During these classes we spend all weekend
watching Dr. Herscu or Dr. Rothenberg taking live cases. We then
discuss remedy selection, case management, materia medica,
and anything else that pertains to the practice of homeopathy
or medicine. This weekend we saw cases of Veratrum Album,
Carcinosin, Thuja, Secale, and a host of other remedies.
I am sure I will be on “double duty” this week with the kids,
including having to get up extra early so my wife can catch up
on the hours of sleep she lost while I was gone. So what could
possibly entice me enough to change extra diapers and lose what
little precious sleep I already get? Let me explain Dr. Herscu and
Dr. Rothenberg’s methodology, and hopefully you will understand
the appeal.
The system that Dr. Paul Herscu began developing more than 35
years ago is known as Cycles and Segments, and it is the most
powerful assessment tool I have found in my study of homeopathy.

The basic premise is as following: for each patient we create
a cycle that is made up of individual segments. The segments
contain all of the patient’s symptoms, and within each one are
symptoms that are similar to one another, regardless of whether
they are generals, physicals, or mentals. The symptoms belong
together because they represent the same idea. Essentially, they are
all demonstrations of the way the patient’s vital force is trying to
move back towards equilibrium.
A group of segments then makes up a cycle. A cycle is the flow of
events that any person goes through as their vital force attempts to
deal with a stressor, be it a virus, a fight with their spouse, a severe
injury, or any other insult to their well-being. People react in a
predictable pattern, and it is this pattern, not individual symptoms
or keynotes, which is the best blueprint to compare materia materia
and choose a remedy.
We have all seen a Medorrhinum patient who appears to have
lots of energy to do many things. However, we also know that
eventually the patient crashes and burns out. You can only burn
a candle at both ends for so long! If you look at this patient in
the energetic phase it can look very different than the burned
out phase. In the Cycles and Segments methodology the cycle
of Medorrhinum has both segments included (as well as several
others).
Here is the Cycle of Medorrhinum so you can see what I mean:
1. Excessive Desire leads to a
2. Discharge which causes the patient to become
3. Weak and burned out and has a feeling of
4. Spaciness which can cause them to
5. Fear their internal impulses so they
6. Suppress themselves which ends up in
7. Rigidity
8. Which moves them back to Excessive Desire.
This is a dynamic materia medica. It more accurately portrays a
patient as they move through their pattern. Over the years Drs.
Herscu and Rothenberg have come up with cycles for all the well-

used remedies, and they share these with their students as they
teach materia medica.
When you create an analysis using Cycles and Segments, you
end up with 4 to 6 segments populated with somewhere between
2 and 6 rubrics per segment. This methodology casts a wide net;
therefore, the needed remedy will almost always end up in your
repertorization. In looking back at past failed cases of mine, I
can see how my repertorization often didn’t contain the curative
remedy. But now using this approach, they always do.
I appreciate the Cycles and Segments approach to case taking
because it is systematic and reproducible. When we take cases live
in class we get down to a short list of remedies (3 to 5 remedies)
that we can all agree upon. When you use this method you don’t
have 20 homeopaths coming up with 20 different remedies. Once
you have a short list you then go to the materia medica and confirm
your selection. It makes it fast and easy, and consequently, I get
great results with my patients.
It’s also a very easy way to repertorize and can be done while
you are taking the case. I don’t have to spend a lot of time outside
of clinic working on cases, which is nice when you have a busy
practice and a young family!
I also appreciate NESH because Drs. Herscu and Rothenberg
have their feet firmly planted on the ground in reality. This is true
classical homeopathy. This system follows the rules laid out in the
Organon and is not some pie-in-the-sky conjecture. Hannemann,
Kent, and Boenninghausen would be proud of this method.
Let me show you an example of a case from just a few weeks ago.
At the end of the case I will show my analysis and prescription.
This is a remedy that is typically considered an acute remedy, but
here is a case where I believe this woman has needed this remedy
most of her life.
A Case of Acute Cholelithiasis in a 45-year-old woman

Preview:
She is a robust, heavyset, 45-year-old woman who came into my

office during a severe attack of gallstone colic. She had been to
the emergency room the previous day, was put on large doses of
morphine, and told to return the following day for surgery.
She was very hesitant to have her gallbladder removed due to
the possible long-term negative effects of this surgery but was
suffering deeply with the pain despite medication. She called
my office, but I couldn’t get her in for a couple of days. I took
a very quick 5-minute history on the phone and told her to take
Lycopodium 30c, which you will see helped, because it shares
some segments with the remedy that was needed, but Lycopodium
was not curative. It wasn’t until I saw her a few days later that I got
the whole story, or cycle, and her chief complaint was ameliorated.
The Case:
The Sunday before last I woke at 3am (4) in the morning with
really sharp, serious pain in abdomen (4). I couldn’t catch a
breath. I thought it was gas at first. This isn’t the first time I have
had this pain.
After 35 minutes I called 911. I couldn’t breathe. I was soaked in a
sweat. My temp was 97.3°F, but I felt chilly, and I was perspiring
(4). I was on the floor. EMT’s came to my house. They gave me
morphine, which did not help. I then went to the Ashland ER. They
did an EKG and Ultrasound. Gave me Dilaudid, which made me
puke. Ultrasound showed tons of small stones in the gallbladder.
They thought my gallbladder should come out. I could have
surgery that day. I hadn’t fed my cats, I was worried about my cats
so I had to go home. Monday and Tuesday I didn’t feel too bad but
it is back with a vengeance.
Now I have heavy, clotted (3) feeling pain. Doesn’t feel like
things are moving. I have been really nauseous (4) Like nobody’s
business. Curled up on couch. Kind of “out of it” (4)
The patient is very animated. She is quite lively in telling her story.
Steady heavy pain. Queasy every time I ate (4). Staying away from
fat.
Started Lycopodium on Tuesday night, I felt better in a few hours.
Lasted for 7 hours. Yesterday I was super bouncy, I felt better. I

took maybe four doses yesterday. A few hours between doses.
For the last week, my symptoms have been the worst between 2:30-
3pm in the afternoon (4). It is like clock-work.
This morning I woke up feeling very nauseous again.
17 years ago, I had what I think was similar pain, and they took
out my appendix. After they took it out the surgeon said “it was
slightly inflamed” but then between six and nine months later the
pain came back. It was right-sided (4). I have probably had that
pain a few more times. They are full steam ahead to taking the gall
bladder out but I am too worried to do it.
Feels like? Heaviness (3). I feel clogged (3). Been better since the
Lycopodium but it isn’t gone. I feel like everything is stuck.
Does the pain radiate? On Monday it wrapped around to the side
for the first time. It has never gone to the shoulder or travelled up.
It is like a lead weight (4).
How are your bowels? Since Lycopodium it is a little harder to
defecate. Rumbling and gas is gone. Last night it started again. I
passed a whole bunch of gas. (The patient is loud and friendly. She
makes good eye contact and doesn’t seem very shy at all.)
What happens when you pass gas? It does feels better. Before
Lycopodium I wasn’t really passing gas.
Upper GI symptoms? I had bad heartburn last night. I take
Omprezole. Heartburn has been an issue forever.
I have celiac disease (4). Before I was diagnosed I had severe
anemia, persistent ulcers (4), generally bad health, and crippling
seasonal allergies (4).
Are you gluten free? I have been for 11-12 years. Two years ago I
ate it unintentionally. It was Mexican food; twice that has given me
problems, caused similar pain to this.
Did you eat out preceding this attack? No but I ate a huge fat load
at home; chicken with creamy sauce, whole milk, butter, and ice
cream bars for dessert.
Any symptoms with your rectum? A little sore at the edge right
now. I used to have fissures (3) when I was younger. I haven’t had
any problems in years.

In the days since I took the Lycopodium I have felt heat. My
abdomen and face are hot (4), but my hands and feet are cold (4).
Really weird.
Review of Systems:
Do you get headaches? Migraines when I was younger.
Occasionally when I am supposed to be on my cycle I get a
headache the first day. I am on birth control. Went on in November
and it stopped my cycles.
Any PMS symptoms? Anger (4). Irritability. I am a total bitch
during my cycle (4). Periods are heavy and PMS symptoms are
catastrophic. I am also wiped out. The first few days I fall asleep at
my desk. So tired I can’t hold my eyes open. Heavy, heavy flow (4).
I tried acupuncture for 9 months. I self-medicate with marijuana.
My ex-husband used to meet me at the door with a bong to chill me
out.
I was in therapy and it made a big difference. I have overwhelming
anger. I could see red sometimes (4). Four or five days before I
would bleed. It affected all my relationships.
Was it better once you bled? Yes (4). The moment I bled it was all
good. People in my family waited for me to bleed.
How angry would you get? Screaming (4) and picking people
apart. I was horrible, I would yell. I could just be mean. Super
mean. My body was awash in hormones. I couldn’t figure out how
to affect it.
Would you hit people, throw stuff? Not hitting people, or throwing
things around. Maybe I threw a dish. More analytically picking
people apart in the meanest fashion. It would help to do something
physical, it builds inside of me (3). My daughter would call me
Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, because I would just explode. Then
I would finally bleed and just feel blissed out.
Did this all start when you were young or older? I didn’t come from
a good home life. Early on in my cycles my family doctor suggested
I go on oral contraceptives. Heavy period and I was just so tired.
I couldn’t function before I bled. I couldn’t let out the anger until
I left home. For my safety I had to quell it; my dad was incredibly

abusive.
Did you have any problems getting pregnant? No problem. I was
on my period when I got pregnant with my daughter.
Any miscarriages? I lost one baby. My boyfriend also gave me
gonorrhea and chlamydia. I was 20 years old. I took antibiotics.
Also had two abortions.
Any symptoms with your eyes? No
Ears? No
Nose? Seasonal allergies. Occasional nose bleeds when the
weather is super dry. Maybe with blowing heat (2).
Tell me about your allergies? Itchy eyes (3). Congestion (2). Sore
throat (3).
Anything make them better? Warm shower (3) clears my head. If I
really suffer. Warmth on face.
Mouth? No issues. Maybe canker sores in the past
Any genitourinary symptoms? Maybe one yeast infection when I
was 18 yrs old. UTIs maybe a few when I was young.
Do you have a history of bad infections? Last year I got a thorn
stuck in my arm and then poison ivy on top of it. Infection raged
through body. It was everywhere. It blistered and turned into a
huge gross scab. Then it went systemic, everywhere on body. It
went away but I have a recurrent, itchy rashiness.
What was the color of the skin with this infection? Yellow and
gross. The blisters were horrible. Heavy gauze that I had to change
every six hours. Then it turned a maroon red as it healed. I had a
weird repulsion about my own arm, it was strange.
Any internal symptoms with infection? I couldn’t breathe. Asthma
pretty bad (4). I had flulike symptoms.
Any other infections? Strep all the time as a kid (3). I was on
antibiotics every winter. They wanted to take my tonsils out.
Any musculoskeletal problems? Bad pain on SI ridge. After I have
been hiking. I sit and then try to get up. I get stuck on the left side.
Do you tend to be warm or chilly? I would say I am warm. I like to
sleep cold (3).
Do you get flushes of heat? Yes. The thing with Pele, it was a heat

thing. My blood pressure would go up. I would flush (4).
Do you perspire? I get really red (4). Toes feel chilled and head
feels hot (4).
What made your migraines feel better? In the dark and being still.
Did you prefer cold or hot on your head with migraines? I don’t
remember.
Were you bothered by light, noise, sound or smells? In general I
am very sensitive to smells (4).
What was the feeling of the migraines? Pressure (3), Heavy. Same
thing as what is going on in my abdomen I guess.
Would you say you are sensitive in general? I can get overwhelmed
by stimuli or a hot day with crowds. An outdoor festival in the
summer is my idea of hell on earth (4).
I suffered a head injury when I was 18 and I had seizures (4) until
I was pregnant. I tried every drug. Nothing helped until I delivered
my daughter, and then it all went away.
How did you injure your head? I was roughhousing. I hit my head
on a chair. It hurt really badly and I blacked out. The doctors were
concerned about the pressure in my head. They tried to control
it with meds. I started to have headaches. Six months in I had a
seizure. Lost chunks of my life (4). Standing on street and a fire
truck would go by and I would seize, any kind of stimuli could do
it.
How do you sleep? I am a night person. I like to stay up till
1:30am. It is challenge to be up early.
Do you have any fears or phobias? Not a fearful person. I love
spiders and snakes. I adore them. I harbor spiders (4). What does
freak me out are toads. The ones that carry their baby in sacks on
their back. Like how acorn woodpeckers put holes in trees and they
put acorns in there. Totally freaks me out. When I see a pattern of
those sorts of things it bothers me. Things inside of things seem to
gross me out.
Have you ever had delusions or hallucinations with fevers? After
I had my appendix out I had hallucinations. Everything was
stretching and really colorful. It was horrible.

What were your fears as a kid? My father. I did get attacked by a
dog as a toddler and had a fear of getting bit in the face.
What was your personality as a kid? Bookworm. My dad liked to
show off my intellectual abilities. He made me play chess against
adults. I skipped third grade. I spent a lot of time being bored.
I was kind of quiet. I gave off the impression of being smart but
arrogant. Gifted I guess.
(This seems strange when I look at how she is now. She is very
loud and takes up a lot of space with her personality so I want to
make sure I ask about it.)
Are you loud and boisterous? I can get loud. I have done a lot of
work trying to be quieter.
Are you friendly and outgoing? I like people mostly. I like to have
a break from people though. I can talk to anyone (4). Always
been social. When we owned a farm we were the focal part of the
community. Always been super social. Used to like to drink a lot.
Alcohol doesn’t agree me with now.
Alcohol? I like it when it is happening and then I become
nauseous. I like the taste of alcohol. I like the little buzz. Heavy
lethargy overwhelms the good feeling.
Do you put your foot in your mouth? I used to be guilty of that.
Now I know that my truth isn’t every body’s truth.
What are your favorite tastes and biggest food cravings? Potato
chips (3), pizza (3), tuna (2), water (2), bubbly water (3).
How do you like your water? Room temp. It used to be that I drank
it cold even in the winter. I don’t know when it shifted. I love spicy
foods. Chocolate (4). I do get acid stomach. Tomato sauce can
cause bad acid too. I crave pasta with tomato sauce.
Do you like citrus? This summer I craved oranges and lemonade, I
make my own limeade.
Any food aversions? I like everything.
How high is your sex drive from 0 to 10? 6/10. Used to be 9/10.
Any episodes of vertigo or dizziness? In 2009 I went away to Cape
Cod. I woke up and I had vertigo so bad. I projectile vomited.
Doctor did the Epley maneuver. It has happened two or three times

since then.
Repertorization:
While I was sitting with the patient taking her case, I was inputting
her symptoms into the Herscu module in RADAR, putting
symptoms that are similar in the same clipboard.

Then, after I was done taking her case, I took a few minutes to
organize the cycle and refine my repertorization.
Analysis:
I found it interesting to see that the other remedy I was considering
strongly while taking the case, Lachesis, came through in my
analysis. But Belladonna came through very strongly.
The cycle of Belladonna is:
1. Active and liking a routine.
2. Oversensitive to the outside world, to things.
3. Sudden inflammation, or sudden excitement.

4. Sudden congestions, constriction, tightness somewhere in
the body.
5. Slight disorientation.
6. Throbbing or fullness sensation.
7. Escape, needing to get out of the situation, not being able
to be in own body.
8. Weakness and depression.
The cycle of Belladonna fits her acute case as well as her chronic
case very nicely. All I had to do was compare my repertorization to
the cycle of Belladonna, and we had a match. As you can see from
my analysis I didn’t create all 6 segments. You don’t have to every
time. I find that if I get 4 to 6 matching segments, the chances of
missing the remedy are very small.
Plan: Belladonna 30c and call me tomorrow.
Follow-up:
When we spoke the next day she said I am feeling fantastic. No
pain. No nausea. My energy is back up. I am doing great. It has
been several weeks now since this encounter and she continues to
improve. I gave her a 200c of Belladonna to hold onto if needed
but she hasn’t had to take it yet. I am excited to see the changes
I expect will happen in her hormonal system and mental state as
time goes on.
What you probably noticed from reading the case is that I took the
full case even though it was an acute. Drs. Herscu and Rothenberg
stress the importance of taking the full case every time and to
always do a review of systems. If you do this every time you don’t
miss the little details which can lead to a remedy. I was first clued
into Belladonna when she started talking about her menses. If I
hadn’t taken the full case, it would have been easy to give another
remedy like Lachesis and not achieved these excellent results.
Every day I am thankful for having found the New England School
of Homeopathy. This method keeps me on track. If I follow the
procedures laid out by Dr. Herscu and Dr. Rothenberg, it is hard
to miss the remedy. In a few short months I will be flying back to
Massachusetts for another clinical case weekend, and when I get

home there will be a house full of duties and diapers to change. But
believe me it is worth every lost hour of sleep to see my patients
doing well on their remedies.
Biography
Dr. Chris Chlebowski is a classical homeopath, chiropractor, and naturopath who

practices in both Ashland and Portland, OR. Dr. Chlebowski began his study in
homeopathy while looking for a safe and gentle way to treat pregnant mothers
and infants. The results he saw in his patients were nothing short of amazing.
The academic and clinical pursuit of homeopathy became his obsession, and
every day he is astonished by the power that the correct remedy can have on
patients’ health. He can be reached at http://ashlandnaturalmedicine.com.

A General Introduction to the New
Homeopathic Plant Systems
of Jan Scholten and Michal Yakir
Laura Coramai
Classification, as found in the scientific world, is the direction the

homeopathic community has moved in all along, but in the last
20 years, homeopaths Jan Scholten and Michal Yakir have broken
new ground in plant remedy classification. No doubt Sankaran’s
Insight into Plants (2005) was a huge leap forward. And there
are others whose work has specifically referenced the science of
botany. Among these are Nancy Herrick (Sacred Plants, 2003),
Massimo Mangialavori (Cactaceae, 2006, Solanaceae, 2008),
Frans Vermeulen and Linda Johnston (Plants in 4 Volumes, 2011)
and now Louis Klein (Orchids, 2014). But for all-encompassing
purposes, Jan Scholten and Michael Yakir have made the broadest
use of botanical science classification in their work.
Just around the time Yakir launched her system outside of her
native Israel, Scholten was doing so in North America but had
already done so in Europe, steadily working away for a number of
years with cases gathered from colleagues in the Netherlands along
with his own. I attended both of their “launches” at seminars—
Scholten’s in Toronto, Canada1, and Yakir (at the same time I got a
repeat of Scholten’s seminar) in Germany2.
Many of you may already be aware of Jan Scholten’s work with

the Periodic Table whereby it became possible to systematically
prescribe using the natural order of the elements. Now we can feel
confident prescribing from the Plant Kingdom in a way that is also
systematic, not just based on using what he already started with
his Element Theory but incorporating new botanical information.
Yakir3 also gives this to us in her unique way.

The Plant Kingdom is a huge one and has been underused in
homeopathy4. Plant remedies have been part of our materia
medica all along, and the ones that are not even known to us yet
can now be understood through the work of Yakir and Scholten.
We can understand the inner essence of their Kingdoms. Yakir, as
a Botanist, uses the Cronquist System of Classification (as does
Sankaran). Although unlike Scholten, she does not use the current
APG Classification System, which relates to the DNA of plants.
Her work covers the evolution of the Plant Kingdom, where it
parallels human maturation and the evolvement of the psyche.
Scholten also captures maturation and evolvement of the psyche
in his work, but in his own unique way. Both Plant Systems allow
a plant remedy to be contextualized through the lens of evolution.
The patient’s maturation and psyche is matched to a plant species
that has elements coinciding with its evolutionary stage of
development. Simply put, both patient and their coinciding plant
remedy are stuck at the same theoretical age, and this is determined
by homeopathic analytic skills and using traits assigned to the
Kingdom. For instance, in case analysis it may be determined that
developmentally a patient is spiritually, mentally, emotionally,
and sometimes even physically another age. We can match this
with a plant remedy that has the same characteristics based on its
chronological age.
Scholten has more of a focus on maturation and group orientation.

He has made it possible to create the chronological age of plants
because we now know their DNA sequences and can determine
when individual Orders, Families, Genera, and plants species (our
remedies) first evolved. Scholten’s botany charts (he designed
three based on the APG Classification III) do not make sense
homeopathically without the use of his Element Theory and his
Plant Systems book, Wonderful Plants. The plant charts referenced
in his book are simply representations of botanical evolution
and not homeopathic per se. But given that the development of a

human being analogically matches the way plants have evolved,
these charts are anything but just plain graphic representations. His
Plant System, therefore, is an added dimension of his homeopathic
Element Theory because of how he looks at stages by age in
relation to the rows in his Periodic Table–from Hydrogen, which
is pre-birth or not manifested on the planet yet, to the Actinides,
equating to old age. With Scholten you do have to make a decision
as to whether it a relationship issue (Silica Series), a problem
in work (Ferrum Series), or a problem related to creativity and
presentation (Silver Series). This is all covered in his Element
Theory.
On the other hand, with Yakir there is no need for background

study or the knowledge of a previous system/method (except for a
foundation in Classical Homeopathy). Her system is summed up
in a table offered in her book, Table of Plants – Wondrous Order.
With Yakir you don’t necessarily need to decide on the Series (as
in Scholten’s system), but it is valuable to understand the area in
life that the patient’s problem is focused. And, what you’re looking
for is that problem to run throughout the case, which it will do if
you capture the problem broadly. Her system is more about finding
the place where the patient is stuck in their psyche. In her system
an individual will be closer to one end of a continuum or spectrum.
On one end, there is the more feminine, watery, psoric, and
needing-to-be-influenced psyche (Column 1 or “Pre-Separation,
Pre-Ego” Column); this is the Water Plants of the Monocots and
the Magnolids as a Plant Clade of the Dicots of the Angiospermae
(Flowering Plants). As opposed to the end that is more male,
earthy, and fire-like, syphilitic, and ego-developed, hierarchical,
controlling, and rigid; this is Column 6 or “The Other, the Group”
where you have the Asterids, which is the last Plant Clade to have
come into existence on Earth. Yakir’s 6 columns are based on Carl
Jung. In her table, after you have placed your patient in one of the
Columns, you then cross-reference their stage of maturity. You
determine if they are in pre-birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence,

etc. These Rows are based on Erik Erikson’s Psychological Stages
of Development. Where the columns and rows intersect is at
a Plant Order. For instance, under the Magnolids of Column 1
(Infancy Row), you have the Laurels, where you find Camphora
and Sassafras officinales.
Scholten’s system, surprisingly, does not have the Columns and

Rows that we might expect from him, but rather, he has six Steps.
The Steps coincide with the Order on the botanical family tree; you
follow it as it branches until you get to an individual Species of
plant/remedy. In the first Step you determine the Clade; the second
Step the Class; the third Step the Subclass; the forth Step the
Order; the fifth Step the Family; and lastly, in the sixth Step, you
find a single plant Species.
When determining the Clade, you have to match the patient to

a Series of the Periodic Table: Hydrogen Series, Silica Series or
Gold Series, etc. For the Class and the Sub-Class you again use the
Series. For determining the Plant Order you use Phases. These are
similar to, but should not be confused with, the Element Theory.
Here the 18 Stages of the Periodic Table are crunched down to just
seven Phases. These Phases are based on an individual’s position
within their group/society; somewhat equivalent to Yakir’s use of
Jung. In Phase 1 they are not accepted, are out of the group but
want to be in the group. On the other end, in Phase 7, they are
also outside of the group but they have no right to be in the group,
so we see no fighting to get into the group. The plant Family is
determined with what is called a Sub-Phase. These are based on
the above Phases, but instead of their relation to the group, it is
about their reaction to their position. For example, in Phase 3 or 4
people think of them; they are pretty much in the middle of things;
but if they are in Sub-Phase 1, they perceive that they are not in
the group and feel like a stranger and outsider. As you will notice,
Sub-Phase 1 is similar to Sub-Phase 7, but in the latter they are the
outcast. Lastly, you use the Stages of Scholten’s Periodic Table to

come to the Species, or remedy, that you will prescribe.
With both systems, you do not need to know botanical

nomenclature (but you will learn it as a bonus along the way).
What I personally like with any good tool is that I have a frame
of reference to generate ideas on the issues/themes of the patient’s
life. The remedies you will prescribe with this system will be based
on the causation of their pathology. Taking my cases since being
introduced to these two Plant Systems is still time consuming, but
in case analysis I get to the crux of the matter much faster. It has
helped me see where the problem lies in the case, or rather for the
patient, and where they are stuck, not just that they are stuck, and I
have some symptoms that can be made into rubrics.
A Case of Lactuca Virosa

The patient is a female, age 47. Her chief complaint is having hot
flashes, but she is also disturbed about the sudden cessation of
her menses a few months ago. Her discomfort is related to being
the same age as the age of her father when he died. She was 17
at the time, and it was unexpected. She has had unresolved anger
toward him and his role in the unhealthy dynamics of her family.
He was murdered in mistaken identity for a gang member. Equally
important is that she feels held back in her career as an osteopath.
She fears that in moving forward and making changes, she will
lose everything she has worked so hard to build. Despite the
fears she wants more in her life. She wants to help those that are
disadvantaged, like animals. She wants to ease suffering in world.
She talks about how animals get a bad rap and have a bad burden
of suffering, and speaks about their lack of freewill. In my analysis
this is about her way to connect with another soul. She mentions
how her sensitivity to violence has increased–even light humor that
has violent undertones.
The patient has a desire for evolving spiritually and in connection

to nature. Almost ten years ago she had an experience where

another dimension opened up; a window opened up and I could
see it as plain as day. She was able to feel a heart connection
with a homeless person in this other dimension, which made her
cry. She has a curiosity about existence and she believes there is
no beginning, no middle, and no end (as in Buddhism). She feels
there is more in life than daily survival but also feels that things are
irrelevant based on her experience. She was having lots of end-of-
life thoughts, wondering what life would be like in old age with her
friends dying off. She feels grounded in life but wants to go back
through that window. I want to go there but I don’t know how. Part
of me says it is not for me to know and maybe is bad or dangerous
to know. She works out of her home, and due to this she is alone
and not out much, despite working with the public. She misses her
commutes, where she would have conversations with God.
Her physicals are bronchitis in the past as a young adult, which she
believes was due to feeling angry at a teacher she felt was unfair.
She also had a D&C in her early 30’s due to having intrauterine
polyps with heavy bleeding and spotting. She has had a series
of concussions from sports injuries. She has a hurt left shoulder
from a sporting accident, part of which is a torn rotator cuff. In
the past she complained of vertigo, specifically when looking
backward and then forward again–as in driving. At the present she
feels the muscles of her eyes are weak, and this makes her vision
blurred. She also has a lack of mental focus and is easily distracted.
Procrastination is an ongoing problem for her. She has had a
toothache occasionally in her lower right molar for the last four
years; lately she is starting to have a toothache on the left side.
I gave her Lactuca virosa, commonly called Bitter Lettuce or

Opium Lettuce, based on going through the Six Steps of Scholten.
The father was killed by a gunshot, and Scholten’s analysis of
this remedy is they have dreams of murder from gunshots. There
is also ailments from death of parents in the remedy. Also, as an
Asteranea, and specifically the Subclass of Cichoroideae (which

has 17 remedies to choose from) her softness and spirituality is
covered. Her shock-like behavior, which I perceived as a drug-
like state, is also covered by the theme of losing focus and being
distracted.
Once I had established that the 6th Step was where I wanted to
start with the case, I saw that the row in the Element Theory that
was perfectly suited was the Lanthanide Row, which is part of the
Gold Series She was a Lanthanide in the Clade but also the Class,
so here we have a double Lanthanide. I was able to confirm the
Astarales with the Yakir system by placing the patient in Column 6
(The Other, the Group) and Row 9 (Old Age).
I then established that this patient fits in with Phases 3 and
4 because she is part of the group and has no problem with
expectations from her family. The patient is very evolved in many
ways, which is often the case with Lanthanides. She has concerns
that are bigger than herself; her concern about animals comes not
from a simple love of animals but more from a place of caring
about the lack of freedom or autonomy that they have. But also
there is a desire to act on this, to use her Osteopathic medicine to
help outside of just her present clients. As well, she had a heart
connection with a homeless person. And lastly, a keynote of the
remedy is to promote menses. Another keynote is a wandering,
tearing pain as if in the bone of the shoulder joint and right elbow
(Concordant Materia Medica).
The result of giving this remedy was that her menstruation

resumed, and she had several dreams that incorporated people from
her past. She no longer had thoughts of herself in old age. She no
longer had night sweats nor woke at night. She had a return of old
symptoms: a ring worm-like skin issue, which later resolved. Her
vision improved after an initial aggravation. She had a deep crack
in the skin that resolved. Overall she has shifted nicely into a place
where she is ready to resolve past unfinished business and make
decisions with meaning and connection to what matters to her.

Further Study/References:
1) Having attended Jan Scholten’s launch of Plant Systems in

North American in October 2012, I can say that the best thing
is learning in a seminar setting. See here for a great summary
of the Plant Systems’ seminars by Carol Jones: http://www.
interhomeopathy.org/jan-scholtens-periodic-system-of-plants
The Spring 2014 Interhomeopathy issue was on the Scholten Plant

System. This is a free online journal that homeopaths worldwide
can reference for materia medica and read differing perspectives on
various topics. This issue is actually the first written on Scholten’s
Plant System with his own cases and colleagues cases. http://www.
interhomeopathy.org/april-2014
The next time Scholten is in North America presenting his Plant

Systems work, plan to attend. The next dates are Oct 24 -26, 2014
for Vancouver, British Colombia and October 31- November 2,
2014 for Toronto, Canada. http://www.homeopathycourses.com/
2) This is my homeopathy blog that I do for fun. While I am a

rep for Narayana Publishers, they do not pay me for doing the
blog. I have written a more personal take on the three-day 2012
Yakir seminar, and I’ve provided information on the second
time I attended Scholten’s 2013 seminar in Germany. http://
overflowingvessel.blogspot.ca/
Here is the Spring 2013 Interhomeopathy issue on Yakir Plant

System: http://www.interhomeopathy.org/2013-may
In the Plant Issue of Homeopathic Links, Spring 2013, Vol. 26,

Yakir was feature along with one of her cases.
3) This Youtube video has a 16-minute video of Yakir stating

why the grouping and classifying of plants makes sense from
her botanical and homeopathic mind: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=_-9BUn9Eb3I
4) To put the Plant Kingdom in perspective: Our Species, Homo

sapiens, is known to have branched off from the Hominids (or
great apes) about 2.3 million years ago. First came the Genus,
Homo habilis who used stone tools despite their brains being about
the same size of a chimpanzee’s brain. Most people do not think
along evolutionary lines with plants. Admittedly, since learning
about the Plant Systems, I have been reading all sorts of botany-
related books. It is fascinating to get a sense of the life of plants as
living, conscious beings now that I can relate to their struggle to
survive and thrive on the planet as I would relate to an animal. See
this marvelous book: http://www.whataplantknows.com/
Biography
Laura Coramai lives and practices homeopathic healing in Toronto, Canada.

She studied with Louis Klein in his Homeopathic Master Clinician Course
(Vancouver, 2012), and previously studied Classical Homeopathy in foundation
courses. She continues with ongoing professional development and being self-
taught. She currently is undergoing clinical supervision and mentorship with
seasoned practitioners and prepares to take the CHC North American Board
Certification Exam soon. She can be reached at lcoramai@rogers.com for
recommendations on the study of the Plant Systems. Laura would like to thank
Carol Jones for her invaluable support in her Homeopathic journey of learning
and for her wonderful insight into Jan Scholten’s work. And, she gives thanks to
Pat Deacon for introducing her to the Michal Yakir Table of Plants.

Arguments for Keeping
Homeopathy Scientific
--
The following article is a compilation of three articles found on
George Vithoulkas’s website (www.vithoulkas.com) with authorized
permission to compile and reprint. Some of the wording has been
enhanced to provide clarity of the ideas and to merge the three
articles.
Two of the articles (“Is Hahnemannian Homeopathy Doomed to

Go into Oblivion Again?” and “Situational Materia Medica”)
were written by George Vithoulkas himself, and the last article
used is an interview with George Vithoulkas conducted by Dr.
Sanjay Modi, Dr. Nimish Mehta, and Dr. Kamlesh Mehta Mumbai
of the IJHM (Indian Journal of Homeopathic Medicine). The
questions and comments by the interviewers have been removed.
---
Compiled by Jennifer White ND, CCH, DHANP
The injection of “modern” ideas into the main body of knowledge

in homeopathy will have a corrupting effect on the inclusion of
homeopathy into science. The rejuvenation and renaissance of
homeopathy that we have been witnessing over the past 30 years
seems lately doomed to take a downward turn toward a point of
degeneration, confusion, and finally, even oblivion. This downward
trend is manifesting especially in the United States and England,
where so-called “Modern Homeopathy” is prevalent. This is obvious
from assaults on homeopathy by the media in these countries.
Let us discuss the Doctrine of Signatures. It is my strong belief that

homeopathy’s eventual downfall will be due mainly to a number
of “artistic distortions” that are injected into the main body of

knowledge by the imagination and projection of some modern
teachers of homeopathy. Because many of our students are receptive
to the myths and stories concocted by flights of wild imagination,
many teachers have risen to fill this gap.
The motivation for this article was inspired by a critic of Sankaran’s

teachings in the Simillimum, Vol. 7, No.3:
Perhaps the most inspired section of the book “is the

exposition concerning the kingdoms of the remedies - animal,
plant, and mineral...based upon easily recognizable features.
He has extended the doctrine of signatures far beyond any
previous scope. He has boldly stated that the imprint of the
remedy is detectable in the patient. I found Sankaran has
entered a realm of... intuitive science”
It is extremely difficult for me to understand how an arbitrary and

totally imaginary translation of the symptoms of a patient into an
“easily recognizable” likeness of an animal, a vegetable, a mineral,
or a...nosode makes for an intuitive science!
It is obvious that many interpretations can be given by a practitioner

to any symptomatology of a patient. However, that could mean that
just because a patient is freezing and snakes are cold blooded and
frozen from the cold weather, we should choose a snake venom for
such a patient—e.g. Lachesis (which is a warm remedy aggravated
by heat) instead of choosing Arsenicum, Hepar-sulph, Silica, Cistus,
Rhus-tox, etc. that are really cold remedies.
It is easy for everyone then to see the confusion that will result when
a doctor tries to categorize patients by “whether they look like” an
animal or a vegetable or a...nosode, and how wrong he or she can
be in this interpretation. But even if you have categorized somebody
into one of these four groups, in what way will this help you to find
his or her Simillimum?

What will you prescribe in a case of mental disturbance when you
see the desire to bite during delirium? Lac caninum? Lac felinum? Or
tiger’s milk? Or… a remedy that has this symptom in its proving, for
instance, Stramonium or Belladonna, which are both plant remedies?
Will you prescribe Lac-c in a patient whose coughing sounds like
“barking of a dog” or will you prescribe Hyoscyamus (a plant
remedy) that has this symptom as one of its great characteristics?
To claim that you can find the likeness or similarity of a patient to
a vegetable, animal, or mineral is so subjective that it allows for
too many unreliable interpretations. A serious practitioner could not
possibly put at risk his patient’s health with such nonsense.
We have had a lot of problems persuading people that homeopathy

is science. With all this nonsense, we are once again reinforcing
their arguments claiming that homeopathy is non-science. If some
teachers interpret homeopathic science in such a manner and others
do not question their interpretation, we may soon be witnessing
the transformation of this science into a kind of “hodgepodge
mythology.” I am not opposed to experimentation, conjecture, pure
imaginary projections, or even theorizing, as long as such things
remain in the domain of research and observation and are not put
forth as facts to the rest of the profession.
There is no doubt that we are living in a crazy world with farfetched

ideas, where real knowledge is interspersed with confusion,
projections, and misinformation. We must not forget, however, that
our task, our mission, as homeopaths is to turn the craziness, disorder,
and confusion of people into some kind of sanity and order with
correct remedies. Homeopathy today has a degree of uncertainty, a
gap which may be filled with artistic or intuitive interpretations, and
everyone can supply this according to his or her own point of view
or imagination.
Now, let us discuss sensations. Interpreting the sensations and

feelings of a patient into something beyond their meaning and reality
is a dangerous road for a homeopath to take. We must perceive

the reality of human suffering as signs and symptoms expressed
by the patient and try to match it with what we know to be the
pathognomonic picture of the remedy from the provings. We have
to be careful not to project our own little theories or fancies when
health is at stake.
There is no doubt that homeopathy is difficult in its application, and

short cuts are eagerly welcomed by those in our profession who are
longing for the new, the easy, the miraculous, and the effortless.
But such shortcuts have their shortcomings and, thus, will add to
the gradual demise of homeopathy. Soon students of homeopathy
with good intentions and enthusiasm will be seduced by such artistic
interpretations and become disillusioned and disheartened when
they try to put these ideas into practice. Many will leave our ranks,
but others will reject homeopathy totally in bitter disappointment.
The long-term damage done to homeopathy will be irreparable.
In the recent years another confusing idea was posed by Sankaran

in his book, The Spirit of Homeopathy, pertaining to Situational
Material Medica. The question being whether a particular situation
could create a group of symptoms that point to a specific remedy.
Sankaran seems to have arrived at the conclusion that it is really the
situation that is responsible for creating the symptomatology, and so a
new type of homeopathic materia medica was created, the Situational
Materia Medica. This is considered by some homeopaths to be an
innovative idea. It is really a wonder how Sankaran has arrived at
such a conclusion while other homeopaths consider the miasmatic
background, susceptibility, and subsequent predisposition to be the
determining factor in symptomatology. The fact that stress triggers
chronic predisposition does not mean that one particular stress
creates one particular disease. If Sankaran’s idea were true, that the
situation is responsible for creating a disease, we would be saying
that a specific stress, like the loss of a child, would create a specific
disease, let’s say diabetes! When really it depends on the miasmatic
background, susceptibility and predisposition being triggered and

influencing the way in which the loss of the child is experienced
and subsequently leading to a particular disease. It has less to do
with the loss of the child (the situation) than it has to do with the
loss of the child triggering these three important determinants to
symptomatology.
For each situational stress, it is true we have many different

syndromes (groups of symptoms) pointing to different remedies.
However, the idea in classical homeopathy is to individualize
every case independent of the situation. If we accept the theory that
every situation creates a group of specific symptoms of a particular
remedy, then the essence of Hahnemann’s ideas are gone and we
are similarly approaching the allopathic way of thinking, which is
that for every pathogen we have a specific pathology. If we accept
this idea, then our work will become very simplified; to practice this
form of homeopathy, you will just need know the situation on which
you found yourself in this (or a previous) life, and the remedy will
be apparent!
Sankaran warns his followers to be careful and not to take seriously

and for granted all of this, but his followers really do in spite of the
warning. The fact that he gives a new materia medica in his book
The Spirit of Homeopathy shows that he himself is taking his ideas
seriously and is misguiding innocent and naive students who have
just come to homeopathy.
We know that a situation of grief, for instance, can create

symptomatology of a host of remedies- we know at least 60
remedies that are indicated for it. Which one should a homeopath
prescribe according to the theory of Sankaran? Don’t we still have
to choose according to the totality of the symptoms? What we
need to remain aware of is that even if a situation created a group
of symptoms, it is not the real situation that is responsible for it.
The real situation of poverty seldom, if ever, creates the “fear
of poverty.” On the contrary, we see this fear more frequently in
affluent people of the west, sometimes in the very rich.

Biography
George Vithoulkas is a homeopath, professor, writer and peer reviewer of

medical journals. He has practiced homeopathy for 40 years. The list of books
and articles are too extensive to list here, but they can be viewed on his website,
www.vithoulkas.com. He has been honored with many awards but the most
prestigious being the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative
Nobel Prize) in 1996. In 1995, he established the International Academy of
Classical Homeopathy in Alonissos, Greece, where many doctors from around
the world come to be educated in homeopathy.

The Four Elements in Homeopathy
Written by Misha Norland
Diagrams by Mani Norland
The four elements in homeopathy, named the Mappa Mundi by
myself, is a way of looking at the world, at our patients, and at
our remedies. It was first developed by Empedocles, born about
3000 years ago and adapted by Joseph Reves for homeopathy
about 35 years ago. It forms part of the curriculum at the School of
Homeopathy. This article is abstracted from my book of the same
name.
I offer it to you in the hope that it opens doors into the symbolic
and “imaginal,” as well as practical, realms; aids in the synthesis
of what may sometimes appear to be disparate case-material into
a coherent whole; and helps the homeopathic analyst find suitable
remedy matches.

Diagram 1 A simplified view of primary functions – the four
axes, the eight poles.
The Mappa Mundi combines the four elemental qualities and

temperaments and organizes them into an eight-fold division with
their opposing traits along four axes. For instance, heat opposing
cold with varying degrees of warmth in between, wet opposing dry
with varying degrees of humidity in between. While employing
the Mappa Mundi for the purposes of analyzing an energy system,
we are better able to identify the dynamic interplay of actions and
reactions. This is because a force at any point away from the center
of an axis, its point of equilibrium, results in an equal and opposite
counter force.
This system aids our intuitive grasp by providing a representation

of the familiar subdivision of four quarters, as in a compass or
clock. This allows us to easily visualize opposites as segments of
a whole. We have followed the direction of the astrological zodiac
where time cycles rotate in a counter-clockwise direction.
When it comes to plotting sickness using the Mappa Mundi,

the essential philosophy is that health is balance and disease is
imbalance. It is a map based upon the principle of homeodynamics.
This is the term used to denote the natural reactivity of living
organisms and systems, tending towards physiological and
psychological stability and equilibrium while in a state of health.
In Mappa Mundi terms, health is seen as a dynamic relationship
of reciprocating elemental qualities within body and mind. A
“dance” where the healthy partners (of reciprocating elemental
qualities) have complete freedom of movement around the center
of the dance floor or the locus of the Mappa Mundi. Increasing
disease (decreasing freedom of the movement of these elemental
qualities) can be depicted as restriction within a narrow plane
(i.e. one axis on the Mappa Mundi). This restriction leads to an
escalating imbalance, because it confines the qualities and their
energetic expressions into one plane or place of manifestation. To
continue the dancing analogy, imagine partners cramped together
and held in one spot. Whereas before they had a large area within
which to express their dance, now their movements are confined.
Given this restriction, they might become frenetic, or they might
eventually slow, stop, and collapse. Internal energies need to find
outer expression because this is an intrinsic (centrifugal) quality of
life. It is driven by the autonomic action of the vital force. Another
way of looking at this is to picture the healthy state as if it were
a pendulum reacting to changing situations and circumstances,
moving freely hither and thither, while never needing to remain
for long on any one axis (which would equate to being stuck) or
not swinging wildly off-balance. Sickness can be visualized as
exaggerated movement and/or as being trapped along one axis
and/or being held in one place. Nevertheless, in a healthy acute

response to disease, it is normal to go out of balance for a short
duration before homeostasis re-establishes equilibrium. For this
reason, acute states give rise to extreme expressions or symptoms.
Diagram 2
The example in Diagram 2 illustrates the dominant, CHOLERIC

vs. passive, PHLEGMATIC axis, which has been annotated
with its respective qualities. As choleric or a phlegmatic disease
develops, the freedom to move along this axis becomes restricted
and stuck in one place. This axis being stuck in place is descriptive
of the dynamic imbalance inherent in the disease. Just one pole
along an axis (the stuck place) manifests at any given moment,
although states can and usually do alternate over time, e.g.

a choleric, uptight individual expresses stomach cramps and
ulceration, or a phlegmatic individual expresses rheumatism and
stiffness in cold and damp conditions. However, the compensation
for one stuck function is seen in its opposing pole. For example,
choleric Nux Vomica individuals compensate by finding rest
and tranquility. Phlegmatic, changeable Pulsatilla individuals
compensate by developing forceful, dogmatic views.
As seen in the diagrams, the Mappa Mundi system operates with

the understanding the archetypal1 elemental qualities: Earth,
Water, Fire and Air and the associated interleaved temperaments:
Melancholic, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Sanguine. These are the
raw materials out of which an understanding of both psychic and
somatic states and imbalances may be understood.
Many of us will already be somewhat familiar with the topography

of the four temperaments because we may have come across
references in astrology, 19th and early 20th century homeopathic
literature, anthroposophical works, and in the works of Chaucer,
metaphysical poets and playwrights. Familiarity such as this is
helpful; however, the most effective pathway to understanding the
Mappa Mundi is “imaginal.” Imagine how you would feel in a cool
and moist environment, such as that associated with the Phlegmatic
temperament. See the mist, feel the damp, note your responses.
Now go back to the diagram and ponder the associations which we
have given. Do they make sense?
The four psychological functions described by Jung, namely

Intuition, Thinking, Feeling, and Sensation, correspond to Fire, Air,
Water, and Earth. John DaMonte2, paraphrasing Jung, described
how these functions operate in the human psyche as follows:
“There can be seen to be four aspects of psychological

orientation, beyond which nothing fundamental remains

to be said. This is so because the fourfold aspect is the
minimum required for a complete judgment. The idea
of completeness is the circle or sphere, but its natural
minimum division is a quaternity. In order to orient
ourselves we must have:
• a function which ascertains that something is
there (Earth/Sensation i.e. deriving from one or
more of the five senses)
• a second function which states whether it suits us
or not, whether we wish to accept it or not (Water/
Feeling)
• a third function which establishes what it is (Air/
Thinking)
• a fourth function which indicates where it came
from and where it is going (Fire/Intuition).”
We can describe people in relation to elemental archetypes by

saying that someone is “ethereal, up in the air” or “having his head
in the clouds,” “fiery, eruptive like a volcano,” “watery and wishy-
washy” or “watery and drowning in feelings,” or “down to earth.”
Our bodies process these elemental energies: the heart and nervous
system process elemental Fire; the digestive system processes
Earth; the kidneys and bladder, Water; the respiratory system, Air.
With this all manner of diseases can be explained by the Mappa
Mundi. For instance, a patient suffering from a fever has an excess
of Fire; from edema, an excess of Water; from obesity, an excess
of Earth; from bloatedness, an excess of Air. As well, the four
seasons correspond to pairs of elements and the four ages of man
correspond to the progression of the seasons—winter to gestation
and infancy, spring to youth, summer to adulthood, and autumn to
old age.
Temperaments and Humors
During the Middle Ages, colors, tastes, seasons, foodstuff,

planets, and organ affinities were added to the doctrine of humors
propounded by Hippocrates. This compilation associated the four
elements with the cardinal fluids in the body (yellow bile, black
bile, phlegm, and blood). And so today, black bile is associated
with autumn and the Melancholic temperament; its quality is cold
and dry; it is also related to old age and to such conditions as
arthritis and degenerative conditions of the skeleton; and its planet
is Saturn. Blood is associated with the Sanguine temperament and
the season of spring; its quality is hot and wet; it is related to youth
and vigor and such pathology as hemorrhage; its ruling planet is
Venus.
The essential philosophy is to balance the four elements and

humors to achieve and maintain health; the imbalance of these is
disease. We still speak of the Melancholic, Sanguine, Choleric,
and Phlegmatic temperaments or humors when we talk of being
“out of humor,” of being “all at sea,” of feeling “cut off (from the
breath of life),” of being “consumed by passion” (Fire), of being
“bitter (about what has happened)” (Earth). We can be quick
tempered, forceful, and excitable (Choleric); suspicious, brooding,
and pessimistic (Melancholic); optimistic, lively, impulsive, and
hopeful (Sanguine); sluggish, slow, and yielding (Phlegmatic).
Even much of allopathic medicine, until the mid-nineteenth
century, depended on the doctrine of the humors—physiognomy,
constitution, endocrinology, and psychology all had their origins in
it.
Some symptoms or conditions can be a combination of elements.
Thus, thrombosis can be envisaged as Earth (embolisms, clots) in
Blood, which can be associated with the Sanguine temperament
where Fire is conjoined with Water—the Sanguine temperament
being the hottest fluid (humor) in the body. This condition would
lead us to consider imbalances along the Sanguine (hot Water)—
Melancholic (cold Earth) axis. We could go on and look for
corollary symptoms and signs expressing this imbalance in order to

understand what is relevant in the case, helping us highlight certain
trends while relegating other trends.
Patients presenting with specific conditions set us on a search
for other symptoms within their case which fit on an axis of
imbalance. If they had symptoms expressive of the Sanguine
pole, we would look to find corollary symptoms expressive of the
Melancholic pole. Another example of a condition with Sanguine
imbalance could be cystitis—Fire (burning sensation) in Water
(urine). For instance, in an Apis case, cystitis (Sanguine) may be
accompanied by jealousy (Melancholic). Jealousy is expressive
of the Melancholic temperament because of its contraction into
a narrow place; movement being limited is expressed by the
symptom of jealousy where attention is solely focused upon
possession of one person who is the object of desire.
Symptoms get placed with their respective temperaments,
e.g. cold, swollen glands are associated with the Phlegmatic
temperament and paralysis is associated with the Melancholic
temperament. Thus, we find that all the symptoms a patient has,
the language they use, the way in which they approach life,
can fit into a synthetic whole, and a picture can be drawn along
the diagram showing the principal imbalance of the patient.
Through the employment of the Mappa Mundi, we cease to see
symptoms as isolated phenomena. Rather we learn to view them as
interrelated symbols of a “unity in distress”3 (as is appropriate to
homeopathic practice where the ultimate fruit of endeavor lies in
finding the most fitting remedy, the simillimum). Another unique
attribute of the Mappa Mundi, is that it correlates mind and body—
that is physical processes, systems, organs, and modalities with
psychological states.
A “unity in distress” is best understood by appreciating its function
in terms of its internal energetics (described by the Mappa Mundi),
as well as by recognizing its outer form. This is because the form
is created around the function, as a container for its purpose, just
like a well-designed house (the form) is created around the purpose

(the function) of its inhabitants. In respect to the homeopath’s
search, healing is most rapidly achieved through finding the closest
matching remedy to the patient and their disease. This remedy may
also be described in terms of its form, loosely referred to as its
signature, because it is the result (the house) of all the complexities
of primary and secondary functioning—active, passive and
compensatory—of the internal forces. These internal forces are
energetic functions that play themselves out on the battlefield of
the patient who is beleaguered by the disease. The Mappa Mundi
allows a homeopath to plot out the energetics, (i.e. the functions)
of the case, and this is helpful because it facilitates the choice
regarding which symptoms are truly representative and which need
to be disregarded.
Diagram 4

The ancient Chinese, Lao Tsu wrote in 6th century
B.C. that the Tao (literally, “the Way”) gives rise to all
manifestation:
The Tao gave rise to one.

One gave rise to two. Two gave rise to three.
And three gave rise to the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things carry Yin and embrace Yang.

They achieve harmony by combining these forces.
(Stanza 42)
We may look upon any situation in terms of its polarities, its YIN
and YANG components as the Chinese system has done, because
dynamic, reactive change is the essence of life. Even non-living
systems when acted upon by forces may behave in a reciprocating
manner: Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states that action
and reaction are equal and opposite. Hahnemann also writes about
this polarity when he wrote about counteraction in paragraph 63 of
The Organon:
Every agent which acts upon the vitality of the organism

more or less deranges the vital force. Every medicine
causes a certain alteration in the health of the individual,
for a longer or shorter period of time. This alteration
in health is called the primary action of the remedy.
The reaction of the vital force against the derangement
caused by the medicine is called the secondary action
or counteraction. The primary action is a product of the
medicinal and vital powers conjointly, but it is principally
due to the power of the medicine.
It is not always easy to differentiate between primary and

secondary action. However, J.T. Kent suggests that it doesn’t really

matter either developmentally or philosophically (see his lecture
on Opium). For example, an acquaintance of mine drinks a cup of
coffee in order to sleep. She is naturally a highly strung individual,
and I assume that coffee is close to her simillimum. Therefore, her
susceptibility to the drug brings out a reverse modality for which
coffee is famous.
It is useful to appreciate that the organism works in polarity for the

following reasons:
1. To understand the remedies in terms of their hidden
interiors and compensated exteriors because they have
reciprocal relationships
2. To understand the actions of remedies on people (remedy
reaction)
3. To assess the case after the administration of the remedy
(aggravation and cure)
The primary action, which accounts for the initial intensification

of presenting symptoms, are our first pointers indicative of
the curative action, and the secondary action follows in due
course. Conflict arises when there are one or more apparently
irreconcilable polarities, i.e. things or states (of mind and/or
body) which cannot be immediately resolved and brought into
homeostasis and wholeness. We all have examples of this in our
own lives where, for example, we were stuck between two choices
and did not know how to proceed. Clearly, if such a situation
persists, we suffer. Another way of understanding this is to imagine
the confusion which results from being given two conflicting
commands at once, such as “march forward” and “stand at ease.”
The individual thus tries to do both things simultaneously, then
finds himself quivering, tense and hopelessly conflicted, and finally
keeling over. Therefore, from the perspective of the homeopath,
it is valuable to discover all unresolved issues and to place them
on the Mappa Mundi. Once this is done, the homeopath can see
which axis they are focused on, and they can allow it to inform

which symptoms (and rubrics) to choose for repertorization. This
information about the conflict is even more vital than the causation
because the unresolved issue invariably precedes the apparent
cause of disease. In other words, the unresolved state, the basic
polarity, is indicative of the origin of disease (and its apparent
causation).
The Case of Sera, Age: 7
Appearance: Brown hair, which is tied back in a long ponytail,

spot on nose, blotchy face, missing all top front teeth. Pink and
white zipped top. Sits still, one hand in her lap. Turns head away
when embarrassed. Finds it hard to talk, looks towards her mother
most of the time although her mom does not engage with her. Sera
speaks well and easily once her mother is out of the room. Keeps
mouth slightly open after talking. Seems bunged up.4 The corners
of her mouth are wet. Sad eyes, cute face. Looks neglected—a bit
of an Oliver Twist type of character. She becomes quite fidgety
towards the latter end of the case taking.
Presenting complaints: Bed wetting, eczema in folds of elbow

joints, head lice, and threadworms.
The case:
Mum is of thin build; has long black hair. Sera hides behind mum
to begin with. Rash in fold of elbow joint. (Mother pulls up Sera’s
sleeve.)
Mother (M): It itches and she scratches. I’m thinking Sera will
comment on her rash. How do you feel?
Sera (S): I sometimes feel that my house is not my house. (She

sucks her thumb.)
M: We smudged the house (burnt sage) but it didn’t help. She feels

uncomfortable in the house. She dreams about a little girl calling
to her.
S: Sometimes I hear my name, “Sera, Sera,” and other kinds of

names. I say, “Who said that?” but no one answers, or they say,
“No one says it.”
M: Doesn’t like to go to school much, but does well there. Made

one good friend, but then she left—that upset her. Her older
brother is aggressive and jealous of her. He jumps out on her and
freaks her out. He does it on purpose.
How do you feel?
S: I feel scared. I want to get on with him but he won’t let me.
M: (butting in) She was born five weeks premature into a very
tense family atmosphere. A lot of rejection and confusion. Husband
had a nervous breakdown—wouldn’t go out, afraid someone was
waiting and would kill him. Won’t communicate with the family,
only talks about what others are doing in their lives. Is someone
else doing the “right thing?” His father is an alcoholic. He was
bullied at school.
Sera has been bedwetting quite regularly, started up again after

I had my third child. Sera is the best behaved. She gets anxious
when we all fall out. We have a lot of arguments in our house. I
have a bad temper. When my husband had mental health issues,
I took it all personally. I felt horrendous, mad, insane, suicidal.
I had feelings of such terror. My husband would be quiet, almost
catatonic. I took the withdrawal as rejection.
(Sera dances around the room, like a penguin. Mum says nothing.)
Then she comments that she has to put up with a lot because she
is the middle child. Older one gets attention because he’s naughty,

got very jealous of her when Sera was little. The younger one gets
the most attention because she’s the baby.
Then mother volunteers that Sera is very concerned about her

appearance. Looks in the mirror a lot. She likes drawing animals,
and has a dog.
Mum goes into the next room and Misha carries on with Sera
alone.
I like soft fur. I like puppies. I like holding them. I feel sad because
Ruby (the pet dog) can’t have puppies.
Tell me about being sad?

Cry when I get sad, mum says, “That won’t work.”
Cry….
When I am upset.
Tell me?
When my brother took the Halloween hat off me and wouldn’t give
it back. I felt sad. It made me feel unhappy.
What else makes you feel unhappy?

When I want something but can’t have it. It is really annoying.
Then I have a tantrum. How?
You’re noisy when you have a tantrum. I feel guilty when I have a
tantrum—I feel I’ve done something wrong.
You’ve done something wrong?

Yes, because everyone sees me, everyone laughs. I feel they put me
down. I feel hurt. I feel like running away. When I’m upset it brings
me around to having another tantrum.
What do you want to do?

I feel like throwing stuff at my door. I feel like hitting and stamping.

I feel like making a lot of noise.
What else makes you feel upset?

When my brother keeps on lying to me and not giving me what I
want. I feel like hurting him back, but normally just go and tell
mum. Brother is stronger than me.
Scared of brother?
Especially when he jumps out. Normally call for help. First get
angry. Feel like hurting someone. Might try and push him off me.
(She wraps a thread from her sleeve around her fingers – goes into
a dazed state.)
Sera has brought along a picture, depicting a blue monster with

five ferocious heads with prominent red mouths and teeth. I ask her
to show it to me. What does it do?
It eats everybody and captures a princess. I got the story from a
fairy tale. Princess story—it has a happy ending. The monster
protects the princess from people getting her, but the princess
doesn’t want that, she wants to get free.
How does the princess feel?

She feels sad. She feels lonely—she’s been forgotten. There is no
one to care for her.
Tell me your favorite stories?

I like ones about lonely dogs, but then they get a family and it has
a happy ending.
How does it go?

The dog gets to run off and then some other family gets to look
after it.
Tell me more about this?

The people and the dog were always arguing and they were looking

after the babies and not the dog, then someone left the door
open and the dog went to another family. The people didn’t have
enough money to sell it. The new people didn’t mind that it was an
annoying dog. The happy ending is that the dog got a happy home
and was well looked after.
Any dreams?
They are about the sea, about crabs and dolphins. The crabs are
trying to pinch me, the dolphins are trying to come back to see if
they can stop the crabs from pinching me. I had a scary one, has a
bit of Harry Potter in it. I go to the toilet and there is a troll, and
he chases the girls and he got me. I went into my mum’s bed. The
troll looks big and blue, strong, massive feet, he can crush people,
and he can squeeze you really hard. He has no hair.
Anything else that scares you?

Dark in the room. Thought something might jump out and get me,
a monster or something.
What is it like?
It is like a normal person and has really sharp teeth.
How do you feel if you are alone?

Feels scary. If someone pops out to get you, there is no one to save
you. If you’re alone and you’re walking to school by yourself, you
don’t know if anything will get you.
I’m afraid of the finger eater. You should never shake hands with a
troll. It has razor sharp teeth.
Favorite things?
I like the way penguins waddle about. I like crystals, especially
rubies—shiny and red. I like fairytale books. Exciting stories. I like
the princess and the pea.

Tell me about your favorite one?
All these princesses, queen says, they are not real. Then a person
comes and they think she is a pretend princess, so they put a pea
under 20 mattresses. She is sensitive enough to feel it, she is a real
princess—the prince marries her. Polly and the stupid wolf. Polly
is clever, the wolf is stupid. Wolf thinks he can get her but he can’t.
Any other problems?

Waking up is a problem, don’t want to wake up and go to school.
Had a lie-in today because I’m not going to school. Saturday and
Sunday are our sweety days. If I’m bad I only get one chocolate, if
really bad I get nothing.
What food do you love?

Chicken and I love the chicken bones. I like chicken noodles. I use
chopsticks. Nanny taught me how to use them. Two in one hand. I
don’t like Brussels sprouts. I get travel sick in the car when stress
is going on.
Stress?
If we are having an argument or my sister is being manic.

Case Discussion
This case shows an essential feature of the plant kingdom:

reactivity resulting from sensitivity (to hostile surroundings). In
Rajan Sankaran’s miasmatic schema, the case falls into the typhoid
miasm, characterized by an intense short-term effort to survive in
a “do-or-die” situation. After such an effort it is usual to rest after
which a full return to optimism and health is the expected outcome.
In these examples, we notice how Mappa Mundi provides us with

another tool (like Kingdoms and Miasms) for understanding a
case and for differential analysis. However, the Mappa Mundi
does more than this, it helps us get to grips with the inner
dynamics of a case. As we become accustomed to taking cases,
we quickly come see the dynamic state—first in hints, then in
confirmations. Over and over again, the theme of opposites and
their axes present themselves in our vision. I use the word “vision”
intentionally because the Mappa Mundi provides a visual means
of understanding. It associates images with words, meanings,
functions, systems, organs. It groups details under a wide umbrella;
these details have numinous resonance—both to our past and to the
deeper levels of archetypal knowing, the collective unconscious (as
C.G. Jung named the substratum of perception).
The dog story is by far the most important of all the stories because
it is Sera’s invention. It also captures the essence of Sera’s feelings.
This archetype underpins a world of expressions and symptoms. If
we swap the word Sera for dog, we get a vivid impression of her
situation. Let’s give it a go:
The family and Sera were always arguing and they were
looking after the babies and not Sera, then someone left the
door open and Sera went to another family.
Sera’s family didn’t have enough money to sell her. The
new people didn’t mind that she was an annoying girl. The

happy ending is that Sera got a happy home and was well
looked after.
The dog (Sera) is not being looked after; indeed, the family wishes
to sell the dog (her), but not for a profit—they have to pay to get
rid of the dog (her)! Perhaps it is a situation similar to that of a
traditional, undervalued, oriental daughter—sold off with a dowry.
Later, Sera volunteers her favorite food to be chicken bones.
Usually mums throw these into the garbage. While a dog, given
half a chance, would heave them out and eat them!
In contrast to the story of the dog, Sera tells a princess story, but it
too is sad.
How does the princess feel?

She feels lonely – she’s been forgotten. There is no one to
care for her.
Sera is neglected and lonely in her home. She looks forlorn, almost
like a lost puppy.
I sometimes feel it is not my house. (She sucks her thumb.)

M: We smudged the house (burnt sage) but it didn’t help.
She feels uncomfortable in the house. Dreams about a little
girl calling to her.
S: Sometimes I hear my name, “Sera, Sera,” and other
kinds of names. I say, “Who said that?” but no one
answers, or they say, “No one says it.”
By now you should have a familiar element of aloneness: Sera

dreams and hallucinates voices calling her name. Yet when she
responds, no one answers or she is told, No one says it. And there
is also the reverse aspect to this: the voice calling out to her in
her dream is giving her attention, perhaps assuaging her feelings
of rejection. I use the word “rejection” because it is how Sera’s

mum described her feelings during her husband’s psychosis. When
Sera’s mum described her husband’s nervous breakdown, she said:
…. he wouldn’t go out, afraid someone was waiting and

would kill him. Won’t communicate with the family, only
talks about what others are doing in their lives. Is someone
else doing the “right thing?” …. I took it all personally….
My husband would be quiet, almost catatonic. I took the
withdrawal as rejection.
Sera’s father felt paranoid of being murdered and was almost

catatonic.
In cases where information from the primary caretaker is available,

and certainly in cases of children, I take the parental situation as
paramount. It is the crucible within which the children are fused.
Sera’s situation at home has led to her feeling neglected and
threatened by an omnipresent danger of a sudden, unexpected,
menacing type. This is an intense type of danger, requiring outside
help to insure survival.
If someone pops out to get you, there is no one to save

you. If you’re alone and you’re walking down to school by
yourself, you don’t know if anything will get you or not.
And a little later:
I’m afraid of the finger eater. You should never shake hands
with a troll. It has razor sharp teeth.
Sera dreams of crabs trying to pinch her, and of being crushed by

trolls.
Another real danger comes from her brother: Scared of brother?

Especially when he jumps out. Normally call for help. First
get angry. Feel like hurting someone. Might try and push
him off me. (She wraps a thread from her sleeve around her
fingers – goes into a dazed state).
Sera’s response to her brother and also her tantrums, are “within”
the typhoid miasm: an intense short-term effort to survive, in a
“do-or-die” situation. After the effort, it is natural to rest (going
into a dazed state as Sera does after telling her story). This is
indicative of trauma. Is the finger-winding, dazed state like her
father’s catatonic state, I wonder? Speaking about tantrums, Sera
says:
I feel guilty when I have a tantrum—I feel I’ve done

something wrong.
You’ve done something wrong?
Yes, because everyone sees me, everyone laughs. I feel they
put me down. I feel hurt. I feel like running away. When I’m
upset it brings me around to having another tantrum.
What do you want to do?
I feel like throwing stuff at my door. I feel like hitting and
stamping. I feel like making a lot of noise.
We are reminded of the story of the annoying dog who makes

trouble. Worse, we are told that she feels put down and hurt
because she has done something wrong. (It is interesting that Sera’s
mum reports that her husband asked, Is someone else doing the
“right thing?” The “right thing” and “wrong thing,” being exact
opposites, express the same concern.) There’s no running away for
Sera—it’s a small wonder she feels that her home is not her home.
In fact, it is a hostile home, which contains a psychotic father, a
dangerous brother, and an overburdened mother who tells her that
crying “won’t work.”
When receiving and probing a child’s case it is often difficult to

penetrate into the vital sensation (where etheric forces act out in
the material body) along a verbal track of association, but it is
easy to do so with drawings. In children’s art, where imagination
is not constrained by habits of recording, it is often easy to read
the subconscious subscript. Sera obliges us by bringing along a
drawing (requested by me), depicting a blue monster with five
ferocious heads, prominent red mouths, and teeth. The feeling
which emerges is consistent with her stories of danger and
imminent attack. When we rake though the case, looking for key
impressions and vital sensations, we get: attack, pinching crabs,
razor sharp teeth, crushed by trolls. In response to these “inner”
impressions (sensations), her active expressions (functions) are to
run away or to have a tantrum. She feels like throwing stuff at her
door, hitting and stamping, making a lot of noise. There are also
passive expressions in the form of dreams and hallucinations, of
voices calling her name, and she wraps a thread from her sleeve
around her fingers while going into a dazed state. She also feels
that she has done something wrong. These sensations, passive and
active expressions, fall into the picture presented by the Solanaceae
family, although a case can be made for other families as well.
However, when we examine Sera’s drawing with its five biting
heads, then the choice is narrowed down to the Solanaceae. The
trio of Belladonna, Stramonium, and Hyoscyamus are all disposed
to bite and strike when in delirium. They act out in this way
because their “inner” impressions are such that they feel attacked
and bitten. I’m afraid of the finger eater. You should never shake
hands with a troll. It has razor sharp teeth.
As demonstrated, this case is amenable to an analysis according

to Sankaran’s methodology: Solanaceae sensation + typhoid
miasm. Yet it may also be analyzed using traditional methods and
differentials highlighted by the Mappa Mundi.

These rubrics were not included in the repertorization because they
only contain a single remedy, but they are important:
MIND; DELUSIONS, sold; being (single remedy): hyos.
MIND; DELUSIONS, animals; of, crabs; of (single remedy): hyos.
Plan: The chosen remedy was Hyoscyamus (henbane). A 1M was

given.
This plant’s favorite habitats are middens, waste ground, and old
dumps. Here dogs and strays of the community seek scraps of food
or plunder what others have rejected. Hecate, the Greek goddess of
magic, queen of the Underworld, and protector of witches lurks. In
European witchcraft lore, the juice of henbane mixed with lard was
rubbed into the armpit and groin to produce the infamous flight of
the witch. Waste ground and witches tell us a story of exclusion
from society—those who are thrown out, reviled, destroyed, or
simply rubbished (the opposite of the princess in Sera’s fairytale).
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the old king was betrayed and killed
by henbane juice being poured into his ear while he slept. The
patient for whom Hyoscyamus is useful feels endangered: they
may have been betrayed or otherwise devastatingly injured. The
feeling most often is of having been neglected, rejected, and made
to feel like rubbish by loved ones. Thus this remedy is famous for
the treatment of jealousy (when one feels dumped) and for old
people who have been dumped in a home. One often hears stories
of incontinence or of someone sexually exposing oneself, which
singles the person out to be problematic; it really is a particularly
negative form of attention-seeking! In this case we have Sera’s
incontinence in bed. In Sera’s case these trends are lightweight; yet
one can see that if untreated, the roots of the henbane pathology
would surely strike deeply into a fertile soil of threat and neglect.
Sera’s mother reported that one week after the remedy, the bed
wetting had ceased. One month after the remedy, the nits had gone

away, and the skin eruptions had healed. Sera felt much calmer and
happier about going to school. Over the following year, she had
two repeat prescriptions of Hyoscyamus and has remained well,
both physically and psychologically since.

1
The term “archetype” was named by C.G. Jung. Born in
Switzerland in 1875, he is one of the founding fathers of analytical
psychology. We have made repeated references to him because he
plumbed the depths of ancient cultures to find frames of reference
for his own clinical observation. In so doing he also drew upon
the four elements and commented extensively upon them. The
term “archetype” derives from the Greek language, combing the
prefix of arkhe meaning “first” with typos meaning “mark” or
“type.” The word was originally used with reference to the stamp
of a printing press. In Jung’s psychology, archetypes are innate,
universal prototypes for ideas (much like Plato’s “Realm of Ideas”)
and may be used to interpret observations. A group of memories,
images, feelings, and thoughts associated with an archetype
make up a complex, e.g. a father complex is associated with the
father archetype. In homeopathy, we could use the example of
miasms. The archetype of miasmatic Syphilis expresses itself
as a complex of symptoms associated with remedy pictures,

such as in Mercurius, Nitricum acidicum, or Androctonus. Jung
treated archetypes as psychological organs, analogous to physical
ones. In doing this he was following the same principle as the
ancient Egyptians, in which they placed specific internal organs
into canopic jars during the embalming process and arranged
them along the four directions of the compass; their directions
were archetypal representations of the four sons of Horus. Jung
identified four primary archetypes: The Self (Fire), The Shadow
(Air), The Anima (Water), The Animus (Earth).
Diagram 3
2
“John DaMonte 1916 – 1976 was an important British homeopath
who was an inheritor of John Henry Clarke‘s initiative to extend lay
homeopathy.
John DaMonte’s homeopathy was under the tutelage of Dr Donald

Foubister and Thomas Maughan. He and Thomas Maughan are
responsible for the homeopathy we experience in Britain today.
“Misha Norland explains: A word about my beloved teacher, John
DaMonte, to whom I owe a debit of deepest gratitude: he entered

my life in 1970 when I prayed for direction. He gave freely and
generously of his heart and from the font of his wisdom. He anchored
me in the philosophy of healing and homeopathy and reawakened my
love of psychology and the hermetic wisdom teachings. He put the
teachings of the classical Greek philosophers into a modern context
of healing. His knowledge embraced astrology, theosophy, Jung and
the teachings of the four elements, as well as the chakra system of the
orient and its connection with the endocrine systems in our bodies.
These teachings help to integrate our understanding of spirit, mind,
emotions and body.”
http://sueyounghistories.com/archives/2008/09/19/john-damonte-and-
homeopathy/
3
A “unity in distress” is my terminology for a sick individual.
4
According to www.freeonlinedictionary.com, “bunged up” is a
phrase that means clogged, stuffed-up, blocked up, jammed.
Biography
Misha Norland was fascinated by Plato and Pythagoras and later by existential
philosophers; he picked up Freud and later Reich and Jung; then flew on wings
of Hindu mysticism. From there with an interlude in photography and poetry, he
went toward his interest in science. He landed on homeopathy upon searching
for “higher truths.” He owes much of his inspiration to his beloved teacher John
DaMonte. In 1981, after teaching for many years at the College of Homeopathy,
he founded the School of Homeopathy, which is now near Stroud, England.

Mani Norland, Misha’s son, is Principal of the School of Homeopathy. He
trained at the School of Homeopathy and graduated in 2009. He is Managing
Director of Alternative Training, the business that manages all the home
study courses. Mani is a founding member of Homeopathy Course Providers
Forum and 4Homeopathy (the pro homeopathy group of 11 organizations in
the UK). With the latter group Mani has been instrumental in the re-branding
of homeopathy in the UK with the development of a new logo, celebrity
campaigns, and media intervention. Mani also teaches students in the 4th year
about setting up in practice.

Attention Deficit /
Hyperactivity Disorder
and Polarity Analysis:
Features, Cases, Results
Heiner Frei
Summary
The treatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/
ADD) is one of the rather difficult fields in homeopathy. Since the
Swiss ADHD/ADD double-blind study proved significant effects
using highly diluted homeopathic remedies on impulsivity, attention
deficit, and hyperactivity/passivity, the demand for homeopathy has
strongly increased. This paper shows how the method of remedy
selection can be refined and improved by polarity analysis (PA).
PA is a further development of Boenninghausen’s concept of
“contraindications,” which allows a more precise match between
patient symptoms and the characteristics of a homeopathic remedy.
It leads in turn to better treatment outcomes. Furthermore, the use of
“perception symptoms” in making a first homeopathic differential
diagnosis also brought about an increase in the precision of remedy
selection. Due to their inclusion, other symptoms that had been
identified as unreliable could be avoided. Yet caution is advisable
with some “perception symptoms,” a list of which is published in
this article. In a last step, confirmatory symptoms enable us to choose
the best fitting remedy among those with a high polarity difference.
The procedure is demonstrated with two case histories. Finally,
this paper presents the results that can consistently be attained with
polarity analysis when treating ADHD/ADD patients. In order to
replicate them, it is important not to mix polarity analysis with other
homeopathic methods.

Introduction
ADHD/ADD consists of the major symptoms of hyperactivity or
passivity, impulsivity, and attention deficit. It is a disturbance that
has been diagnosed with increasing frequency since the 1990s.
To confirm the diagnosis according to the DSM-IV criteria, the
children—overwhelmingly boys—should show symptoms lasting
at least six months before the age of seven, and in differing
situations, such as at home and at school.1 The treatment of choice in
conventional medicine is methylphenidate (MPD), an amphetamine
derivative that is subject to narcotics legislation in most countries.
Before 1990, ADHD/ADD was thought to affect three to five percent
of children, but this percentage has risen so dramatically that MPD
prescriptions in western countries have increased at exponential
rates. In Switzerland, the nationwide consumption of MPD was 10
kg in 1996 whereas by 2011 it had increased to 349 kg, with no
foreseeable reduction in this upwards trend.2 Because MPD is related
to cocaine, the uncomfortable question arises about what this means
for the development of modern society. Many parents are uneasy
with administering such powerful medication to their children and
are, therefore, seeking other treatments, especially homeopathy, which has
proved to be an effective treatment method in the Swiss ADHD/ADD double-
blind study.3
Conventional Homeopathic Treatment of ADHD/ADD

The homeopathic treatment of children with ADHD/ADD is a
demanding task. In contrast to other illnesses, it is usually difficult
to elicit reliable symptoms because the symptom set is generally
dominated by stereotypical complaints about the child’s behavior,
while the deeper perception disturbances go unnoticed. The
treatment results with conventional homeopathic procedures are
therefore often chastening. Figure 1 illustrates these difficulties with
the results of 86 patients from our practice before the introduction
of polarity analysis.

Several treatment attempts are often needed to find the most suitable
remedy. With the aim of improving this situation, we analysed the
symptom set in 100 patients who were successfully treated, but only
after initial unsuccessful prescriptions; we wanted to find out which
symptoms had prevented us from identifying the correct remedy on
the first attempt. The result of this work was sobering: 77 symptoms
were found to be potentially unreliable, including many mind
symptoms (Table 1).4
Table 1: Unreliable Symptoms in100 ADHD / ADD Cases
Mind symptoms and their modalities 44

General modalities 11
Perception symptoms 4
Motor symptoms 6
Food symptoms (desires, dislikes, modalities) 6
Weather modalities 6

The Significance of “Symptoms of Perception”
Almost everything that we used so far for remedy selection was
responsible for one or more suboptimal prescriptions. This raises the
question of which symptoms could have been used to achieve better
results. In the area of perception, we found what we were looking for.
Disturbed perception is the real cause of all the superficial complaints
in ADHD/ADD patients, and the corresponding symptoms are
scarcely mentioned during case-taking. In ADHD/ADD, the peripheral
sensory organs function normally whereas stimulus selection,
stimulus processing (in the central nervous system), and the reaction
to perceptual stimuli function pathologically; there is either too little
selection of stimuli leading to stimulus overload, restlessness, poor
concentration and rapid fatigue, or the reaction to sensory stimuli is
inadequate leading to maladjusted behaviour in the affected children.5
Perception affects sight, hearing, smell, touch, temperature sensitivity,
and proprioception. In addition there are secondary effects of inadequate
processes of perception, such as speaking disorders, disturbed fine and
gross motor skills, slow thought processes, weak memory, and finally
psychological disturbances, such as sadness and irritability.
To achieve an improvement in the results, it was necessary to identify

symptoms in the revised Therapeutic Pocket Book of Boenninghausen
(PB 2000)6 that as closely as possible match the perceptual disturbances
found in these children. The PB 2000 is our preferred repertory due to
its reliability. When re-evaluating the success rate of prescriptions using
perception symptoms, the number of suboptimal remedies dropped
from four to two, enabling correct remedy selection in an average of
three months.7 Yet we also found that not all “symptoms of perception”
are equally reliable. The first (upper) section of Table 2 shows the ones
that have proved to be invariably reliable; the second (lower) section
of the Table shows those that are occasionally unreliable, but which
can be used if there is a lack of alternatives. Table 2 corresponds to
the first page of our Questionnaire for Disturbances of Perception and
ADHD/ADD that we give parents, which is the hallmark for remedy
selection.

Table 2: Symptoms of Perception
Reliable Symptoms
Function Symptom Interpretation
Sight Light in general: Easily dazzled, ask for
worse sunglasses
Looking at Restless, irritability
something close-up: after consumption of
worse electronic media, TV,
PC, etc.
Reading: worse Tire quickly from
reading, dislike reading
Speech Talking: worse Speech disturbance
Sense of touch Touch: worse Dislike touch, find
touch unpleasant
Temperature Warmth, in general: Often feel too warm
sensitivity worse
Warmth of room: Restless, irritability in
worse overheated rooms
Uncovering: better Quick to undress and to
uncover themselves
Cold, in general: Freeze quickly
worse
Uncovering: worse Quickly feel cold, put
on lots of clothes, want
to cover up
Gross motor Movement, aversion Inactive
function to
Fine motor Writing; worse Write or draw in
function cramped way, tire
quickly, dislike drawing

Time of day Sleep, after, on Irritable, restless after
awaking: worse sleep, trouble getting
going in the morning
Sleep, before: worse Irritable, restless in
evening, when tired,
before sleep
Understanding Understanding Difficulty understanding
difficult complex issues
Mind Sadness Downcast, weepy

Irritability Aggressive, fits of rage
Symptoms that are often reliable, but not always
Hearing Noises: worse Cannot tolerate noise
from other people
Hearing React to sounds that do
hypersensitive not disturb other people
Sense of smell Smell Oversensitive to smells,
hypersensitive smell things everywhere
Taste Taste diminished Add sauce or spices to
many foods
Sense of Traveling in Nausea or headache
balance vehicle: worse when traveling in a car
Movement Movement, desire Excessive desire for
for sports [Distinguish
this symptom from
straightforward
restlessness.]
Movement: worse More relaxed and even-
tempered after sports
Muscle tone Muscles tense Basic muscle tone high
Muscles flabby Basic muscle tone low

The back side of our questionnaire contains all the symptoms that have
been proved unreliable (see: www.heinerfrei.ch, go to resources).
These are marked too by the parents but are used only as a general
information. We do not include them in the repertorization.
Due to the individually specific combination of “perception

symptoms,” a wide spectrum of homeopathic remedies is suitable for
the treatment of ADHD/ADD. We always supplement case-taking
with the Questionnaire for Additional Complaints, on which the
parents or patients list disorders unrelated to ADHD/ADD in a head-
to-toe format. Here too they must note down the modalities. In this
way it is relatively common to find additional “perception symptoms”
that can be included in the repertorization. Other symptoms are only
used when there is a lack of reliable information that does not permit
accurate remedy selection. If homeopathic treatment positively
effects ADHD/ADD, it normally brings about a substantial general
improvement, and the additional complaints often disappear too.
Yet the restriction to reliable symptoms can also result in a lack of
information, such that too many remedies remain for the differential
diagnosis. Using polarity analysis it is generally possible to overcome
this problem.
Polarity Analysis
Polarity Analysis is a precisely defined and well-researched
method of homeopathic treatment, enabling illness to be healed
with great reliability.8 It is based on the grading of the symptoms
in PB 20006, and consists of the elements of polarity difference
and contraindications, which are explained below and illustrated
with case studies. This method increased the precision of
prescriptions considerably and enabled us to demonstrate in the
Swiss ADHD/ADD double-blind study a significant difference
between placebo and high-potency homeopathic remedies.3 PA
has also been found in evaluation studies of acute, chronic and
complex illness to invariably improve the results in comparison
with conventional homeopathic treatment.8,9

Boenninghausen Contraindications
Hahnemann established in the Organon (ORG) § 133 that
the modalities show the peculiar and characteristic aspects
of each symptom.10 In combination with ORG § 153, this
means that homeopathic remedy selection in particular ought
to be determined by the modalities. Boenninghausen himself
strived to match the patient’s characteristic symptoms with the
“genius of a homeopathic remedy” without contradictions.6
The “genius of a remedy” includes those modalities,
sensations, and findings that are seen in the remedy’s proving,
seen in various localizations of the body, and seen to be healed
clinically. These symptoms are what is actually characteristic
of the remedy. In the PB 2000 (software and book), genius
symptoms are generally listed with a high grade. The concept
of contradiction concerns polar symptoms—those which
have an opposite pole, such as: thirst / thirstlessness, cold
aggravates / cold ameliorates, desire for fresh air / dislike of
fresh air. Many remedies cover both poles of symptoms but in
differing grades. The patient’s symptom can only correspond
to one pole of a polar symptom. But a remedy can cover both
poles, due to the fact that its symptoms are observations of
several provers. Normally one pole of the polar symptom is in
a high grade, i.e. what is typical for the remedy; the other pole
of this symptom in a low grade, i.e. what is nonspecific to the
remedy. Because the patient’s symptoms should correspond to
the “genius of the remedy,” Boenninghausen strived to match
them in as high a grade as possible (grades 3-5). If the remedy
contained the patient’s symptom at a low grade (1 or 2) but
the opposite pole of the same symptom at a high grade (3,
4, or 5), he regarded this as a contradiction to the patient’s
characteristic symptoms, and therefore, a contraindication for
the remedy. According to his experience, such a constellation
rarely led to healing.
This inspired the author of this paper to systematically

prioritize polar symptoms in the process of remedy selection,
an idea that led to the development of Polarity Analysis. In the
repertorization software of the PB 200011, a new function was
added that checks remedies for which opposite poles to the
patient’s symptoms are present in grades 3-5 and compares
them with the grades of the patient’s symptoms. It does not
check opposite poles in which the grade is outside the genius
range (grades 1 and 2) since here there can be no contradiction.
Symptoms with contraindications are marked with CI, and the
contraindicated remedy receives a grey background. If we
retrospectively check cases in which the totality of symptoms
has apparently led to a good remedy selection but the result
was disappointing, we often find that contraindications have
been overlooked.
Polarity Difference
In a further step, Boenninghausen’s guidelines are systematically
implemented for all polar symptoms by determining the polarity
difference. To calculate the polarity difference, the repertorization
software adds for each possible remedy the grades of all the patient’s
polar symptoms and then subtracts the grades of the corresponding
opposite poles. The higher the resulting polarity difference, the
more likely the remedy corresponds to the patient’s characteristic
symptoms, assuming there are no contraindications.
At least five polar symptoms should be used for an analysis

if possible. To elicit them the usual homeopathic case-
taking is supplemented with checklists (for acute illness)
and questionnaires (for chronic illness and multimorbidity),
in which the patients underline the symptoms that they have
observed in themselves. The checklists and questionnaires are
specifically designed to elect polar symptoms. So far eight
checklists and twelve questionnaires have been developed for
different problem areas, such as neurology, gynecology, ENT
and airways, allergies, and so on9. Although the theory behind
PA may sound somewhat complicated, the procedure can

immediately be understood when illustrated with case studies.
Since most of the work is done by the repertorization software
of the revised PB 200011, polarity analysis is a very efficient,
time saving way of remedy determination.
Case-Taking Procedure
Homeopathic case-taking for chronic illness requires two sessions.
During the first consultation, a brief case history is taken and the
patient is examined. Then the treatment and the prospects of success
are explained, and the parents are introduced to the questionnaires
of Disturbances of Perception, ADHD/ADD, and Additional
Complaints as well as the form for ADHD/ADD Assessment. This
latter form is designed to record the success of the treatment: the
parents must evaluate the ten most important symptoms on a scale
of intensity from 0 to 3—first before treatment starts, and then
again at every check-up. The symptoms are: excitable and impulsive
/ cries easily and often / restless, fidgety / restless, always on the go /
destructive / lack of stamina / poor concentration / rapid mood changes /
easily frustrated / disturbs other children. It is derived from the Conners
Global Index (CGI), an instrument widely used in conventional medicine
for the assessment of MPD treatments.12 When discussing the course of
treatment, it is important to alert parents to the fact that treatment takes
time and the prospects of success improve with increasing duration. By
the second consultation the parents are expected to have filled out the
questionnaires as carefully as possible. This preparation phase between the
first and second consultation is very important; in the past, when we used
to take the case in a single consultation, the parents continually corrected
the symptoms during subsequent checkups. At the second consultation
we first check and discuss the symptoms noted by the parents. Then we
perform the repertorization, and finally we search the materia medica for
confirmatory symptoms of the remedies shortlisted by PA.
Confirmatory Symptoms
According to ORG § 211, “… the patient’s emotional state often tips
the scales in the selection of the homeopathic remedy.” Kent taught that

remedy selection should be especially orientated to the mind symptoms.
However, “tips the scales” does not mean that mind symptoms are
the best source of information. The original meaning of ORG § 211
was different: after determining the likely remedies on the basis of
characteristic symptoms (especially the modalities), the changes in mind
can be decisive for final selection of the remedy (see also ORG § 216 and
218).
Table 3 contains a list of possible confirmatory symptoms for the

remedies frequently found in ADHD/ADD with the PB 2000 (software
and book). Note that the remedies found depend fundamentally on the
tools used, and therefore certain remedies do not appear when working
with the PB 2000 (software and book). This is especially true for Bufo
rana, Carcinosinum, Crotalus horridus, Lyssinum, Tarentula hispanica,
Tuberculinum and Medorrhinum.
Table 3: Confirmatory Symptoms

Remedy Frequency Keynotes
in percent
Calcium 14 Fearful, shy, obstinate, <
carbonicum consolation when sad, flabby
muscles, profuse sweating, late
teething, exhaustion
Lycopodium 11 Tyrannical behaviour in familiar
situations, poor sense of self-
worth
Sulphur 10 Dislike of washing, foul-
smelling excretions, skin
problems, < warmth of bed
Nux vomica 6 Irritable, ambitious, put
themselves under stress, fits of
rage, impatient, oversensitive

Phosphorus 6 < Being alone, short attention
span, fearful, weak
Causticum 5 Intense emotions, cannot bear
to see others suffer, rebellious,
compulsion to control
Ignatia 5 Oversensitive, vulnerable, upset,
< consolation when sad,
anticipatory tension, changes in
mood
Silicea 4 Remote, obstinate,
conscientious,
< consolation when sad,
disturbances of mineralization
(teeth, nails), tendency to
suppurate
Mercurius 4 Mistrustful, reserved, impulsive
solubilis bad breath, < nights
Belladonna 4 Irritable, < consolation
when sad, febrile delirium,
convulsions, inner heat,
dysmenorrhea
Chamomilla 4 Irritable, fits of rage with hitting,
sensitivity to pain
Sepia 4 Very demanding, indifferent,
withdrawn,
< consolation when sad, <
company
Hepar sulphur 3 Irritable, sensitivity to pain,
foul-smelling excretions

China 3 Irritable, sensitivity of
all sensory organs, high-
expectations in dreams of future,
periodicity of complaints
Lachesis 2 Jealous, talkative, fits of rage,
sarcasm, < heat, < touching
neck
Phosphoricum 2 Indifferent, slow replies,
acidum exhausted, > upset
Pulsatilla 2 Gentle, weepy, need comforting,
changes of mood, < heat, >
outdoors
Staphysagria 2 Complaints from suppression
of sorrow and anger, fits of
rage, throws objects around, <
consolation when sad
Arsenicum 1 Anxious, perfectionist, restless,
album < after midnight, < being alone,
fear of illness and infection
Natrum 1 Taciturn, < worry, < insult,
muriaticum resentful, > being alone, <
consolation when sad
Magnetis polus Not Fearful apprehension, self-
arcticus specified reproaches, want to do
everything quickly, overcareful
Aconitum Not Complaints from psychological
specified shock, fear in crowds, < dry cold
Aurum Not Melancholy, fits of rage,
specified dictatorial behaviour, fear of
failure
Arnica Not Overexertion, effects of injuries,
specified (also psychological)


Results of the Optimization Process
In conclusion, we have taken the following steps to optimize the
treatment of ADHD/ADD:
1. Identification of unreliable symptoms and avoidance
of these during remedy selection.
2. Remedy selection with the help of “perception
symptoms” that underlie the syndrome.
3. Introduction of Polarity Analysis, with which—even
in cases with relatively few symptoms—the patient’s
symptoms can be optimally matched to the “genius of
the remedy.”
4. Introduction of questionnaires to ensure careful and
comprehensive recording of polar symptoms.
Figure 2 shows the strong positive effect of the entire optimization

process on treatment results.
Case 1: Matthias H., 9 years old

Matthias is a thin boy with hypotonia of the muscles, dark hair and dark
skin. At school he is restless with a short attention span, clumsiness,
and absolute passivity at times. His thinking and understanding is
slow, especially where abstract ideas are concerned, and he has a
poor memory. He receives special teaching due to dyslexia. Since

early childhood, Matthias has suffered from fear of the dark and has
poor self-confidence, yet at home he is dominant towards his mother
and brother, especially since his parents separated three years ago.
Following a comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological
examination, he is diagnosed with ADHD. Since his mother does not
want him to take MPD, she comes for a homeopathic consultation.
In the Questionnaire for Disturbances of Perception, ADHD/ADD,

she underlines the following symptoms:
• Looking close-up: worse - P*
• Noises: worse
• Sense of smell: hypersensitive - P
• Sense of taste: reduced
• Touch: worse - P
• Warmth: worse - P
• Uncovering: better - P
• Writing: worse - P
• Muscles: flabbiness - P
• Sleep, before: worse - P
• Understanding difficult - P
• Memory weak - P
• Irritable, aggressive, fits of rage - P
*P = polar symptoms
On the Questionnaire for Additional Complaints, she also mentions

abdominal pain and extreme irritability when hungry. Matthias
prefers frequent but small meals. His mother rates the intensity of
his symptoms on the CGI at 17 (moderately severe ADHD). For the
repertorization we only use reliable polar “symptoms of perception,”
including the symptom muscles: flabbiness because it was verified,
but excluding the less reliable symptom smell hypersensitive.

Repertorization Case 1 (using the repertorization software of PB 2000)11
Key
Repertorization chart: Below the blue bar indicates the patient’s
symptoms, and below the red bar indicates polar symptoms
Contraindication (CI): The opposite pole is found at grade 3, 4,

or 5, whereas the patient’s symptom is found at grade 1 or 2. The
opposite pole is therefore typical of the remedy (i.e. corresponds to
the “remedy’s genius”), not the patient’s symptom. Remedies with
contraindications are indicated by grey shading. Let’s take Borax
for example: the patient’s symptom of < warmth is found at grade
1 whereas the opposite pole > warmth is found at grade 3. The
opposite of the patient’s symptom corresponds to the “genius of the

remedy.” This remedy is therefore contraindicated because it cannot
heal the patient.
No contraindication: The opposite pole is found at a lower grade

than the patient symptom, i.e. the patient’s symptom is typical of
the remedy whereas the opposite pole is less characteristic. These
remedies are indicated by no shading.
Polarity difference: To calculate the polarity difference, we add the

grades of each polar symptom for each remedy and subtract from
the result the grades of the opposite poles. For example, Borax: 15 -
4 = 11. The higher the polarity difference, the more the “genius of a
remedy” corresponds to the patient’s characteristic symptoms.
* The star indicates a grading correction by Carol Dunham who

spent six months in Boenninghausen’s practice. These corrections
are thought to be Boenninghausen’s latest insights.
Eight remedies cover all symptoms, but only four of these have
no contraindications. Due to the large polarity difference, the
best candidates are Lycopodium and Chamomilla. The additional
complaints have prominent indications for Lycopodium, such as
dictatorial behaviour coupled with a lack of self-confidence, and
irritability when skipping a meal.
Prescription and Progress

Matthias is given Lycopodium Q3 in liquid form, initially every
other day, then daily after two weeks. After four weeks, his mother
says that things are going better at school. Matthias has begun to read
books, which he never used to do, and he is reading more fluently.
He calms down more quickly after arguments and upsets. His CGI
has dropped from 17 to 15. Although this is not much, we decide to
continue treatment with Lycopodium Q6. For the next two weeks,
Matthias is very irritable before calming down again. But he starts
writing a diary for the first time. A month later his mother still has
a good feeling about Lycopodium: her son listens to her better than

before, despite fits of rage and oppositional behaviour. His CGI has
fallen to 14. Another month later, after Lycopodium Q9, she says he
is now very sweet, can listen properly and calms down quickly after
arguments. His CGI has dropped to 8. This trend continues in the
long term, and his CGI eventually falls to 7 (Figure 3).
Case 2: Patrick S., 8 years old

Patrick is a slender, blond lad with hypotonia of the muscles. His
mother describes him as restless, impulsive and very fearful (he
is especially afraid of failure), and also very stubborn. At school
he has problems with attention and learning, and he has difficulty
remembering what he has learned. His teacher criticizes his
passivity as well as his restlessness and the ease with which he is
distracted. The diagnosis of ADD is made following a neurological
and neuropsychological examination.
On the Questionnaire for Disturbances of Perception, ADHD/ADD,

the parents record the following symptoms:
• Light: worse - P
• Noises: worse
• Smell: hypersensitive - P
• Warmth: worse - P

• Uncovering: better - P
• Sadness - P
• Irritable, aggressive, fits of rage - P
And on the Questionnaire for Additional Complaints, the parents

note a tendency to infections in the throat and middle ear, associated
with chronic effusion from the middle ear, which necessitated
drainage via a tympanostomy tube two years ago. Patrick also has
growth pains in both lower legs, especially at night and during cold,
damp weather. The modalities of the symptoms of his illness are as
follows:
• Swallowing: worse - P
• Thirst - P
• Physical exercise: worse - P
• Blocked ears
• Touch: better - P (normal for ill children)
• Being alone: worse - P (normal for ill children)
• Cold damp weather: worse
During additional questioning, his mother says he does not have
fits of rage, he sweats easily and strongly, and he is shy rather than
dictatorial.
Since repertorization of the reliable polar “symptoms of perception”

for this patient is not specific enough, we won’t be able to rely on the
polar symptoms alone, and we must now include further symptoms,
especially smell: hypersensitive, noises: worse, swallowing: worse
and thirst.

Repertorization Case 2 (using the repertorization software of PB 2000)
Ten remedies cover all symptoms, but only four of these have no
contraindications. With the help of confirmatory symptoms, we can
identify the most probable one for Patrick:
Chamomilla is one of the leading remedies for irritability and anger.
Patrick’s mother describes him as rather gentle and he does not
have fits of rage, which means Chamomilla is unlikely to help him.
His need for movement also makes Bryonia, which has a dislike
of movement as part of its genius, an improbable choice. And
Lycopodium patients are typically dictatorial, which does not fit this
patient. China therefore takes centre stage.
Prescription and Progress

Patrick is given China Q3, initially every other day, and then daily
after two weeks.
During the first three days his symptoms worsen noticeably, then an
impressive improvement took hold. The patient became more open
and sociable and could now play with several children at the same

time. There is also positive feedback from school. Four weeks later,
his CGI has dropped from 16 to 7.
In the following month, China Q6 improved the situation further;
his CGI sank to 5, and in the long term it fell to as low as 3, which
is the value found in a healthy child.
Treatment Results and Polarity Analysis

After looking at these individual cases, we can attempt to answer the
question of what kind of results can be expected with the treatment of
ADHD/ADD using polarity analysis.
In our practice in 2012, we treated 417 children with ADHD/ADD

and disturbances of perception. Of the 417 children 357 (85.6 %)
children used only homeopathy, 45 (10.8%) used MPD, and 15 (3.6%)
used Atomoxetine. Of those treated with homeopathy, 90 (25%) were
given Q potencies, all others received single doses of 200C, 1M, 10M,
50M and 100M potencies at average intervals of four weeks. Many of
these patients had already been in homeopathic treatment for several
years. Patients who did not improve sufficiently with homeopathy
were transferred to allopathic treatment with either MPD (RitalinR,
ConcertaR) or—if this was not enough—to Atomoxetine (StratteraR).
The most common reason for conventional allopathic treatment was
the demands of the school (Figure 5).

In 40 newly admitted patients, the progress of the improvement as
reflected by the CGI was prospectively recorded over 12 months.
With homeopathy, the CGI dropped on average in 32 of the 40
patients from 18 to 7, which corresponds to an improvement of 61%
(80% responders). In the remaining 8 patients (20% nonresponders)
we did not achieve any sustained improvement (Figure 6).
To look at the long-term results of the Swiss ADHD/ADD study, at

the end of this double-blind study, parents and patients were free to
choose what type of treatment they would like to continue using.
Five years after the start of treatment, 60 of the 62 study participants

could still be contacted for a long-term follow-up. 28 children
were still being treated with homeopathy: their CGI averaged 6.8;
25 children had stopped all treatment: their CGI averaged 8.8. 7
children had switched to treatment with MPD: their CGI averaged
10.6 (Figure 7).
Discussion
The Swiss ADHD/ADD double-blind study, which was completed
ten years ago, provided proof of a significant effect of highly
diluted homeopathic remedies. Equally important in this study
was the discovery of Polarity Analysis, which was responsible for
the successful outcome. Meanwhile this method has been further
refined, and possible obstacles for successful treatment have been
identified.
To obtain optimal results using Polarity Analysis, please observe the

following rules:
• Not all “symptoms of perception” are equally reliable for
remedy selection; if possible avoid those that have been
identified as being not always reliable.
• Do not mix Polarity Analysis with another homeopathic
procedure: this is a frequent beginner’s mistake.

• Unsuccessful treatment is very often characterized by
poor observation of symptoms. Careful instruction of the
patients and parents is a crucial prerequisite.
• It is possible that the approximately 20% nonresponders
are due to the limited number of 133 remedies covered
by the PB 2000 (software and book). One can counter the
problem by relying on knowledge of the materia medica
and by using another repertory in cases where we might
reasonably suspect a remedy not listed. All the other
advantages of the PB 2000 (software and book)—and
most especially the high level of reliability in the remedy
grading—are so substantial that the author of this paper
would never like to work without it.
Despite a multitude of hurdles, and with patience and perseverance,

we can achieve very gratifying results in most of our ADHD/ADD
patients. This brings great relief to the child, the family and the
school, allowing the child to live a normal life once more.
Bibliography
1. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington DC: American
Psychiatric Association,1994
2. Stricker HR: “Der Ritalinkonsum in der Schweiz steigt weiter an”.
Schweiz. Ärztezeitung (2013) 94,15: 575-577
3. Frei H, Everts R, von Ammon K et al: “Homeopathic Treatment
in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – a
Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial”. Eur J Ped
(2005) 164: 758-767
4. Frei H, von Ammon K, Thurneysen A: “Treatment of Hyperactive
Children: Increased Efficiency through Modifications of
Homeopathic Diagnostic Procedure. Homeopathy”. Homeopathy
(2006) 95, 163-170
5. Ayres AJ: Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders, Los
Angeles: Western Psychological Services, 1973
6. Dimitriadis G: The Boenninghausen Repertory: Therapeutic Pocket
Book Method. Sydney: Hahnemann Institute, 2000
7. Frei H: Homeopathy and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- A New Treatment Concept with Polarity Analysis. Kandern:
Narayana Publishers (textbook in preparation, expected 2015)
8. Frei H: “Polarity analysis, a new approach to increase the precision
of homeopathic prescriptions”. Homeopathy (2009) 98, 49-55

9. Frei H: Polarity Analysis in Homeopathy, A Precise Path to the
Simillimum, Kandern: Narayana Publishers, 2013
10. Hahnemann S: The Organon of the Medical Art, 6th ed. Transl. S.
Decker, ed. W.B. O’Reilly. Redmond, WA: Birdcage Books, 1996
[1842]
11. Boenninghausen Arbeitsgemeinschaft: Boenninghausen’s
Therapeutic Pocketbook (homeopathy repertorization software,
available in English), Ahrweiler, 2009 (see www.boenninghausen.
de).
12. Conners CK: Conners Rating Scales - Revised. Multi Health
Systems, Toronto, 1997.
Biography
Dr. Heiner Frei is pediatrician in Laupen, Switzerland. After clinical

training as a pediatric hematologist and oncologist, he started practicing
homeopathy 27 years ago. In 2005 he has become internationally known
as the author of the rigorous Swiss ADHD double-blind study, which
led to a significant difference in treatment success between homeopathic
remedies and placebo. For this trial he developed Polarity Analysis, a
new method to improve the precision of homeopathic prescriptions. For
his research, Dr. Frei received several scientific awards. He has published
books on ADHD and on Polarity Analysis in German and English. His
most recent book is Polarity Analysis in Homeopathy, A Precise Path
to the Simillimum. If you are interested in Courses in Polarity Analysis
in the USA, please contact Mrs. Lauren Hubele, Austin/Texas, Email:
l.hubele@googlemail.com.
Address of the Author

Heiner Frei, MD, Pediatrician FMH, Homeopathy FMH
Kreuzplatz 6, CH-3177 Laupen, Switzerland
www.heinerfrei.ch

Book Review: The Natural Medicine
Guide for Travel and Home
By Richard Pitt
Reviewed by Jennifer White, ND, DHANP, CCH
This 288-page book is your passport to healthy traveling. It’s a nice
size for a backpack or suitcase, but it also is a useful size for sitting at
home on your first aid shelf. While there is an emphasis on travel in
every chapter of the book, there are only four chapters that directly
address travel outside Western society: Common Tropical Diseases,
Other Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Tick Bite Diseases, and
Prevention (which includes information on vaccinations). The rest
of the book is useful no matter where you travel, even if traveling
only involves walking in your backyard or down the street or hiking
up in the mountains close to home or at the beach. For instance, the
longest chapter in the book is on Accidents, Injuries, and Traumas
(Chapter 4), and we all know how common these can be.
Mr. Pitt is an experienced traveler and includes many useful ideas

from his seasoned perspective. It is convenient to have on hand a
nicely prepared medical dictionary of simple pharmacology. In this
way it is most useful to lay-people and those in need of a quick
synopsis of conditions. For a sole travel book, it is a little heavy
for travel. I would suggest thin, rice paper pages— similar to what
you’d find in the Merck Manual for Diagnosis and Therapy—since
it nicely functions as a simplified version (yet naturally glorified)
Merck Manual.
Let’s sneak a peek inside at the section on diarrhea in the Digestive

Conditions chapter. Diarrhea is a common traveler’s complaint,
but it can also be experienced in the comfort of one’s home. After
giving information about the body’s use for such a reaction, Mr. Pitt
discusses prudence on jumping to antibiotics and over-the-counter

medication as a first choice (not only for reasons of suppression but
also for safety) and gives advice on when to seek medical care. He
also gives the different conditions that may produce the symptom.
Then he carries on with bullet points denoting General Care (where
he talks about diet), Homeopathic Care (where he compares and
contrasts Ars-alb, Podo, Ver-alb, Coloc, Nux-v, Aloe, Cham, and
Gels), and Herbal Care (where not only does he provide information
about some herbs to use but also so smartly gives precautions on
their use).
I especially like the Remedy List, Chapter 17. He gives quick

snapshots of your home and travel first aid kit medicines
(homeopathic, topical, and herbal). However, the Homeopathic
Organizations and Pharmacies and Supplies sections in Chapter 18
could be more extensive. The HANP didn’t even make it on the list!
Biography
Dr. Jennifer White, ND, DHANP, CCH is a homeopath located in Seattle,

Washington. The majority of her practice is working with clients at the constitutional
(and fundamental) homeopathic level; she also works in an Eizayaga-like and
Vannier-like manner. She can be found at: www.seattlehomeopathy.com.

Freddie’s Descent Into Autism:
An Illustration Of Cease Therapy
Anke Zimmermann, ND
United States health authorities announced in March 2014 that
autism is even more common than previously thought, with 1 in 68
children now being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
That’s about 30% higher than previous estimates reported in 2012
of 1 in 88 children1. Autism rates are increasing by 17% a year and
nobody seems to know why. Sadly, boys are five times more likely
to be affected than girls, with rates being as high as 1 in 48. North
America is facing an increasingly serious epidemic of autism and
related neurodevelopmental disorders with no agreed-upon cause
or cure in sight.
Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of working
with many autistic children using CEASE Therapy, an integrated
treatment method based on homeopathy and nutrition, developed
by the Dutch medical doctor and homeopath Tinus Smits. I am
happy to report that there is real hope, not only for healing these
wonderful youngsters but, more importantly, for identifying the
causative factors of this disabling condition. In fact, CEASE
Therapy has totally changed the way I practice and is possibly the
most exciting discovery of my professional life. I hope that my
little story will inspire many colleagues to investigate this system
for themselves and take on the challenge of treating autism and
related conditions.
The Call
My phone rang at 8 am on Saturday, February 1st. Dr.

Zimmermann, I’m really worried about my son, I think he is

suddenly becoming autistic, is there any way we could come
and see you today? The father had just found me on the CEASE
Therapy website.
Freddie, an adorable 15-month-old boy, had received his 12-month

shots of MMR, varicella, meningococcal, and pneumococcal
conjugate shots about nine weeks prior on November 19, 2013.
Within four weeks, two small red spots became visible around
the MMR and varicella injection sites on his upper left arm. By
January 9, an unusual eczematous lesion, 2.4 cm in diameter, had
developed at the varicella injection site, and 11 days later his entire
body was covered in patches of itchy, eczematous eruptions. But
this was not the only problem.
More concerning, we have noticed behavioral changes, the father

said. He has started to bump his head a lot and is rocking hard.
Yesterday he toe-walked and also reverted back to crawling even
though he’s already been walking for two months. And he is hitting
everybody and everything. He now wanted to be carried constantly
and was very irritable. He was grinding his teeth and had also
developed greenish-black diarrhea over the past two weeks. And he
is not babbling anymore at all, says his father.
The Emergency
I saw the family the same day. To me this was an emergency in

the true sense of the word. They drove for three hours to come
to my office from Up Island (Vancouver Island). Further history
revealed that the child had been seen after the initial skin eruptions
by the family doctor, who referred him to a dermatologist. The
dermatologist prescribed an antibiotic and hydrocortisone cream
for the eczema, but it didn’t help the condition, and Freddie reacted
to the medications with acute swelling of his ankles. The doctor

then prescribed Benedryl for that reaction.
Previous to the immunization Freddie had received a course of

Amoxicillin for a respiratory infection, and his mother had also
taken antibiotics while breast-feeding. The mother had a history of
lung problems and was a smoker.
During the office visit Freddie was very irritable and restless,
whining and throwing things, needing to be held almost the whole
time, and frequently hitting his parents and banging his head
against their chests. He made almost no eye contact with me but
did give me a one millisecond flash of an amazingly beautiful
smile. The parents reported that until recently he ate everything but
was now only accepting meat, milk, and sour things. He had also
started to perspire heavily on his head and feet, easily ran out of
breath, and coughed when running, “just like a very fat boy.”
I recommended vitamin C, 500 mg/day, ascorbyl palmitate, 500

mg/day, zinc, 10-15 mg/day, a good probiotic (Natren LifeStart)
1/4 tsp once a day, evening primrose oil, 2000 mg/day and a
children’s chewable multi-vitamin twice a day. Most of these
supplements are part of the standard CEASE Therapy program.
Then I gave Tuberculinum, 30C, one dose to be administered

the same day and repeated on Saturdays for the next month as a
constitutional remedy; Saccharum officinalis, 6X, 2 pellets a day to
support his digestive system; and Varicella nosode, 30C, 2 pellets
to be given on Mondays and Thursdays for two weeks, followed by
Varicella 200 C in the same manner for the next two weeks. This
last remedy was given because his reaction was obviously linked to
the varicella shot.

The Cringe Factor
Only three years ago I would have cringed at the idea of giving
multiple remedies, like this, simultaneously and repeated this
often. For twenty years I had identified as a died-in-the-wool
classical homeopath. I had fallen in love with homeopathy shortly
after being introduced to this fine art in naturopathic college in
1989. In truth, this romance almost perished before it began as
I contemplated quitting school due to seemingly irreconcilable
differences surrounding the mysteries of potentization. A dose of
Lachesis mutus for a severely inflamed left tonsil two months into
my first homeopathy course promptly and fortuitously changed my
skepticism, and the love story flourished.
Then, in the spring of 2011, I read Dr. Tinus Smits’ book, Autism
– Beyond Despair2, which describes his method of using different
potencies of homeopathy together with diet and supplements
to help children affected by autism. He had called it CEASE
Therapy, short for “Complete Elimination of Autism Spectrum
Expression.” At first I thought this was quite a bold claim to make,
but after the past three years of experience with his method I can
see the potential to totally heal children from autism. Reading
this remarkable book, I felt as if Dr. Smits was speaking directly
to me. I had long been interested in pediatrics, and especially in
developmental and behavioral disorders, so my mind was fertile
soil for his heartfelt message of hope for autistic children. I had
already seen quite promising results with classical homeopathy and
nutrition in the treatment of these conditions over the years, but his
book opened my mind to a much more comprehensive treatment
approach, as well as to the possibility of actually solving the
mystery of autism.

CEASE Training
In short order I started to practice his method, then took my

CEASE Therapy certification training in June 2012, and repeated
it in March 2014. A word to the wise: Take the training, and take it
even twice. The book does not explain how the method is practiced
completely, and I lost a few cases due to less than ideal case
management early on.
Two days after Freddie’s initial consult, the mother wrote me.
Yesterday we noticed that Freddie was happier and more interested
in playing. He bumped his head only 3 times. His stool was still
loose, but he ate all his meals without any problems. That was the
Tuberculinum working.
On February 7, I received another update. Yesterday we gave

Freddie the first doses of Saccharum 6X and Varicella 30C. After
that he could not sleep at night and was very itchy, arching his
body in distress and screaming a lot. Is it possible that only one
dose of the remedy created such a change? As homeopaths, we
see the aggravation here. A positive sign! I advised the mother to
give Freddie epsom salt and clay baths to help him detox and to
increase his ascorbyl palmitate to 1000 mg a day to help his body
deal with the inflammation.
On February 24, I received another note. Freddie is doing very

well. We can see a huge change in his behavior, and he is eating
without any problems. His stool is still loose, but the color has
changed back to a normal brown from the greenish-black color
that it was before.

The BCG Twist
At the next office visit on March 1, a month after the initial

consult, Freddie was like a different child. He smiled at me,
laughed, and was very engaging. The parents said, It’s like a
miracle to us. Such a big change. We are very impressed. Now
he is repeating words again and learning new words. He stopped
grinding his teeth the day after his first dose of Tuberculinum and
stopped banging his head until a couple of days ago. The eczema
was also getting better. Then, interestingly, the mother reported
discovering that both her younger brother and herself were
vaccinated with the BCG vaccine (a vaccine “protecting” against
tuberculosis) in Europe when they were a month old. Her brother
started crying a lot after this vaccination and broke out in eruptions
on his face. He was subsequently cured by a homeopath!
In the meantime, on February 7, the family had seen another

dermatologist in Vancouver who wanted to put the child on
extra-strong oral and topical antibiotics and steroids. The parents
declined. All homeopaths breathe a sigh of relief.
Causes of Autism
After 30 years of experience and treating more than 300 children

with autism, Dr. Smits found that about 70% of these children
had been negatively affected by vaccines and the other 30% by
antibiotics, anesthetics, and other medications. Plastic softeners
and other environmental toxins, as well as emotional traumas, were
additional culprits. He also discovered that vaccines, medications,
and illnesses the parents had, even long before conception, as well
as during pregnancy, could contribute to autism in their children.
This is where CEASE Therapy truly shines and holds enormous

potential not only for the treatment of autistic children, but
also for the growth of homeopathy (and possibly for a radical
change in today’s medical and chemical industries). Our modern
pharmaceutical medicine, as well as environmental toxins and
poor nutrition, all seem to be working together to harm vulnerable,
developing brains of babies and young children, causing
neurological havoc. One in five children now is diagnosed with a
neurodevelopmental disorder, including autism, PDD-NOS, ADD/
ADHD, dysgraphia, apraxia, sensory processing disorders, among
others.
Dr. Smits found, and I can confirm, that in most cases, autism
is an accumulation of many factors, from inherited miasmatic
predispositions to medical interventions during pregnancy and
finally to the last antibiotic or vaccine the child receives. Of
course, isotherapy, in and of itself, is nothing new to homeopathy,
neither is the treatment of vaccine injuries. Dr. Smits simply
managed to create a nice, comprehensive treatment system for
autism which is understandable by lay people and very useful for
professional homeopaths. CEASE Therapy combines classical
homeopathy to strengthen the child’s constitution with isotherapy
to address specific toxic events. Organ and drainage remedies are
added as needed to support the organs of elimination, and good
nutrition and supplements are used to help reduce inflammation
and support the overall healing process. Dr. Smits also developed
another system of homeopathy, which he called “Inspiring
Homeopathy,” to address universal layers of human experience.
Inspiring Homeopathy is also used in CEASE Therapy and is a
very interesting development in its own right.

The Ordeal
While Freddie was working his way through the 200C, 1M, and
10M potencies of the Varicella nosode, two doses of each potency
a week for two weeks each before going higher (which is one of
the protocols that can be used in CEASE Therapy), I was attending
my second CEASE Therapy training in Vancouver on March 28-
29 2014. And, this was when trouble started. Yesterday, Freddie
received his first dose of Varicella 10M. He woke up at 4 am on
Friday with a fever of 38.9°C. I put a wet cloth on his head and
legs and tried to give him a lot of fluids. He woke every hour and at
6:30 - 7 am things turned really bad. He was not able to swallow,
his tongue was stiff, he became absent and suddenly delirious. His
eyes started to close, and it was noticeable that he was trying to
keep them open. Immediately I put him into a bathtub with cold
water. Ten minutes later he threw up. He continued with a low-
grade fever until 5 pm, sleeping most of the day. Finally, around 5
pm he woke up and came back to himself but had great difficulties
walking.
All this had happened the previous day. The parents had been
unable to reach me right away as I was out of town and did not
have a cell phone with me. I did get the email Saturday morning
and spoke to them during a break at the seminar. As the mother
was explaining in vivid detail what had happened, I felt deeply
concerned but also somehow elated. Freddie’s system had now
truly conquered his disease.
Methodology 101
Kim Kalina, our teacher of the CEASE training, had just gone over
Dr. Smits’ preference to keep children at the same potency of a
clearing remedy (the Varicella remedy in this case) until they stop

responding to it (positive or negative). One of his close colleagues,
Ton Jansen, had designed the protocol I was previously following
with Freddie of using increasing potencies every two weeks to
make things easier for some parents and to bring order into chaotic
cases. Freddie had been responding positively to the previous
lower doses of the Varicella nosode, so the 10M had not actually
been necessary at this time. The intense aggravation could have
been avoided.
Thankfully, I had insisted that the parents read Dr. Smits’ book and
explained the possibility of an aggravation, and it prevented them
from taking their son to a hospital to be given more suppressive
therapy. This was the worst aggravation I had seen in three years
of practicing CEASE therapy. I also learned at the repeat training
that it’s better to have children on the supplement protocols for
about a month before starting the isotherapy in order to reduce the
risk of more intense aggravations. Freddie had only had one week.
Aggravations from isotherapy is due to the body’s inability to clear
the toxin, and the supplements help their body do the job they so
badly need to do.
The Return
I saw Freddie again on April 12, ten weeks into CEASE and it
was an amazing visit. His eye contact had developed into a steady
gaze of great depth and intimacy, he smiled his glorious smile a
lot more, laughed and played joyfully throughout the appointment,
and was highly interactive. He no longer had trouble walking
from the Varicella 10M aggravation. His skin was about 80%
cleared, and if I had not known about his history I would not
have suspected any autism issues at all. His eating, digestion, and
perspiration were normal, and the parents’ only concern was that

he seemed to lag behind a bit with his language, although it seemed
age-appropriate for me.
Freddie is the youngest child I have treated with symptoms of

autism so far. Many questions can be raised about this case,
including whether or not he was really becoming autistic as he
never did get an “official” diagnosis. A diagnosis would have likely
required a wait for several weeks or months (or years at his young
age) for a formal assessment, during which time his condition
would have continued to deteriorate. In my experience the earlier
any intervention takes place, the better. Freddie is a prime example
of how quickly things can be turned around with homeopathy. It
could also be asked if Tuberculinum alone would have helped him
as a constitutional remedy. I think that is possible; however, the
case illustrates clear reactions to the Varicella remedy. I have many
successful cases treated with this method, a few of which are on
my website, and Dr. Smits’ book contains a true wealth of case
histories.
Personally I can’t cheer loud enough for CEASE Therapy. It has

been wonderful for my clients. It certainly shook up my previous
paradigm, but with it my practice is more emotionally rewarding
than ever because of my success with clients. I now feel confident
in my ability to help these desperate families, and they, likewise,
are so grateful. In turn, seeing those little ones flash an engaging
smile at me always makes my day!
Canaries in the Coal Mine
Autism is something that is going to affect us all. With autism

rates increasing so rapidly, this condition is bound to create an
unprecedented economic as well as health care crisis, not only in
North America, but increasingly throughout the rest of the world.

According to some statistics only 10% of autistic individuals are
ever expected to work, and the average lifetime cost of a person
with autism to society is estimated at around $3.5 million3. Only
3% are expected to live independently as adults; currently about
90% live with their parents or in care homes as adults4. And, worst
of all, only 49% of children with autism will ever be expected to
have one friend.
As one million doses of vaccines are injected around the world

every day, children currently with autism are just canaries in the
coal mine of modern medicine. As homeopaths we are in a unique
position to not only heal these children but also to help create a
better health care system and ultimately a safer world for all of us.
Let us set aside any ideological differences and join together to
embrace the challenges and emergency of autism.
References:
1
Centres for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/media/
releases/2014/p0327-autism-spectrum-disorder.html
2
Smits T. Autism, Beyond Despair: Homeopathy Has the Answers.
Haarlem, Netherlands: Emryss Publishers; 2010.
3
Jabrink K, Knapp M. The Economic Impact of Autism in Britain.
London: Sage Publications; March, 2001. http://aut.sagepub.com/
content/5/1/7.abstract. Accessed June 15, 2013.
4
National Autistic Society - http://www.autism.org.uk/
Biography
Dr. Anke Zimmermann is a naturopathic doctor with a special interest in

pediatrics, especially autism and other developmental and behavioral disorders.
She graduated from the Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1991,
holds a fellowship designation from the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy, and
is a certified CEASE Therapist. Dr. Zimmermann frequently writes articles for
publication and has many case studies that can be read on her website. You can
find her at: www.drzimmermann.org.

Repertorization and the
Vithoulkas Expert System
By Steve Olsen ND, DHANP
When taking a case, it is usually best to wait for some important
symptoms before making a repertorization because common
symptoms such as fever, joint pain, fatigue, and headache will be
covered by almost all of our remedies. A case at the beginning is
like being lost in a dark forest; you can’t see the wood of the trees
by standing back and viewing the forest. Just as a few dependable
lighted beacons would help you find your way to your destination,
having a few individualized symptoms to direct you helps you find
the simillimum.
Every case is different and needs to be approached on its own

terms. Some cases can be solved with modalities and general and
unique physical symptoms, while others require an understanding
of the emotional patterns in the patient’s life. In physical cases, and
I might add acute cases, you can repertorize the modalities first
(such as, headaches worse from light, pain worse from motion,
or nausea worse from the smell of food), then match the general
symptoms with a set of likely remedies, and finally choose a
remedy that best fits the current emotional state of the patient.
However, in my practice, I go an extra step by reading about the
remedies suggested in the repertorization, which informs me of
new ways to view the patient’s symptoms, and then I add these
newly devised symptoms to my first repertorization in order to
make a comparison of the best two or three remedies.
Here is an example of a case that is primarily physical. It is a case

of scar tissue disease.
The patient, Jason, is a 40-year-old, tall, very lean, friendly, and

outgoing chap. He has had many skiing accidents. In his back

there are several herniated discs, for which he has had surgery.
Since these injuries and surgeries he has been diagnosed with
generalized fibrosis. His whole body is painful, stiff, and tight. He
was diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease. Erections are painful due
to scar tissue. There are bands of scar tissue throughout his body
which are painful. He can’t stretch out properly.
Jason also suffers from seasonal allergies to grasses and as a

result gets hives, red and itchy eyes, and itching in the nose. He
experiences sneezing and sinus congestion.
He’s allergic to cats and MSG, which cause migraine headaches.
He has
oily skin on his nose, forehead, and upper back. The oil stains the
bed yellow. There are two large warts on his foot. He loves onions.
If he eats raw potato, his mouth will itch. There are no symptoms if
he eats tomatoes.
I don’t like to fail, he says. I repeat things till I get them right.
I have a strong ambition and high expectations of myself. I did
not agree with my father on some things so at age 15 I threw in
the towel and decided to be myself. In high school I had a lot of
friends. Now I am happily married. At work I try to please people.
There is some frustration if things don’t work right.
Jason has a warm body temperature and feels worse if overheated.

He likes to be in a cool environment like the snow. There is an
aggravation from sun in his eyes (3) and an aggravation from hot
sun in general. He gets migraines behind his right eyeball. It feels
like a hot nail above the right eye. With this symptom he gets chills
and nausea. He has an aversion to milk but loves cheese. He has a
thirst for room-temperature drinks.
There is a constant loud ringing in his ears, which started after a
ski accident.
His body type is slender and athletic. He says he has trouble
maintaining muscle mass, and he has a tendency to lose weight.

My analysis is this case is mostly physical. He is able to fully
differentiate himself from his family. He is happily married. He
likes his work and has strong ambition. There is nothing emotional
to base a remedy on. On looking at the physical symptoms we have
two areas which do not seem related: sclerosis and hay fever. But
are they really not related?
The definition of Ankylosis, or Anchylosis, is from the Greek

word ἀγκύλος, which means bent or crooked. It is stiffness of
a joint due to abnormal adhesion and rigidity of the bones of the
joint, which may be the result of injury or disease. The rigidity
may be complete or partial and may be due to inflammation of the
tendinous or muscular structures outside the joint or of the tissues
of the joint itself.
My repertorization consisted of the following rubrics:
GENERALS - CONNECTIVE TISSUE; affections of:

EXTREMITIES - ANKYLOSIS:
SKIN - CICATRICES:
MALE GENITALIA/SEX - ERECTIONS - painful:
GENERALS - INJURIES
EAR - NOISES in:
NOSE - HAY FEVER: EYE - ITCHING:
NOSE - SNEEZING:
NOSE - ITCHING - INSIDE:
EYE - ITCHING:
PERSPIRATION - STAINING the linen - yellow:
GENERALS - FOOD and DRINKS - potatoes - agg.:
HEAD - PAIN - nail; as from a:
EYE - PHOTOPHOBIA: GENERALS - FOOD and
DRINKS - milk - aversion:
EAR - ADHESIONS in middle ear - noises in ear;
FACE - GREASY: agar.

GENERALS - WARM - agg.:
GENERALS - LEAN people:
Using a repertorization based on totality the following remedies

appear in this order: Puls, Graph, Merc, Sulph, Nat-m, Nux-v, Sil.
Using the Vithoulkas Expert System we see the following

remedies:
Large Remedies: Iod, Kali-iod, Graph, Sil, Merc, Psor.

Medium Remedies: Thios (listed in first place).
Thiosinaminum (Thios) is listed in 279th place on the regular

repertorization based on totality. Thiosinaminum is made from
Thiosinamine. Thiosinamine is a chemical derivative of volatile
mustard oil, black mustard (Sinapis nigra) being the source. The
dried black ripe seeds are distilled to produce volatile mustard oil,
but the oil can also be produced synthetically from the interaction
of allyl iodide and potassium thiocyanate. The oil contains 92%
or more allyl isothiocyanate. The oil is colorless or slightly
yellow in color and has a very pungent irritating odor. By adding
excess alcohol and ammonia to volatile mustard oil, the odor
disappears (gradually in cold and more quickly on heating) while
crystals of thiosinamine are formed. (The North West College of
Homoeopathy, Tony Grinney)
In the past I have used Sinapis nigra for hay fever symptoms.
NOSE - HAY FEVER: Sin-nig

NOSE - SNEEZING: Sin-nig
EYE - ITCHING: Sin-nig
NOSE - ITCHING - INSIDE: Sin-nig.
The remedy Sinapis nigra is made from black mustard seed itself,
unlike Thiosinaminum, which is made from volatile mustard oil.

Typically the patient who needs Sinapis nigra has perspiration
on the upper lip; however, my patient did not have this important
keynote.
These two remedies are almost identical from the standpoint of

looking at what they are made from, but the manner in which they
are different is that Thiosinaminum is more refined. We see this
same differentiation in Coca and Cocainum (the latter being more
refined) or Nux vomica and Strychninum (the latter being more
refined). If one reads the materia medica for Thios there is no
mention of any hay fever symptoms, and in the materia medica of
Sinapsis nigra there is no mention of scar tissue symptoms. This
made the choice between these two remedies difficult as I like to
give a remedy based on the totality of the symptoms.
I considered the essence of the case these rubrics: SKIN -

CICATRICES and EAR - ADHESIONS. All the soft tissue of
this patient was turning into scar tissue. Based on the confidence
I have with the VES, I chose to give this patient one dose of
Thiosinaminum 30c, even though it is only listed in the following
four rubrics:
EXTREMITIES - ANKYLOSIS: Thios.

SKIN - CICATRICES: Thios.
EAR - NOISES in: Thios.
EAR - ADHESIONS in middle ear: Thios.
He had a very severe aggravation which lasted four days:

migraine headache, whole body aches, crawling skin sensations,
quick alternations of heat and cold. Strangely, there wasn’t an
aggravation of the hay fever symptoms.
Two weeks later on July 1, 2011 he reported to me that his tinnitis

was all better. The body pain was 20% better. His chronic ear
infection, which he did not tell me about, was 80- 90% better.

We know that Thios treats ear infections that lead to deafness.
He felt more rested on waking. The hay fever allergies, however,
were worse overall but were better when it rained. He still was
getting hives when shaving. And, there was no change in the hand
perspiration.
My conclusion was this seemed like the correct remedy but the
allergies were worse. I thought perhaps it would have been better
to give Sinapis nigra, but my plan was to continue with Thios 30c
once a week.
Within about six months the fibrosis, muscle pain, and Peyronie’s
were completely better. Even the hard lumps of scar tissue in his
body had resolved and returned back to normal. He could have sex
again with no pain. The hay fever continued to be a problem until I
gave him Sulphur iodatum 30c for his very red lips, hypoglycemia
with trembling, hurriedness, being worse from heat, and lean body
type. But it is interesting that black mustard contains hydrogen
sulphide. After taking several doses of Sulph-iod 30c the allergies
were all better. To this day, when the scar tissue pain returns he
takes Thios 10m, but this is not very often. In the spring of 2013
there were no allergies, no more fibrosis pain, and no more tinnitis.
In this case I did not see any changes to his mental state or even
emotionally, which is unusual as most of my patients seem to have
at least one emotional problem. If his hay fever ever returns, I will
look for some of the keynotes of Sinapis nigra, such as hot itchy
scalp, sweat on the upper lip and forehead, tongue feeling blistered,
acrid discharges, cough better lying down, offensive breath, and
canker sores.
In other cases, the physical modalities do not seem to suggest

a short list of remedies to compare. Often these cases are
psychologically based, and you have to gather from the patient the
patterns in their life that most limit them. These patterns, which

make up “their dilemma,” are like deep ocean currents, which will
not be offered to you directly. Instead, you have to listen for how
the patient describes their symptoms to you and continue to ask
questions such as “I don’t understand; will you explain this more to
me?” or “What happened and how did you react in that situation?”
or “Tell me more about what is really bothering you.”
Your intuition and understanding should continuously be on one

idea: Perceive what needs to be cured in the patient. I call this “the
big picture of the patient’s life” because the remedy needs to match
this overall dilemma. Once you understand and have proven your
understanding with many examples, then you include a rubric,
or two, that demonstrates this dilemma in your repertorization,
such as: Mind, yielding or Mind, ailments from discord, or Mind,
suspicious. These are the symptoms that are continually affecting
the person’s life every day and are creating a permanent limitation
to their development and happiness. It is not easy to solve these
types of cases without first identifying the patient’s dilemma and
choosing the representative rubrics.
Here is an example of my reasoning showing a case with such a

dilemma: Ellen is a 54-year-old mortgage broker. (The case is taken
from Arbor Medica, Volume II) On January 27, 2004, she came to
me with these symptoms. She was extremely irritable at everything
(3). She said that people are stupid (2) and they waste her time (2).
I often express my anger at them. I would like to swear at them. In
retrospect though, I am much too outspoken. I don’t seem to care
about what I say. She was worried all the time about her clients (3).
She would wake at 3:30 AM with anxiety. And for generals, she said
that she craved fresh, cool, open air (3).”
So far in the case there is nothing to go on. Irritability is a very

common symptom, and so is worry and the desire for fresh air. But,
the next symptom is unusual: I no longer want to take a shower or
bath; it is too much trouble. From the proving of Spirostachys I know

this is one of its main dilemmas. These people feel indifferent and
don’t like to take care of themselves or clean up after themselves. I
have lost the sense of purpose in my work. Why am I doing this job?
I feel what I do is useless. Also from the proving, I know this to be
part of the main dilemma.
I want to find if there are any confirmations for Spirostachys and so

I inquire further. Her craving are for cream, rich food, and sweets. I
find most other foods a chore, especially vegetables. I have a lack of
appetite. I tend to skip meals, and when I eat, I have to make myself
eat (2). Food seems to have lost its sense of taste. Sometimes I cook
dinner, but then I don’t enjoy what I have made. The symptom that
food seems to have lost its sense of taste is a very strong confirmation
for Spirostachys.
In my analysis, I concluded that she had many symptoms for

Spirostachys: outspoken anger, lack of appetite, indifference to the
taste of food, a lost sense of purpose, and indifference to bathing. I
gave her Spirostachys 200c, one dose.
Ten days later she came to me and said I enjoy a shower every day
now. I also desire good food and my appetite is much improved. My
overall attitude is also more positive and the anxiety is all better. No
more irritability. I have a stronger sense of purpose, and I like to
help people again. The ringing in my ear is quieter, and my hearing
has improved.
My analysis was that this was the correct remedy, and I had her
repeat it as needed. She later took the remedy for a toothache. It was
a pain deep in the root of the tooth, worse from hot and cold, worse
from touching the gum, worse after 6 PM After Spirostachys 200c
took care of this toothache, she spontaneously said that her night
vision had improved. And I thought this is more great confirmation.
Night vision is a big problem for people who need Spirostachys.
In April 2005 she relapsed and expressed to me the following

symptoms: I feel miserable (2). I hate my dead mother (2). Her
mother was abusive and not supportive. I feel like a looser, edgy,
restless and have no focus. My ambition is very low (2). I want to
be alone and don’t care if I lose out on my business deals. I want to
give up on life. I am cut off from people and I don’t care. She also
had an itchy neck, a polyp on the inside of her mouth, a cataract with
dim vision that was worse at night (2). And, her sense of smell was
diminished (2). My analysis was that she relapsed and I prescribed
Spirostachys 30c as needed.
Two weeks later I received the following e-mail:

I have become 100% industrious from morning till night. I’ve picked
up some new clients and have a couple deals waiting to clear. I
have also become busy with my little garden. I have harvested some
beautiful narcissus and tulips that I planted last fall. I must say it is
lovely having homegrown flowers in the house. I recently dug up the
garden (my poor back!) and have planted more flowers – one I have
planted is Eupatorium. You prescribed that remedy once ….
My energy level is 9 out of 10 and I am enjoying interacting with

people again. I still cough somewhat – from a tickle in the throat –
and while it is not nearly as often, it’s still an issue…. I continue to
sprout new warts. Most of them are flat and small. My hearing has
improved to 75%. The polyp on the inside of my mouth is shrinking.
This case is to illustrate that after you have all the information
about a patient’s life and their main dilemmas, go back and look
for what is unique, special and striking about the patient’s physical
symptoms, modalities and general symptoms. This will allow you
to differentiate and confirm the simillimum. At this point you can
also see if the remedy covers the common physical symptoms, but
keep in mind that you can still use this remedy even if the common
physical symptoms are not listed because many of our remedies are
not fully proven.
Any repertorization will work using the above method that I have

described and illustrated but more so with the use of the Vithoulkas
Expert System (VES). The VES was designed to give more value
to small- and medium-sized rubrics. And if you also give each of
your symptoms in a given repertorization a value from 1 to 3 it will
also help the VES find the most likely remedy for you by bringing
forward remedies that have the symptoms that you have deemed
most important and the VES has deemed the most unique. A three
underline (remedy in bold red letters in Radar) means that this
is a frequent, clear or intense symptom. A two underline (blue in
Radar), means frequent or intense, and one underline (plain black
text in Radar) means that it is not frequent or intense.
I don’t want to end without mentioning another method of

repertorization, which is to disregard the emotional symptoms
and modalities, look at the pathology then study the remedies that
best fit that pathology. This is a strategy often needed for remedies
that have not been proven but have been adopted because of their
botanical reputation.
Repertorization can be as simple as looking at one important rubric

while one takes the entire case or as complex as choosing multiple
rubrics in order to find what best fits your patient. The rubrics help
you find the trail out of the forest. When the patient is all better,
you look back and say “Why was that so difficult when I can see
the map so easily now.” We are indebted to all those who have
added to and who created the repertory.
Biography
Dr. Steve Olsen, ND, DHANP is a homeopath practicing in Snohomish, WA.

He is a frequent contributor of the Simillimum and has published several books,
including Trees and Plants that Heal and Arbor Medica - books about the
provings of trees he has conducted - and Homeopathy – Nature’s Way to Better
Health. Dr. Olsen can be found at http://be-well-now.org.

A Case of Dis-Ease
Nazirahk Amen, ND, L.Ac, DHANP
A 23-year-old female coming in with a myriad of complaints,
including muscle and joint pain, weight fluctuations, and
recurring urinary infections.
07/19/06
Recently lost a lot of weight. Lost 10 pounds in 3 or 4 months. I
want to feel strong, not weak. Lost weight from weeks of diarrhea.
Not digesting any food. I had a urinary infection in April. I was
given Cypro. Diarrhea off and on since then. The strange
thing is my mood seems to determine when and how bad the
diarrhea is. Being stressed out really affects my bowels. After the
diarrhea get this weakness. Out of breath a lot. About a month
ago muscles and joints started really hurting, especially ankles and
knees. No matter how much rest I get, it’s still uncomfortable. The
weakness, out of breath. My bones… not much flesh sustaining.
No matter how much I eat. Preparing food is exhausting. Appetite
is not so great when you have this kind of diarrhea. Slightly
nauseating to even think of food. Arms, elbows, shoulders, ankles
and knees. No matter how much yoga I do, I’m in a constant knot.
I feel defenseless. Lots of mental problems manifesting in my
body. One of my friends came over and told me her problems and
within two hours I have them. There is a strong family history of
mental disorders. Anxiety, fear, mental disorganization. I recently
stopped smoking (marijuana) and that’s helped. Very restless kind
of person. Don’t like sitting still. Can’t stand to feel suffocated in
any way.
Describe what affects you the most?

The weakness. There is a sad look on my face. House is
a mess. No desire for anything. Numb. Very confused. I
don’t want to get out bed. Hungry but not want anything.
Hot, sweating out of control. Dehydrated. Confused.

Kind of like a flu. Overall body pain. Can’t massage
any particular place. Your whole body is cramped. Not
localized. Everything hurts, even your eyes.
Describe defenseless?
As if there is no remedy. No help. Not strong. Not able to block
negative energy inflicted on self or from the outside. At the same
time there is an overly defensive attitude. I am either helpless or
jumping out. Overcompensate by being aggressive. Something
to protect self from the constant threat.
More on this experience?

Like a baby. Dependent. Fragile. It can be destroyed. Weak. No
ability to provide for self. Something small, short, tiny…Anything
small. Can become a lifeless, dry, withered, dehydrated lump. The
world can be a dangerous place full of attacks.
Describe attack?
Physical attack on person. Hit, punched, kicked, objects
thrown. You are pinned down.
More?
Frightened, BP rises, heart beating faster, shaking, mind racing,
goose bumps, digestion speeds up, hands sweating, dry mouth,
tense, body cramps.
What is happening?
An attack has occurred. You are curled up in a ball. Crying. Like
being in a war. In a jungle. An environment not accustomed
to. You are fighting. A conflict. A disagreement, clashes of
personality. This situation is going to annihilate. It will be the
end. No control. Withdrawal from everything is the only way out…
food, drink, water, sex. Make self numb. Disengage. Detach.
Diminish. Lose face, direction, clock out, not here, escape the
moment. Going AWOL in war. I’m sick. I don’t feel good. Tired,
weak, frail, a waste, unuseful. In the jungle you are working

against the elements… there are so many different animals and
poisonous plants out there.
Opposite?
Strong, impeccable, thoughtful, cautious, graceful.
Dreams?
Falling off a high rise platform into a pool. No pillars to hold on
to.
Feeling?
Very frightened. Anxious and shook up. I am prone to panic
attacks. Convinced I’m going to die. Feel sharp pains in vital
places.
Dreams?
Things chasing me. Another one where I died. Wading in water.
Sitting on the edge of the seashore. A bubble comes from the
horizon towards me. The whole world started to run from this
water.
Fears?
Flying, travelling. Really anxious before thunderstorms. I will
wake up out of sleep. I jump up and walk around. Feel like head
will explode. I am pushed to the edge of my capacity. Feel like
I’ll break, crumble, be crippled. Hypochondriac… getting AIDS,
genital warts, STDs. Die of a sickness.
UTI?
Pee all the time. Burning, painful, like poison. Body
clench because of pain.
More on small, fragile, crumbling?

A baby, a butterfly, any small insect. Feel like you have the life
span of a day. You can be crushed at any moment. Not much

room for injury. Missing a leg could kill you. I have a strong fear
of being dismembered.
Describe pinned down?

Someone pinning you on the floor. Powerless… subject to the will
of another being. Out of control. Weak. Cannot fight back.
Describe your aggressive feeling?

Stronger. Rage. Uncontrollable anger. I can violate others.
Bigger. Aggressor. Carrying it out.
Other fears?
The dark. Bugs swarming me… attacking me. When I was
younger my sister really tried to kill me all the time. She was
very angry. It was always unexpected and shocking. Would try
to get vengeance. Want to see blood. Hate you.
Any other physical symptoms?

Mild eczema on different parts of body.
Foods?
Not a big eater. Have a very strong seafood allergy… lips swelling
leading to all out hives.
Assessment:
The patient is really intense and a true hypochondriac. She
relates her physical state directly to her mental/emotional
imbalances. There is a life-threatening attack with a great fear
of being injured or dismembered and killed. The reaction is a
spasmodic sort of retraction into a knot which leads to feeling
restricted and suffocated. Something small is being overcome
by something much larger. The defense is to over-exaggerate.
The whole process takes up a lot of energy. I go directly to the
animal kingdom and specifically to insects. The remedies that
come up are spiders and scorpions, and sea creatures.

Repertorization:

Analysis:
Spiders and scorpions:
The patient is very restless, very cold, feels attacked, fears being
dominated, dismembered, and crushed. These are all overly
aggressive responses. These features make these remedies
appealing, but her dreams are based around the seashore.
Sea remedies:
The only creatures close to the sea that come up are Bufo and
Astacus. Bufo may have the same level of destruction, but
it doesn’t have the restlessness. This patient doesn’t present
with the childishness and high sexuality that is classic to
Bufo.
Astacus is the crawfish. It has features of insects, such as
restlessness, feeling small, fear of being overtaken to the point of
death (in a very tubercular sort of way). Astacus includes the sort
of constriction and spasmodic retraction that the patient describes.
Her history of eczema and tendency to hives confirm Astacus.
Plan: Astacus 30C
08/02/06
Mixed results. I am still a hypochondriac. The weakness
and diarrhea have gone away. The worry is still very much
there. I have exhausted myself from worrying. I had a terrible
nightmare. My mom invited me to her new apartment. I go in.
Flourescent lighting. Gymnasium floors. I turn around. There
are dead bolts on the doors. Mom locks me in. I realize it’s an
insane asylum. I become frantic. Feeling betrayed.
Anything else?
I unknowingly ate some seafood and had no reaction. That was
amazing.

Assessment:
Not a good response, but too early to change anything.
Plan: Astacus 200C
01/18/07
After the last treatment, felt like I was on Paxil. I felt much
better. The anxiety and mental anguish I felt is much better. I
am still clenching my stomach a lot. Part of my digestive issue
is to release. I still have a fear of getting cancer. Overall I don’t
feel bothered as much. Still restless on the outside. Extreme
restlessness. All or nothing, compulsive. I can’t get enough of
something or I absolutely starve myself of that thing.
Plan: Repeat Astacus 200C
02/20/07
Intense anger, scared as heck sometimes. Ghost, boogie man,
Freddie Krueger. I don’t feel protected. Paranoia is what it
is. Right side body pain that goes over to left. From arm and
shoulder all the way down to feet.
Assessment: I am unsure of the remedy action, but she was better

the last couple times of seeing her and is not aware of where the
current fear and anger are coming from. I decide to increase the
potency.
Plan: Astacus 1M
03/6/07
After a few weeks the patient reports no change other than
sometimes feeling like she is taking Paxil, an antidepressant, that
she once tried. She tells me she had developed a mistrust of my
intent with the homeopathic remedies and is more comfortable
with Chinese herbs and acupuncture. In the fall of 2007, she

marries a man who had alcohol abuse issues. She was a bartender,
and he was a good customer.
11/15/08
The patient is ready to try homeopathy again.
I realize he (husband) is me and I am him. I blacked out after
drinking, which is something that I’ve never done before. I have
safety issues and never let my guard down like that. I am not able
to gain weight. Too thin. Too weak.
Describe the experience of too thin?

Can’t get enough. Too skinny. No sustenance. No nourishment.
Starvation is weakness. Weakness is no strength. If you have no
strength you can be knocked down by anything. Feel like you’re
going to die. Vulnerable. Lifeless. Insignificant.
More on this experience?

Dying. Decomposing, falling apart, being dismantled. Destroyed.
Completely weirded out. I notice I’m constantly hyperventilating.
Not grounded.
More on decomposing, dismantling?

Having arms and legs ripped off. Pull off arms and legs with
a horse. Rip apart. Letting things decompose separately.
Peel off skin. Everything is sucked out separately all the
way to the marrow. Painful to the point of numbness. Jeffrey
DahmerCorpse eater. Chop up and put in refrigerator. A serial
killer. They don’t feel anything. It is sick, disgusting, and
gross. Sick gratification. Liking to see things die. My sister is
divorcing her husband. I think she should stay with him. She
asked me out to dinner, and I agreed so we could discuss the
matter in a serious way. She premeditated this joke on me. I was
discombobulated, confused, and upset. It was a charade that
lasted an entire evening. The premise of our meeting was based
on lies. I was completely disoriented. I was trapped in a web of

deception. I can’t believe I fell for it. She was just messing with
my mind and I was completely serious. This is the same kind
of way that I grew up with people just fucking with my mind. I
never see it coming. I believed her the whole time. She told me
she was gay and leaving her husband for another woman. I went
for it. She must have planned it for weeks. This kind of mental
manipulation and torture is as bad as it happening physically. I
was so confused. This is the same sister that teased me all of my
childhood and is the reason I’m half crazy now.
Anything more?
Physically the pain is still there. It is a clenching. My muscles
are always clenched from right side to left. Sometimes experience
twitching that comes and goes quickly. When I relax at night it gets
scary cause I feel electricity going up and down one side of my
body or the other.
Assessment: The insect theme comes out strongly still. The

themes of teasing, manipulating, torturing, web of deception, weak,
and frail with an extreme lack of vital heat leads me to the spiders.

Repertorization:

Analysis: Tarentula and Aranea come up. The teasing and intense
feeling of deception along with the idea of premeditation, the
bodies being dismembered and sucked to the marrow lead me to a
web spider, Aranea diadema.
Plan: Aranea diadema 30C once a week
12/13/08
I am feeling much better. Not as crazy. I’m not feeling like I’m
going to die all the time. I had no time to think between freaking
out all the time. I know now that I don’t really know who I am, but
for the first time I can admit it’s a good thing. I am still young.
Plan: continue Aranea diadema 30C once a week
01/24/09
I’m not dying. You can’t believe how much a part of my makeup
that was. Just going through life without the feeling that I’m
constantly being tested is amazing. You know that feeling like I feel
like I’m on Paxil has come back but it’s different. On Paxil, I felt
stronger but felt the need to squash people, just crush them. Now,
I really care about people in a genuine way. The pains are still
there on my left side. It still feels contracted from my arm down to
the leg. Sometimes it moves over to right. But the intensity of it
has diminished. I am better at yoga and I’ve decided to become a
teacher. Physically I feel much stronger and more grounded.
Assessment: Noticeable improvement continues on the mental/

emotional level. Her comparison of the remedy to Paxil is
interesting to note. Often drugs allow patients to overcompensate
in unhealthy ways, so Paxil allowed her to crush/squash others
with no restraint when she felt strong. The action of the remedy
allows her to have the energy to overcompensate but gives much
less support to unproductive and destructive behavior. She sees
clearly the futility. It is a sign of health. The left side body

pain remains unchanged despite her daily yoga and monthly
acupuncture.
Over the next two years she was given repeated doses of Aranea
diadema. I was experimenting with different potencies from 30C
to 1M. Her mental emotional state remained much better. She
divorced her husband, attended yoga training, and became a yoga
instructor.
03/04/12
After hot yoga training, I went over to my sister’s and I didn’t feel
threatened. I’ve been having nausea, dizziness, and tightness in
my throat and chest since then over a week ago and it’s not getting
better.
Complaints?
Nothing alarming me. I feel my throat and chest and they are not
alarming me. I’m not freaked out.
Tell me about alarmed?

Signaled. A call. Awakens you. Initiates you into action. Starts
momentum.
Describe alarmed?
Heart beating fast. Palms sweating, throat closed… like a sore
throat, rasping like a cold: hoarse, red. Feel an aggravation.
Normally it’s moist and clean vs. dry and raspy. Chest wheezing.
Neck stiffness. Exterior of throat, muscles are tight with lots of
stored tension. Tight. Hot. Knotty. Stiff. Inflamed. Stagnant. Stiff
neck fool. Can’t turn. Hardened. Rigid. Inflexible.
More on alarmed?
Behind eyes heating up. Overall discomfort. Stomach aches.
Cramping. Physical pain. Nausea and dizziness. Insomnia.
Feeling sick. A sour stomach. A nausea reaction.

Tell me about foods?
Bland foods. Spicy foods put a hole in stomach. I like
gentle foods. Crispy, processed, fried, overly cooked,
overly salted, really spicy foods don’t pass through system
well. The energy of gentle as opposed to a full heavy belly.
Difference between feeling gross.
Tell me any foods that you cannot eat since childhood?

Shrimp. Oh gross. Makes me puke. Oh my God. Barely eat.
I couldn’t stop vomiting. It was making me sick. Cuts up my
stomach. Want to throw up. I couldn’t relieve the nausea. The
smell. Something vile. The ultimate putrid stomach. One big
ass whiff of a dead corpse. Nausea, upset stomach, decreased
energy. Automatically exhausted from nausea. Wears vitality out.
Incredibly depleted.
Anything more on this?

Bad, rotten. Forcing someone to eat this food represents prison vs.
nourishment.
Assessment: This is incredible. The patient just matched the core

of her state to a substance from the level of the senses, primarily
taste and smell. “ Not alarmed” was a spontaneous denial.
Alarmed matches just about every physical ailment she mentioned
in the past and present… sore throat, stiff neck, rigidity and
inflexibility, and sour stomach and nausea. Ultimately she said
a nauseous reaction… gross. Now we go to foods and she likes
gentle foods vs. heavy foods which comes to the word “gross”
again. I then ask which food she is most sensitive to and she
says shrimp. The description of the reaction to shrimp includes
nausea, vomiting, sour stomach, being drained from trying to rid
the body from this experience. Bad and rotten. It connects to the
dead rotting corpses of previous interviews. Shrimp vs. crawfish
vs. spider. The seashore dream of the first interview makes sense,
and we are back to a very similar substance that completely fits the

case. We bypassed the emotions and mind and went to the source
from the level of the senses.
Plan: Crangon crangon (shrimp) 30C (the only potency

available at this time). I would like to prescribe 1M based on
the level of her spontaneous denial relating to the core sensation
of “alarmed” in this case.
03/10/12
Left sided pain more pronounced since remedy. This pain
is draining my energy.
04/09/12
I just moved from mother’s basement into my own apartment.
Everything is a mess internally and externally. But I am not ailing
physically or emotionally. Things are not easy but it is worth it.
The pain in my side is finally gone.
07/09/12
My life is wonderful. I have some worthiness issues, but feel I am
making great decisions. I feel good all the time.
08/28/12
Chest hurts. Feeling a twitching of muscles. The area around my
heart twitches. I know it is muscular, but I sometimes cry with the
pain.
Plan: Redose 30C as needed. I am now able to order the 200C.
09/29/12
Chest pain. Neck and shoulder stiffness. Left side body pain
shifting to right sometimes. My chest hurts and I sometimes
want to destroy something. The pain is piercing. Like I’m being
impaled in parts of my chest. There is some heaviness.
Plan: Crangon crangon 200C

10/23/12
Chest pain went away almost overnight after remedy. Occasional
tingling in shoulder, but I am a yoga teacher. I am not that much
in pain on any level for the first time in my life. I now have a
good sense of my worth. I still have it in me to crush people with
bitter and jaded thoughts but I don’t act on any of that. I don’t feel
doomed. I used to always feel doomed. The hard part is that the
pity party is over. My world is starting to simmer down. I used to
worry. I don’t even do this anymore.
Assessment: Mostly healthy. I think she could use a 1M

potency because of her level of denial during the 03/04/12 case.
Until then we can repeat the 200C as needed.
As of May 2014, the patient is much more stable. Sometime

in early 2013, we were able to get a 1M potency. After
a couple doses, all the physical symptoms resolved. The
animal themes of victim/aggressor and insect themes of big/
small has diminished greatly. This patient lives a much more
balanced life and is grateful she stayed with homeopathy. As a
practitioner, watching a patient’s energy come into the present
moment and viewing individual movement from dualism (dis-
ease) to non-dualism is the most fulfilling aspect of practice.
Biography
Dr. Nazirahk Amen, ND, LAc, DHANP has been a practitioner for 15 years and
has been involved in health care for more than 20 years. Dr. Amen’s technique
has been developed and honed over years of study with teachers such as Jayesh
Shah, Rajan Sankaran, Massimo Mangialavori, and Divya Chhabra. He believes
the future of homeopathy involves synergistically incorporating new information
and skills while remaining grounded in the repertory and materia medica. As
homeopaths, our results should be definitive and reproducible. He believes
health is achieved by helping to activate the Vis in a person and finds the
homeopathic simillimum one of the best to achieve that goal. Dr. Amen can be
found at http://wisdompath.net

The Art of Remedy Differentiation
Richard Pitt
The following article is extracted from my new book Comparative
Materia Medica: Integrating New and Old Remedies, which will
be published in the next three months. It explores the way in which
we compare remedies and the challenges of doing this with the
added integration of many new remedies into our materia medica.
It uses a three-stage process for each remedy in order to classify
symptoms, provide remedy comparisons, and give a perspective to
the range of action of the remedy. The three stages are described as
Intrinsic, Compensated, and Decompensated, which can be related
to the three main miasms of Psora, Sycosis, and Syphilis. The
intrinsic/psoric stage relates to more constitutional features seen in
a person and identified in a remedy; the compensated/sycotic stage
is used for more functional changes and exaggerated or reactive
symptom pictures; and the decompensated/syphilitic stage relates
to the more broken-down, structurally changed, pathological
end point. Many people mainly present symptoms in one or two
of these stages, and the skill of a prescriber is to identify the
symptoms in each stage.
The ability to identify and differentiate remedies is based on

many factors. Every case demands a unique identification process.
No single method of analysis works in all cases. Whatever the
innovation of analysis methods, strategies, and classifications used,
they will only work some of the time. A competent homeopath
needs to be flexible in their analysis. The following criteria needs
to be considered in the reflective qualities of the homeopath and in
the objective skills required:
• Knowledge of each remedy from a detailed

understanding of the essence or central themes of each
remedy and its sphere of action. One needs to be able to

identify a remedy from a certain sliver of information given
in any case. For example, the ability to know that a case
has to be Nux vomica from only the quality of reflexive
impatience and anger (the central theme) along with one
or two physical keynotes. This quality of “seeing” is part
of the daily practice of experienced homeopaths, where
the overall “gestalt” of the case is seen and confirmed with
one or more keynotes. Each remedy has its own unique
pattern, with one or more central qualities that often define
its specific image. A knowledge of these qualities of the
polycrest remedies needs to be achieved for consistent
practice.
• Knowledge of the physical symptomatology and

pathological limits of each remedy. The study of materia
medica has to include these features. Every remedy has a
potential sphere of action. One must recognize this unique
pattern in a representative selection of important symptoms
in a case, whether psychological or physical. This can
especially be the case when considering “constitutional”
qualities of a remedy, including physical characteristics
that clearly lead to certain remedies e.g. keloid scars
in Graphites, Silicea, Fluoric acid, and others. This
knowledge can be helpful when deciding whether a plant
or mineral remedy may be needed. For instance, mostly
chronic physical problems with structural compromise need
a mineral remedy; acute inflammatory conditions often
need a plant remedy.
• The ability to see the unique pattern of the qualitative

symptoms of each case. Often, the uniqueness is not in the
numeric totality of characteristic symptoms but the overall
uniqueness that the specific combination of symptoms
gives. For example, knowing that the remedy indicated
is Phosphorus is based on the body type with long, fine

features, a history of pneumonia, a fear of the dark, and a
sympathetic nature. Unless there are some other important
aspects of a case, it has to be Phosphorus. This is an
example of what can be called a “default” analysis. This
means that unless there are other qualifying factors in the
case, the information listed naturally leads to Phosphorus.
In many cases, with seemingly limited data, a good choice
can be made by identifying a few characteristic symptoms,
keynotes, and qualities of the person. Again, the ability to
identify the key characteristics in the case, along with the
essential qualities of the remedy, is the key to successful
prescribing.
• The ability to identify the specific relationship between

mental/emotional and physical symptoms. Confidence
in prescribing for a case often comes from identifying
characteristic symptoms in both mind and body. Most
mistakes are made in misinterpreting and misidentifying
mental/emotional characteristics. Projection happens in
this area, and therefore, greater accuracy is achieved when
physical and general characteristics that have an objective
quality to them are included in the analysis. However,
when you can uniquely combine the mental and physical
characteristics, it gives you a greater perspective on many
cases, and this balances the analysis with the most holistic
view of the person. If possible, all repertorizations should
attempt to include both mental and physical symptoms.
This is not always possible; at times only mental
symptoms may be chosen, and other times, only physical
characteristic symptoms may be chosen.
• The ability to identify and differentiate objective

symptoms with subjective symptoms of the mind (the
latter requiring more interpretation and analysis by
the homeopath). Objective symptoms are ones that are

possible to see merely by the words the patient uses or
by the direct observations of the homeopath (or others).
They often include qualities such as haughtiness, reserve,
mildness, timidity, impatience, sadness, cheerfulness,
wit, loquacity, anxiety, fears, etc. Subjective symptoms
require more interpretation based on what the patient tells
us. Is this grief or mortification, indignation or suppressed
anger, forsakenness or mere loneliness, etc.? The ability
to recognize the significance of any mental symptom is
also very important. The tendency to give vague mental
symptoms too much significance can often lead to
confusion and mistakes in treatment. Mental symptoms
need, ideally, to be strong, and it should be understood
whether these qualities are intrinsic to the individual’s
constitution or whether they are states of mind that reflect
a deviation from the person’s normal state. Even though
the latter may in fact be just another reflection of the
constitutional disposition, its significance is greater when
it is a deviation from the normal mental state of the person.
However, reversely, when the prescription is addressing the
basic constitutional root of the person, then identifying key
intrinsic qualities of the personality can be very useful in
confirming a remedy choice. Knowing how to distinguish
between the complexity of symptoms and possible layers of
remedy images in a case is very important.
• The ability to recognize characteristic physical

symptoms and differentiate common physical
symptoms. Characteristic physical symptoms can relate to
the following:
a. Anatomical and physiological function, e.g. quality of
nails and skin – warts, eczema, scarring.
b. Body typology, e.g. head size, obesity, emaciation,
narrow chest, etc.
c. Specific sensations, which are both characteristic

and often of a general nature of the whole case, e.g.
burning, splitting, stitching, needle-like pains, etc.
d. Symptoms with clear modalities that often relate to a
general state of the whole person, e.g. worse or better
for motion, heat or cold, pressure, time of day, etc.
Knowledge of pathology can be important in distinguishing
common from characteristic symptoms. The importance
of qualitative physical symptoms should not be
underestimated. The tendency to overfocus on mental/
emotional symptoms at the expense of identifying
characteristic physical symptoms is a common mistake.
This leads to the overuse of common polycrest remedies
that are easy to give based on generalized patterns, or
obscure little-known remedies based on a few thematic
qualities. Both tendencies tend to be based on projection,
rather than the facts of a case.
• The ability to understand the significance of one

keynote in a case. A keynote can be in any area, whether
a modality, sensation, focal point of pathology, a mental
symptom, or general quality. The importance of this
keynote often depends on its intensity, its repetition in
different parts of the case (both mental and physical), its
unique SRP quality and whether it may be a prominent
symptom for a particular remedy. To clarify the last point,
a keynote of a remedy may manifest from being the only
remedy in bold type in a rubric or the only remedy at all in
a rubric. As well, if the remedy is a well-known remedy or
a so-called small remedy, and it has a specific affinity for a
particular pathology, then it can be an important keynote in
the case.
The following remedy is given as an example of the way

materia medica is presented in the book, using the three-stage
categorization: Intrinsic, Compensated, and Decompensated.

Not all the descriptions of the remedy are included due to the
amount of information.
PHOSPHORUS
Idea: My survival depends on my ability to know who I am, to

balance my need in order to connect and to have space and not
burn out and lose myself.
Keynotes:
• Openness, sensitivity, excitability, naivety, innocence.
• Connecting, clairvoyance, sympathy.
• Sensitivity, fragility, thinness. < slight causes, emotions.
• Spacey, floating, psychic, disconnection. Out of body.
• Fears, phobias, anxieties, particularly being alone and the
dark.
• Rapid growth, delicate features.
• Burning.
• Lungs, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia.
• Digestion, liver, gallbladder, intestines.
• Bones, spine.
• Nerves.
• Blood, blood vessels.
• Aggravated by cold, better by heat.
• Aggravated by changing weather, thunderstorms.
• Desires salt, spicy, cold drinks.
Intrinsic stage:
Open, sensitive, sympathetic, connecting, clairvoyant.
Naive, innocent.
Imaginative, creative.
Passionate, sexual.
Anxious, fearful nature.
Chilly.

Thin, delicate, vulnerable.
Aggravated by cold weather. Easily takes cold. Tendency to
coughs.
Compare: Argentum nitricum, Bacillinum, Causticum, Dysentery

co., Gaertner, Lachesis, Parathyroid, Pulsatilla, Silicea, Thymus,
Thyroidinum, Tuberculinum, Tuberculinum aviare.
Compensated stage:
Fearful, anxious, < alone, dark, horrible things, health.
Desires company, needs support.
Too exposed, over-sensitive, suffering from sympathy, cares,
psychic awareness.
No boundaries.
Physical fragility, vulnerability, easily fatigued.
Burning pains.
Recurrent bronchitis, pneumonia, coughs.
Throat, larynx and trachea, voice easily lost.
Liver, digestive problems, hepatitis, nutritional problems.
Nose bleeding and easy hemorrhaging.
Degeneration of bones, nervous system, organs. Tuberculosis.
Compare: Argentum nitricum, “bird” remedies, Calcarea

phosphorica, Causticum, China, Ferrum phosphoricum, Kali
phosphoricum, Lycopodium, Natrum muriaticum, Natrum
phosphoricum, Oleum jecoris, Neon, Silicea, Stannum.
Decompensated stage:
Paralyzing fears and phobias.
Spacey, floating.
Anger, rage, losing control.
Exhaustion, great depletion of mind and body.
Mental exhaustion, indifference, difficult thinking.
Neurological conditions: multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson’s
disease.

Bone degeneration, caries.
Great burning pain of parts, bones, spine etc.
Lung destruction, T.B.
Destructive blood disorders, leukemia.
Many cancers: stomach, liver, bones.
Compare: Argentum metallicum, Argentum nitricum, Carcinosin,

Causticum, Conium, Hydrogen, Kali phosphoricum, Lac
maternum, Manganum, Mercurius, Phosphoric acid, Picric acid,
Silicea, Stannum, Tuberculinum.
Progression:
As long as boundaries are known, there is freedom and light, and
the imagination and feelings can roam free. Once the boundaries
are lost, instrinically they identify with the suffering and feelings
of others. There is too much sympathy. Physically there is a
vulnerable and delicate constitution. There is no strength to resist,
and as more compensation is seen, there are increasing fears
and anxieties, especially of the dark and of something horrible
happening. As decompensation takes over there is greater depletion
and weakness with lung, stomach, blood and nerve problems. The
body is breaking down with no stamina or reserve. Destructive
forces dominate the body.
Characteristics:
Peter Pan
Phosphorus is often described as being like Peter Pan, which has
these connotations: eternal youth, flying, floating, ephemeral.
Phosphorus has qualities of a mineral, vegetable, and gas. It is
one of the broadest and deepest of homeopathic remedies and also
can be compared with many other remedies, both well-known and
smaller remedies.
Phosphorus is one remedy where the physical characteristics can

help identify the remedy–fine features, elegant and refined, the face

having an open and delicate quality, or a vulnerable fragility. The
bone structure is often small and refined, even in those people with
extra weight. Phosphorus people are generally very open but not
necessarily extroverted. There is a sense of vulnerability there. This
vulnerability, openness, sensitivity, and often refinement creates
the foundation for the remedy and its stages of development. When
in the intrinsic state, the person can be enthusiastic, passionate,
open, responsive, engaged, sympathetic, often artistic and full of
life. They are sensitive to what is happening around them and can
respond to people and situations in a full way. They can be a bit
too vulnerable and even naïve in their relationship with people
and become easily anxious and fearful. As the compensated stage
develops, they can become too sensitive, too sympathetic, and their
boundaries are not clear. They can get spacey, easily tired, and not
have enough stamina to endure doing things for a long time. They
need to withdraw to recoup their forces, as they easily feel burnt
out. Their fears can become stronger, and their imagination can run
wild. Physically they may have a vulnerability in the respiratory
region, the digestion, or the nervous system. As the decompensated
stage develops, they become much more broken down, especially
physically with degenerative changes. They become mentally
unstable, fearful, angry, and full of rage; they lose all boundaries
and become seriously depleted.
Openness, Sensitivity, Vulnerability

The natural, enthusiastic, and open disposition needs distinguishing
with Argentum nitricum, which is often more extroverted and
expansive than Phosphorus. Argentum metallicum and nitricum
may share certain areas of affinity with Phosphorus, including
the larynx/trachea and digestive tract. The Argentums can have
the same characteristic burning, but they are not as delicate as
Phosphorus generally. The fears of Phosphorus tend toward
areas where the imagination runs amok–when alone, at night, that
something will happen, disease, etc. whereas Argentum focuses
more on phobias such as claustrophobia, agrophobia, heights, (see

Argentum nitricum chapter).
Physically, Silicea can look like Phosphous and may be compared

with Phosphorus when the area of symptoms is in the bones
and joints. They have sensitive and delicate constitutions, often
thin narrow bodies, and can be quite vulnerable in physical and
mental disposition. Both remedies have destructive metabolisms,
leading to bone and nerve degeneration. However, the pains of
Phosphorus are mainly burning in nature, whereas Silicea has
more stitching pains. Silicea often looks paler than Phosphorus and
lacks the symmetry in physical features. The Phosphorus physical
characteristics tend to be more refined. In the periodic table, Silicea
and Phosphorus are next to one another, with Alumina coming
before Silicea. Here we see a movement from the confusion and
doubt of his identity of Alumina, to the fixed identity of Silicea
and the ephemeral identity of Phosphorus, which merges with its
surroundings. Following Phosphorus is Sulphur, which also often
has a fixed “ego” identity and like Phosphorus can be somewhat
self-centered and narcissistic in their concerns about themselves.
On the mental level, the open, charismatic, compassionate, and

passionate qualities of Phosphorus can also look like Lachesis, as
well as Medorrhinum. The main difference between them though is
that with the latter remedies, they are more obsessive and intense,
with a somewhat heavier feeling to them, and generally they are
not as sensitive as Phosphorus. Lachesis in particular is one of the
most extroverted remedies in the materia medica, often expressing
itself with wit, jesting, charm, and seductiveness. There can be a
sexual quality to all three remedies, Lachesis and Medorrhinum
being more aggressive in their sexual presence, but the sexual
nature of Phosphorus is well known too (Mind, lascivious;
amativeness). In Phosphorus they may give themselves to sexual
exploration, looking for more ways to connect to people.
Both Lachesis and Phosphorus have a strong affinity for blood

conditions, with conditions such as epistaxis, easy bruising, heavy
menses, metrorrhagia, internal bleeding, and destructive processes
of tissues. Phosphorus, however, affects the bones and nerves
more, with more actual destruction of tissues on a chronic level.
The destructive qualities of Lachesis and other snakes tend to be
more acute. When describing the two remedies, mention has to be
given to Crotalus horridus, often seen as having equal qualities of
Lachesis and Phosphorus.
Medorrhinum can similarly have a passionate side and be very

sensitive, yet the feeling with Medorrhinum is one of extremism
and obsession, a somewhat unpredictable and unstable feeling.
Medorrhinum is more likely to have addictions, be it drugs,
alcohol, gambling or sex, whereas Phosphorus often doesn’t have
the stamina for such indulgences, at least not for long.
Tuberculinum and Optimism

Tuberculinum is perhaps the closest remedy to Phosphorus,
along with Calcarea phosphorica, all significant remedies of the
tubercular miasm. Mentally, both Tuberculinum and Phosphorus
look alike: the imaginative, creative spirit that is always seeking
new experiences, that relishes travel, that always sees the positive
in all things (Mind, optimistic, Mind, hopeful). Only Tuberculinum
is found in these rubrics, but it is a central quality of the Tubercular
miasm and therefore, can be seen in Phosphorus (and Calcarea
phosphorica) too. The Tubercular miasm want to see the optimal
potential of situations and hates to consider limits. The main
difference is that the person needing Tuberculinum is more intense
and desperate to seek the next thing and is willing to risk it all,
whereas Phosphorus has more self-preservation in general and less
extreme drive. Both remedies may be indicated in bone and nerve
problems, though Phosphorus is seen more in distinct neurological
conditions such as multiple sclerosis. They can both have the
classic tubercular chest, which is thin and sunken. There is a
strong vulnerability in the lungs, and Tuberculinum is often used to

complement the action of Phosphorus and address the underlying
tubercular miasm. This is often seen in children who always tend
to get a cough when the weather turns cold or have a tendency to
bronchitis each year, or have chronic asthma.
Calcarea phosphorica will often be compared with Phosphorus,

in children and adults, based on the dominant mental and physical
characteristics. The Phosphorus component of both remedies will
lead them to being compared when a person shows a sympathetic,
sensitive character with a strong desire to travel. As known with
Calcarea phosphorica, there is a greater dissatisfaction and
discontent, as if they can never find what they want. It may be seen
as state of ennui (Mind, ennui) or a somewhat depressive, peevish
angst, as nothing ever seems to satisfy. When at home, they want
to be away and vice versa. This is seen often in young children and
especially in teenagers, but can also be seen in adults. Phosphorus
has more affinity for the lungs and the liver, whereas Calcarea
phosphorica affects the joints and bones more.
This quality of openness and vulnerability is not always easy for

a Phosphorus person to handle, so although they are naturally
drawn to the “light” of other people’s energy, they easily lose their
own sense of identity when around people a lot and therefore need
to retreat into their own world. So the natural enthusiasm and
responsiveness is often tempered with more of a withdrawn quality
in which being on their own is needed. When in a healthy state,
they know when they need to protect themselves, but like other
tubercular remedies, they tend to burn themselves out and push
the envelope, leading to more destructive physical and emotional
consequences.
Sympathetic, Naivety, Innocence

When the oversensitive, sympathetic side is prominent, then
Phosphorus will often be compared with Causticum and Pulsatilla.
Causticum is said to be inimical to Phosphorus and that it should

not follow or be followed by Phosphorus. However, keep in mind
that this may not be entirely true, in every case. Nonetheless they
often need to be compared, based on both the mental picture and
their strong affinity for the nerves and joints. Both are indicated
in multiple sclerosis and other neurological remedies. Although
Causticum can be seen as being open, extroverted, passionate, and
sympathetic, this is only in the early stages when they still have
the energy, passion, and enthusiasm for life. Later, they become
more pessimistic, cynical, and burnt out, and then they look much
less like Phosphorus. One distinction between Causticum and
Phosphorus is that Phosphorus is often much more connected
to people than Causticum. For Phosphorus types, connecting to
people is central, whereas for Causticum abstract ideas and notions
of fairness and justice predominate. The sympathy of Phosphorus
makes it where they feel another’s pain. It becomes their own
pain. Causticum is more about the ideas of unfairness, injustice
and suffering that they feel themselves, not an individual’s pain.
Causticum types are essentially more closed and eventually more
suspicious. Phosphorus types are more naïve and innocent. With
their boundary issues, they sense the energy around them and
pick up on both positive and negative things. It is an energetic
oversensitivity, leading them to easily become burnt out. In
Causticum, the oversensitivity is more like a wound, a vulnerable
state of rawness, which they react to, sometimes by becoming
involved in political or social projects or sometimes by becoming
hard and cynical (as in the deepened state).
This feeling of naiveté and innocence makes one also think

of Pulsatilla, which can often look like Phosphorus–open,
sympathetic, passionate, caring, and pleasant. The main distinction
mentally is that the Pulsatilla type is often needy for love and
care. Phosphorus wants only connection and perhaps consolation,
whereas Pulsatilla needs that extra feeling of exclusivity in their
connection and consolation. The moods of Pulsatilla are more
unpredictable with the characteristic easy weeping or inability to

weep. Phosphorus moods are usually more predictable. Physically
there are major differences between the two, found in the weather
and food modalities. Also, the physical pathology differs.
Phosphorus acts deeper in the system, and Pulsatilla is more
limited to the mucous membranes, digestive system, menstrual
issues and acute and chronic inflammation of the joints.
Natrum muriaticum can also, strangely enough, be mistaken

for Phosphorus. While they are both sensitive and sympathetic,
Natrum muriaticum characteristically has the opposite type of
personality, being more closed and hidden, without the naïve
openness of Phosphorus. However, some people needing Natrum
muriaticum can appear quite open initially and even over-friendly,
which can be compared with Phosphorus. Natrum muriaticum
is much more indicated than Phosphorus for unresolved grief
or disappointed love, but if that is not strong in the case, then
differentiation is not always easy. In that case the differentiation
may need to be made on the physicals and generals in the
case. If Natrum muriaticum is being considered then Natrum
phosphoricum has to be thought of. This remedy is often ignored
as a constitutional remedy but is probably needed much more
frequently than Natrum muriaticum and can look like Phosphorus.
Although Phosphorus often desires company, especially if anxious
or not well, at other times they like to be alone and can also feel
lonely and isolated, again making a comparison with Natrum
muriaticum and Natrum phosphoricum.

Biography
Richard Pitt has practiced homeopathy in the UK and USA for thirty years. He
is the former Director of the Pacific Academy of Homeopathy in San Francisco
and also was on the board of the Council for Homeopathic Certification for
many years, He is the editor of the online journal, The California Homeopath
(www.californiahomeopath.com) and the author of three homeopathy books:
Tobacco, an Exploration of its Nature Through the Prism of Homeopathy; The
Natural Medicine Guide to Travel and Home and the new book, Comparative
Materia Medica: Integrating New and Old Remedies. He can be reached at
richardwpitt@gmail.com and www.thenaturalmedicineguide.com

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Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 1

The journal is published annually in July. Material must be submitted by

Lead Editor: Jennifer White, ND, CCH, DHANP

HANP Board of Directors:

President: Ian Luepker, ND, DHANP

Executive Assistant: Stacy K. Logay

Contact HANP Office:

©2014 Simillimum, The Journal of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic

2 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

Letter to the Editor

The Table of Plants: A Review

A Dogged Case of Psoriatic Arthritis, Hypertension, and

The Mueller Method: Digging Deeper Into Your Homeopathic Toolbox

Belgium Conference Overview: Miasms Influencing Health

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 3

Book Review: The Toxic Relationship Cure by Jerry M. Kantor

Eizayaga and Clinical Therapeutic Options

New England School of Homeopathy: The Cycles and

A General Introduction to the New Homeopathic Plant

Arguments for Keeping Homeopathy Scientific By George

The Four Elements in Homeopathy

Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder and Polarity

Book Review: The Natural Medicine Guide for Travel and

4 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

Repertorization and the Vithoulkas Expert System

The Art of Remedy Differentiation

DIRECTORY OF DIPLOMATES .............

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 5

I hope the variety of opinions expressed in this issue provoke

By focusing on what homeopaths have in common, I am certain

Harris Coulter in Divided Legacy articulates: “Homeopathy’s years

6 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

It is our hope at the HANP that our community recognizes that

Jennifer White, ND, DHANP, CCH

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 7

I am dismayed at the changing of the spelling of the words

I can empathize with Simillimum’s policy to retain consistent

The diphthong in “homœopathy” is the proper spelling to

8 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

“Homœopathy” was the standard spelling used in American

Jamie Oskin, N.D.

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 9

10 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 11

The Polarity Analysis Methodology:

12 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 13

14 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

Disclaimer: Dr. Oskin has no financial ties to Heiner Frei or

Dr. Oskin is a naturopathic physician with a passion for

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 15

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Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 17

18 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

20 - SIMILLIMUM - Volume XXVII - Summer 2014

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 21

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Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 23

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With treatment using Agnus castus in high strength potencies, her

Summer 2014 - Volume XXVII - SIMILLIMUM - 27