The

Art and Science

of
Homeopathic
Case Taking
















By Dr. Athos Stavrou Othonos
Homeopathic Medical Doctor
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CONTENTS
PREFACE
-Whats a homeopathic doctor doing in a Karate fight?
-Be aware! The hidden harmony is more important than the obvious one!
-The right attitude for karate, Homeopathy or anything else!
-The Kingdom belongs to the child!
-What do you see?
-Round one: a time to watch
-Round two: a time to gather and evaluate information
-Round three: a time for a knock out!
-The Three Rounds of Homeopathic Training
CHAPTER 1
DOCTORS PERSONALITY: A CRUCIAL FACTOR
METHODS OF HOMEOPATHIC DIAGNOSIS
1.1Doctors personality: a crucial factor in Homeopathy
1.2 In homeopathic diagnosis the doctor is the measurement device that
measures the patients idiosyncrasy
1.3 The importance of proper training for a homeopathic doctor
1.4 MID: Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis
1.5 Other methods of homeopathic diagnosis
CHAPTER 2
NON VERBAL BEHAVIOR
2.1 Idiosyncratic and miasmatic information from setting the appointment
with the doctor!
2.2 The first contact with the patient in the offices living room
2.3 In the office
2.4 Idiosyncratic Characteristics concerning Speech
2.5 Idiosyncratic Characteristics concerning body-type and appearance
CHAPTER 3
SYMPTOMS, DISEASES, EVENTS AND THEIR VALUE IN
MIASMATIC IDIOSYNCRATIC DIAGNOSIS
3.1 Idiosyncratic Diagnosis with the help of Miasmas
3.2 Modalities of symptoms
3.3 The importance of the course of Illness
3.4 Idiosyncratic and Miasmatic Characteristics regarding present and
past case history
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3.5 Life Decisive Events
3.6 Grading of symptoms
CHAPTER 4
GENERAL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
4.1 Ask the right way if you want to get the right answer!
4.2 How do we ask for heat and cold?
4.3 Hot idiosyncrasies
4.4 Cold idiosyncrasies
4.5 Sweating, offensive secretions, greasiness
4.6 Desire or aversion to sweet and salt
4.7 Sour taste and fat
4.8 Milk, cold water and onion
4.9 Position of sleep, nightly salivation
4.10 Relation with the sea
CHAPTER 5
IRRITABILITY, TIDINESS AND INTROVERSION
5.1 Irritability
5.2 How to identify an idiosyncrasy through questions
5.3 Whats irritability grade 3?
5.4 Psoric Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.5 Sycotic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.6 Syphilitic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.7 Hysteric Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.8 Egoistic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.9 Irritability of Lycopodium and Sulphur
5.10 Genuine Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.11 How do we ask for tidiness?
5.12 How does an experienced homeopathic doctor ask?
5.13 Nux Vomica: the typical representative of tidiness; tidiness per se
5.14 Other tidy idiosyncrasies
5.15 Sulphur, the typical sloppy guy!
5.16 How do we ask about introversion/extroversion
5.17 Extrovert Idiosyncrasies
5.18 Natrum Muriaticum is the typical psoric, introvert person
5.19 Other introvert idiosyncrasies
5.20 Idiosyncrasies that may be introvert or extrovert at times
CHAPTER 6
FEARS, SELF-CONFIDENCE, INTELLECTUALITY
6.1 How do we ask about fears?
6.2 Phosphor: the main neuro-vegetative idiosyncrasy
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6.3 Fear about health: Arsenicum, Aconitum, and Calcarea Carbonica
6.4 Other important fears
6.5 How do we ask about fixed ideas and obsessions?
6.6 Argentum Nitricum: the main obsessive idiosyncrasy
6.7 Fear of insanity: differential diagnosis
6.8 How do we ask about self-confidence?
6.9 Platina: the typical representative of syphilitic vanity
6.10 Other vain idiosyncrasies
6.11 Idiosyncrasies with low self-confidence
6.12 How do we ask about intellectuality?
CHAPTER 7
LIVE HOMEOPATHIC CASE TAKING WITH ANALYSIS
7.1 Present illnesses, Past and Hereditary History
7.2 How to introduce the patient to Homeopathy
7.3 What can Homeopathy do to your case?
7.4 Repertorising and Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis
7.5 Non-verbal information and noting down of possible idiosyncrasies
7.6 How do we ask about his general physical characteristics?
7.7 Evaluation and noting down of general physical characteristics
7.8 Case taking demands quick and aggressive tempo
7.9 How do we ask about general psychological characteristics?
7.10 Evaluation and noting down of general psychological characteristics
7.11 Excluding less possible idiosyncrasies
7.12 Differential diagnosis between Sulphur and Lycopodium
7.13 Homeopathic Prescribing
7.14 Instructions to the patient
CHAPTER 8
LIVE HOMEOPATHIC CASE TAKING BY A TRAINEE AND
ANALYSIS BY THE AUTHOR
8.1 Obsessive ideas and depression
8.2 It is important to reach a clear diagnosis of the disease
8.3 The necessity of informing the patient about the homeopathic aspect
of his problems
8.4 Our questions should be clear and understandable
8.5 Clarifications, clarifications, clarifications!
8.6 Indirect information is crucial to our diagnosis
8.7 How do we ask about irritability? The importance of examples
8.8 Words talk to us only if we are able to listen
8.9 How to ask and the use of emphasis
8.10 Clarify, clarify, clarify
8.11 Predominant idiosyncrasy and secondary ones
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8.12 Ask right, investigate and draw conclusions
8.13 Differential Diagnosis: Exclusion of relative idiosyncrasies and
confirmation of Simillimum
EPILOGUE
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PREFACE

-Whats a homeopathic doctor doing in a Karate fight?
-Be aware! The hidden harmony is more important than the obvious
one!
-The right attitude for karate, Homeopathy or anything else!
-The Kingdom belongs to the child!
-What do you see?
-Round one: a time to watch
-Round two: a time to gather and evaluate information
-Round three: a time for a knock out! -
The Three Rounds of Homeopathic Training

Instead of preface I will lay down an imaginative dialogue among a
homeopathic doctor and his student.
Whats a homeopathic doctor doing in a Karate fight?
-I had the impression that today you were going to introduce me to the
technique of homeopathic case taking; instead, here we are in a Karate
fight! How come?
-My friend, the kind of Homeopathy that I teach, isnt, by any means, an
academic or out-of-date piece; it is born out of real life and taught at the
University of Life; not only in my medical office but also anywhere out
of it.
-OK, I can put up with philosophical extensions of a medical matter but
what the hell Homeopathy has to do with a karate fight?
-My Homeopathy respects and follows Universal Laws, that is, laws that
govern the entire Universe.
-I get it; I agree with what you have said in previous lectures that
Homeopathy is based on the same Universal Laws to which Physics and
Mathematics are based but, here, now, at a Karate fight we seem to be far
away
-When it comes to a united Universe there is no here and there, far
away and close. All are born by the same Principle and are governed
by the same Universal Laws. So, if you want to be a good homeopathic
doctor or a good doctor of any kind, you first have to become a good
man, that is, gain awareness about all things inside you or outside.
-What do you mean by outside?
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-I refer to all the illusions from which all patients and other healthy
people suffer; and by inside I mean all the illusions that we, doctors,
have and are so difficult to be seen; or do you think, even for a minute my
friend, that ever since the time we have gotten our medical diploma we
have automatically become healthy for life?
-And what, can we possibly learn watching two poor human beings
fighting like animals, like beasts?
Be aware! The hidden harmony is more important than the obvious
one!
-From my point of view, beast is every creature, either man or animal,
that hasnt got awareness; anyone who is asleep, anyone reserved in his
own private world. Let me remind you of Heraclitus saying: For the
awakened, the World is one and the same for all; those asleep, live each
one, at his own private world. See that karate master in the ring? I
happen to know him and he is definitely an awakened human being, so
I thought that he can teach you Homeopathy! In fact, today, right now, he
will make a live exhibition to you of the technique of homeopathic case
taking!
-No kidding! Give me a break!
-Be careful, please! Be aware, my friend! Heraclitus also said that
Hidden harmony is more important than the obvious one. So, please, be
aware or else you will end up like those fans there; they have come to eat
pop corn, make jokes and show off to those broads they brought with
them. The only thing they see, just because they cant see since they are
asleep, is two poor human beings fighting like animals or beasts as
someone said earlier. The one to fight with the Karate master is a semi-
conscious person or semi-asleep, just like you!
-I dont want to be rude, but isnt that a vain thing to say? Do you imply
that I am the semi-asleep guy and that you are the fully awakened?
-My friend, you should know that in the presence of blind people, the
one-eyed guy rules; in the presence of one-eyed guys, the two-eyed
person rules and in the presence of two-eyed guys, the one who has
activated his third eye rules, etc. So, regarding Homeopathy at the
present moment, you are blind and I am the one-eyed person compared to
you; but it may happen that, regarding for example computers, I may be
totally blind compared to you.
It also seems that we differ in another thing: Ive got no problem to be
called blind in something that I dont know while you are annoyed. You
should know that the best teacher is the one that was once the best student
and in fact, tries to remain a student forever, that is, never stops being
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ready to learn. Wasnt the great Socrates that said: I do know one thing:
I know nothing! You see its the best listener that becomes the best
lecturer. So, for the present being, dont just ask but try to listen also.
-OK, I get it; I shut the fuck up! (laughing)
The right attitude for karate, Homeopathy or anything else!
-Good for you! So, tell me now, what do you see?
-They greet each other.
-Right! What did they do before that, before anything else?
-How the hell should I know? I dont understand what you want to say.
-I mean what did the master do before entering the ring?
-I dont know! I suppose he was warming up by kicking and punching.
-Didnt you notice that he was praying?
-Oh, yes, you are right; he was indeed, praying.
-See, what Ive told you? Most of the times we tend to see without really
seeing because we are not aware; we are not fully conscious; and why
do you think he was praying?
-Isnt it obvious? He was probably wishing to win the fight.
-Stop looking for what is obvious to most people; you are now in a
training process so look for what is beneath the obvious, search for
reality, search for the truth!
-I, dont know why he was praying; Why? Do you know the reason?
-For no reason!
-Are you pulling my leg?
-Certainly, not! Any prayer done for a certain reason is definitely not a
prayer; its but an egoistic list of demands!
-I now see your point; he probably praises God, that is his God, the God
that he believes in.
-God has no need for praises! But, instead, the praying person is in great
need to be tuned with the Creator in whatever he does, so as to do less
stupid things than usual. That reminds me of a theatrical writer. In a book
of his, two persons meet and exchange two phrases: Where are you
going so hastily? Im in a hurry! Im in a hurry to make my next
mistake! (laughing) You see, praying tunes the person so as to stay
focused on his purpose of existence.
-Are you now teaching me Theology or Homeopathy?
-I see no difference at all!
-You say such things and then you complain that they accuse you of
belonging to some heresy or that you mix Science and especially
Homeopathy with Religion.
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-From what I know, I dont belong to any religion, any science or any
Homeopathy. I dont identify myself with any kind of ideology or
religion or any movement of any kind. I simply like not to be blocked by
the differences but to focus on the similarities of all things. Deep down all
things are the same: Science, Religion, Medicine, Karate, Agriculture,
Politics, Sex, Philosophy, Cooking all are the same because they all
obey to the same Universal Laws and are created by the same Creator, the
one that we conventionally, call God. Thats the reason why I cant help
talking about Him! But, lets now learn Homeopathy through karate!
-God, help me! (laughing) Lets do it!
-So, the awakened master does not pray so as to win the game; he prays
in order to be tuned with the Creator and Universal Laws during this
fight, something which he does in all his actions. He doesnt care about
winning; instead he cares about fighting well. He knows, or to be more
precise, he is aware that if he fights for the purpose of winning then he
has already lost! But if he fights well then he has won, no matter the
outcome. What does that has to do with Homeopathy? A master
homeopathic doctor does not practice Homeopathy so as to gain money
or in order to gain fame and become the great healer or to do good
deeds so as to evolve psychologically.
-I suppose you mean that he mustnt practice Medicine aiming to
something but then, doesnt he need to have some motive! How on Earth,
can you do anything at all without any motive?
The Kingdom belongs to the child!
-Have you ever seen a small child playing? How you ever been a child?
They dont play so as to or in order to. They just play for the fun of
the game. They simply enjoy it! They are joy lovers! Thats why Jesus
said: in order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven you have to become as
innocent as a child. Moreover, thats why Heraclitus said: Eternity
(timeless Universe) is a little child (innocent) that plays chess (Cosmic
Game); the kingdom belongs to the child!
I believe you came to me to teach you because you found something that
you like in Homeopathy so just play with it with joy. That is the only way
to play it right. That is the only way to help yourself and others. There
arent any other right rules for this game except Universal Laws, as I have
taught them to you, again and again until you were fed up!
-You couldnt have said it better! But, what about the patient? Whats a
right attitude on his behalf?
-The patient comes to you with the usual motive of any patient: he suffers
and wants to be relieved! He was expelled from Paradise, that is, his
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healthy state and simply wants to return back to Heaven. And dont, even
for a minute, think that I leave us, doctors, out of this. We are possible
patients any time of our life! Theres no exception to this rule! So, the
only thing that a doctor must do is to stay tuned with the Creator and
Universal Laws so as to be a good healer. And the only thing that a
patient must do at the beginning of his treatment is to choose the correct
Therapeutic System and the right doctor and show trust. It is more than
true, that if he wants to get well and stay well he must also change his life
towards respecting Universal Laws. So, in the end, they should both,
doctor and patient, do the same thing! Now, lets examine the next step.
-What next step?
-Didnt you say that after praying they greet each other?
-And how does this fit to homeopathic treatment?
-Greeting is a kind of contract. The doctor made first a tuning contract
with the Creator by praying and now he does a respect contract with the
patient in which, he promises to him to respect him, care about him and
do no harm. The patient, on the other hand, has also made two contracts:
one with the Creator or Nature that he will stop violating Universal Laws
and another one with the doctor promising that he will follow his
therapeutic instructions, hoping to get well. The same thing stands bold if
we examine the relation of a teacher-student like the one we have right
now.
-Why did you say hoping to get well?
-Deliberately! So as to remind to the doctor that he isnt the Healer but,
instead, Nature and God is. The doctor is but a mediator between Nature
and the patient and his sole obligation is to be a good mediator. On the
other hand, the patient must be reminded that the doctor is not God or
Nature, although so many doctors and scientists like to play God! But, its
time to focus on the fight! Open your eyes and ears and tell me: What do
you see?
What do you see?
-I see the student jumping up and down, here and there and threatening
his master with his feasts and feet; he is so energetic, so restless and so
dynamic!
-And what about the master? What does he do?
-What can I tell you! I see not much of a move! In fact, he barely raises
his hands and feet. The only thing he does is that he keeps turning
towards his moving student and never loses him from his sight; his eyes
are fixed to him!
-You are seeing, good! Keep looking! What do you see?
-For God sake! What is the matter with him? His student keeps punching
him heavily but the only thing he does is to avoid punches by moving
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back or at sides all the time. He hasnt managed to hit back, not even
once! What kind of a trained master is this? The student has really kicked
his butt!
-Keep looking! What do you see?
-Keep looking, what? What a student! Its totally his game! He is
definitely, leading the game! He is gaining confidence and starts
expressing himself for good; he is punching and kicking and gives quite a
performance
-Dont stop looking! What do you see now?
-What! What the hell! The bell rang the end of round one and your master
sucks! The student is the real master of the fight! Whoops! Off we go for
round two. At last! I see that your master is starting to move! Wow! He
surely has managed to hit the student with some very technical punches
and kicks but its as if his hits have no strength. He hits a couple of
punches and retreats although he could have insisted; smart hits but not
enough!
-You are seeing, good! Keep looking! What do you see?
-Theres nothing to see now; end of round two, already! The student has
definitely lost control but still the master seems not to go for it; he seems
to me as if he is playing the cat and mouse game! I am so curious to see
what he will do next round. Why dont you say anything? Say something!
-I will tell you all about it, later on; keep looking now; you are doing fine!
Round three has begun. What do you see?
-The master seems to go for it! Wow! He hits once, twice three times
and wow! Its a knock out! A knock out in just three moves! Impressive!
He let him take no breath and by only three hits he finished him as if
knew all his weak points; where to hit and how! I bet you knew it all right
from the beginning! You are so damn right that he is a real master!
Round one: a time to watch
-I see that you are excited by the game! And you know why? Because it
was a good fight by a good and experienced karate teacher. And that is
what a good homeopathic case taking looks like too!
Round one is to let your patient express himself and his symptoms
without interfering. You let him express his idiosyncrasy to the
maximum. You make him feel comfortable and you encourage him to
speak in his own style. Moreover, you may drive him a little to some
fields of your interest but you never block him. Your task as doctor in
round one is to look and note down his general image, the feeling he
gives you and his general tendencies. You are simply tracing his miasmas
and possible idiosyncrasies.
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Round two: a time to gather and evaluate information
-Now I get the picture! What about round two?
-Round two, is the phase of asking, receiving answers and evaluating
symptoms. Every tracing hit of the master corresponds to a question of
the doctor and every defense of the student corresponds to an answer of
the patient. During this round the master hits technically but not hard. He
asks cleverly but generally so as not to guide his patient to any specific
direction. The questions must be unbiased so as to have an idiosyncratic
answer.
During this phase we gather important specific information about his
physical and psychological symptoms and we evaluate it but we dont
give the final knock-out punch until we are ready and certain. We mustnt
reach to the final diagnosis of his idiosyncrasy until we are ready to do
so.
Round three: a time for knock out!
-Its so interesting! What does round three stands for?
-Round three is the phase of differential diagnosis. In the same way that
the master has already decided from the end of round two about his
opponents weak points, in the same way the doctor has already decided
about the few possible idiosyncrasies that affect his patient. The last
decisive three hits before the knock out correspond to the critical last
questions of differential diagnosis so as to decide the one and only similar
idiosyncrasy, the one and only similar homeopathic medicine that suits
our patient.
So, after three rounds, during which he has acted as an experienced
master fighter, as an experienced doctor he has finally reached a correct
diagnosis and is ready to help his patient. In the same way that you and
the student, at the end, appreciated the efficacy of the master, in the same
way the patient leaves the office sure that the doctor made a good job
since he was precise, confident and knew all the time what to do.
-What to say! I so much liked the analogy!
-Be sure that you will find such analogies to all natural and biological
phenomena because they are all created by the same Creator and function
according to the same Universal Laws. Of course, you will be able to
realize it, to become aware of it, only if you see with a clear eye and
heart, note down with a clear mind and interpret with a clear conscience!
Now let me talk to you about another analogy.
The Three Rounds of Homeopathic Training
-What analogy?
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-The analogy of your training, of any training, that is, of any true teacher-
student relationship! Round one is the phase where the teacher lets his
students express their selves so as to trace their needs and illusions.
During round two he must be more active and try to empty the mind and
heart of his student from all illusions and false emotions so as to make
space for natural ideas and feelings. Its the phase where the future
healer must be healed so as to become a healthy, unbiased and efficient
healer.
-What youve said gives me the creeps! It reminds me of brain-washing!
-Nobody likes to see or smell his dirty laundry! And nobody wants to
wash his dirty linen in public! But if you want to wash others dirty
clothes you need to have clean clothing yourself! Your fear about brain-
washing has to do with certain idiosyncratic characteristics of yours.
Anyway, the whole process of the healing of the (future) healer has to
be carried out with full consciousness, unhurriedly and in free will. A true
teacher is not a merchant or a businessman; he doesnt sell; he doesnt
manipulate minds; he doesnt interfere in others lives; he doesnt exploit
his students in any possible way; he never turns his students into fans.
He does his task only if he is sincerely asked; he never violates others
free will because this is against Universal Laws. He isnt a supporter of
the saying the end justifies the means. He knows that if your means are
immoral then not only the results are immoral but also all those involved
become immoral. There is a saying in Greece: You just cant touch shit
and not get dirty! Furthermore, in any true teacher-student relationship
they both should feel free to end it, anytime.
-Anyway, whats the third round of such a relationship?
-This round is not suit for all students! Not because the teacher refuses to
go on but because not all students can achieve it. Its not a matter of
passing to the students brain new advanced information. Its not a matter
of Mind, a matter of Intellectual Psyche. Its a matter of heart or to be
more precise, its a matter of Conscience Psyche. The student must
evolve psychologically, that is, he must become moral. His Intellectual
Psyche must be inspired by his Conscience Psyche and furthermore, he
must apply this morality to all fields of his everyday life. Its no use
declaring that you have moral principles. Its crucial to apply it in reality.
-And to what round am I now as a student?
-Thats, my friend, something that only you should answer? End of
discussion! Have a nice night! Or to be more exact have a nice new
day, because day and light is more suitable to awakened people!
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CHAPTER 1
DOCTORS PERSONALITY: A CRUCIAL FACTOR
METHODS OF
HOMEOPATHIC DIAGNOSIS
1.1 Doctors Personality: a crucial factor in Homeopathy
1.2 In homeopathic diagnosis the doctor is the measurement device
that measures the patients idiosyncrasy
1.3 The importance of proper training for a homeopathic doctor
1.4 MID: Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis
1.5 Other methods of homeopathic diagnosis
Today, our subject is Homeopathic Case Taking; we are going to talk
about the art and science of Homeopathic Case Taking. Its one of the
most important subjects in Homeopathy because in our therapeutic
system successful diagnosis means successful treatment and effective
cure.
In Allopathic Medicine the aim is to diagnose the disease and prescribe
the medicine that corresponds to the disease, which is more or less the
same for all patients. On the contrary, in Homeopathy the goal is to
diagnose the idiosyncrasy of the patient and give each patient his
idiosyncratic remedy, no matter what disease or diseases he suffers from.
1.1Doctors Personality: a crucial factor in Homeopathy
When it comes to allopathic diagnosis doctors personality is not so
important; I mean that, no matter what kind of person he is, if he is well
trained he will more or less reach the correct diagnosis because things are
more clear and standard.
I mean that you have to do with standard physical symptoms, standard
clinical findings and standard tests. Let me give you an example: if you
have great thirst, excessive urination, craving for sweet and blood test
15
that reveals sugar 215 then its easy for any doctor or even medical
student to conclude that his patient suffers from diabetes.
Thats the reason why during allopathic education or at allopathic
conferences case reports are presented in the following way: Whats
your diagnosis for a patient 40 years old that has these physical symptoms
and these laboratory test results? Its more than certain that almost all
doctors will reach the same diagnosis of disease. It doesnt matter if the
doctor is a beast regarding psychological evolution or if he is a saint;
morality, attitude and spiritual level are of no importance regarding
diagnosis. Nor does it matter if he is balanced or unbalanced, calm or
irritable, honest or money-slave; things are more standard and clear.
That, of course stands bold only for Pathology; even in Allopathic
Medicine if we move to the Psychiatric field and especially to
Psychoanalysis or any kind of Psychotherapy then the personality of the
doctor is a crucial factor regarding diagnosis and of course, treatment.
The reason is that you dont only diagnose the psychic illness of the
patient but you also evaluate his personality, his profile.
1.2 In homeopathic diagnosis the doctor is the measurement device
that measures the patients idiosyncrasy
In homeopathic diagnosis things are even more complex. We dont only
have to evaluate his psychological symptoms but we also have to evaluate
his miasmas and idiosyncrasy, that is, his whole! In order to do such a
thing successfully, the homeopathic doctor must be very balanced and
unbiased so as to be a well calibrated scientific measurement device!
Let me point out to you what I mean by an example: If I, the doctor, am
an irritable person and an irritable patient comes to me I may evaluate
him as a normal guy regarding anger; you see I can be biased; I may
judge from myself.
Another relevant example: I may have recently gone through hell due to a
divorce; my lovely wife has broken my heart to pieces and I am so mad
with her and with all women. Then, here comes to me a submissive
woman that has recently got divorced; her husband was a jerk; he has
troubled her so much and has made her life miserable. If I am not
balanced and if I judge from myself then I tend to say: What a bitch!
(laughing) So, instead of prescribing a psoric idiosyncrasy like Natrum
Muriaticum or Pulsatilla I tend to prescribe a syphilitic one like Valerian
or Lachesis.
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So you see, it is critical in homeopathic diagnosis for the doctor to be
objective and balanced as personality, at least at that certain time of
diagnosis. He certainly has his idiosyncratic characteristics also; he is
human after all; not a saint or an angel. He certainly has a lot in his mind
and he may, at that time, experience several emotional problems of his
own, but whenever he puts his medical blouse on and enters his office, he
has to be able to leave all that aside and be balanced, objective and
unbiased; that is, be a true scientist!
1.3 The importance of proper training for a homeopathic doctor
There is also another critical precondition in order to reach a successful
diagnosis of his patients idiosyncrasy: he must have a correct training; he
must know whats normal in a man not only regarding physical
symptoms but also regarding behavior, emotions, thinking, intentions and
morality. How on Earth, can he evaluate correctly his patients
idiosyncrasy if he doesnt know whats normal in a man?
Let me lay down an example: I, the doctor, may be a very hot and
active, sexually, person. So, its a normal thing for me that a person
should have desire for sex almost every day, seven times a week, 365
days a year! A patient comes to me and says that he has desire for sex
only once a week; I may say: desire for sex, zero! (laughing)
I must have a certain training during which it will become clear to me
what is normal and what is abnormal regarding all physical and
psychological symptoms; that is, heat, sleep, physical stamina,
perspiration, odors of the body, desires and aversions regarding taste,
irritability, expression of anger, introversion, tidiness, fears, self-
confidence, sexuality, behavior in family, work, society, etc. Not only I
must know whats normal but I must also know how to evaluate the
intensity of a symptom to three certain degrees: regular, intense and
extreme.
Furthermore, I must become very well acquainted with the characteristics
of each idiosyncrasy regarding all these physical and psychological
symptoms so as to decide the patients main idiosyncrasy at the present.
All in all, a homeopathic doctor must have both, a proper training and
achieve balance.
I tell you, there were difficult times in my turbulent life during which Ive
been striving to sustain my efficacy as homeopathic doctor not by
studying homeopathic books but by becoming a better person, a better
man. If, I, the doctor, am the measuring device regarding idiosyncrasy, I
17
have to be well calibrated and objective or else, I will reach a false
measurement. I will diagnose a false idiosyncrasy and thus I will
prescribe an improper homeopathic medicine.
Homeopathic doctor must also be unprejudiced regarding ideologies in
general. On entering his office he must not be leftist or right-wing;
Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or atheist; man or woman. He must not
identify himself with any kind of ideology, so as to achieve objectiveness.
Furthermore, he must be balanced as to his Etheric Energy. Drawing from
my personal experience, if the doctor is very tired, sleepy or troubled with
other personal matters, then its not easy to be relaxed and focused so as
to get the right picture of his patient.
1.4 MID: Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis
Along our theoretical training, whenever we refer to homeopathic
diagnosis, we will always mean Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis as
taught by me to you.
What are the main characteristics of this specific method? The doctor is
guided by the miasmas of his patient so as to examine his whole
existence, giving more credit to psychological symptoms and general
physical symptoms than to specific physical ones. Thats what Miasmatic
Idiosyncratic Diagnosis is, in one sentence!
1.5 Other methods of homeopathic diagnosis
But there are many other methods of diagnosis. Theres one that must be
called Disease-Oriented Method. As youve probably noticed I
deliberately didnt say homeopathic method; I simply said method
because I dont consider it a homeopathic one. What makes something
homeopathic is the respect of homeopathic laws. If you play a game of
football with a basket ball what game are you playing? Its so obvious
that you are playing football because the rules, the laws that you follow
are those of football!
Accordingly if you examine a patient using the disease-oriented
allopathic laws, even if you claim that you try to diagnose his
idiosyncrasy, you are doing Allopathy. Even if you administer
homeopathic drugs, if you have already chosen them according to
allopathic laws, then you are not employing Homeopathy; you are simply
employing Allopathy! Its so important to understand that what makes
Homeopathy be Homeopathy are but the homeopathic laws you employ!
18
According to this disease-oriented method you focus on the disease and
its physical symptoms. For example, a patient comes to you suffering
from ulcerative colitis. You focus on the symptoms and modalities of this
colitis and you end up prescribing Colocynthis; accordingly you have a
pneumonia case and you give Arsenicum or you have an arthritis and you
give Rhus Toxicodendron or you have an urethral infection and you give
Cantharis.
You dont focus on the patient as a whole. His local symptoms remind
you of a certain homeopathic medicine although his whole picture, his
idiosyncrasy may correspond to another one. You have already violated
the homeopathic laws of Simillimum, of Individualization and of the
Whole! Somebody could say: Theories! Words! Philosophies! So what?
Havent I relieved the patient from his symptoms?
You may have, indeed! But, as youve said, youve only relieved him;
and in fact you didnt even relieve him! Youve only relieved his urethra!
And only temporarily! You havent cured the patient, the person as a
whole. You have done nothing about his depression; you have done
nothing about his chronic predisposition concerning the Urine Tract
System and so he will keep having relapses and you will keep giving him
Cantharis every time, again and again until it doesnt work anymore! You
see, you havent treated his Miasmas and his Idiosyncrasy!
Theres also another kind of diagnosis, which of course, I couldnt call
homeopathic, also. It is based not on the disease but on a single symptom
of a certain disease. I could call it A single Symptom-Oriented
Diagnosis. Let me not waist our precious time commenting it; the same
things stand bold or even bolder for this method as for the previous
commented one.
What interests me more to comment, is the method that claims to be
idiosyncratic and homeopathic but ends up not to be, despite good
intentions and much effort. Its the well-known, Repertorising Method.
I take up the case and note all physical and psychological symptoms of
the patient. I then, focus on the main physical and psychological
symptoms and refer to Repertories of great masters of Homeopathy like
for example Kent. I may also refer to key-notes, that is, to symptoms
that are very characteristic of a certain idiosyncrasy. I may also refer to
Electronic Repertories or to Computer Expert Systems.
In all these cases I take a symptom and examine its modalities; that is, its
changes according to time, space, weather conditions, etc. Then I cross
19
check all my studies of symptoms and decide what idiosyncrasy appears
more frequent and in an intense degree in all these studies. The one that
seems to suit the majority of these certain symptoms, I consider as the
Simillimum. But most of the times it may suit the majority of these
chosen from me symptoms, but it may not suit the patient as a miasmatic
and idiosyncratic totality.
This is partly due to the incompleteness of our Repertories. For example,
if you take Kents Repertory you will find very few entries regarding
Medorhinum or other idiosyncrasies that Kent did not fully study and
comprehend. And you may also find numerable entries regarding
Belladonna, an idiosyncrasy very much studied by Kent. But, in fact,
Medorhinum is a very frequent basic idiosyncrasy while Belladonna is a
very rare basic idiosyncrasy. It may be used quite frequently in acute
fevers but its a rare idiosyncrasy regarding chronic states.
Furthermore, which is the more correct and complete Repertory among
the dozens that exist? Is the problem solved if you put all Repertories
together in a Grand, Synthetic Repertory? Dont you also put
together all the false entries that have gathered through the years? And
how functional can be such a bulgy, extended book with thousands or
millions of entries? Wouldnt it be like studying the most complete
Chinese Lexicon just to say Hallo, how are you? in Chinese?
But the main reason that I am against Repertorising, Key-note prescribing
and Computer Expert Systems is that you cannot put on record the
miasmatic and idiosyncratic whole of an individual into any book or
computer, no matter how extensive and thorough it may be, no matter
what master or masters have written it!
For example how can you make any entry of non-verbal information into
it? How can you talk about his clothing, his manner of speech, not to
mention his style and the feeling he radiates around him? How can you
talk about the way he has handled his love disappointment or his family
problems? How can a book distinguish among Primary Behaviors and
Secondary ones? How can a book smell the miasmatic shades of
behaviors, emotions and thinking? Only a Man can do that! Only an
intelligent, balanced, well trained and unprejudiced doctor can do that!
If you become a doctor practicing Repertorising Diagnosis, then you
resemble a writer or a poet that tries in vain, to reproduce in words the
image and the feelings caused by a Springs flower; or the charm of a
horse riding in an open field among the grain; or the love that radiates
20
around two lovers in the sunset; or the spirituality that is reflected to the
eyes of an honestly praying man.
You just cant do such a thing because you are simply lost among words
and symptoms; you are lost in the translation. You see, the totality of a
persons symptoms does not make the person in the same way that the
totality of the symptoms does not make the disease or even the Illness in
general. Likewise, the totality of the materials of a house does not make
the building itself or the totality of the cells of a plant or animal does not
make the plant or animal as a whole. Not to mention that the character of
a man is above the totality of his characteristics.
You need a Man to trace the character. You need an intelligent creature to
diagnose the Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Whole of the patient! You need, not
just a Man, but a well trained, balanced and objective homeopathic
doctor! Got it? And thats what I am striving to do with you! And, of
course, it can only be done, if you yourselves want it badly and try hard
for it!
21
CHAPTER 2
NON VERBAL BEHAVIOR
2.1 Idiosyncratic and miasmatic information from setting the
appointment with the doctor!
2.2 The first contact with the patient in the offices living room
2.3 In the office
2.4 Idiosyncratic Characteristics concerning Speech
2.5 Idiosyncratic Characteristics concerning body-type and
appearance
I have already made a general introduction in order to speak about the
general preconditions needed so as to reach a correct diagnosis of the
patients idiosyncrasy. Now its time for more practical information; we
are going to see how a doctor takes the case, step by step, the way I do it,
according to MID, that is, according to Miasmatic Idiosyncratic
Diagnosis.
Although psychological symptoms are more important, for practical
reasons and for the convenience of the patient, we must first start from his
disease and physical symptoms. You see, I am a clinical doctor and not
an academic one; I take things as life does, that is, first things first! So,
the first thing from which we can already, derive information, no matter
how surprising it may sound, is the way the patient sets his appointment!
2.1 Idiosyncratic and miasmatic information from setting the
appointment with the doctor!
Life is so exciting! Watch how some idiosyncrasies set their appointment
so as to be able to identify them!
22
A Phosphor patient says: Doctor, please, save me! He is so sycotic in
expression and so anxious to set an appointment in order to be relieved
from his fears! He may sometimes tell you: Please, can I come now! He
may have called just to set an appointment but he usually starts telling
you his symptoms and even as far as to details.
He may as well, tell you: Ive heard so much about you! That you are
such a good doctor! He is sincere, he is not faking and he is not
manipulating you by flattering like a syphilitic Lachesis does because he
is psoric as to intellectual content although strongly sycotic as to
expression.
He may say: I beg you doctor, save me! and he will want you to
console him, to sympathize with him, to say a good word and to give him
hope. He would like you to tell him: Dont worry; everythings going to
be ok! Thats the best thing you cant do to him at the time until you
examine him. You can also tell him: Ive seen a lot of such cases like
yours. Then he will anxiously ask you: Have you had good results?
Does that mean that I may also get well? He seeks consolation
desperately; he needs it; it makes him feel much better; he asks for it; its
a sunray of hope in the midst of his darkness of fears about his health!
As I already told you, he is psoric morally and intellectually and not a
syphilitic hypocrite. Thus, he is honest and sincere although highly
sycotic regarding his expression. He is like a small, innocent, honest kid
that directly says what comes to his mind and right away expresses what
he clearly feels in his heart at the moment without hesitation. He wants
the doctor to listen to him, understand his terrible state, console him
and help him.
If the doctor is a typical, professional Nux Vomica guy that does not
sympathize with him and the only thing he says is: Let us not go into
details Mr. Brown; I will thoroughly examine you on Friday at 18.00,
sharp!, then he starts getting disappointed. He will think: What kind of
a man is this? How inhuman of him! He asked me nothing, he showed no
interest and no feelings at all! But if the doctor asked him about his
problem and told him a few assuring words then he would be so pleased
and hopeful. If you also tell him to bring with him all the lab tests that he
has done, then he is sure that you show interest and care. After all he has
spent so much time and money in doing examinations after examinations
in an anxious effort to find out what, on earth, he suffers from.
23
On the other hand, an Arsenicum patient is also worried about his health,
even more than Phosphor but on the contrary, he is a cold, typical,
egoistic, syphilitic and mistrustful person. He lacks the warm feelings and
sycotic expression of Phosphor, the innocence of a child and the open-
hearted personality of Phosphor. Instead, he is mistrustful, cold and
typical: I want to set an appointment with you I have some problems
that I want to discuss with you and see if you can help me we will talk
about it when I come. What is your fee, doctor? I do hope well have
enough time to discuss my problem.
A Nux Vomica patient is also typical like Arsenicum but not so cold and
egoistic and not so frightened about her condition. She wont say much
but she may ask you about procedures because she is so fastidious and
well organized in every detail: What time should I be there? How long it
will take? I do hope you wont delay me! She may also ask about the
exact address, how to come there, what bus or subway to take and at what
stop to get off, the floor where the office is and even if she has to climb a
stair because she has that troubling knee pain.
She may also ask about the fee and if her insurance company covers the
cost of the examination and the cost of drugs. Should I bring my folder
of examination tests with me? Yes, of course Thank you, I will
certainly do. I have it all classified by dates and exams. Do you need any
other specific tests before I come to you? Indeed, she comes to the office
with a complete, thorough dossier full of well classified information,
sometimes even with copies for you to keep into your file.
Do I need to remind you what weve already said about Repertorising?
How can you record this information into a Repertory or into a Computer
Expert System? Someone may say that he can search for the rubric
fastidious at a Repertory and see what idiosyncrasies are there in bold
letters, but if you dont learn how to end up to this rubric then no book on
earth, will help you. If you dont learn how to interpret verbal and
especially non verbal behavior and draw specific and correct information
then youve lost the essence of the patient. You are lost into the heartless,
intellectual ocean of symptoms called Repertory.
You may, of course, ask him among others: Are you fastidious? Yes, I
am No, I am not. So what? Thats not the point! You can already have
a good picture about this characteristic from his non verbal behavior.
Moreover his non verbal information is more true, accurate and unspoiled
compared to his verbal one because its not filtered. Its a raw material
that says very much about his primary behavior. If you have learned how
24
to interpret correctly and objectively non verbal behavior then you are
quite close to truth because non verbal expressions dont lie while verbal
expressions of the patient may indeed lie, especially if he is influenced by
a syphilitic idiosyncrasy.
Thats why we start our case taking from the very time he sets his
appointment and how he does it. You will find no such information in any
Repertory of any kind. But thats the kind of information you will
definitely find in my Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Materia Medica.
Lets go on. How does a sycotic Medorhinum subject express his
idiosyncrasy on setting an appointment? Usually he is not the one to
make the call. His wife or mother will, although he may also call you:
When shall I come? Can I come now so as to get things cleared right
away and go get my medicines? Is there a drug store also near there? I
am sorry but I havent got the time now to examine you Just squeeze
me in doctor, I am close to your office now and it will suit me I am
sorry, its your first time and I will need a lot of time to examine you
thoroughly I dont have much to say, I will tell you my illness and
you will give me the drugs (laughing)
If you are one of those repertorising doctors who dont know how to
communicate with a certain idiosyncrasy on the phone and furthermore
need two hours to take the case asking aimlessly hundreds of non critical
questions you may say: For God sake, Mr. Brown, I will definitely need
at least two hours to take your case because I am going to ask you about
your personality, your ideas, your past life babble babble . Then,
its more that certain that youve lost him! He will say to himself: Two
whole hours of examination! Is he nuts? and then he will tell you:
Whats there to say, for God sake, doctor? They told me that I have
infection of my prostate or something like that. Can you cure that? If you
can, then let me come and give me the drugs.
Thats Medorhinum! Simple and plain; end of story! Dont be loquacious
with him; dont try to explain him scientifically; just cut to the chase! He
doesnt care so much about the money or the procedure or statistics. Just
give him the drugs. If he isnt cured and indeed quite promptly youll
probably never see him again! He will simply go to another doctor!
Most of the times, even if he has a severe health problem, he neglects his
health; he wont easily go to any doctor. Not that he is afraid of doctors,
needles and drugs; he is so fearless but at the same time so bored of
25
treatments and examinations. Most of the times he doesnt go to the
doctor; they drag him to the doctors office or force him if he is a child.
His syphilitic Lachesis wife may also resort to tricks or craftiness so as to
take him to the doctor: she may set two appointments for both of them
although she has told him he will only accompany her to the doctor. Then
at the last minute, after her examination was finished, she innocently
says: Why dont you also tell the doctor your problem John? and
without waiting for him to answer she turns to the doctor: He has a
serious problem with his cholesterol so please start asking him doctor.
Its a half nelson state! A checkmate in two moves!
But, he may resist! Let go of me, doctor, I am all right. Dont listen to
my silly wife! Just give her some medicines because she is all the time
busting my balls with her pains and dizziness and all that stuff. I am all
right! Ive got nothing! He may also add: But do it quickly because I
dont want to lose the game! My team is having a derby tonight! He may
also be in a hurry to go to the pub with his pals.
When a Platina woman sets an appointment, most of the times a sense of
great self confidence or even vanity is in the air; although she calls for the
first time, she may want her appointment to be done whenever it suits her.
She is almost demanding it since she, a royalty, has done you the favor
to come so you ought to lay down the red carpet for her! You see, she is
the Queen and you are the battler!
How can you record this sensation in any Repertory or Computer Expert
System? You could of course, create the rubric feels royalty but the
critical thing is to be able to trace this feeling and most of all to be
objective about it. You may carry with you in the jungle the best
hunters guide but that doesnt make you a hunter and that doesnt put
meat in the kettle! You have to become a real hunter yourself in order to
be successful. You have to become a real homeopathic doctor, a true
master of the art and science of Medicine in order to heal people.
Lachesis is one of the most characteristic idiosyncrasies regarding setting
an appointment with the doctor! Most of the times, she is extremely
loquacious! Loquacious at degree 3! But you may, rarely find one that is
typical and with only a few words to say; you see, they are both Lachesis,
because as many times said, you may have one genotype and many
phenotypes, that is, one primal behavior and many secondary ones.
26
She is such a roaring torrent! Most of all, she will jump from one subject
to another; to an irrelevant one and then return back to the previous! She
often says: Ive heard so much about you! This is simply, flatter! Mrs.
Young talked to me about you and she told me to mention it. This means
that she wants you to take good care of her, that she wants a special care.
I will talk about you to all around me if you cure me! This is
expediency which is a syphilitic characteristic. Will I become well?
Have you had such cases in the past? Ive been suffering for so long!
She will continue telling you the story of her whole life, since childhood!
If you try to stop her she may change subject. She may, as well, change
subject suddenly and for no reason at all! How much will it cost me,
doctor? Oh, I see! Sorry for asking, but you see I must know what
money to bring with me or you see, doctor, I am only living on a small
pension and I dont know if I can afford you; will you do me a better
price? I will definitely bring to you so many patients and you could spare
the receipt and lower your fee! or Does my Insurance Company cover
the cost of the treatment and medications?
Dont you even think that, thats all! She will go on talking and talking:
You see, I have been to a homeopathic doctor before, I will not tell you
his name of course, but he has done so much damage to me but of
course, Ive heard so many good things about you! She may also say:
Ive been to so many allopathic doctors and they nearly killed me; so
much side effects! I hear that your medicines dont have any side effects.
Have they?
You see, all these are just part of a single telephone call just to set an
appointment! All the above, that is, the streaming loquacity, hypocrisy,
mistrustfulness, intentional flatter, jumping from one subject to another,
her effort to make you take good care of her, grumbling about the cost of
your fee, accusing other doctors, all the above put together or each one of
it, are indeed, leading you towards Lachesis.
But, as said, she may be typical like Nux Vomica: Doctor, Ive heard
that Homeopathy has to do with heresies or eastern religions. Is there a
possibility that you are part of such a thing? I want to know! She will
demand to know, because she is such a God-fearing woman and wants
to have nothing to do with such heretic things!
She may also pretend to be a poor, sensitive victim like for example a
weeping Pulsatilla, but most of the times she will go to the extremes:
Please doctor, I beg you! Save me from my burdens! Ive heard such
27
good things about you! Weeping follows and you tell her: Dont worry
Mrs. Brown! I will certainly take a good care of you. More weeping and
then she will say: Thank you God, thank you! God bless you my child,
God bless you! Yet, she may also be that ambitious and vain
businesswoman, resembling a Platina case, that has that vain air as
described before, but still she will be very mistrustful.
Lycopodium will call and most of the times, he will start talking and
asking because he is such an intellectual idiosyncrasy! He may start
telling you that he has read so much about Homeopathy and he will refer
to books or the Web and will go on telling you that another homeopathic
doctor has given him this and that with this and that results. He wants to
say to you that he is a vegetarian, following a strict healthy diet and is
also using these and that herbs, practicing yoga for many years etc. He
may go on saying that he has many things to ask about Homeopathy and
he will ask about side effects, how the homeopathic medicines act and so
on.
You see, he is mistrustful and very intellectual at the same time; he wants
you to try to convince him about Homeopathy and he wants to see if you
are a good and well informed scientist. In addition he wants to know if
you can handle his case, if you are an expert on his case. He is such a Net
fan! He will surf the Net and search for his case and what can
Homeopathy or other Therapeutic Systems do about him. Phosphor also
may surf the Net but not so much as to learn about his case. He is not as
intellectual as Lycopodium; he is so suffering from his fears about his
health and desperately seeks for salvation, for cure! Moreover he is not
mistrustful; in fact he is so gullible and goodhearted!
2.2 The first contact with the patient in the office living room
Thats enough for the setting of the appointment. Now lets proceed to
how a patient pushes the bell button of your office! (laughing) The
sycotic patient will do a beeeeep! (more laughing) The psoric one will
do a very short and shy beep! The syphilitic type may do a beep, beep,
beeeep, beep!
Often, as soon as you let the patient come into your living room you will
instantly discover if his behavior is psoric, sycotic or syphilitic. The
sycotic will say: Hey doctor! How are you? Are you by any chance
relatives with Terry Othonos, the one who has the pub around the corner?
We are so pals with him! The psoric will be shy, reserved and typical: I
am so sorry that I was late!
28
Its going to be a psoric, sincere and shy apology and not a syphilitic one
like the following: Thank God, doctor! Weve finally managed to come!
There was so much traffic! On the top of it, it is so difficult to find a
parking near your office! Whats the matter with this area? You see, not
only he is late, but he is even grumbling as if you are on fault for
something! Sometimes, not only he is late but on top he says to you: Are
you going to delay me? I have so much to do!
He may also say: How on earth, doctor, did you choose this area! So
much traffic and such a difficulty finding a parking! or I was so
troubled to find a cab and I paid so much to come to you! As if you are
on fault for that or as if you have to pay him the extra money he gave to
the cab! You see, its the typical aggressive defense tactic: I am on fault
but still, I am aggressive so as to force you put yourself in a defensive
position and make you apologize; its a typical syphilitic tactic! You see
how we reach a miasmatic diagnosis!
Often, syphilitic idiosyncrasies and especially Lachesis, try to extract
information out of you: Are you married doctor? Any kids? Too bad!
Kids are a blessing! or Wow, you already have two kids! You seem so
young! When did you do that? I mean how old are you? or The lady
that introduced me to you said that you are a doctor for many years but
still you seem so young; how old are you? or So, you are a homeopath!
Does that mean that you are a doctor?
Whenever a patient tries to extract information or whenever he is
indiscrete asking personal questions, as a rule, you have to do with a
syphilitic subject. But, always be careful because even a psoric, sincere
patient, like a Phosphor guy, being also sycotic and spontaneous
regarding expression, may ask you a personal question; but its always an
unintentional act; a sincere act.
Nux Vomica will be very punctual at her appointment. She may even
come a little earlier than scheduled so as to be certain that she will be
punctual. She will want you to be punctual also. She demands punctuality
from you. You told her 18.00 and she wants to be 18.00 sharp in your
office! She may even make a comment if you are, even a little late,
nevertheless, she will always be polite but still strict and demanding.
Lycopodium, most of the times will come even earlier so as not to find
himself, in the very awkward position to apologize for his delay. But he
will be annoyed if you delay him. Sometimes, he may not be annoyed; he
may start reading all the brochures and books you have in the living room
29
about Homeopathy so as to be informed and ask you questions when he
finally enters your office. He rarely makes criticism for your delay
because he is coward or if he does it will be a polite remark.
Platina is most likely to be offended if you delay her. She is going to
think: Who the hell he thinks he is, to delay me! Doctor Christian
Barnard! Ive got important things to do also! Usually, she will express
her annoyance by straight aggressive remarks. If you are very late, she
may even go off and never come back after a vain remark about you!
Lachesis, on the other hand, may adopt many different secondary
behaviors: Dont bother doctor! Please, do your job! I dont mind
waiting as long as it takes. She says that implying as long as you take a
good care of me, of course! Or she may say: Whats the matter doctor!
When are you going to examine me? Why did you schedule your
appointments so jammed? How on earth, will you find time to do a good
examination if you dont have time?
Lets see, now, how several different kids will behave in the living room
or in the office. Phosphor, Medorhinum and Cina are restless kids. But
theres a great difference among them. Cina is the mean, stubborn kid.
His mum or dad will go after him so as to behave, but with no result, even
if punished. Cina is so stubborn! His mum will tell him Dont touch
that! He will look at her and at the same time his hand will touch the
forbidden object!
Phosphor kid is restless but not spoiled and certainly not mean; he is such
a good kid! Medorhinum is restless and not obedient. He is the tough guy;
the independent. Cina is the mean, totally stubborn kid. Lachesis little
girls want to be the center of attention; they act as little grownups, talk
like that and want to show off with their behavior. Platina little girls are
so self confident and even vain; they are the little princesses but not the
sensitive ones, in fact, they are the vain ones. Pulsatilla little girls are the
sensitive ones who like to be dressed up like the psoric sensitive
princesses of fairy tales.
You will be able to trace psoric persons from their psoric behavior; they
sit quietly in the living room, not talking to others and patiently waiting
for their turn. You will also trace those loquacious Lachesis madams or
gossips because they keep asking others: Is this your first time? Is he a
good doctor? Whats your problem? Have you seen results? Lachesis
will want to know everything about the doctor and other persons.
30
If she is an old patient of the doctor she will grab the chance to say good
things about him to other patients in the living room. She will talk loud
and clear and even wait for the doctor to come in the living room to say
good comments about him so as to flatter the doctor. Lachesis, if pleased,
will spread a good rumor about you to anyone else: to her neighbors, co-
workers, relatives, even to strangers. Many times she even accompanies
other persons that are introduced by her to the doctor after she has almost
force them to set an appointment.
The important question for the homeopathic doctor is always not the fact
but the intention that lies beneath: Why does she do that? Thats the
most important question! Is she doing it out of true gratitude like a psoric
Phosphor or Pulsatilla? No! She is doing it out of expediency and thats
why she is so keen to show it to you: Ive introduced you so many
people!, Did Mrs. Miller come to you? I, am the one, that introduced
her to you! I found her at the grocers and I told her: You should go
there, immediately! He is going to cure you, undoubtedly! I was a wreck
and he saved me! She does this for several reasons: she may ask for a
discount or to give her medicines for a larger period of time or just to take
a very good care of her.
How can you be sure that this is indeed a syphilitic behavior? There are
two important criteria: she is extreme as to her behavior and above all,
intentional! The final confirmation is that if this woman is displeased, she
may make a ridicule of you in public! She is going to keep accusing you
until she enters her grave. Again, you encounter her extreme and
intentional behavior and her meanness.
You may find a Lycopodium patient flirting in your living room but still
its a shy, psoric, gentle and cultured flirting. Medorhinum, on the other
hand, will flirt in a straight, prompt and sometimes vulgar way. They may
both flirt with the doctor, especially if she/he is a beautiful woman or a
handsome man. Valerian young women tend to flirt the handsome doctor
in a cultured and styled manner while Tarentula Hispanica has a more
sycotic and straight manner of flirting, since she is so hot and active
sexually.
From our point of view, as doctors, they can do whatever they like. We
must stick to our job, which is to collect data and reach a correct
homeopathic diagnosis. They do their job and we do ours! (laughing)
2.3 In the office
31
Now its time for the patient to enter our office. The way the patient sits
is many times indicative of his miasmas and idiosyncrasy. A
Medorhinum or sycotic Sulphur will sit hastily and loudly and will have
his feet and hands spread open wide; they are comfortable and cool guys.
Phosphor, due to his urge to be understood and helped, may move the
chair closer to the doctors desk. Lachesis also does this, in an attempt for
familiarity.
We have already described in previous lectures how a Lachesis is
dressed: extreme and kitsch! For example, she will wear a see-through
blouse even if she pretends to be a God-fearing woman or she will wear a
mini-skirt even if she has very fat thighs. She may also wear tights even if
she is very fat. Often, she wears a very low-necked dress or blouse so as
to show off her enormous breasts for which she is proud of and thinks
that make her look sexy. An elder lady may wear a bright yellow dress
full of enormous daisies or leopard or snake kitsch shoes. She will
employ extreme accessories, extreme make up, heavy golden accessories
for example a large golden cross worn out of the blouse so as to show off
that she is such a God-fearing woman. To sum up, she has an extreme,
intentional look and a kitsch or vulgar look!
You will not find these in any Repertory, Materia Medica or Computer
Expert System but these non verbal data are essential for my Miasmatic
Idiosyncratic Diagnosis because they are valuable clinical information
derived from everyday life!
Hows a Platina look? She usually dresses expensively. She spends most
of her money for her look. She dresses like a top model or like a chic high
class lady. In fact, she is the best client of clothing shops and beauty
shops. But, to be fair, she is not kitsch like Lachesis. In fact, most of the
times she has the quite opposite style: she is classy and with a good,
expensive taste not only regarding clothing but also regarding make up.
Just think of a classy lady wearing that elegant, expensive, branded suit,
expensive but elegant jewels, a modern or classic hairdressing, a Prada
bag, high heels and above all a blaze expression! Nevertheless, at times
you may also see a low class Platina, being an unbalanced fruitcake, a
freak whose look resembles pretty much a kitsch or vulgar Lachesis:
weird hairdressing, odd hair color, rhinestones, lame clothing, leopard or
snake high heels, etc.
Nux Vomicas look matches her idiosyncrasy: strict, typical, classic,
conservative, neat and clean. That doesnt mean that she will not wear
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jeans, but it will not be extreme ones because she is so keen of proper and
respectable behavior and thus her outfits are in accordance to her general
tendencies. Natrum Muriaticum is also in favor of proper and respectable
outfits but not as strictly as Nux Vomica.
Can you imagine how Sulphurs outfits will be? Unimaginable!
(laughing) He is slovenly, slipshod, dirty and has no good taste; you may
see him wearing a checked shirt with one side of the shirt in his pants and
the other out; a dirty and not ironed jacket; pants, blouse and jacket that
dont match at all; may come to the office with flip flops; dirty, dusty flip
flops; (more laughing) If he is a young teenager he may wear those
American pants, those very wide and large pants and have greasy,
unwashed and not combed hair. Thats why James Tyler Kent used to call
Sulphur dirty, ragged philosopher.
A low class Medorhinum guy will have a large, heavy golden bracelet,
the shirt unbuttoned down to the sternum so as to show off his manly,
hairy, muscular chest and his large golden necklace! Like Sulphur, he has
such a bad taste regarding outfits, but since he wants to be a womanizer
he will take a very good care of his appearance. He may buy expensive
clothes, tight jeans so as to show off his manly genitals (laughing) and
blouses with no sleeves so as to show his muscular arms. He will also
have a large manly, expensive wrist watch and well combed modern hair,
not to mention cow boy boots, military boots or sportive boots and
outfits. But if due to age or for some other reason he is off the womanizer
play, he may become as sloppy as sycotic Sulphur.
Lycopodium is relatively conservative as to his outfits and hasnt got any
other special characteristics except from his well cared beard that consists
of a small moustache that continues straight down covering only the area
of the chin; you see, its a cultured beard like his owner! You may also
find him carrying a leather handbag or classy briefcase like the ones that
executives or professors tend to have as matching accessory.
Valeriana usually takes very much care about her appearance because she
is so anxious about her body and outfits. Nevertheless, she is never
satisfied about her body. She keeps saying to herself that her belly is large
or that her hair are a mess or that she has gained a few extra kilos,
although she may be beautiful and thin. You see, she is insecure as to her
appearance in the same way she is insecure in general! But whats
characteristic about her is that although she isnt pleased with herself, she
doesnt easily reveal this to others. When it comes to others she tries to
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seem so confident of herself and of her appearance although she may
have changed her clothes a dozen times before going out on a date.
Whats characteristic about her is that she is one person on the inside and
another on the outside. She is very insecure but she keeps adopting that
self-confident style. She may not be educated or cultured but she keeps
showing off as a cultured individual. She is conservative but she adopts
the style of the rebellion. She is ambitious but she may pretend that she
doesnt care about career or money. She is such a self-seeker wanting to
have a rich life without doing anything and on the other hand she
pretends to be nonconformist and unconventional.
So, she usually dresses seemingly unconventional and sportive but
nevertheless expensively and branded with some touch of luxury. She
may wear branded modern jeans and a sportive blouse which she has
chosen after going around a dozen shops. Furthermore, she will have that
touch of luxury like an expensive, good taste watch or a silver, light foot
chain. She usually chooses silver or platinum instead of gold because she
considers it more unconventional. She doesnt want to be considered rich
but she wants to be considered modern and classy.
If she adopts the look of a rebellion nonconformist teenager then she
may have pierced her ears with more than one holes, each one having an
earring; she also likes piercing her nose, eyebrows or navel. She is fond
of unconventional tattoos especially at her neck or back wearing low-
waist jeans so as to show it off seemingly discretely. She wants to look
unconventional contrary to a Barbie Platina, but still she takes so much
care about her appearance although this is not clear to people and not
easily revealed by her.
2.4 Idiosyncratic Characteristics concerning Speech
We have already referred to the extreme loquacity of Lachesis. Its a
sycotic, hypocritical and intentional loquacity. Argentum Nitricum is also
quite often loquacious but its an almost obsessive loquacity matching his
obsessive personality. He has so many, quick, anxious and obsessive
thoughts running here and there in his mind that, in the end, are expressed
as obsessive loquacity.
Lycopodiums speech is the typical cultured speech: complex, unusual
and sophisticated terms or phrases. Today, in my office, a Lycopodium
patient used the word entelechy which is a philosophical term, rarely
used in common conversation. Apart from philosophical or political terms
he may also use scientific or medical terms. You see, he wants to show
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that he has read a lot and he is cultured. He may also speak formally
using plural number. He can also use many other formal expressions like
much obliged, how considerate of you, would it be possible that,
do I cause a nuisance if, my greetings to, could I ask something,
etc.
Phosphor, being sycotic as to expression is more plain, direct and specific
regarding his speech. Lycopodium, on the contrary, is so indirect, so not
cutting to the chase. He doesnt do it on purpose, in a syphilitic way,
trying to manipulate you or use you. He simply has a sophisticated
thinking. He is extremely intellectual and accordingly his speech is also
sophisticated and complex. If you also add his cowardice then you end up
having an indirect speech. Quite often you ask him something and instead
of giving you a straight answer he starts saying it depends or do you
mean? or he may say: please, define what do you mean by the word
X you used
Sulphur has a very slovenly speech resembling his slipshod personality.
Medorhinum has a shallow speech regarding content resembling his
shallow intellect and morality. He is fan of the saying plain and simple
so many times he will tell you cut to the chase, will you!, spit it out!,
why dont you tell me what you really want? or be straight, will you!
Platina has a vain, snobbish, arrogant, pretentious, conceited or strict
speech but not as strict as Nux Vomica. Nux Vomica has a very specific,
accurate and strict speech. Its a dry, rational speech with little emotion
and much intellect. She may speak a lot because she wants to be specific
about her symptoms and wants to give a thorough report.
Psoric, introvert idiosyncrasies tend not to talk much and give short
answers. Gelsemium, being very timid and shy, may blush or stammer on
answering questions, especially personal ones.
Natrum Muriaticum may give short, neutral or general answers trying
not to reveal too much about her personals. For example she may say:
normal, normal, like everybody else, not particularly, on the
average, not really, etc. But if she is inspired by her doctors
personality, then she may start talking more about it. If the doctor asks
her straightly about personal things like sex or affairs then she may
become embarrassed or blush because she says to herself: How can he
ask me such things? What do I say now? You see, she is very introvert
and wants to sustain a certain socially acceptable image. Lycopodium
35
also often tries to keep a social image to others but if he likes the doctor
he may talk free even about his personals.
Hyoscyamus has that suspicious, psychotic look and is very reserved. If
you ask him about things that he may consider strange, then he may get
angry and try to stop you by saying: Whats that got to do with my
illness? Cannabis Indica looks as if stoned. Her look is blurred and
stoned because her mind is blurred due to the quick train of thoughts that
run through her mind.
Coffea Cruda, Valerian, Platina and Iodine are persons that often have a
prompt, quick and nervous speech. If the doctor is slow to ask or to
understand then they are so annoyed, even angry. They say to themselves:
Whats the matter with him? Is this slow-minded guy going to
understand my problem and solve it? I dont think so! Youve definitely,
lost them!
Arsenicum is mistrustful and very egoistic; he simply knows everything!
He may ask you how many years you are practicing Medicine, what are
your qualifications and if you have the ability to help him. Can you
guarantee that you will cure him? At times, if you are a young doctor, he
may even be slightly insulting. Anacardium also, that is, the malicious
type of this idiosyncrasy, may be insulting and a true wise-guy.
Tuberculinum also may be insulting and very miserable especially if its a
low class person. I remember when I was at my early years of practicing
when a Tuberculinum low class worker came to me for the second time
and although he was better he said to me: Why, doctor, whats the case
here? Must I pay you every time I come? What if I dont get well in the
end? Will you give me my money back? (laughing)
Hysteric idiosyncrasies like Lilium Tigrinum, Cimicifuga, Cyclamen,
Asafoetida and especially Moschus are miserable and complaining all the
time that they dont feel any difference although they may get better.
They dont only complain to their doctor; complaining, is indeed, their
way of trying always to do things their way! Other syphilitic
idiosyncrasies that are always complaining are Syphillinum,
Tuberculinum and often Lachesis. Psorinum and Lycopodium are often
miserable and complaining but in a psoric way.
2.5 Idiosyncratic Characteristics concerning body type and face
Now lets see what idiosyncratic information we can acquire from body
type and shape of face. You must always, of course, bear in mind that this
36
concerns people that are influenced by that certain idiosyncrasy for years,
that is, it must be a basic idiosyncrasy for them and not a temporary or
circumstantial one. For example, if a person is not psoric but
circumstantially, due to a love disappointment develops an Ignatia
idiosyncrasy that doesnt mean that he will also develop an Ignatia body
type in a few weeks or months.
Natrum Muriaticum, Sepia and secondarily Ignatia, often have this pear-
shaped body: narrow trunk, wide pelvis and upper thighs, narrow legs.
When these women lose weight it mostly concerns all other parts except
from their pelvis and upper thighs. On the other hand, when they gain
weight, it always has to do first with their pelvis and upper thighs.
Lachesis has that well-known from our academic education cortisone
face, that is, swollen face, cheeks, eyes, lips, swollen neck and breasts,
large chest and trunk while feet and hands are relatively thin.
Psoric Sulphur is usually tall, slim, yin and stooped with dry skin while
sycotic Sulphur is exactly the opposite: fat, flabby and with greasy skin.
Platina women insist on being very slim, even slimmer than normal,
although they still have a tremendous anxiety not to get fat. They may be
very slender but despite that, they consider themselves as fat. Those poor
slim anorexic top models are usually Platina subjects! These anorexic
girls usually experience a yo-yo state: they either eat nothing or eat
greedily and then cause vomiting so as not to gain weight. Its a terrible
state! No animal could do that! Only humans can be free enough by
nature so as to become so foolish!
Pulsatilla girls are those cute romantically dressed plump girls with rosy
chubby cheeks and charming braids. They are little Snow Whites, cute
Little Red Riding Hoods or sensitive princesses of fairy tales. But dont
even for a minute think that they are vain and arrogant. On the contrary,
they are psoric, sensitive and romantic although very coquettish! Even
adult Pulsatilla women have such a shade both in expression and in
character but not so intensely.
Nux Vomica is dry both in mind and body: very tense and very upright.
She has so much muscular tension especially at the areas of neck and
back. Sepia is so tired and so squeezed out of vital energy; so depressed
and desperate! She is the woman who has been dehydrated of any
energy by her vigorous husband or children. You look at her and you say:
Oh my God! What a depressed, sucked out, troubled woman!
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Medorhinum and other yang idiosyncrasies have these extreme yang
physical characteristics: a large square chin, a large head with a wide,
bull-like neck, large lips and mouth opening and wide nose. If he is short
he will have a wide, heavy, strong skeleton and he is going to be very
muscular. If he is tall he is going to be huge, gigantic. A yin skeleton is
exactly the opposite: long and thin, light, hectic with narrow wrist, long
narrow palm and long slim fingers. A yang person has wide palm with fat
and short but strong fingers.
See how many idiosyncratic characteristics can one notice from external
appearance and even more from his general non verbal behavior? There
were there before youve learned to notice it and evaluate it and will be
there to help you now that youve learned Miasmatic Idiosyncratic
Diagnosis. Isnt it great? I think it is! Its even greater if you consider that
this is unbiased, scientific information!
Many Sulphur subjects go bald even from their thirties or forties because
they have very greasy hair. Lachesis women tend to go bald earlier than
other women so its not rare to see such women trying always to be well
combed so as to hide their problem.
Argentum Nitricum and Lycopodium may also have greasy skin and hair
but not as much as Sulphur. Psorinum and Graphites may have dry,
cracking, sensitive skin and seborrhoeic dermatitis around the nose,
eyebrows and forehead, that is, dry cracking red skin with slight
exfoliation.
Natrum Muriaticum and Sepia have a very dry, thin, sensitive skin and
thats the reason why they tend to have early formation of wrinkles while
sycotic Sulphur with greasy skin must become very old to develop
wrinkles.
Sulphur, Psorinum and Graphites have many skin problems and itching
and Thuja also, in less degree. Thuja may develop persistent acne at
puberty while Valerian has persistent acne some years after puberty or at
her thirties, the one we call acne rosaceous. The skin of the facial area
of a Valerian woman is very much affected by smoking. Sulphur also
may develop acne not only during puberty but also for many years later;
he also has an easily irritated skin especially in the facial area so many
men suffer from skin irritation after close-shaving. A Sulphur subject
may also have itching after a hot bath. Lachesis tends to develop redness
38
of the skin at the upper chest and lower neck area when under stress but it
comes and goes very easily.
Silicas nails break easily; they are brittle. She has softness of the
connective tissue, soft bones, soft hair, soft skin and soft nails. Her lips
crack very easily and not only due to cold weather. Her toe nails tend to
turn inwards and injure her toes. Calcarea Carbonica also has brittle nails
and teeth. Phosphor usually has sensitive bleeding uvula and inflamed
purulent teeth so he tends to have a lot of fillings at an early age.
Sycotic Sulphur subjects have very offensive secretions: sweat, breath,
stool, urine and gases. Sometimes you will not notice such a thing
because being aware of their problem they tend to have a bath every day
and use deodorant systematically. Graphites, Psorinum and Arsenicum
may also have very offensive secretions. Sycotic Sulphur sweats
exceptionally, even in winter! Valerian tends to sweat at the palms only
when stressed. Medorhinum and Phosphor kids tend to sweat a lot due to
their restlessness but its not an offensive perspiration.
Lachesis has that characteristic look: its as if she is looking at you over
her long-sight glasses but not that she looks vainly at you as Platina. She
simply never loses you from her eyes. Her look is fixed at you in the same
way that a snakes look is fixed at her pray; and you are of course the
pray of a domineering Lachesis who is carefully examining you, being
very mistrustful.
-Ive observed that Lycopodium subjects tend not to look at you straight
in the eyes. Do you agree?
-Yes, indeed you are right, especially if we have to do with a very psoric
and coward Lycopodium. But this is especially the case with Gelsemium
because he is very psoric and timid, very shy, even blushing at the
presence of others. Natrum Muriaticum often has a degree of shyness or
embarrassment at first contact with others. If we could have a declining
hierarchic line of shy idiosyncrasies it would be: Gelsemium, Thuja,
psoric Lycopodium and psoric Sulphur. Pulsatilla at times may appear
shy and charming at first contact but only at first because then she is very
sycotic concerning expression.
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CHAPTER 3
SYMPTOMS, DISEASES, EVENTS
AND THEIR VALUE
IN MIASMATIC IDIOSYNCRATIC DIAGNOSIS
3.1 Idiosyncratic Diagnosis with the help of Miasmas
3.2 Modalities of symptoms
3.3 The importance of the course of Illness
3.4 Idiosyncratic and Miasmatic Characteristics regarding present
disease and past case history
3.5 Life Decisive Events
3.6 Grading of symptoms
Todays lecture is also about Homoeopathic Case Taking. It belongs to a
series of three lectures during which I will lay down to you the method I
developed and have been applying the last 25 years: Miasmatic
Idiosyncratic Diagnosis.
In our previous lecture we talked about what attitude should a
homeopathic doctor built gradually so as to become an objective,
unbiased, sensitive, scientific measurement device of the patients
idiosyncrasy. Then we described what miasmatic and idiosyncratic
information can be obtained through his non verbal behavior: how he sets
his appointment, his behavior in the living room of our office, his manner
of speech, his external appearance and look and his behavior inside our
office.
I always stress to you that I am not an academic doctor learning from
books. Instead, I am a clinical doctor learning from everyday life. Thus,
my Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis is clinically oriented; it takes
things as they are in everyday life. Thats why I lay things down to you as
40
they happen during the course of a homeopathic examination.
So its time now to see what miasmatic and idiosyncratic information can
be obtained from the patients present disease and symptoms, from the
events that have changed his life and from his past history. You see,
regarding homeopathic doctor and my method of diagnosis, nothing is
accidental and nothing is without value in tracing the patients
idiosyncrasy.
3.1 Idiosyncratic Diagnosis with the help of Miasmas
Ive often told you in the past that Universal Laws are the basis of
Homeopathy and of any true Science. Thats the reason why our first
lecture was about Universal Laws. Thats not just a theoretical
declaration without any practical use in diagnosis or treatment or in every
aspect of my Homeopathy.
Its not also accidental that I call my method of homeopathic diagnosis as
Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis. First things, first, according to the
universal law of Hierarchy. Miasmas are hierarchically more primal and
more important than idiosyncrasies thus any diagnostic method should be
based on it. How do we employ the Theory of Miasmas in tracing the
idiosyncrasy of the patient? Weve already seen that regarding his non
verbal behavior. Lets examine that also regarding symptoms, diseases
and important events in the life of our patient.
I must first remind you that all of us are affected by all three miasmas, but
at a certain time of our life there is always one that prevails and the other
two follow either close to the first of far away. The prevailing miasma
defines the patients idiosyncrasy and the kind of illnesses he will have
the tendency to develop but often if the second miasma is very strong and
close to the prevailing one, then it also plays a very important role. How
can we apply the knowledge of Miasmas to symptoms and diseases in
order to help us diagnose his idiosyncrasy?
Let me give you an example. Lets take the symptom constipation.
Whats psoric constipation like? He has almost lost any desire to go to the
toilette due to hypo-function of the intestines, decrease of secretions and
decrease of motion. Accordingly he will have rare desire to go to the
toilette, dry, hard stool and considerable difficulty in defecation.
Whats a sycotic constipation like? He will have hyper-function of the
intestines with increased secretions and mobility but due to spasms he
will tend to have urgent desire for defecation with strong pain but without
41
result; then, suddenly he will have a noisy defecation with much content
and probably much gases and mucous. A syphilitic constipation is a
mixed and strange one; alternation of constipation with diarrhea, spasms
and pain, mucous and blood, damaged mucous, septic conditions, etc.
So you see, any single symptom can be characterized as being of more
psoric, sycotic or syphilitic nature but this of course may just be a local
condition. If we are to judge about the patients general miasmatic
condition we should always judge from the totality of his physical and
psychological symptoms and characteristics. The same stands bold not
only for symptoms but also for diseases. Furthermore, not only diseases
can be miasmatically judged but their course as well, can be characterized
as more psoric, sycotic or syphilitic.
A psoric course has gradual development, mild symptoms, gradual
recovery, chronic insisting course and mild relapses. A sycotic course has
sudden onset, quick deterioration, intense symptoms, quick recovery, and
frequent, sudden and intense relapses. A syphilitic course has no rhythm,
non typical and strange symptoms. It causes great damage to organs and
tissues ending to deformation and a functional mess.
Things are not always clear in life, at least as clear as our mind tends to
think. Life does not follow human rules and human understanding; life
follows Universal Laws and is at the same time simple and complex. Life
is the ocean while human understanding is but a drop of the ocean. So
you see, you just cant enclose the ocean in any human skull or in any
human Intellectual Psyche!
So, many times there will be no clear miasmatic identification of a
symptom or a disease; at times, even if you examine the whole of the
patient, there will be no clear miasmatic identification of a patient. It may
be that he has all three miasmas equally strong or it may be that you
havent managed to have a clear picture of him! There are also cases
where a certain idiosyncrasy has two miasmatic types. For example there
are two versions of Sulphur, the psoric and the sycotic one. There are also
idiosyncrasies that are defined strongly by two miasmas. For example
Phosphor is strongly psoric regarding his morality and ideas but also
strongly sycotic regarding his expression and his physical level.
When it comes to clinical practice we should always take in consideration
both Universal Laws and individuality that exists in everyday life, in
everyday reality. This is in accordance with the Universal Law of Unity
and Diversity and the Homeopathic Law of Individualization.
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3.2 Modalities of symptoms
Useful to our idiosyncratic diagnosis are also the modalities of any
symptom, that is, how a certain symptom is affected by time, space,
motion, weather conditions, physical activity, sleep, stress, etc. For
example its not so important for our idiosyncratic diagnosis if he has
cough but its very important and characteristic if his cough gets better or
worse at day or night, by heat or cold, by lying down, by physical
exertion, by sleep, etc.
I will not go into details because we will thoroughly examine this subject
when we will talk about Repertorising in Acute Diseases. But I never stop
emphasizing again and again, that in Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis
we are mainly based on miasmas, psychological characteristics and
general physical characteristics. Only secondarily we get information
from specific physical symptoms and modalities. Personally, I employ
repertorising only when facing acute diseases. Even then, I take in
consideration the persons usual idiosyncrasy and miasmas.
3.3 The importance of the course of Illness
After we have taken our case regarding present disease, its very
important to ask and note down his past history, that is, the course of
Illness in general. We note down every disease and most important when
it appeared and under what conditions. When I say when it appeared I
dont mean when it was diagnosed but when first symptoms started.
Why is that important? Let me give you an example: a kid shows to my
office suffering from asthma. I ask about his past history and the parents
tell me that he had eczema when baby which was treated by tons of
cortisone ointment. Then, after a dose of oral cortisone it vanished for
good. Suddenly and without any reason after some months or years
the child developed allergic asthma. This is a very usual thing to happen
and regarding the allopathic doctor the child had two different
accidental incidents for which he has been treated separately.
Dermatologist treated the skin illness while pneumologist treated the
lungs illness.
But for us, homeopaths these two seemingly separated diseases are
parts of the one and only course of Illness which was suppressed by
strong allopathic drugs. The real causes are the miasmatic and
idiosyncratic inheritance of the child, his allergic predisposition and his
way of life. Furthermore, eczema was suppressed by cortisone and the
Illness moved into a deeper and more severe level, i.e. respiratory system
43
and asthma.
Let me illustrate with another example: a sycotic person tells us that
during his wild youth he had that unrestrained sexual life. Due to this,
he developed several times gonorrhea which he has treated with
antibiotics again and again. Then, all of a sudden, some years ago he
developed recurrent infections of his prostate or recurrent arthritis of
major joints. Thats another clear case of illness suppression in a sycotic
person.
Another psoric woman says that after her marriage she started having a
declining state of health. She was fine and strong and now she is so tired,
pale and anemic. On top of that, she has recurrent vaginitis, urine
infections, fibromyoma of the uterus and irregular menses. For an
allopathic doctor, these things just happen. For a homeopathic doctor
nothing is accidental; all things obey to Universal Laws. She is definitely
the victim of the secondary action of sycotic miasma of her husband.
We have already talked about such cases in past lectures so I am not
going to say more about it.
Such things affect the Course of Illness or the State of Health of a person
and if you are well acquainted with Universal Laws you are able to trace
it. Why trace it? Because such things affect his course of life and in turn
his present miasmatic and idiosyncratic state, so they are very useful in
homeopathic diagnosis.
Accordingly, the past history of his parents is also useful to complete the
picture of a patient. Not only as physical heredity but also as miasmatic
and idiosyncratic heredity. But, I dont want you to dive in deep ocean
waters for the present, so we will talk about it later on.
3.4 Idiosyncratic and Miasmatic Characteristics regarding present
disease and past case history
Its time to be more specific. His present disease is very important to us
as source of obtaining idiosyncratic and miasmatic information. You see,
certain diseases are much more frequent, even characteristic of certain
specific idiosyncrasies or miasmas. But we should never make the
allopathic mistake to say: he has this disease, so he is this specific
idiosyncrasy because several idiosyncrasies may have the tendency for
the same disease. We must use his present disease only strictly as guiding
points towards certain idiosyncrasies or miasmas. So our first question is
always: What brings you to me?
44
Lycopodium often comes to the doctor for his early ejaculation and
secondarily for loose erection. Medorhinum and Phosphor come for
inability for erection or loose erection although they have increased desire
for sex. Sepia and secondarily Natrum Muriaticum may suffer from loss
of any sexual desire or even aversion sex but they rarely come to the
doctor for this reason.
Gonorrhea, recurrent prostate infections, warts and herpes of genitals are
easily found in sycotic idiosyncrasies and especially Medorhinum.
Sycotic idiosyncrasies also tend to suffer from sycotic hypertrophic
diseases like nodules of the thyroid gland, fibromyomas, warts, fig-warts,
prostate hypertrophy, hypertrophic tonsils etc. Other sycotic diseases are
recurrent vaginitis, recurrent cystitis or urine infections.
Recurrent colds especially in children are often found in Medorhinum or
Phosphor kids but never take that as granted. You should never say
recurrent colds in a kid give Medorhinum or Phosphor; thats simply
Key-Note Prescribing and not Homeopathic Prescribing. You should
always examine if a certain symptom, no matter how characteristic or
key-note it is, fits the whole idiosyncrasy of the patient not to say his
whole miasmatic, idiosyncratic whole.
Allergies, especially in kids, like allergic rhinitis, hay-fever, chronic nose
obstruction, allergic conjunctivitis, hypertrophic tonsils, adenoids and
allergic asthma often point to sycotic idiosyncrasies like Medorhinum or
Phosphor.
Idiosyncrasies that suffer from chronic severe headaches are mainly
Sulphur, Nux Vomica, Valerian and Natrum Muriaticum. Sulphur has
headaches from his early youth and they tend to be caused or deteriorate
when heated, tired or stressed. Valerian has those nervous headaches
when angry or when she goes to fussy places with noise and traffic jam
like the city center. Natrum Muriaticum has nervous headaches because
she is very easily offended and at the same time avoids expressing it; she
keeps all tension inside and this is transformed into muscular tension of
the neck and subsequent nervous headache or neuralgia of the face.
Nux Vomica has headaches due to muscular tension of the neck
especially when overloaded by too much work because she is so
organized and tidy. Cimicifuga feels depressed as if a grey cloud is over
her while her head feels extremely heavy, as if made of lead. She has that
bruised feeling, as if being bitten, that starts from her back and neck and
goes to her occiput, top of head, forehead and even eyeballs. Several
45
psoric idiosyncrasies like Calcarea Carbonica, Silica, Natrum
Muriaticum, Sepia and Psorinum have that psoric type of constipation,
that is, relaxed intestines and late dry stool.
Most of the psychotic patients are Hyoscyamus subjects. Kent said that
we could empty psychiatric clinics with only a few idiosyncratic
homeopathic medicines like Hyoscyamus, Stramonium or Belladonna.
This is true, if only of course we applied Homeopathy in an early stage
and before chemical drugs have totally deranged these poor patients.
Even then, in chronic suppressed cases, homeopathic treatment works
wonderfully.
Most of the times, you will note that the pre-psychotic idiosyncrasy
resembled that of psoric Sulphur or other submissive idiosyncrasies.
Often their mother was a very suppressive Lachesis and their father was
also a suppressive Nux Vomica. Some other times, it happens that their
Lachesis mother has neutralized their indifferent Medorhinum or sycotic
father or their psoric submissive father and has excluded him from the
raising of her children. Isnt that a meaningful and astonishing
observation? We have already analyzed such things in other lectures so I
will not say more about it.
When the patient complains of neuro-vegetative disorders, phobic or
anxiety neurosis or panic attacks as we usually call it today, then we
first think of Phosphor, then of Argentum Nitricum and secondarily of
Arsenicum. Not so frequently, we may see that also in Lycopodium,
Sulphur, Platina or Valerian. Often a typical Medorhinum subject, if very
much stressed, may end up in a Phosphor case suffering from panic
attacks.
Whenever we come across hysteric symptoms, or to be more correct,
whenever we come across hysteric patients, we should first think of
hysteric idiosyncrasies like Lilium Tigrinum, Asafoetida, Moschus,
Cimicifuga, Cyclamen and Cactus. Asafoetida has that lump in her
throat that rises from the stomach with burning and dryness in the throat
that forces her to keep swallowing in order to get rid of it. She usually
chocks easily when eating or drinking. She also has hysteric hic-cough
and hysteric retching. Cactus also has a hysteric lump in the throat but she
feels it as if a hand is strangling her. Hysteric temporary blindness and
hysteric temporary deafness with intense irritability and capriciousness
remind us of Moschus.
46
Natrum Muriaticum has a nervous lump in her throat and oppression
chest whenever she is upset because she is easily annoyed but still keeps
all emotions inside. Lachesis may also complain about oppression chest
but in addition she has that hypocritical sighing so as to manipulate her
husband or children to do things her way. Its not a nervous or hysteric
symptom; its a hypocritical syphilitic one. You see how important is to
differentiate symptoms according to the general miasmatic and
idiosyncratic picture of the person? Thats true Homeopathy, while
Repertorising of symptoms is just a plunge in the ocean, especially when
done without any laws and correct technique.
Whenever we have patients that present severe teeth problems we think
of Silica, Calcarea Carbonica and Phosphor among, of course, other
idiosyncrasies. Frequent mouth ulcers may lead first to Borax and then to
Mercury. Salivation coming out of the mouth to the pillow almost every
night may lead to Mercury primarily and Medorhinum secondarily.
Lachesis may wake up at night from a chocking sensation in the throat
feeling that she cant breathe; she gets up and gasps for air. Nux Vomica
often suffers from muscular tension at the neck are, at times producing
tension headache. Cimicifuga feels a hysteric muscular tension that may
be located at the back and may be extended up to the head and eyeballs
and even to the heart, causing much pain; its a bruised feeling, as if she
was beaten. In persistent hyperthyroidism think also of Iodine but never
as your first choice; only if other frequent and polychrest idiosyncrasies
dont match the case and furthermore only if the whole image of the
patient matches this certain idiosyncrasy. Always remember that we
prescribe for the miasmatic, idiosyncratic whole, for the patient as a
whole and not for the disease or for symptoms.
Whenever we have a past history of tuberculosis you should also think of
Tuberculinum primarily and Silica secondarily. Relapsing colds in
sycotic children frequently indicate Medorhinum and Phosphor.
Lycopodium primarily and Phosphor and Nux Vomica secondarily have a
sensitive stomach. Sensitive intestines remind us of Sulphur, Argentum
Nitricum, Nux Vomica and Lachesis. Lycopodium often has complaints
from esophagus due to his gastritis; he also suffers quite often from
inguinal hernia, fungal infections of the inguinal area, phimosis, early
ejaculation and recurrent balanitis. Chronic anemia may be often found in
sycotic women or Medorhinum women. Ive often found Medorhinum
47
men with stigma of thalassemia. I think Ive already said enough about
this subject; any other questions about it?
-Is cancer a sycotic illness?
-No! You will see cancer in persons of all three miasmas.
3.5 Life Decisive Events
Now lets go on to something else: there comes a patient to me and says:
The last three years Ive been suffering from terrible migraines; since
two and a half years I have colitis; the last three and a half years I am not
feeling well. Its a profound thing to ask: Did anything happen about
three to four years ago, before all these things start? Was there any major
change in your life? Did you face any great misfortune or long stressful
periods?
For example a phobic patient reveals to you that all his fears began after
he had a terrible fright incident: he was nearly killed by a car. After that
incident something broke inside him and since then he is afraid of all
things. We should think of Aconitum. But, please, be careful! Never give
Aconitum to anyone that developed fears after a fright. Thats not correct
Homeopathy. Thats Key-Note Prescribing! He may have remained in the
influence of his past idiosyncrasy or he may have been Medorhinum and
now has developed a Phosphor state. Anything is possible! We should
always individualize! We should be open to all possibilities!
A young woman experiences a major love disappointment; after that
everything is different; her whole life has changed! Its a starting point of
a new state. Shouldnt it be very important to us, homeopathic doctors,
also? Of course, it should! But you should never say: Did you recently
experience a love disappointment? Yes, I did, lots of times! Oh, I see,
I will prescribe Ignatia for you.
For God sake! This is not Homeopathy! This is stupidity! She may have
experienced a troubling end in her relation but that doesnt mean
necessarily, that she was hurt so much that her life and idiosyncrasy has
changed! Indeed, she may have not been hurt at all! She may also have
been the one that caused love disappointment to others! If a sycotic
woman told such a thing to me and in such a light manner then I may
have concluded, taking always in consideration her whole miasmatic and
idiosyncratic image that she is simply a superficial Medorhinum and her
answer to my question means Ive fucked a bunch of guys! regarding
Never confuse an event with its possible consequences over a certain
48
individual. Events are neutral, as to nature; they are not good or bad,
happy or sad, etc. Its the individual that interprets a certain event
according to his miasmatic and idiosyncratic background; thats why we
call him an individual, because he interprets events in an individualized
way! And thats why we, as homeopathic doctors, have to individualize
our diagnosis! Thats why I have busted your balls excuse me for the
expression, but I have to emphasize- in previous lectures saying again and
again that we should follow Universal Laws and that we should always
have unity of theory and practice. No diagnosis of any sort is correct
unless it follows Universal and Homeopathic Laws; and thats a fact
whether you realize it or not, whether you believe it or not!
Its true that psoric persons often develop a state of Ignatia after a severe
and true psoric love disappointment. Its also true that if this state lasts
long they may develop a Natrum Muriaticum idiosyncrasy or even a
Sepia idiosyncrasy if things are very bad and chronic. But never say:
acute love disappointment, give Ignatia; chronic love disappointment,
give Natrum Muriaticum; if she also has aversion to sex then give Sepia.
Thats not Homeopathy because the remedy you give may not be
homeo, that is, similar to the whole image and state of the individual. If
for example, the individual who has experienced the end of an affair has
been a Platina she may not have been affected at all! She could have said
in a snobbish way: How can he be so stupid not to appreciate the
goddess he had by his side! However, she could be very hurt but still
might become an even vainer Platina or develop a Mancinella or a
Phosphor or Arsenicum or a dozen other idiosyncrasies. He may also
have been a Medorhinum guy that would say: Big deal! One down, ten
to come! Lets hit the road for new chicks! (laughing)
Apart from events and present idiosyncrasy, something else is very
important and decisive in a persons life: his will and goals. If its
decisive for his life then its also decisive for the idiosyncrasy that he
may develop as a result of a traumatic event. For example, if a young
pretty syphilitic lady is spoiled by her parents who give emphasis on her
beauty then she may develop Platina idiosyncrasy. If, in some other
occasion, she is spoiled by her parents who satisfy every little whim of
hers, then she may develop a hysteric idiosyncrasy like, for instance,
Moschus or Lilium Tigrinum or Asafoetida.
If a psoric boy is raised by psoric parents to be a good boy then he may
become a typical Lycopodium adult because at a certain time of his life
he will realize that he is coward but also very intellectual so in order to
49
survive and succeed he will have one goal in his life: to become an
educated, refined man. If you are syphilitic and you want to manipulate
others you may end up developing a Lachesis idiosyncrasy. If you are
sycotic and your goal is to fuck as many women as possible then you
may develop Medorhinum, and so on.
So, possible decisive events such as love disappointments, change in
religious or moral ideas, death of a beloved person, severe financial loss,
change of profession, etc, should be seriously taken in consideration. I am
being precise when I choose the phrase taken in consideration. You
see, we have to considerate if this event has really changed his life and
even more to what direction it has changed it! What matters isnt if an
event is considered important by the society but if its considered
important by the individual! Thats what I mean when I say
individualize.
3.6 Grading of symptoms
If we want to be in accordance with the Law of Hierarchy, not only
should we evaluate symptoms if they are important and decisive
regarding his whole picture but we should also proceed to the important
task of grading them. There are three grades for any physical or
psychological symptom.
Grade three is the highest; highest both regarding intensity and frequency.
If I have a severe migraine once a year, no matter how severe it is, its not
a grade 3 migraine. If I get angry once a year, no matter how angry I get
that is not irritability, grade 3. I have to be very angry all the time!
Grade 2 is the next to the highest state downwards; its not as intense and
frequent as grade 3 but nevertheless, its still characteristic enough of the
person. It concerns symptoms that are quite often and are quite intense
but not in an extreme degree. It may also concern symptoms that are
intense but happen not so often or symptoms that are often but not so
intense.
Grade 1 is the lowest degree in intensity and frequency, but still a bit
characteristic of the individual; its not yet a normal, neutral state; the
symptom is still characteristic of the person but at a low degree. Its
obvious that decisive to our idiosyncratic diagnosis are primarily the
grade 3 symptoms and secondarily the grade 2 symptoms. In Repertories
and especially in Kents Repertory, grade 3 symptoms are marked by
bold letters, grade 2 by italics and grade 1 by normal letters.
50
CHAPTER 4
GENERAL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
4.1 Ask the right way if you want to get the right answer!
4.2 How do we ask for heat and cold?
4.3 Hot idiosyncrasies
4.4 Cold idiosyncrasies
4.5 Sweating, offensive secretions, greasiness
4.6 Desire or aversion to sweet and salt
4.7 Sour taste and fat
4.8 Milk, cold water and onion
4.9 Position of sleep, nightly salivation
4.10 Relation to the sea
4.1 Ask the right way if you want to get the right answer!
Its time to deal with general physical characteristics. Although
psychological characteristics are more important than physical ones,
when you examine a patient for the first time, for intimacy reasons, you
have to deal first with more neutral subjects. Before even asking such
neutral questions like his physical characteristics, still, we should first
explain to our patient that we are interested in giving him the medicine
that is similar to his idiosyncrasy/type/character and not similar to his
disease and thats the reason why its necessary to ask him questions
about his physical and psychological characteristics so as to decide about
his idiosyncrasy.
We start asking about how he is affected by heat and cold. Be careful
about the way you ask! We never ask him: You are hot, arent you? If
we do so we push him to say: Yes, I am although he may not be. This is
of course, the case especially with psoric, submissive persons. Moreover,
if we ask the same question to a slightly hot submissive person he will
probably agree as if we were hot grade 2 or 3. If, of course, we have in
51
front of us an arrogant syphilitic person he will probably say: How on
earth, did you reach to such an arbitrary conclusion! I am definitely cold.
Congratulations! You have just lost your patients trust! (laughing)
You see, its of most importance to ask in a neutral manner. Our
questions are scientific means of getting information sp they should be
clear and specific leaving no space for misunderstandings. Furthermore,
they should never guide the patient towards a specific direction. We
shouldnt put words into his mouth. The rule is: ask the right way if you
want to get the right answer. When I say right answer I dont mean
right according to my beliefs or will or according to any theory of mine.
When I say right I mean the closest to his reality, to his condition; the
closest to truth.
Moreover, we should always never take for granted what the patient says.
We have to cross check his answer, evaluate and grade it correctly. Let
me give you an example: We ask: Do you like sweet taste or not? Oh,
yes! I do like sweets a lot! Just because he said so and even if he said it
enthusiastically, that doesnt mean that its true. I have to cross check it
and grade it. Is it a desire for sweet really and if it is, is it grade 3, 2 or 1?
So, I go on asking: How often do you eat sweets? Do you want it every
day? Do you even prefer sweets instead of food? Only if he answers
definitely yes to all the above questions, then and only then, he is
definitely a desire sweets 3 person.
But, even then, I have to cross check another thing: Is his telling me about
his desire or about what he does in reality independently of his desire?
You see, he may be a person that follows a healthy diet and he is strict
with himself, so although he is crazy about sweets he doesnt eat them at
all. So if I ask him if he likes sweets and he thinks that I am asking him if
he eats them, he will say No! Or if he likes it a lot and eats it a lot but
he is afraid that I will scold him for his unhealthy habits then he will say
No! But, we are not interested mainly if he eats it because we are not
allopathic doctors aiming for the disease, i.e. diabetes; we are aiming for
his idiosyncrasy.
Correct evaluation of a characteristic is very important and thats why
many times bad evaluation leads to wrong prescription. Let me explain to
you what I mean: Theres a great difference if you owe 10 euro or 10.000
euro to the bank! The first version doesnt affect my financial state and
life but the second one does affect it a lot! Accordingly a characteristic
grade 1 is very different from a characteristic 3 especially when it comes
to psychological characteristics. The more important the characteristic
52
regarding diagnosis, the more important its grading!
4.2 How do we ask for heat and cold?
Lets go back to heat and cold. The initial question must always be a
general one so as to let the patient express himself without any guiding of
any kind: Are you hot or cold? I wait for his answer and if he didnt
understand what Ive told him I keep asking: Does heat bother you more
or cold?
After his answer we go on with some more clarifying questions so as to
evaluate and grade his answer concerning heat and cold: Do you want
much clothing during winter? Do you need more clothes than other
people do? During summer, does heat annoy you a lot? Do you feel
uncomfortable in a hot room? Do you want to open the window and have
cool air? Are your feet, cold in winter? Must you wear socks or have your
feet warmed up before going to sleep? Do you often have cold and at the
same time sweaty feet, although not under stress? Do you also have cold
and at the same time sweaty hands, although not under stress?
If he is hot some useful clarifying questions in order to grade heat, are:
Does it happen that even in winter, you want light clothing or no jacket
at all, even if its cold? Does summer heat make you suffer? Do you often
want to walk bear foot or be almost naked and not stand any clothing?
Even in winter, do you enjoy having your feet out of the blankets
although the room may be cold? Do you like uncovering yourself because
you feel hot most of the times, even if the room is cold? Does it happen
that you keep changing position for your feet because they get warm and
you want them to be in a cooler place under the sheet?
All these questions are asked, of course, only when needed, so as to
clarify things. If things are very clear from the beginning then we
shouldnt lose time and tire the patient with unnecessary questions. If
needed, then they should be done gradually from the generals to specific
ones. Finally, we note down the chosen symptom with its grading and its
specific characteristics. For example: hot3, feet out of blankets2, <hot
room3 (< stands for deterioration). Another example: cold2 cold and
sweaty feet3.
4.3 Hot idiosyncrasies
Now its time to relate our findings about heat and cold with certain
idiosyncrasies that have these specific characteristics. Thats the art of
homeopathic history: to trace and evaluate correctly all symptoms and at
the same time relate it with possible idiosyncrasies.
53
Very hot idiosyncrasies, grade 3, are Sulphur, Argentum Nitricum,
Pulsatilla, Chamomilla, Apis and Iodine. However, always bear in mind
that you may also find these idiosyncrasies as grade 2 or even, more
rarely, as grade1, so you should never be absolute about anything in
Homeopathy. And let me propose to you to adopt the same attitude in all
aspects of your personal life! Grade 2 hot idiosyncrasies are Natrum
Muriaticum, Platina, Lilium Tigrinum, Asafoetida, Lachesis and
Lycopodium. I always try to list idiosyncrasies concerning any symptom
hierarchically according to intensity and frequency but be aware that you
shouldnt be absolute about such things; they are merely my clinical
observations. Now lets examine some specific characteristics of each hot
idiosyncrasy although you will find these also described in details, in my
Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Materia Medica.
Sulphur is very hot, grade 3 or two at least. This is, of course, the case
with sycotic Sulphur while psoric Sulphur has hot extremities but his
trunk may be sensitive to cold. At times psoric Sulphur may be hot 1 or
even cold 1 but, on the other hand, typical sycotic Sulphur is so hot! He
just cant stand any kind of heat. Even in winter, he may be dressed in
summer clothing. He refuses to use any jacket and his feet are so hot and
burning that he must have it out of the blankets even in a cold room. He
also tends to uncover his whole body.
Whenever you examine a patient and he reminds you of Sulphur but he is
very cold instead, then you should think of Graphites and Psorinum.
Graphites is very miserable and critical, wants to pick up food all the time
due to an annoyance in the stomach area and when he tries to concentrate
in order to read something then he has that incredible body restlessness.
Psorinum, on the other hand, is so pessimistic, disappointed of life, finds
no joy even to his family, wants no company and is very worried about
the course of his financial statement although things may not be that bad.
Argentum Nitricum and Lycopodium often resemble Sulphur because
they are hot and sweating, often with offensive odor and apart from these
physical characteristics they are very intellectual like Sulphur. But
Argentum Nitricum has those characteristic fixed ideas and obsessive
personality as described, while Lycopodium is coward and intellectual as
described, also. Keep always in mind that you shouldnt differentiate
according to specific or local characteristics but according to the whole
psychosomatic and furthermore miasmatic picture of the patient.
Argentum Nitricum and Pulsatilla feel very uncomfortable in a hot room
and they love cool and fresh air; they may tend to open the window to get
54
a relief.
Pulsatilla is better with cool air not only regarding her physical symptoms
but also regarding her psychological ones. So, you may find her in mid-
winter to have the heat on, wear warm clothing but at the same time
having the windows slightly open so as to let fresh, cool air come in and
cool her face. Even during sleep she covers herself well but may leave the
window slightly open just to have some fresh, cool air enter the room.
Sulphur may also do this but he remains uncovered or has his feet out of
the blankets.
Pulsatilla cant have her face inside the blankets no matter how cold the
room is. She needs fresh cool air. Lachesis also, may feel very
uncomfortable if forced to have her mouth covered by anything because
she feels a chocking sensation, as if she cant breathe. Lachesis is also,
most of the times, hot enough.
Dont confuse heat with flashes of heat. I mean those flashes that many
women have at menopause. A woman may be cold in general but at the
same time may have at times those terrible hot flashes either to the area of
the face or to the whole body. Still, as a matter of fact, many women that
have flashes during menopause are indeed Lachesis subjects.
If a person has flashes of heat, that doesnt mean that he is hot3 in
general; if these flashes of heat are due to menopause, fever, stress,
hysteria or if he has very hot feet due to phlebitis this does not make the
person, necessarily, a hot3 person. Accordingly, you shouldnt prescribe
Sulphur for any person that likes to have his feet out of the blankets in
winter. Thats not Homeopathy; that is, simply, stupid Key Note
Prescribing! What really interests us are the idiosyncratic characteristics
of a person at stage A or B, that is, in a rather normal state and not
something that is a result of an illness, i.e. a symptom of an illness at
stage C or D. Bear in mind that a characteristic, a typical physical or
psychological feature of a person is always more important regarding
idiosyncratic diagnosis than a symptom.
In Kents Repertory there is a classification of the most typical hot and
cold idiosyncrasies listed as grade 2 and 3. You can refer there any time,
but at present I only point out to you the most characteristic and frequent
hot or cold idiosyncrasies and what makes them differ from other such
hot or cold idiosyncrasies.
55
4.4 Cold idiosyncrasies
Lets move on, now, to cold idiosyncrasies: Cold grade3 idiosyncrasies or
at times grade2 are: Arsenicum, Nux Vomica, Psorinum, Calcarea
Carbonica, Moschus, Sepia, Silica, Causticum, Graphites and Nitric Acid.
There are, of course, many other cold idiosyncrasies but they are less
basic and less frequent. If I pointed out, as a usual academic doctor
would, all such idiosyncrasies you would be lost in an ocean of details. If
this was the case, I could be considered academically correct but such a
thing wouldnt be functional and useful to you.
Arsenicum is very cold. Furthermore, he is terribly afraid of diseases and
especially death, consequently, even in a mild weather, you will see him
wearing hat and heavy clothing or avoid going out for the fear of
pneumonia. Whenever he has a fear crisis he feels even colder, almost
freezing. There are times during which he feels as if freezing water is
poured down his spine; this is very important guiding symptom of
Arsenicum. Another very distinguishing mark is that especially in fever
or when he is very anxious, he feels as if his head is in the oven and the
rest of his body is in the fridge; that is, he feels his head hot or flashed
while the rest of his body is very cold.
Calcarea Carbonica is generally cold because she is very yin, very psoric.
She lacks vital heat and energy, thus she is easily tired. Moreover, she is
always afraid and worried about little every day things. She wants much
clothing and her hands and feet are very cold. A distinguishing mark of
hers is that often her feet are cold and at the same time, moist. Cannabis
Indica is also cold in general and has cold feet and hands but her hands
are cold and at the same time sweaty. Valeriana, a syphilitic idiosyncrasy,
is cold but not very cold. She also has sweating palms but only when she
is anxious or stressed and whenever she becomes sleepy at night she may
also feel cold.
Silica, a psoric idiosyncrasy, is like a cold mild Pulsatilla regarding her
psychology. She also has cold extremities but her distinguishing mark is
that her head is extremely sensitive to cold. If she gets out of the house
after a bath without having her head well dried, then she will definitely
catch a cold or have a headache. Silica sweats a lot mainly on the upper
part of her body. Pulsatilla is generally hot in chronic conditions but in
acute conditions she is cold.
There are some idiosyncrasies that are at the same time, sensitive to both
heat and cold. For example, Mercury in chronic conditions is sensitive to
56
air drafts and cold while in acute conditions is sensitive to heat. Natrum
Carbonicum and Silica are both sensitive to the extreme changes of both
heat and cold, while both are cold3 or 2, in general.
We have already referred in details to the relation of each single
idiosyncrasy to heat and cold during our lectures on Homeopathic
Materia Medica. My present aim is to stress on the most characteristic
cases. You see, its of no use to refer to all idiosyncrasies since you will
not be able to remember them, so we will stick to the most characteristic
ones for functional reasons.

We are not only interest in a patients general condition as to heat or cold.
We are also interested if certain parts of his body are more cold or hot
than the rest or if this condition is opposed to the general one. For
example, Arsenicum is generally very cold but he has a hot head when in
fever or stressed. A general symptom is, as a rule, more important than a
local one but when you have a local symptom that is intense and opposite
to the general one, then you have a characteristic symptom of high value.
Nevertheless, never forget that you shouldnt stick only to characteristic
or key-note symptoms. Key Note Prescribing leads to failure. You
should always prescribe on a miasmatic, idiosyncratic base!
4.5 Sweating, offensive secretions, greasiness
Lets examine sweating in relation to idiosyncrasies. Sulphur has
sweating grade3. Lycopodium, Argentum Nitricum, Pulsatilla and Nux
Vomica has sweating grade2. Medorhinum and Phosphor kids also sweat
a lot due to their restlessness and excessive activity. As mentioned before,
Calcarea Carbonica has sweating cold feet and Cannabis Indica sweating
cold hands. Valeriana often has sweating palms when stressed. Silica
sweats mostly on head and neck.
Sulphur sweats to the maximum degree. Drops of sweat may drop to the
ground from his face. He sweats especially in armpits, genital area, neck,
face and hair. At night after sleep, theres a stamp of sweat on the pillow.
Sometimes he wakes up and turns the pillow upside down so as to find a
dry spot to lay his head! During hot summers his clothes become wet
minutes after wearing them. Whenever possible he goes around almost
naked! On the other hand, Alumina rarely sweats even when doing
physical exercise.
How do we ask for sweating? We say: Do you sweat a lot, normally or
rarely? Then, after the patients answer we go on to more clarifying
questions: Does that mean that you get soaked in sweat? Do you sweat
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also a lot even in winter? For those who dont sweat much we ask:
Even when you exercise physically, at a gym for example, do you rarely
sweat? As odor of his sweat is concerned, we ask: Does your sweat,
smell bad? I mean even hours after a bath does your sweat, smell bad? If
you dont use deodorant then some hours after a bath does your sweat,
smell bad? Thats offensive sweat grade3! He has a bath and if he doesnt
use deodorant, some hours later his sweat smells bad!
We should always be very careful when asking. You see, some Sulphur
or other patients with offensive sweat tend to have a bath regularly and
always use deodorants so as t stave off offensiveness of their sweat. So
whenever you ask them if their sweat smells bad they may say no,
meaning that they dont let such an incident happen! Arsenicum,
Graphites, Psorinum and Thuja may also have offensive sweat.
We are also interested if all the secretions of a person are offensive
because the more general a characteristic is the more important to our
idiosyncratic diagnosis. We ask: Does your stool smell bad also? Be
careful! Sulphur is usually not annoyed by his offensive odors, but he is
very sensitive regarding others? He has a sensitive nose but only when it
comes to others! He is not faking! Thats how things are! We also ask:
Does your breath smell bad? Does your urine or gases usually smell
bad?
We are also interested if his secretions are acrid and irritating his skin
usually at the area of armpits, groins or thighs. Be sure that you dont
have to do with a very fat person with fat thighs whose skin is inflamed
due to friction. Sulphur, Graphites and Psorinum may have acrid
secretions. In fact, if Sulphur does not wash his greasy hair regularly, he
has itching of the head even after the second or third day due to acrid
sweat and sebaceous secretions.
We also ask: Are your hair greasy or dry? After how many days do they
get greasy and need washing? If his hair becomes greasy, even after one
or two days after washing, then this is greasy hair grade3. Sulphur and
Thuja have greasy hair grade 3. Thuja has another characteristic also: she
keeps combing again and again and still, her hair is a mess because its
full of knots! Sulphur has a great tendency for hair falling and gets bald
even from his thirties or forties. Lachesis women tend to have more hair
loss and at a younger age compared to other elderly women.
Some psoric Sulphur subjects may have dry hair due to their yin-psoric
tendency. Let me remind you that all things have something to say to us.
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Whats important is to be able to evaluate things correctly and draw
correct information. That is possible only if we get well acquainted with
idiosyncrasies and with Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis. We should
never stick to one or to a few symptoms, features and traits. We should
always take in consideration the whole!
4.6 Desire or aversion to sweet and salt
Lets move on to desire or aversion to sweet and salt. We ask: Do you
like sweet tastes a lot? Why do we emphasize on a lot? One might say
that we guide our patient but its not so! If we ask people if they like
sweets, most of them tend to say that they do. But, in this case, we are
interested only in those who have a great desire for sweets. So, in order to
exclude normal cases and trace only the extreme ones we emphasize on
the phrase a lot.
In fact, so as to be sure about it, we add: Does that mean that you seek
sweets? That you have a craving for sweets? Do you prefer sweets instead
of food? Do you eat sweets every day? We also add: Not, if you avoid
them due to obesity or for health reasons. We add this because an old
woman or man that is fat and has diabetes or is afraid of diabetes may
answer I dont eat it. That doesnt mean that she/he doesnt like it but
instead it means that she/he doesnt eat it because she/he is afraid. We are
mostly interested not in what the patient does but primarily on what he
likes.
Pulsatilla has an extreme craving for sweets and sweet taste. She is crazy
about sweets! She prefers sweets instead of food. Argentum Nitricum
also has a craving for sweet, grade 3. In fact, Argentum Nitricum eats
much quantity of sweets and especially sugar. Most of the times,
Pulsatilla eats frequently sweets but not necessarily great quantity.
Although Argentum Nitricum likes sweets so much, still he feels very bad
after eating much. He also has a peculiar tendency to mix sweet and salty
tastes. He may eat chocolate then salty chips and then chocolate again.
Some Argentum Nitricum kids eat spoonfuls of sugar.
For desire or aversion to salt we first ask: Do you like salt or salty food
or not? Then we go on to clarify things: Will you add salt to your food
even before tasting it? Do you often eat salty food like chips, dry salty
nuts, etc? But, be careful! We should always try to avoid the trap of
healthy nutrition or fear about health. We are interested if he doesnt like
it and not if he avoids it due to fear about his health or due to a healthy
diet.
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Natrum Muriaticum usually is very fond of salt. She has a craving for
salt. She adds salt to her food even before tasting it and eats salty food all
the time. Nevertheless, we may also, more rarely, find a Natrum
Muriaticum subject that has aversion for salt grade 3 or 2. This is not
awkward. In fact, it is a confirmation of this idiosyncrasys great relation
to salt! Her desire or aversion about salt is only a matter of her phase,
only a matter of her state of health. The main thing is that she has a strong
relation with salt.
If she has an aversion to salt then we ask: If your food is just a little
more salty then do you eat it or do you just cant? Not if you avoid it due
to health reasons but if you despise it. Thats a grade 3 aversion for salt!
Notice the following possibility: you ask a person and he tells you: Yes
of course, I like sweet of course I like salt certainly I like sour things
and spicy food etc. Its a yes this and yes that state. He is simply
fond of strong tastes. He is the sycotic person who is fond of enjoying
food and strong tastes. Most of the times, its a case of sycotic
Medorhinum or sycotic Sulphur subjects. Nux Vomica is often very fond
of spicy food.
4.7 Sour taste and fat
Lets move on. How do we ask about sour taste? We say: Do you like
sour things like lemon, vinegar, etc or not? If he just likes to add lemon
juice to his food that doesnt mean anything special. We must proceed to
more clarifying questions like: How about sour fruit? Do you prefer sour
orange juice from a sweet, ripe one? Do you like sour fruit like crab
apples or wild plums? If he answers yes, then this is indeed a true
desire for sour tastes 3. And that is a great characteristic of Medorhinum.
Medorhinum kids take a slice of lemon and enjoy eating it. But never say
he likes sour tastes 3 so give him Medorhinum! Thats not
Homeopathy! Thats silly Key-note prescribing!
But you may also come up with a Medorhinum that has a strong aversion
for sour tastes; this is often the case of women that have been affected by
their husbands intense sycotic miasma and have developed Medorhinum
idiosyncrasy secondarily; they still need Medorhinum. Their unusual
aversion for sour is a matter of state. Let me remind you that Natrum
Muriaticums unusual aversion of salt is also a matter of state.
How do we ask about desire for fat? We say: Do you like fat, grease,
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fatty meat or not? According to his answer we go on asking more so as
to grade his answer. We say: Do you eat it a lot, if you free yourself
from healthy diet? Are you crazy for fatty meat? Do you even like boiled
fatty meat or boiled chickens skin? If he answers yes to all the above,
then this is a case of desire fat grade 3. But if he only likes roasted
chickens skin or just the fat of a pork chop then this is just desire fat
grade 2. Sulphur has desire fat 3 while desire fat 2 may have
Medorhinum, Lycopodium and Argentum Nitricum subjects.
4.8 Milk, cold water and onion
We are interested mostly in aversion for milk. How do we ask? Do you
like milk, I mean the taste of fresh milk, or not? Does it cause you
distention or diarrhea or any other complaints? We must not confuse
these two things: desire/aversion for the taste of milk on the one hand and
complaints that it may cause on the other hand. Someone may like milk
but still it may cause complaints to him simply because he cant digest it.
Someone else may not like it and moreover develop complaints when
drinking it.
Aversion fresh milk 3 is when he tells you: Since childhood I never
wanted fresh milk; it tasted so disgusting; my mother used to chase me
and forced me to drink it because it was good for me; I remember that I
could only drink it if I added cocoa or chocolate to cover its lousy taste!
When I grew up I stopped it immediately. Be careful! Some elderly
women, even if they despise it, they still drink it for fear of osteoporosis.
Silica and Natrum Carbonicum primarily and Natrum Muriaticum
secondarily, have an aversion for milk grade 3 or 2 and whats more it
spoils their stomach and intestines function; it may cause distention,
diarrhea or pain to the stomach or belly. Lycopodium usually likes milk
taste but often after his thirties or forties he just cant digest it and feels
distended; he may also feel distended from yoghurt.
Cold water; how do we ask about it? We say: Do you like cold water or
not? Then we go on to clarify: Do you mean that you want it very cold,
from the fridge? Even in winter? If he says yes to the above questions,
then this is desire cold water3. Phosphor characteristically has this thing.
Medorhinum and sycotic Sulphur may have a desire for cold water 2.
Phosphor subjects that live in highlands, even in winter they may turn on
the tap and let it running until freezing outside water comes through; only
freezing water quenches their thirst. Often mothers are after their
Phosphor kids so as not to put ice cubes into their mouth; they so enjoy it!
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They are crazy about licking it! But dont confuse I like ice-creams
with I like cold things. Ice-creams are as a rule sweet and the person
may enjoy sweet taste and not cold.
We also ask: Do you like raw onions in a salad? Does it cause trouble to
your stomach? Its important to see if he dislikes its taste or if he has an
aversion for its smell afterwards or if it causes indigestion to him.
Lycopodium usually likes its taste but he cant digest it either raw of
cooked if its in large quantities; it also causes gases to him. Thuja has an
aversion both for raw onion and raw garlic. Lycopodium cant digest
shellfish like oysters, etc.
4.9 Position of sleep, nightly salivation
Lets examine now position of sleep. We ask: How do you prefer to
sleep? On the abdomen, on sides or on your back? It is important that
when we ask kids or foreigners that are not well acquainted with our
language, to show what do we mean by abdomen, sides or back.
Medorhinum primarily and sycotic idiosyncrasies secondarily, are very
fond of sleeping on their abdomen. Medorhinum kids may even sleep on
their elbows and knees with their head on the side. Very often
Medorhinum adults sleep on their abdomen, head on the side and have
the pillow or hand over their head. Some Medorhinum women, even
during pregnancy prefer to sleep on their abdomen.
Sulphur subjects often sleep on their back and many times prefer to have
their feet spread and their hands behind their head. This is not an
accidental position especially in summer. Its the most cooling position
since they are so hot and sweating! The more you spread your body
members the more fanned you become!
If the patient says that he sleeps on the sides then we ask: Mostly right
or left? If he says left then we go on asking: When you lie on your left
side, on the side of the heart, do you sometimes feel as if you are pressing
it or hearing it? Do you even sometimes avoid doing so, so as not to press
your heart? Thats a very strong characteristic of Phosphor. You see, he
is so afraid about his health and especially about his heart that he tries to
prevent any malfunction of it. Of course, Phosphor usually has this at
stage B or C when he starts developing fears about his health so you may
not find this at his stage A when he is quite well.
But, sometimes, even in stage A he is so interested reading about health
matters. So he may have read that its a good thing not to press your heart
during sleep and he takes care not to do it. So you see, you may ask a
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question about his position of sleep and in the end receive information
about his fears! Life is wonderful and magic! Homeopathy is wonderful
and magic! Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis is fascinating!
We also ask: Does it happen that you have some saliva coming out of
your mouth to the pillow during sleep? How often does this happen?
Once a week, two or three times a week or almost every night? Mercury
has this in grade 3, that is, almost every single night. But be careful! Not
when a person is having a cold, not when a person has an obstruction to
his nose and he is sleeping with his mouth widely open and lastly not
when it is the case of a child with braces! It always has to be an
idiosyncratic characteristic and not a temporary symptom due to an
illness. We are not in search of his illness; we are indeed, in search of his
idiosyncrasy!
4.10 Relation to the sea
Another thing that we ask is: Are you fond of sea or not? Grade 3
regarding desire for sea, is when you have a child or an adult that does
not want to come out of the sea; he is soaking all the time. Sea is the love
of his life and his cure for any problems. The minute he is near the sea all
his physical symptoms and even his psychology are much better. In order
to define this we ask: Just looking at the sea, does it calm you? Does it
make you feel much better? Is it a remedy for you?
Medorhinum loves the sea 3 and secondarily Phosphor and sycotic
Sulphur. If a person prefers the mountain instead of the sea you should
check if you have to do with a Nux Vomica subject.
We have just completed our discussion about general physical
characteristics but let me tell you something before we go on. My aim
isnt to study Materia Medica and Repertory and memorize hundreds of
characteristic symptoms. This would make you academic doctors but not
successful clinical therapists.
Nobody can remember this vast quantity of information no matter how
bright he is. Then you would end up to be a repertorising doctor
enslaved to Repertories and Computer Expert Systems. You would miss
the point. You wouldnt be practical. You would spend hours of
searching in books and computers having a desperate and bored patient in
front of you shooting him with hundreds of non-targeted questions. What
then? You would be so confused in an ocean of non-evaluated symptoms
that you would not prescribe correctly. You would simply loose the case!
End of story!
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But if you learn the Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis you will resemble
a fine detective who is fast and effective and clearly cuts to the chase.
Case Taking is a very active and fascinating procedure. You should adopt
the attitude of a detective, an archeologist, a geologist, a psychoanalyst or
of an eager hunter or fisherman if you want to have results! So, good
night and have a nice hunting! (laughing)
CHAPTER 5
PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
IRRITABILITY, TIDINESS AND INTROVERSION
5.1 Irritability
5.2 How to identify an idiosyncrasy through questions
5.3 Whats irritability grade 3?
5.4 Psoric Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.5 Sycotic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.6 Syphilitic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.7 Hysteric Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.8 Egoistic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
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5.9 Irritability of Lycopodium and Sulphur
5.10 Genuine Irritable Idiosyncrasies
5.11 How do we ask for tidiness?
5.12 How does an experienced homeopathic doctor ask?
5.13 Nux Vomica: the typical representative of tidiness; tidiness per
se
5.14 Other tidy idiosyncrasies
5.15 Sulphur, the typical sloppy guy!
5.16 How do we ask about introversion/extroversion
5.17 Extrovert Idiosyncrasies
5.18 Natrum Muriaticum is the typical psoric, introvert person
5.19 Other introvert idiosyncrasies
5.20 Idiosyncrasies that may be introvert or extrovert at times
Good Evening, I welcome you to our tonights lecture that has a very
important subject. We are going to deal with the heart or core of
Homeopathic Case Taking: the general psychological characteristics of a
person; his psychological profile!
5.1 Irritability
Lets begin with how we ask about his state of irritability. We say: How
about irritability? Do you easily get angry? If you get angry, do you
usually express your anger or do you keep it inside? Then we go on to
more clarifying questions like: Do you express your anger mostly to
your own people or to others? After you have expressed your anger do
you easily become calm again? Do you resemble like a gale? That is, do
you easily get angry, burst right away and in five minutes you say pals
again? How do you express your anger? What do you usually do? Do
you want to throw things or break things? Do you often do that?
Do you want to strike your hand on the table or slam the door behind
you? Do you want to slap others? How often do you do it? Are there
times that you burst your anger on yourself? That is, do you pull your hair
or hit your head with your hands or pull your clothes to tear them? What
makes you angry? What situations and what behaviors of others make
you angry or annoy you?
Are you easily offended? When somebody offends you, will you answer
back? How? By shouting, by arguments, by being ironic or by being
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snob? If its a serious offense do you delete him from your life even if
he apologizes? Do you want to pay back, even after long time has passed?
Do you want to get even? Or does it happen that you dont say much but
then bitterness stays inside you forever?
These are the basic and clarifying questions regarding irritability. Anger
and its expression is a very important matter for any person and its
advisable to encourage him to talk about it, to express himself.
5.2 How to identify an idiosyncrasy through questions
So, he has answered to all the above questions! So what? The main thing
is to be able to be lead by his answers to certain possible idiosyncrasies.
Every word, every phrase, every grimace, every change in his tone of
voice, any kind of expression must be traced and interpreted so as to lead
us to possible idiosyncrasies. This can be done only if we know how
idiosyncrasies are expressed regarding this certain field of his
psychology. Thats what we are going to do for every field of his
psychology starting from irritability.
The whole procedure resembles the chemical identification of an
unknown substance. We take the substance and run several chemical
tests. Accordingly we interrogate the person with several questions so as
to see his profile. After each test of the substance we refer to the
Chemistry books that describe the chemical properties of any substance.
Accordingly, in Homeopathic Case Taking, we refer to Materia Medica to
find a match. It has to be a scientific, accurate and careful examination so
as to reach to a correct identification, be it a chemical substance or an
idiosyncrasy.
5.3 Whats irritability grade 3?
We will refer to irritable idiosyncrasies, that is, those idiosyncrasies that
have plenty and intense characteristics regarding this field of their profile.
Irritability grade 3 means that someone is easily aroused even by trifles,
that he is frequently aroused and that he expresses his anger intensely; he
just cant control his anger.
Many people and especially those of Mediterranean or Latin temperament
are plethoric as to expression. You ask a Greek or an Italian guy about his
anger and he says: Yes, yes, of course Ive got a lot of anger! Dont let
his sycotic expression mislead you. It often happens that he is not an
irritability grade 3, guy. In fact he is simply a plethoric grade 3, guy! You
always have to filter any answer; to cross check it; to evaluate it correctly
according to his whole image. A special help for this control is to ask
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him: Tell me some recent examples about it, so as to understand what
you mean.
Another trap is when someone misunderstands our question. For example
we ask him if he is easily angry and he thinks that we have asked him if
he expresses his anger whenever angry. He may then say: I am not
irritable and may mean that he doesnt express his anger. We are
interested both in his irascibility and in his possibilities of expression. For
example Staphisagria is like a volcano ready to burst, full of anger but she
rarely takes it out; she suppresses her anger a lot.
There are so many irritable idiosyncrasies! Its important that we examine
them at groups. There are psoric irritable idiosyncrasies, sycotic,
syphilitic, hysteric and egoistic not to mention those that are irritable at
grade 3. Lets have a look at them, one by one and see their
characteristics regarding irritability.
5.4 Psoric Irritable Idiosyncrasies
Lets begin with Psoric Irritable Idiosyncrasies. Natrum Muriaticum is
not irritable. It would be more correct to say that shes a nervous woman.
She is easily offended, does not show it, does not express it, is very upset,
feels hurt and all this stress comes out in nervous symptoms: tension
headaches, face neuralgia, oppression chest, lump throat, etc.
Its a very rare thing for her to burst to those that upset her. Usually she
will find an excuse to go away. Nevertheless its not rare for her to burst
to her little children when they make her angry. When does that happen?
Whenever her children arent decent, kind, clean and as they should be
according to her psoric, romantic ideology. She so hard tries to make
decent people out of them but a kid is always a kid! If its a sycotic or
syphilitic kid that refuses to follow any social rules or does immoral
things, then she is so annoyed, so upset! Apart from shouting she may
even slap them. And then she feels so guilty, so not a good mother and
then nervous symptoms manifest themselves!
Sepia, is considered to be a more deep and chronic Natrum Muriaticum.
She is so dragged out, so sucked out of her vital energy - usually from her
vigorous and demanding husband or children - that when left alone she
seems so peaceful, so absorbed in her world, in fact so depressed. But
when even the least provoked, she has no energy resources to remain
balanced and so she reacts disproportional to the stimuli that affected her.
She becomes cutting, mordant, she wants to hurt the one that bothered her
and then of course, as a genuine psoric person, she regrets and feels very
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guilty. She is fragile. There is a label on her front: Dont touch or I
will bite you because of my weakness!
Psorinum when asked will tell you that he is not irritable; its true. He
doesnt get angry easily and seldom bursts. He has a certain kind of very
psoric stoicism suffering his deep depression without any complaining,
very introvert, very desperate, very pessimist, wanting no company,
wanting to be left alone in his psoric dark mood. Gelsemium is not easily
angry also and seldom expresses his anger because of his psoric shyness,
introversion and lack of self confidence.
Staphisagria is full of anger. She resembles a ready-to-burst volcano. For
very long shes been keeping all her irritability unexpressed. Even if she
rarely expresses some of her anger, it will be so little compared to what
she has gathered inside her! She is all the time in an anger red alert
stage and the only thing she does is to argue with herself by imaginative
fighting: He told me so, I should have answer back like this, then he
would say this and I would answer back that and so on. What she
doesnt do in reality, she does it inside her mind! She feels so suppressed,
so resentful, so indignant, in such a hopeless dead end!
5.5 Sycotic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
Lets proceed to sycotic irritable idiosyncrasies. You can find
Medorhinum, usually in two versions. The one version is when he is mild
due to extreme indifference when it comes to usual everyday family or
social matters.
His loquacious, domineering Lachesis wife tells him: What kind of a
man and father are you, for God sake! Do something with our good-for-
nothing son. He doesnt study at all! He will respond: You fix it,
woman! You are in charge of the children! I am so tired from work so I
will not trouble myself with our fucking kids. I dont give a dime if they
ever read anything. Let them become plumbers like me. I will go to the
pub to have a minutes rest and watch the football game in peace!
The other version is the irritable tough guy; the wide boy; the hard man.
He is also indifferent in usual family and social matters but when it
comes to things that have to do with his sycotic pride or when he faces
the grumbling of his loquacious wife he is so pissed! Thats the right
word for his irritability: pissed off!
He is like a gale. He is easily aroused, he shouts, he curses, he strikes the
table with his hand, he may throw things or kick the closet or may slum
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the door behind him when leaving. But, nevertheless, he may come back
in five minutes or in a couple hours and say to his wife: Lets forget it.
Lets leave it behind. Let get laid and have wild sex! When other people
bust his balls his motto is: Give me a break, will you! or Get off my
back! or Stop busting my balls! or even Fuck you!
Phosphor is also like a gale regarding his irritability but for other reasons
than Medorhinum, in fact, for opposite reasons. He is not at all
indifferent. He is a psoric altruist that cares too much about all others and
expresses his irritability and resentment in a sycotic way. He is so angry
not only when he himself experiences injustice but even when it happens
to others, even strangers. He has such a keen sense of honor! He is also
very conscientious and very dutiful, very compassionate and sensitive and
indeed so gullible! Thats the reason why he is so angry when facing
ungratefulness, irresponsibility, indifference or inconsistency. But he has
such a big heart! He is so forgiving! When he realizes that he is wrong he
sincerely apologizes and wants to make it up to you.
5.6 Syphilitic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
Now its time for syphilitic irritable idiosyncrasies. You can find
Lachesis in many versions, as a true syphilitic idiosyncrasy should be! In
all cases you will come up with true syphilitic characteristics all of which
constitute an extreme, egoistic, intentional, hypocritical and domineering
behavior. A common version is the one that could be called as peaceful,
loving, God-fearing woman. Its but a hypocritical, secondary behavior
of course! She pretends to be so calm, so loving and so spiritual! She
never misses the chance to preach and show off her religious beliefs:
Lord says that we should always be calm and humble!
Another version is the more rare primary behavior version: She is openly
mean, domineering, irritable and grumbling all the time. But usually she
pretends to be something else from what she really is because she has
such flexibility, such hypocritical ability! If she isnt a modern woman, if
she is a past generation traditional yielding woman having a domineering
husband then she may tell you: What can I do, doctor? Of course I get
angry but I keep it all inside for the sake of our children. That does not
mean that she will not use other great weapons of hers: be sulky,
grumble, be cutting!
She may say nothing when her husband shouts at her but then she will be
so sulky or cry for hours so as to make him feel bad. She may also
employ her children or relatives or neighbors against her violent
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husband acting as the poor woman who is the victim of her
husbands cruelty and insensitiveness. She is so good at it!
She will grumble and grumble again and again, even talking to herself.
Nagging is one of her great weapons. She will remember last years
cruel behavior of her husband and even of all years that they are
together and complaint and grumble and moan until she pisses him off.
The minute he starts cursing she will say to him: See, what I told you!
See, how cruel you are! She will also express her anger in another way:
She will accuse him to others as good-for-nothing, looser or
cheating/unfaithful.
If she is primarily mean and domineering she will not hesitate to express
her anger in vulgar cursing, saying names like impotent or jerk
straight to his face. She may also hit him just like that and even in front of
other people so as to humiliate him and castrate him because he was
beaten by a woman. She so much enjoys making a ridicule of her
enemies in public and in fact she is so good at it!
The domineering, mean version of Anacardium is also very irritable. He
will express his anger by cruel, ironic remarks that stub you right to the
heart while he maintains that cold, ironic smile that shouts: I am smarter
than you! Ive won! You are a pathetic looser! He can be very envious,
malice, spiteful, cruel and even sadistic! On the contrary, the yielding,
fearful and full of guiltiness version of Anacardium is not irritable and
does not express his anger.
5.7 Hysteric Irritable Idiosyncrasies
Lilium Tigrinum is a hysteric irritable idiosyncrasy. She gets so angry
whenever they address her just because they set her off her fragile
balance. She may even hit someone when trying to talk to her: Why
dont you leave me alone, she will say. She is all the time unpleased and
unsatisfied for no reason even if her life is going well or even very well!
Moschus is the most irritable idiosyncrasy among hysteric ones. I
remember a short, fat, ugly woman around thirty who was married to a
much younger, tall, strong and very handsome man. She was so hysterical
and irritable that had managed to handle him like a puppet! It made you
wonder: What on Earth, is the matter with him? How can he stand her?
Not only she was shouting at him but she also beat him and dare say it in
front of me and him! Of course, she excused herself by saying: I am so
sensitive doctor! Thats why I am so irritable! I cant help it, but dont
think that I dont love my husband! If you think that this is strange what
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can you say about his words: What can I do, doctor? She is so irascible
and sensitive! (laughing)
Moschus has to do with capricious, hysteric, irritable, spoiled women that
want all things to be done their way or else they develop hysteric physical
symptoms or become very irritable or crying. She kept telling him:
Dont do that! If you dont do what I want I will get angry and you will
hurt me! So he kept doing whatever caprice she came up with! Moschus
is that woman who has been spoiled by her parents since childhood and
never learned what discipline means. She had all her whims satisfied and
even as a grownup still demands all things her way in a childish,
immature and hysteric manner.
5.8 Egoistic Irritable Idiosyncrasies
Now, let us examine some egoistic irritable idiosyncrasies. Platina is a
very characteristic one. There are many versions as to her expression. If
she is very snob and feels very classy and royalty she will not get angry if
you do something stupid. She will look at you with that snobbish, killer
look and may not bother to address you. Nevertheless, her look is clearly
shouting to you: I ignore you! You are not worth of my time and
attention! But she may bother talk to you and tear you to pieces with just
one arrogant phrase: How dare you!
Platina, in another version may be irritable and irascible and expressive.
She may shout and yell and use cruel, arrogant, depreciatory remarks:
How dare you! Who do you think you are? If she is a cultivated,
civilized, classy lady she will use the plural form and sophisticated
language but still she will be very arrogant and at times ironic. If she is a
low class sycotic woman she will be very straight, arrogant and insulting:
Whats the matter with you, you moron! Are you retarded? Go find a
woman of your match!
If you insult a Platina she may delete/erase you permanently; for good!
Its a non reversible situation. Even if you apologize sincerely, still thats
the end of it! She may say a typical good morning at times but thats
all; things will never be as before! Most often, she will refuse to talk to
you from that time on. She will not forgive you. Not that she will want
revenge or to get on top of you as a Valerian would do. Platina will not
bother pay back. Nor that she will have a bitter memory of you and of the
incident like the psoric Natrum Muriaticum woman; she simply presses
the delete button!
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Now let me comment: How on Earth, can you reach a correct diagnosis
by Repertory or Computer Expert Systems, especially regarding syphilitic
idiosyncrasies that have so variable Secondary Behaviors, so many
different versions? OK, I understand that you will open your Kents
Repertory and find under the rubric Anger/irascibility Platina and
Lachesis as grade 1, under the rubric Irritability Platina as grade 3 and
Lachesis as grade 2 and finally under the relevant rubric Quarrelsome,
Platina and Lachesis as grade 2.
So, what! Did you get any specific information? Did you get any trace of
what Ive told you about the special characteristics of the irritability of
Platina and Lachesis that Ive illustrated to you, in details? Platina is
referred as irritability grade 3 but if you examine a snobbish typical
Platina she will tell you that she never gets angry! The hypocritical calm
God-fearing version of Lachesis will tell you that she never gets angry
while at the Repertory she is registered as irritable grade 2 and
quarrelsome grade 2.
If you dont have in mind the miasmatic, idiosyncratic picture of any
idiosyncrasy, especially regarding syphilitic ones, then you are lost and so
is your patient! Thats why I insist on teaching you my Miasmatic
Idiosyncratic Diagnosis!
Valerian, many times has that constant internal restlessness, a state very
difficult to be seen by anyone. You see her and say: what a sweet
charming girl but thats only the cover! She seems to be that cute little
cat but she may easily become a wild cat unveiling her nails at any
time! She thinks a lot, worries a lot and she is mistrustful and insecure.
She tends to misinterpret your intentions. If she thinks that you have
offended her or that you have become insulting, ironic or depreciatory
then she will get very angry and attack instantly.
She is definitely not what she seems to be! She seems to be calm and she
isnt. She seems cool but she is very anxious. She seems modern but
she is conservative. She seems confident but she is insecure. If you dont
harm her she is a nice kitty. If you harm her or if she thinks that you
have such intentions then she becomes an angry leopard.
What makes her angry? Injustice makes her angry, mostly injustice
regarding her. She may even get angry when others face injustice but not
because she has that psoric, altruistic care like Phosphor has. She is angry
because you appear to be smart and strong and this makes her feel
insecure. She thinks: Who do you think you are, acting as smarter than
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others (including me)? She may also feel threatened as if she will be the
next victim of injustice.
Lies also make her angry although she has no problem - being a syphilitic
idiosyncrasy - to lie, herself. But whenever you say lies to her she takes it
that you have depreciated her, that you laugh at her, that you are on top of
her; and that is something that she just cant stand. She wants to get on
top and she even wants to revenge, to pay back or just to restore things.
Being deep down insecure and coward, she may not express her anger
especially at her superiors at her job or at school if she is a student. But
she will definitely express her anger to her loving and caring parents, to
her brothers and sisters, to her yielding husband or boyfriend. All these
that are close to her and love her, consider her a wild cat that can burst at
any time with no warning. They just dont know how to behave towards
her. Her behavior just doesnt make sense! She is so touchy to her close
ones!
But even to her superiors or strangers she will answer back mainly by
ironic remarks. And she is so good at it! Although irony towards her is a
red rag making her feel like a wild bull she is so often ironic to others
whenever she feels threatened. See how insecure she is deep down? If
you do something insulting to her she will want to revenge, to pay back
no matter how much time may pass. She wants to get even and she may
even want to revenge. The main thing is to feel that the other guy is not
on top of her.
Most of the times of course, she will not admit that she is revengeful
because she thinks that this is something bad for her image. But there are
times that she will say that she is and be proud of it. You see, syphilitic
idiosyncrasies may adopt so many, different and even opposite behaviors!
5.9 Irritability of Lycopodium and Sulphur
Lycopodium being coward - although usually he doesnt admit it - gets
angry whenever he things that he is depreciated. When you ask him
What makes you angry? he will tell you: When others depreciate me
or underestimate me or when others are arrogant or rudeness annoys
me. But, if he is not on top of things, he will not express his anger.
For example, if his wife is a yielding person, he will grumble and shout
and criticize all the time. The same with his kids even though he will
always express his anger in a psoric way: he grumbles and criticizes; he
will preach. In society he will sustain the image of the placid, gentle,
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low profile and cultured but with his own yielding people he will be
the grumbling dominant person.
When facing irritable guys, especially sycotic ones or syphilitic ones he
tends to cover his cowardice towards others or even towards himself. He
is coward about any physical fight because he is afraid of being beaten
and injured; of being ridiculed to others; of being ashamed by a manly
sycotic guy as being a pussy, especially in front of women. So he
covers his cowardice by the image of the civilized man that has good
manners or by the image of the superior human being and gentle
person.
For example, if a driver next to him does something wrong, Lycopodium
may start cursing but mostly in a low voice so as not to be heard. But if
the other guy is an angry sycotic Medorhinum that is easily pissed off and
gets angry and comes threatening towards him then Lycopodium will
instantly find a smart way to retreat. He will say: OK, you are right I
honestly apologize for saying names to you but you see, you did that
dangerous maneuver and I thought we were going to crash.
On the contrary, if the other driver is a very young and yielding person,
then he will start scolding, grumbling and preaching. When you ask him
at the medical office what he will do in a case of street fight after a
driving incident, in order to cover his yielding attitude he will often tell
you: There is no point in arguing in such situations, nowadays. Lifes
become so cheap! Its so easy for someone to draw a pistol or a knife and
kill you just like that!
He may also tell you: I am a civilized person doctor. I will not let myself
behave like an animal. At other times he will say: I usually dont argue
doctor, because I am afraid that I will lose control and hurt him and then
have troubles with the law. You see, Lycopodium has a great fear about
having trouble with the Authorities like police, judges, Tax offices, etc.
Psoric Sulphur rarely expresses his anger. He is very introvert in general
so most of the times he seems to be a very low profile and calm person.
On the other hand, sycotic Sulphur expresses his irritability and
resembles Medorhinum regarding this field of behavior.
5.10 Genuine Irritable Idiosyncrasies
Now its time to describe those genuine irritable idiosyncrasies, that is,
those idiosyncrasies that are characteristically irritable and irritability is
the main field of their whole image.
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Nux Vomica is so tight, so scheduled, so rigid and strict that when
overloaded at work or family, she gets very irascible, irritable and
expresses her anger straight away. She is usually very irritated from
untidiness; all kinds of untidiness, that is, not only regarding material
things but also regarding program and behavior.
She is greatly annoyed by inconsistency, indifference, lack of obedience,
indiscipline, all kinds of illegal actions, indecency, rudeness, bad
manners, all kinds of irregularities, sloppiness, lack of gravity, lack of
programming, etc. She just cant overlook anything that is done not as it
should be according to rules, tradition or schedule. She will not only
notice it, but she will also make a remark about it and even demand that
things should be done as they should be. Things should be fixed here
and now!
If you have an appointment with her and you are late, even five or ten
minutes, she will be very annoyed. Most of the times, she will make a
gentle but still strict remark. At times, if you delay long enough without
giving her a fine excuse, she may even leave without any remark or make
a strict remark and then leave. You see, she is so typical as to her
appointments and obligations that she demands from others to be so also.
If she is a housewife she will strictly demand things to be very tidy at
home. She demands things to be left as they are. This demand does not
refer only to her husband and children but even to visitors and guests. She
demands the same things from her neighbors, colleagues and even other
citizens. She will say: I saw you throwing that piece of paper young
man! Please pick it up and throw it in the dustbin, as you should have
done in the first place! When angry she may become very strict, very
rigid and demanding, even seem cruel.
Other examples: A technician Nux Vomica tries to screw or fix
something. If he has trouble doing it, then he may throw the damn screw-
driver away. A woman Nux Vomica tries to button her shirt but she finds
some difficulty. Then she has the tendency to tear it if she is anxious or
angry at the time.
A man Nux Vomica comes home from work. He is already overloaded;
he has so much in his mind; so many things that havent been done and so
many things that must be done. He just cant stand one more thing to care
about so he is very irascible and touchy. If his wife is a typical yielding
housewife of the old generation, she will try to have all things as they
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should be, that is, proper food ready on time, hot water ready for his
bath, his sleepers and his newspaper. As soon as the bell rings she will
tell the kids: Quickly, go to your rooms and stay there! Dont make any
noise because your father is very tired! But, when a person Nux Vomica
is not stressed she may appear very patient, even stoic; gentle, calm,
typical but still strict and with much gravity.
Stramonium, when not in psychotic state, may resemble hysteric and
irritable Moschus. She wants things to be done her way and when this
isnt the case, then she bursts intensely and quite often uncontrollable. A
woman Stramonium may strike her head with her hands or pull her hair
or try to tear her clothes. Not that she really hurts herself! Its rather a
mixture of intense irritability with hysteria. A spoiled boy Stramonium if
his mother scolds him or doesnt buy him what he wants may bang his
head on the wall or on the floor or bite his hands; but again, will not hurt
himself. Such boys always ask for things to be bought or done for them
and demand it.
A teenager Stramonium - not a psychotic one - may kick the window or
door glass into a thousand pieces; he may even get a little hurt! He is
more uncontrollable than a boy but still he is not insane. He acts like that
only to force others do things his own way. Psychotic Stramonium
patients are really uncontrollable and in a mania state they need
straitjacket not to harm themselves or others. They are more irritable and
uncontrollable than a Hyoscyamus psychotic patient.
We ask for Stramonium: Does intense lighting at night make you angry?
Does sunlight make you angry? During daytime do you want the curtains
drawn so as to avoid light? Not if it tires your eyes, but if it makes you
irritable. A student Stramonium usually wants to draw the curtains and
read in dim light; light makes him irritable. ts not a matter of vision, its
a matter of irritability.
Tuberculinum is at the same time very irritable and miserable. If he is a
low class, uncultivated individual then he tends to be very boor, slob and
even vulgar at times, regarding his manner of expression and especially
when angry. e will curse, grumble, shout and even throw things or
break something.
In order to trace Tuberculinum we ask: Is there any family history of
tuberculosis in your family? Did you have tuberculosis, yourself, in the
past? Hows your relation with cats? Hows your relation with dogs? Do
you love them? Do you detest them? Are you afraid of them? Do you
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detest their fur and sometimes think that some of their hair may end up
into your mouth? Does it come to you sometimes, to kick a cat or a dog?
Tuberculinum patients tend to have a family or personal history of
tuberculosis. They detest dogs and especially cats. They are not afraid of
them but they detest them. They detest their fur and may have that strange
fear that perhaps hair from their fur may end up in their mouth. If a
Tuberculinum person is uncultivated and slob he has no problem to kick a
cat or a dog to drive it away. Dont confuse this with obsession about
bacteria and fear of illnesses from bacteria that Argentum Nitricum has
and for that reason he doesnt want any relation with animals, always
washing his hands.
Mercury is also irritable and miserable. Everything irritates him. When
angry he may have those violent impulses: to kill him!, to stab him!
But he doesnt do it. To trace Mercury individuals we ask: Does it
happen that you have saliva coming out of your mouth on the pillow at
night? How often? Do you have saliva once a week, twice a week or
almost every single night? Mercury has salivation almost every night.
Cina is the typical extremely stubborn, headstrong, pigheaded child! He
will shout loud: Why didnt you buy me an ice cream? Buy me an ice
cream, buy me an ice cream, I want an ice cream Then will fell on the
floor hitting it with hands and feet for long, crying and yelling. He may
also stand up and hit the parents. He may do anything he knows that will
make you angry just because you didnt satisfy his demands. He may
even do something in revenge later on only because he knows that will
hurt you, for example break your favorite vase!
You tell your little Cina boy: George, dont touch that vase! He looks at
you straight in the eyes, keeps looking at you and at the same time - as if
he didnt listen to you at all, as if he doesnt give a fuck about you - he
does touch the vase even if he knows that you will spank him! Almost
nothing can stop him! Its not a hysterical kid like Moschus, nor a violent
and hysteric kid like Stramonium. Its a pigheaded kid!
Zincum is also an irritable idiosyncrasy. Whats more characteristic about
him is his restlessness especially regarding his feet. He sits on a chair and
his feet just cant stay still; he keeps moving it rhythmically a little up a
little down, left and right and so on. At night, in bed, his feet are very
restless; not due to pain or numbness; its a pure restlessness.
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Veratrum is very irritable, cold and expresses his anger. Iodine is very
hot, restless and irascible. It resembles the clinical picture of
hyperthyroidism: restlessness, trembling of hands, going up and down
quickly, cannot sit still, quick motions, very hot, cannot stand heat, eats a
lot but still loses weight due to increased metabolism and quite irritable
and introvert.
Nitric Acid is extremely tired both physically and psychologically. He
gets up in the morning feeling even more tired than before going to bed.
He is a complete wreck! He lacks vital energy completely. His body cant
function and his mind cant function. He is very, very cold. Even the
slightest talk, especially in the morning, creates turmoil in his mind:
Shut up! Leave me alone! Get the fucking hell out of my way! He has a
very strong desire to curse in a vulgar way; he yells and curses. He may
throw things or break something. He just cant stand the slightest
annoyance when in this state.
Coffea Cruda is at the same time irritable and very nervous. Her body and
mind function at the highest revolutions per minute. If you cant slow
down your body and mind, how on Earth can you relax enough so as to
sleep? So you keep awake as if night has not come, although you may be
tired. Although night has come Cina is not sleepy at all; maybe tired, but
not sleepy. Her mental functions and memory are at their highest; they
are enhanced. She has many quick thoughts. She is very irritable and all
senses are extremely sensitive, especially her hearing; she just cant stand
any noise; it makes her angry. Morning comes and although she hasnt
managed to sleep but a few hours, during daytime she may be tired but
not sleepy. This is in fact, the picture of persons that have abused coffee;
all their functions, senses and mind are enhanced, but they are in turmoil
and cant sleep.
Apis is also very irritable; hot and nervous. Chamomilla is also hot and
irritable; especially the kids. They really dont know what they want.
They want to be held in your arms and carried around but then they kick
you and want to be let down. Yet, they are not pleased and want again to
be held and carried. They ask for this or that and as soon as you give it to
them they throw it away. Its a dead end situation.
Arsenicum is also irritable. His irritability is mixed with a large dose of
misery and great egoism. Its a syphilitic idiosyncrasy after all! He thinks
that he knows almost everything. He has his personal opinion about
anything which of course, is the only right one! He is very judging and
critical. He wants all things to be done according to his opinion because
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he knows best. He is the do it as I tell you guy who gets very irritable if
things arent done his way. He is a true dictator!
Hyoscyamus when in a pre-psychotic state is extremely irritable due to an
almost insane suspicion. He is so certain that others around him, even
strangers, comment him. He imagines that they are saying something bad
about him. He is so sure of this thing that he considers it a fact! They look
at him in a strange way, gossip and even laugh at him so he feels greatly
endangered and threatened!
If he is a man, he may think that they say something about his manhood;
they may say that he is or looks gay. They may also say something about
his wife next to him; he is so insanely jealous and he expresses it in an
insane and extreme way. He is so certain about it! Any doubt about it
makes him raging. He will yell out: Are you saying that I am insane?
Are you calling me crazy?
When in a psychotic state things are out of control. He thinks that all
people, even his own ones, are conspiring against him. They try to poison
him, kill him and harm him. He feels so threatened; feels like being
hunted, all the time! They have spotted him and are after him. He cant
stay still, he cant relax, he cant find a moments rest! Its a very torturing
and unbearable situation. So, whenever he feels threatened he becomes
violent but not as violent as other psychotic idiosyncrasies like
Stramonium and Belladonna.
Enough said about irritability of several basic idiosyncrasies. Never
forget that we never reach diagnosis only from one field, even if its a
psychological characteristic and even if its a very important one like
irritability. We should always take in consideration the whole miasmatic,
idiosyncratic picture of the person that stands in front of us.
5.11 How do we ask for tidiness?
Now lets examine tidiness of a person. We ask: Do you like things to be
tidy? This is the first general question. We wait for his unguided answer
and then go for clarifying questions so as to evaluate and grade this
characteristic: Do you want everything in its place, everything in order?
Are you absolute about it? Even inside their drawers do you want things
to be placed in absolute order? When you undress do you place your
clothes always in order in the closet or you may leave them just like
that?
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When it comes to men, asking them about tidiness at work is not always
an important question. It may even be a misleading one, because they
may be very tidy at work due to functional reasons or because they have
to, but when it comes to their personal life habits, things may differ a lot.
They may be very sloppy at home since their wife or the maid takes care
of all things. A sloppy Sulphur worker may say that he is very tidy at
work but when it comes to his personal life his wife will tell you that he is
very sloppy. You see, a tidy person grade 3 is always tidy and in all fields
tidy.
When it comes to women and especially housewives we ask: When
guests and friends come to the house and they change the order of
objects, are you annoyed? Does it happen that you have an urge to put
things back in order again? Not if you do it, but if you have the tendency
to do it; Are there times that you even avoid to invite guests so as not to
have things out of order? Not because you are tired, but because you
dont want things to be misplaced. When guests leave the house and its
late and you are tired and sleepy, do you want first to put all things in
order and then go to sleep?
We go on asking: Do you want to be punctual, in time, regarding your
appointments? Are you punctual all the time? If somebody is late to your
appointment, do you get angry? Do you make a remark? Will you say
something? Even at work, to your clients? Do you want to have a firm
program not only regarding work but even in your personal life? Do you
schedule things all the time, that is, I will do this and that today, this and
that tomorrow, etc? If they spoil your program do you get annoyed or
angry? Even if others propose something pleasant to you?
When bills have not been paid in time are you very annoyed? Do you
want, as soon as a bill comes, to go and settle it straight away? Do you
have a natural aversion for loans even if you are in need? Lets suppose
that you wait in a queue and somebody comes in front of you. Do you get
angry? Will you say something? Lets suppose that you walk in the street
and somebody tosses garbage away? Does it annoy you? Do you get
angry? Do you make a remark or just ignore it? Is it a fact that you
always spot any misplacement, anything wrong in all fields and just cant
ignore it?
5.12 How does an experienced homeopathic doctor ask?
This is indeed a whole line of questions! That doesnt mean of course,
that we resemble an indifferent typical employee of a statistics company
that has a list of questions in front of him and ticks yes or no after
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each answer of his client. I refer to a typical employee indifferent of his
clients grimaces, reactions, expressions and personality. On the contrary,
our questions are never the same for all patients and never expressed in
the same way ignoring his personality. Its an active procedure and not a
passive one. Its a fight! Its a hunt for intentions, thoughts, feelings,
behaviors and reactions!
The inexperienced fisherman uses improper bates or uses the same bate
for all fishes; has no knowledge, no plan, no art and technique! On the
contrary, the experienced fisherman uses the right bates, specially chosen
and specially hooked for the right fish. For a homeopathic doctor bates
correspond to questions. A right bate is the right question for the right
man, precisely spoken and in the right manner.
A good fisherman will take in consideration where to throw his hook and
at what depth. A good homeopathic doctor will ask different questions in
a different manner according to the age, sex, educational level and
suspected idiosyncrasy of his patient.
A good fisherman when bringing his hooked fish up will take care how to
unhook it, if he will throw it back to the sea if its not for sale and even
more how to cook it if he uses it for himself. A good homeopathic doctor
will sort out his patients answers and interpret and evaluate it according
to his patients age, sex, education, miasmas and suspected idiosyncrasy.
Thats the reason why when you go by the seashore you see fishermen
catching fish and fishermen that feed the fish! Accordingly, there are
good and experienced homeopathic doctors that do their job well and
have therapeutic results and those ignorant ones that from time to time
hook one or two fish!
From my experience, most patients tend, for image reasons, to exaggerate
about their tidiness. They want to show us that they are tidy persons.
Thus, we are more interested if a patient is tidy grade 3 and not if he is
tidy grade 2 or 1. I will now describe to you the idiosyncrasies that are
typically grade 3 regarding tidiness and then all others of grade 2.
5.13 Nux Vomica: the typical representative of tidiness; tidiness per
se
Nux Vomica is tidy per se. She is the typical representative of tidiness!
Its not something gained by education. Its in her genes! Its a
miasmatic and idiosyncratic characteristic, a grade 3 characteristic. She is
natural at it! This extreme tendency for tidiness, order and schedule this
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fixation to have all things as they should be refers to everything. Not
only material objects but also intentions, thoughts, feelings and behavior.
She wants everything to be in extreme order; everything in its place;
everything according to schedule and hierarchy. She wont just hang her
clothes in the closet. She will have them clean and ironed, sorted out and
organized at groups and even labeled! She will not just place her
underwear and blouses in the drawers; she will carefully fold them and
organize them according to season, color, fabric, etc. She wont have any
problem admitting it: Yes, I know, doctor, I confess that I am very tidy;
I am very thorough, punctual and fastidious; I am a perfectionist! I just
cant help it! Its in my nature! Ive always been like that!
When guests or visitors come to her house she is annoyed by the least
change. The ash-tray must remain where placed, the chairs not to be
moved or after being moved to be placed again as before! Nothing must
be changed and if needed to be, must be returned again to order as soon
as possible. She notices any change done by her guests; she just cant
help it! She has the urge to put it back herself or even make a comment,
but out of courtesy often she says nothing. If she finds the chance she will
put it back in order in a discrete manner. If she doesnt she will do it as
soon as the guest leaves or the minute he goes to the toilette.
In extreme cases of tidiness, Nux Vomica may not want guests only
because she doesnt want her order to be spoiled; not only the order of
things but also the order of her schedule and usual activities! When guests
leave, even if its late at night and she is tired and sleepy, even if she is
not working next morning, nevertheless, she will put all things back at
their previous place. She will not only place the dishes in the washing
machine but she will also start the program. If she is very tired and leaves
something behind undone, she goes to sleep but she is not pleased; she
becomes restless. First thing in the morning she will wake up early so as
to place all things as they should be. You see, leaving something out of
order can only be a compromise for her!
She is such a typical Englishman regarding her appointments! So
punctual! If her husband or children are the ones causing delay when they
go out for social meetings she will be so strict and grumbling towards
them! She will spoil the case even if they are going out for recreation or
for a relaxing excursion! If others delay to come at their fixed
appointment she will get angry and make remarks. Even at business
meetings when others delay she will make strict but gentle remarks. I had
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a Nux Vomica patient that avoided seeing her close friend because she
knew that she would come late as usual!
She is so scheduled! So in favor of programming! Strict and absolute
programming! She even, at times, notes down her program: I will do this
today, that tomorrow, these next week, those next month or next year! If
they spoil her program she is annoyed and even angry; she will re-
schedule! She despises any kind of pending or unsettled matters. When
bills come she will want to settle them the same day if possible. She has
an aversion for loans; she doesnt want to be in dept for anything; she will
go as far as she can; never further away!
Anything wrong or done the wrong way annoys her; she just cant help
noticing it and even remark strictly on it. If someone doesnt respect the
line in a certain Service she will be strict and rigid; she will preach about
respect of the rules and regulations. But if its a case of an elderly man, a
crippled or a pregnant woman, she is the first one to offer her turn. If she
sees someone throwing garbage not in the dustbins she will scold him; if
she has the chance then she may even force him, gently but strictly, to
pick it up and throw it where he should have put it in the first place.
5.14 Other tidy idiosyncrasies
Arsenicum is often very tidy, grade 3. This has to do with his tremendous
egoism and his domineering disposition. e is the person that knows all
things, has the right opinion about everything and demands that things
should be done his own right way in all fields: family, work, life, etc.
He is so cold a person, so egoist and selfish that he creates negative
emotions to his environment.
Argentum Nitricum also, often appears to be tidy3 but its not tidiness
per se; its something that has to do with his obsessive thoughts and
obsessive behavior. Since his childhood his mother tells you that he got
stuck in little things. For example he used to place his toys in a certain
position and line or he wanted his mother to dress him with a certain
ceremonial order: first his pants, then his blouse, then his socks, etc. If
something was not as he was used to, then he couldnt find peace unless it
was back in obsessive order. Furthermore, he had several obsessive
motions or nervous tics. Nevertheless, Argentum Nitricum doesnt get
angry if something is not in order like Nux Vomica; he gets upset and
stressed.
Platina may be tidy grade 2; its not a grade 3, tidiness per se. She
wants to have the best and most expensive house and furniture and she
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buys luxurious clothes and accessories. Her house must look like a palace
and cares much about her look. At work she wants to be the first and
organizes things a lot. All the above give the impression to others that she
cares very much about order, although she is not fastidious.
Lachesis may appear and even declare to be tidy grade 3 but usually its a
grade 2 or less state. If she is that old traditional good housewife she is
so proud to declare that she is the perfect housewife; so able, so clean, so
tidy, so efficient. You see, its a matter of showing off! Furthermore, she
is so energetic! She just cant stand still all the time; she will clean and
again clean the house, put things in order, grumble to her children and
husband that they dont care about her and do the house a mess. All the
above give the impression to others that she is very fastidious although
she isnt so much as a Nux Vomica. You see, Nux Vomica is primarily
tidy grade 3 while Lachesis is secondarily, that is, due to great energy and
showing off.
You may see Lachesis housewife exaggerate: she goes step by step
behind her husband as soon as he enters the house grumbling that he
should take off his shoes and wear his sleepers that she has brought to
him because she has just waxed the floor. She forces him to change to
clean clothes and wash his hands before eating. She is such a pain in the
ass at times and on the top she always complains that they dont respect
her or that they wear her out by making the house a mess, etc. Its all a
matter of showing off that she cares so much about the whole family and
a good excuse to dominate and manipulate her family over all matters.
You see, its a syphilitic state. See how miasmas help us understand
objectively the very depths of human behavior?
Lycopodium may appear as tidy grade 2, especially at work because he
wants to be typical so as not give anyone the right to make remarks about
his job. You see, its a matter of cowardice and not a matter of tidiness
per se.
Phosphor may declare perfectionist because he is excessively earnest,
dutiful and conscientious. He so much wants to be OK with his
obligations even if he hasnt got any superior around watching over him.
So, he is not tidy per se. He is tidy due to his earnest tendency. He is a
psoric idiosyncrasy regarding intentions and ideas and does his
obligations with joy.
Pulsatilla, if a traditional housewife, keeps the house clean and tidy. Tries
to cook delicious food and tasteful cakes and decorates her house so as to
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keep it beautiful and romantic. She does all these with joy and happiness.
She so much wants to please her husband and children. She wants to offer
love to them, to show her feelings. Its a psoric and romantic and non
egoistic state contrary to the manipulating, showing off, syphilitic state of
a Lachesis housewife. She so much enjoys to have guests and to please
them so as that all have a nice time! She is so pleased when she made
others feel happy and joyful! She is so sentimental!
5.15 Sulphur, the typical sloppy guy!
On the exact opposite side of Nux Vomica, regarding tidiness, we can
place Sulphur, the typical sloppy guy. He is a natural one, he is sloppy
per se. He is untidy, sloppy grade 3 or 2. He has that great ability to do all
things a mess; pell-mell; higgledy-piggledy; in great disorder! But, still,
for him all things are in order, his way of order and he can sort out things;
he can find anything he wants. If he is a student and his mother dares to
put his things in order then he shouts because he cant find his things! If
he is an adult worker you will find at his office dozens of papers and files
piled out on his desk, chairs, etc. In Sulphurs lady bag you may get lost!
There are so many different things all piled together. If she will simply
boil an egg in an orderly kitchen then she will spoil any order and make a
mess in minutes!
Not only he is sloppy, but many times he is also clumsy and slipshod; he
hits his elbows and feet on chairs while going around in the house, he
drops things, he is careless and when eating, he gets his clothes dirty and
leaves crumbs all around his seat! At times he may have a rare tidiness
crisis and may put all things in an order; but then, after five minutes all
things will return back to his usual mess.
Nevertheless, nowadays, at work, especially if his work is a demanding
one, for example if he is in the army, a Sulphur subject will try to be neat
or less sloppy but at home he will be sloppy. There are of course, times
that he will appear to be even tidy grade 2 because he wants to be
functional and not spoil time and effort.
5.16 How do we ask about introversion/extroversion?
Enough said about tidiness/sloppiness. Lets proceed to introversion and
extroversion. How do we ask? How about your personal problems, your
deep felt matters? Do you want to talk about it or do you usually keep it
inside? This is the first general question and then we proceed to other
clarifying ones: To how many persons, that are close friends, will you
speak about your personals? One, two or more? Who are these persons?
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Will you tell everything or do you keep some only for you? Do you
express it easily or do you need a push so as to start talking?
We also ask: If somebody, not from the close ones, has heard about a
personal misfortune of yours and starts consoling you, how do you face
consolation from a person who is not a close one? Do you feel better? Do
you just hear him or do you get annoyed or even angry? Do you try to
change subject or stop him? When others feel sorry for you or show pity
to you, how do you feel? Do you easily cry? Can this happen in front of
others or do you insist on crying alone? In such a case do you usually find
an excuse and go away so as to cry alone? Whenever you are upset or sad
do you feel a lump in your throat or oppression chest or start sighing?
5.17 Extrovert Idiosyncrasies
Sycotic individuals are usually extrovert. Pulsatilla is psoric regarding
intentions and ideas but is very sycotic and extrovert regarding expression
and physical symptoms. She is extrovert grade 3. She will speak about
her personal, deep felt matters even to strangers; even in a bus or at the
park. She is so open, so social, so laughing and joyful. Give her a little
intimacy and she will tell you about her entire life and personal problems,
sincerely and openly.
She does this because she seeks for compassion, consolation, support,
sympathy, communication, feelings, human contact, warm feelings,
someone to hold her hand! Thats it! Thats all there is to it! She doesnt
have any secondary goals. She doesnt do it so as to manipulate others
and do things her way as a syphilitic person would do. What you see is
what you get because she is psoric regarding her intentions and sycotic
regarding her expression.
She is so weeping! So easy to burst into tears! She is honestly weeping,
sensitive, romantic, not to say oversensitive and easily moved. She has
that spontaneous crying even by little upset or even by little joy. A human
contact, a good word from others, a slight consolation, all these make her
sincerely cry. She is the typical laughter mixed with tears woman!
Crying like a baby this minute and immediately laughing like a baby next
minute; but honestly, sincerely and primarily and not like Lachesis that
uses over-crying as a manipulating weapon.
Phosphor is an idiosyncrasy close enough to Pulsatilla since he is also
psoric regarding intentions and ideas but very sycotic regarding
expression and physical symptoms. So, he is also very extrovert. He
wants to share his problems, to take it out of him and be relieved. He
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wants consolation and understanding. He wants consultation and
solutions. He also wants human contact and is an extremely social guy.
Phosphor is usually a man while Pulsatilla is usually a woman.
Phosphor will attend a doctor or a psychologist very easy so as to share
his problems and ask for advice. He will, of course prefer his close
friends because friendship is a great thing and a great comfort for him. He
is so open hearted, so warm hearted and such an open character. He is a
great heart but still a great gullible heart and that is the reason why he is
usually the great victim of syphilitic idiosyncrasies.
5.18 Natrum Muriaticum is the typical psoric, introvert person
Natrum Muriaticum is the typical representative of psoric introversion.
She is easily offended, easily hurt, easily upset and angry but she tries
very hard not to show her hurt feelings, upset or anger. She tries to avoid
even grimaces that would betray her internal condition. If she cant
remain calm she may find an excuse so as to go away.
She has such a difficulty to talk about her personal problems and deep felt
matters. If she will talk about it, it will be towards one or two the most,
very close friends. It doesnt matter if others around her are close
relatives or her husband. She will confide to them only if they are very
discrete and sincerely loving towards her. In fact, they must prove these
qualities for years so as to be considered her inner circle. Even then, she
needs a little gentle push so as to start talking. Even when going to the
doctor or psychologist she requires a very discrete, gentle and serious
attitude from the other part so as to open her heart and talk. Still, several
sessions may be needed so as to really open her heart - if she will do it in
the end.
If her personals go around she will be extremely annoyed. When a
beloved person dies or when she is encountering a family misfortune she
will prefer to be alone and will avoid social contacts. Whats most
annoying for her is for others to feel sorry or pity about her. Consolation
makes her annoyed or angry although she doesnt reveal it. Indiscretion
makes her very angry and feeling awkward. But be careful, because
egoistic syphilitic idiosyncrasies like Valerian and Platina also despise
pity but due to syphilitic egoism, while Natrum Muriaticum feels
psorically exposed.
There are of course, certain special conditions during which a Natrum
Muriaticum woman may feel better from consolation. Its when she
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speaks to a very, very close and appreciated person and only when he or
she, are very discrete and gentle.
Whenever upset she rarely expresses it, so this leads to nervous
symptoms like tension headaches or neuralgias, oppression chest, lump
throat or psoric sighing. When distressed or sad she easily cries but its a
psoric crying. That is, she definitely wants to be alone so as to cry. If she
feels like it in front of others, then she will definitely find a good excuse
so as to go away, stay alone and weep. She will lock herself in the
bathroom and weep as silently as possible, then sweep her face, put a
makeup and go out again as if nothing had happened. If she cant pull
herself together, then she will say that she has that terrible headache and
go away.
5.19 Other introvert idiosyncrasies
Ignatia is also introvert but mostly at grade 2. When she is at a condition
of love disappointment, then she will open her heart to others more than
usual but still to a few ones. She is in great need to relieve her heart and
even seek for consolation but from very few close ones or from a doctor
who has the right attitude. The reason that she is more extrovert than
Natrum Muriaticum is that she is a wreck and just cant pull herself
together.
Sepia is also introvert grade 3 or 2. Sometimes even more introvert than
Natrum Muriaticum because she is in a deeper, more severe state. She has
been deeply hurt for a very long time and so she is in a state of sadness
and even despair. She feels so dragged out of her energy, so dried up of
emotions, so tired physically and psychologically! So why cry for help?
No hope!
She is so flat emotionally! Even her beloved children or husband or
relatives make no difference to her. She is astonished, herself, to find out
that she just cant feel natural love about them. She knows, deep inside
her that she loves them. Her mind tells her so but her heart feels nothing
since she is so emptied out of feelings, so dried out emotionally. She has
a great lack of energy. She is so hopeless and so unbalanced that
whenever even slightly opposed by her own then she is raging and
becomes biting. Being emotionally paralyzed this leads to aversion sex
even if she has a good working relation with her companion.
Natrum Carbonicum is usually introvert grade 2. She has that strange
feeling of estrangement or alienation regarding other people, even her
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own ones. She places herself on one side and others on the other side; she
doesnt feel as if she is together with others; she feels apart.
Psorinum is very introvert, grade 3. Even more introvert than Natrum
Muriaticum due to his chronic bad state, just like Sepia. He is so
depressed, so pessimistic, so hopeless and so desperate. He is so turned in
himself, so retired into himself, so withdrawn that he prefers to be alone.
He doesnt want any company, even close ones but he is not irascible as
Sepia. He also, cant feel any love about his beloved ones. He cant find
joy in anything. All look dark and grey! There is no light, no hope and no
solution to his state and certainly no cure.
He definitely has despair of recovery. All is vanity! All are going from
bad to worse! All come to nothing! All go to rack and ruin! Theres no
hope at all! His work is a failure; he will definitely be bankrupt! He will
become poor.
Gelsemium is introvert due to intense shyness and timidity. He easily gets
nervous or gets the jitters. He has such a stage fright that he blushes and
stammers. Even after he has met many times with a certain person he is
still shy and blocked. He has lack of self confidence especially when it
comes to meeting people but not so much lack of confidence as Thuja.
Thuja feels that she is a big zero! That her mind is not helpful at all! That
her I.Q is very low compared to others; no wonder she does everything
wrong! She feels all these, even if life has proved to her that she is on the
average regarding smartness and achievements. If she is a student she
always says that she will get bad grades and each time she does better
than she predicted. So, how can she be extrovert when she is worth
nothing? How can she be extrovert if she feels like garbage! She believes
that her body is ugly, her face is ugly and that her mind is below average.
She is all the time guilty even about things that have nothing to do with
her. Its my fault, she says to herself all the time.
This state is not easily perceptible by others. She lives in Hell and nobody
knows about it! The most that one can trace about her condition is that
she seems shy and introvert. If the doctor reveals to her that he
understands her case she is astonished. At last someone understood her
state! Then she will talk about it and even feel relieved.
5.20 Idiosyncrasies that may be introvert or extrovert at times
Medorhinum, being strongly sycotic, is expected to be extrovert, that is,
not to have any problem talking about his personals. But, often he doesnt
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seem to be extrovert. Not that he is introvert but he simply feels so strong
and independent and he is so shallow intellectually, that he just doesnt
consider most problems as real problems. Regarding him, real problems
are not to have money so as to enjoy his life or not to find chicks so as to
enjoy sex. Anything that prevents him from enjoying life is indeed a
problemfor him!
Lachesis, when adopting syphilitic secondary behaviors, may appear as
extremely extrovert, grade 3. She may confide even to strangers about
her personals. For example she can talk, even to the TV journalists
about her drunkard good-for-nothing husband or about her boy that
uses drugs and has ruined their life or about her cheating husband,
etc. But, all these are done on purpose and in exaggeration! They are
done hypocritically and not as a sincere confession, no matter how
sincere she says she is! Its simply a theatrical performance of hers; and a
good one, indeed!
But, primarily Lachesis is introvert enough and very careful of what she
is saying to others about her personals. Thats something quite expected
because she is very mistrustful and gossiping herself. Judging by herself,
she thinks that other people also are mistrustful and gossiping and thus
she shouldnt say anything about her personal matters because other
women will do a ridicule of her.
Another secondary behavior of Lachesis is when she fakes being an
oversensitive, weeping Pulsatilla who is a victim of her malicious and
irritable good-for-nothing husband. She will cry her eyes out and keep
sighing, moaning and grieving about her misfortune. But this is only a
phenotype, a syphilitic, hypocritical phenotype and not her genotype, her
primal behavior. You can easily detect her real idiosyncrasy if you take in
consideration her excess behavior, her hypocrisy and her real intentions.
Valerian may confide to her very close ones but she takes very good care
how she is presenting her personal so as not to spoil her image: the image
of the dynamic, unconventional, modern, smart woman. If this image is
spoiled in the eyes of a certain person or company then she feels naked
and stops hanging out with those people. Often, if someone tries to
console her, being mistrustful she will take it wrong and may think that
he feels pity of her and then she is very angry and reacting. Pity makes
her very angry because she feels as if the other person gets on top of her
and as if not being appreciated.
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The psoric version of Sulphur is very introvert, even grade 3. Even more
introvert than Natrum Muriaticum. It may also resemble a Psorinum but
not in the state of depression. Several misfortunes happen and he keeps
thinking of it, is puzzled by it, grieves over it but doesnt talk about it at
all. He considers these as his own problems, something that he,
himself, must resolve. So whats the point of talking to others about it?
Nothing will change!
His wife may tell you: I keep pushing him but he never says anything
about himself to me! What kind of a man is this? He will usually
respond: Whats there to say, doctor! Even if I speak about it, will
anything change? I see no point in talking about it. Thats my character,
my type. I was born like that!
If others learn about his personal problems he is not annoyed or angry but
he will not open up. Consolation may not make him angry if the other
person does not insist but he considers talking about his problems a waste
of time.
Hyoscyamus appears to be very introvert due to his intense and almost
insane or indeed insane mistrustfulness. He will not talk about his
personals because he suspects that others are against him; that others will
laugh at him; that others conspire against him; that others talk of him. He
feels as if in danger, as if he is hunted by malicious other guys around
him. So, he cant even trust his own people. In fully psychotic state he is
so sure that others hunt him down that he feels as if he is chased by all
people. Its a terrible state!
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CHAPTER 6
FEARS, SELF-CONFIDENCE,
INTELLECTUALITY
6.1 How do we ask about fears?
6.2 Phosphor: the main neuro-vegetative idiosyncrasy
6.3 Fear about health: Arsenicum, Aconitum and Calcarea
Carbonica
6.4 Other important fears
6.5 How do we ask about fixed ideas and obsessions?
6.6 Argentum Nitricum: the main obsessive idiosyncrasy
6.7 Fear of insanity: differential diagnosis
6.8 How do we ask about self-confidence?
6.9 Platina: the typical representative of syphilitic vanity
6.10 Other vain idiosyncrasies
6.11 Idiosyncrasies with low self-confidence
6.12 How do we ask about intellectuality?
6.1 How do we ask about fears?
Now lets go to our patients fears. How do we ask about fears? First of
all, we ask in a general way: Do you have any fears? Its very
important that our first question on a topic must be very general and
never guiding. For example if I ask: Do you have any phobias? then
this is a very different thing. Someone may have many fears but he will
think that these fears havent progressed to the degree of becoming a
phobia, that is, a severe case of neurosis.
Then, after the patients first answer we proceed accordingly to several
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other more specific and clarifying questions such as: Tell me some of
your fears. Are you afraid of height, for example to look down from your
balcony? From what floor do you start being afraid? First, second or fifth
floor? What is it that frightens you? Do you feel as if something is pulling
you down? Are you afraid that you might slip or that the railings will
yield? Do you sometimes think: What if I have that crazy impulse to
jump?
We keep asking: Are you afraid of illnesses? Whenever you hear that
someone has had a heart attack, a stroke, cancer, etc, are you worried?
Not if you feel sorry for him, but if you are afraid that it may also happen
to you or that you may already suffer from the same illness? Do you often
go to the doctor or often go for medical tests? What illness are you afraid
of, the most? Are you afraid more of a sudden illness like heart attack or a
stroke or are you afraid more of something chronic like cancer for
example?
Are you afraid of death? Are you afraid mostly about your death or the
death of your own? When you see a mole on your skin or find a nodule in
your breast are you worried? Will you rush to the doctor or do you avoid
it for fear that something severe may come up? Whenever you get sick
and have symptoms are you afraid of death? Do you feel as if you are
going to die, that very minute?
Lets see some more questions: Are you afraid that you may go crazy,
that you may become insane? Do you sometimes think that you are very,
very close to insanity? That just a click is enough to become insane? Are
you afraid that you are doomed for the poor house although things are not
so bad? Are you afraid of darkness? Do you need some light necessarily
so as to go to sleep? Are you afraid being alone at night at home? Do you
want to lock the door and shut all the windows? Whenever alone, do you
want to have the radio or TV open because it makes you feel not alone?
Still, do you want to have the volume low so as to be able to hear any
possible sounds around you? Are you afraid of thieves or crooks? Are
you afraid of ghosts, dead people, devil and such metaphysical stuff?
How about thriller movies?
More questions: When you are alone at home do you sometimes have
the sensation that someone is looking at you, that you are being watched,
that you have no privacy? As if two eyes are watching you? At work, do
you have all the time, the feeling that others keep an eye on you to see if
you are doing your work or not? If a close person is late are you very
worried that something may happen to him? Even if he is only 10 or 15
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minutes late? Are you very worried about your children? That they may
have accidents or caught in trouble with bad companies? Are you after
your children to eat or wear much clothing even now, that they have
grown up?
As many times said, all these questions are done gradually from general
to specifics and according to our patients initial answers. For example if
a patient answers that he has no fears at all and we are convinced that he
is telling the truth, then there is no reason why we should ask all these
specific questions. If he says that he has fears, at first we let him talk
without any guidance. You see, he will talk first about his great fears and
then about secondary ones. We interfere only whenever we want
explanations or whenever we suspect something.
We have up to now examined how we ask about fears. Its time to go on
with the describing of the main phobic idiosyncrasies and their specific
characteristics. Let me remind you that all fears of any idiosyncrasy are
being analyzed in details in my Materia Medica, but its very useful to lay
them down comparatively according to each specific fear. This will
enable us to bring in mind certain idiosyncrasies each time the patient
refers to a certain fear.
6.2 Phosphor: the main neuro-vegetative idiosyncrasy
Phosphor, when in phase A, regarding balance, usually is not afraid about
his health and will deny it if asked. But even then, he dwells with his
health. For example, he runs medical tests regularly, he tries to eat
healthy, he likes to read about health matters and he goes to the gym so as
to stay healthy and fit. He may even avoid sleeping on his left side
because he has heard that we shouldnt press our heart.
When he proceeds to phase B or C and becomes unbalanced, then he
starts having slight/intense fears about his health accompanied by neuro-
vegetative symptoms that mainly have to do with the cardiac area. He is
very much afraid of something sudden for example a heart attack or a
stroke. He is not afraid of death like Arsenicum or Aconitum. Nor that is
he afraid of the consequences of a stroke or a heart attack. He is mostly
afraid of the symptoms he has each time that are accompanied by that
terrible anxious feeling.
Every time he has that panic attack, those neuro-vegetative feelings and
that fear about his health he literally rushes to doctors and diagnostic
centers, especially to cardiologists. He does again and again cardiograms
just in case he has missed the right moment of diagnosis. He even
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proceeds to very complicated and specific tests. He changes doctors and
medical centers all the time in search of signs of severe illness. Every
time he has these symptoms he rushes to doctors and tests. Each time
nothing is revealed and he is reassured for some hours or days. Then the
next time symptoms come, he rushes again to doctors and tests. Its a
Sisyphean task!
Although he applies much pressure to his doctor he is, nevertheless, quite
likeable and pleasant. He is a nice guy! He is sincere and grateful so
whats there not to like! You see, he is psoric regarding intentions and
ideas and sycotic regarding expression. He is like a nice little child even
if he is a grownup! He begs for help and consolation, is easily relieved
but also easily afraid again. He is like a desperate, frightened little nice
child.
6.3 Fear about health: Arsenicum, Aconitum and Calcarea
Carbonica
Arsenicum has a grade 3 fear about his health; much more intense than
Phosphor or Argentum Nitricum. In fact, his fear is not so about his
symptoms or about his health condition. He is afraid of death, grade 3!
He is scared to death about death! Many times, he doesnt even like to
talk about death or hear others talk about it. Being a very selfish and
egoistic person he is so much afraid of losing his life, of losing his own
existence! Although very scrounge and mean, when it comes to his very
life, he will be willing to spend any amount of money for doctors and
tests so as to be saved.
Sometimes his wife may drag him towards your office and he may deny
that he is afraid about his health or death but his wife is very definite:
Dont listen to him doctor, he is scared to death about his health and
about death! Being very selfish he tries to give a low profile of his great
fear. If his wife is a yielding one, she may say nothing to you but will nod
to you implying that he is lying when he says he isnt afraid. She may
also call you before their appointment and reveal to you that he is so
much afraid although he will deny it.
You will often come across Arsenicum in elderly people that feel that
their end is close enough. Then whenever symptoms arise they become so
scared and even paralyzed from fear. They become totally obsessed with
fear of death. Quite often during panic time they feel freezing all over
their body except their head which seems normal or even very hot and
flushed. At times they feel their back full of chills as if cold water was
poured down their spine. Moreover, their stomach and belly is upset.
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Whenever differentiating you always have to take in consideration the
miasmatic synthesis of any idiosyncrasy. For example, both Phosphor and
Arsenicum are very afraid about their health but Phosphor is likeable
being psoric-sycotic while Arsenicum is repulsive being syphilitic and
very egoistic.
Aconitum may develop intense phobias after a severe case of fright.
Something sudden, unexpected and violent may happen, for example a
car crash and the person gets scared. From that point on, everything
changes: he develops phobias of all sorts. He is so much afraid that he
will die any minute now! At times, he even predicts his time of death!
Thats why he looks so scared and upset and begs for salvation.
Calcarea Carbonica, on the other hand, has those psoric fears: chronic,
deep, silent and not overwhelming. She is afraid of the darkness. She
wants some light in the bedroom in order to sleep tight. If she is a little
girl she will not go to a dark room or place unaccompanied. Her mother
must go first and lit the light. At night she is very scared of staying alone
at home. She is afraid of thieves and bad guys but mainly she has those
metaphysical fears about ghosts, dead people, devils, etc. Thats why she
wants to lock all doors and windows when alone at home. She also wants
the radio or TV on for the sake of company but in a low volume so as
to be able to track any strange noise around.
She is also afraid of death of her own and of the death of others,
especially her close ones. If her kids or husband is late her mind always
tends to think of accidents or bad things. She is so pessimist. But, note
down that her fears about her people are psoric and sincere and not
hypocritical and exaggerated as in syphilitic Lachesis who aims to
manipulate and control her close ones. You see once more, how
important miasmas are so as to fully understand any idiosyncrasy? She is
also afraid of and despises cockroaches and mice.
Phosphor and Arsenicum are both very much afraid of being alone at
home. Phosphor is afraid that he might have again those awful neuro-
vegetative symptoms and have no one near him to talk and console him.
He is not so much afraid of death. Instead, he is afraid of his symptoms
and of his fears. Arsenicum on the other hand, wants someone not to talk
to but someone to serve him: someone to give him his medicines or a cup
of tea if needed, someone to call the emergency ambulance if needed and
take him to the hospital. You see how psoric is the one fear and how
egoistic-syphilitic is the other!
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We often see Arsenicum men when sick or think that they are sick, that
dont let their wives get out of the house. They want them there on guard,
so as to call the ambulance if needed! They treat their wives or relatives
as employed nurses: Bring me this, do that, etc. They are mean,
grumbling, irritable, quarreling and miserable. They dont even admit that
they are scared to death although they act accordingly. Causticum is also
very cold and afraid about his health but not as much as Arsenicum.
Cactus is usually a hysteric woman with lots of hysteric and neuro-
vegetative symptoms like dizziness, pains all over and a characteristic
sensation at the throat area as if a hand is strangling her. Her fear is
depicted at her face and speech: she may be crying out of fear. Her
anxious inquiry is: Whats the matter with me? Whats wrong with me?
I must have something very severe judging from what I feel!
6.4 Other important fears
Hyoscyamus is so much afraid because he has that insane or almost
insane idea that others want to harm him or want to poison him or
conspire against him; that he is being chased; that he is been commented.
Psorinum has that intense and unjustified fear that he will be bankrupt;
that his job will become a failure; that nothing will go well. Its an intense
psoric fear matching his psoric character: he is very introvert, pessimistic,
sad and desperate and finds no joy in life.
Alumina feels that there is something wrong about her. She has that
blurred mind, cannot concentrate and feels as if a robot. She says
something and feels as if she is not the one who has said it. She sees
something and feels as if she is not the one who has seen it. At times
when she sees sharp or large knives she is afraid that she might have that
crazy impulse to do something bad to herself or others. The blurred mind
and these crazy impulses justify her that she may go crazy and do crazy
things.
When we have to do with neuro-vegetative symptoms we first think of
Phosphor, then Argentum Nitricum, not so often Arsenicum and at times,
but more rare, Lycopodium and Sulphur.
6.5 How do we ask about fixed ideas and obsessions?
When it comes to fixed ideas and obsessions, we ask: Does it happen
that when leaving the house you suddenly think What if I have left the
door open or the cooker on, etc? How often? Is it that you really forget
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things or is it that you have that insisting thought about it? Will you,
often, go back and check? Even when you are out on the street? Lets say
that youve gone back and have checked it. Even then do you sometimes
find yourself of thinking something similar, for example Ive checked the
door but did I check the oven?
While walking down the street do you sometimes find yourself counting
cars, steps, numbers, etc? Or do you want not to step on the margins
between the paving stones? When in a car next to the driver, do you have
the impression that other cars are going to crash you and get anxious? Do
you want to wash your hands very frequently? How often a day?
Sometimes does it happen that after you have washed it, to have a doubt
and wash it again? Do you often want to use surgical spirit to clean and
sterilize your hands? Are you afraid of germs?
Are you superstitious? For example see a black cat and think that
something bad will happen? When about to go to an important
appointment are you very stressed? Do you also have nervous diarrhea or
nervous frequent urination? When you are there are you still anxious
during the whole appointment?
6.6 Argentum Nitricum: the main obsessive idiosyncrasy
Argentum Nitricum may be afraid, as said before, about his health but
this fear is mostly a specific obsession at the area of health. His main
characteristic is that he is obsessive and compulsive in general. Argentum
Nitricum is the main obsessive idiosyncrasy in the same way that
Phosphor is the main neuro-vegetative idiosyncrasy.
He is also afraid of height or to be more precise he also has an obsession
about height grade 2 or even 3. Whenever he goes near the railings of the
balcony he is afraid to look down or get very close because he thinks:
What if I slip? What if the railings yield? He feels as if a strong magnet
is pulling him downwards. Several ifs invade his mind all the time:
What if I get dizzy and fall down? What if I suddenly have that crazy
impulse to jump? This is not of course, suicidal tendency! Its an
obsession. Its a what if situation. Not only he isnt suicidal but on the
contrary he loves his life and is afraid of losing it.
While walking in the streets he has that strange obsessive tendency to
count numbers, steps, cars, etc. He just cant stop it; he just cant help it;
he keeps doing it. When in a car next to the driver he keeps thinking that
other cars will crash on them and is much stressed. As soon as he leaves
his house he starts wondering: Did I close and lock the door or
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windows? Did I turn off the oven or the cooker? He goes back and
checks the door or cooker once or even many times again and again. He
knows that he has done it but something inside his mind raises doubts
again and again. He goes down the street of his house and then again
doubts invade his mind: I may have locked the door, but have I turned
off the cooker? If he returns back again then this is a grade 3 obsessive
state.
Very often, he has also a great phobia about germs. He wants to wash his
hands very often and even twice or three times on the row. He may even
wash it with surgical spirit for sterilization reasons. Chronic intense use
of spirit may dry up his skin and cause cracks and wounds. He may also
avoid touching doorknobs especially of toilets doorknobs.
Often he is very superstitious. He says to himself: If this thing happens
then things will not go well. If I wear this blouse, which is my lucky one,
then I will do well at my exams or job. There are so many what if in his
mind all the time and all concern unpleasant or bad incidents. His mind
just cant relax. He just cant stop thinking! Whenever he is about to go to
an important appointment he is so anxious, so stressed! He just cant
relax. He may have nervous frequent urination or nervous diarrhea but
when he is finally there, then after some minutes his stress is relieved.
Lycopodium also has stage fright but when he starts talking then not only
things are alright but he is indeed a very good lecturer.
Argentum Nitricum at times has that fixed idea that all his symptoms may
exist because he is affected by the evil eye. Its not an insane idea as in
Hyoscyamus who thinks that some evil guys are trying to put a spell on
him. Its an obsessive idea. He says to himself: How come I have all
these symptoms? I just cant explain it. Am I affected by an evil eye? Am
I crazy?
6.7 Fear of insanity: differential diagnosis
There are many idiosyncrasies that are afraid of insanity. We have
already talked about Argentum Nitricum and his kind of fear of insanity,
which is grade 2 or 1. Lets see some more.
Mancinella has fear of insanity grade 3. He feels and is almost certain that
he is just a click away from insanity; from becoming crazy; from losing
his mind. His mind is so overworking that he is certain that he is that
close to become insane.
Cannabis Indica is also afraid of insanity, usually grade 2. Why so?
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Because she has that blurred, cloudy mind due to quick and continuous
thinking. She has that fast train of thoughts, the one thought leading
quickly to another and so on without any ending. She feels as if she is in a
dream, as if intoxicated, as if she has drunk a glass of wine. She may also
feel as if she is between sleep and awakened state or as if stoned by
hashish. Argentum Nitricum is afraid of insanity due to his obsessive
ideas while Cannabis Indica is afraid of insanity due to her blurred mind
from those quick and never ending thoughts that are a result of over-
function.
Alumina is afraid that she may lose her mind due to two reasons: First she
has that weird confusion in her mind. She says or sees something and
feels as if she isnt the one who has said it or seen it. She also has that
weird sensation as if she is a robot or somebody else. The second reason
is that she sees a large knife and may think that she could use it to kill
herself or her own.
Calcarea Carbonica is afraid that she may become crazy grade2 or 1 due
to her many slow thoughts about little everyday things since she is so
afraid of many things and has such a psoric stress. She is also afraid that
others may realize that her behavior is odd and may be going towards
insanity.
Lachesis often declares: Ill go crazy! I will lose my mind with all these
happening around me! Be careful! This is not fear of insanity! This is
just an excessive, hypocritical, intentional declaration to be heard by
others so as to manipulate them! She hasnt got any fear of insanity at all!
In fact theres no way that she will go crazy! She may drive others around
her to insanity but not herself! (laughing)
Pulsatilla may at times, have a mild fear of insanity due to her sensitive
character and many sorrows that she may face. But, nevertheless, its a
charming, I could say fear, as charming and likeable as her whole
idiosyncrasy.
6.8 How do we ask about self-confidence?
Now, lets proceed to self-confidence. How do we ask about it?
Compared to the average, regarding I.Q., do you feel cleverer, less
clever or like the others? Not regarding degrees or diplomas, but
regarding brightness.
Then we go on asking more specific and clarifying questions: Do you
feel at times numbness to your lips or face? Have you ever felt, while
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walking in the street, as if you are becoming taller than others or that
others are shorter? Have you ever felt, while in between sleep and
awaking, as if your body or hands or head were becoming larger? Are
you afraid of old age? What is it that annoys you in old age? What about
wrinkles and ugliness?
Some more questions about lack of confidence: Do you sometimes feel
as if you worth nothing at all, as if you are a big zero, as if you are trash?
Do you have the tendency always to blame yourself for anything that
happens around you although things arent so? Do you often feel that you
are ugly, that your face or hands or feet are ugly?
6.9 Platina: the typical representative of syphilitic vanity
Platina thinks a lot of herself, grade 3. She thinks of herself as the
Queen or the King. She may feel as the brightest or the most beautiful.
Do you remember the fairy tale with the Queen who used to ask her
mirror who is the prettiest woman on Earth? Well, that was a pure Platina
case! But, if this is also mixed with maliciousness, then thats a Lachesis
case. Platina is not only extremely confident. Her confidence is radiated
all over around her. She has that air of a Queen! In Greece there is a very
appropriate expression: She is beautiful and moreover, she knows it!
When asked about cleverness, she has no problem to declare that she does
feel clever and even very clever. Rarely, so as not to be commented that
she has a swollen head, she may say: Well, many others tell me so! or
I seem to have managed a lot of things in my life. When asked what
makes her angry she will often say: Stupidity or Idiots.
She has that sense of greatness, of glamour or of royalty about herself and
this is reflected even in physical sensations: At times, when walking
down the street she feels as if she is taller or as if others are shorter than
her. Or when in between sleep and awakened state, she feels as if her
body, head or hands are enlarged. Dont confuse this with the extra
confidence that a woman feels when walking down the street well dressed
and combed and especially when wearing high heels. Bear also in mind,
that this is not an insane idea. Its just a strange extreme bodily feeling,
happening especially when Platina is a young girl or when she is adult but
in a phase C or at times B and especially when she has a swollen head,
that is, believing that she is the top of the tops! At times she also feels
numbness to the area of lips or face.
Since she appreciates beauty so much, then no wonder why she is so
afraid of old age, ugliness and wrinkles. For the same reason she acts like
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crazy about a few kilos added to her body. She will do anything and I
really mean anything not to gain weight or lose a few extra kilos. Her
whole life will become miserable from a few kilos or even from the
feeling or wrong idea that she has gained weight. So often she feels so fat
and miserable! The majority of anorexic young girls and top models are
indeed, Platina cases. They go up to the point to cause vomiting any time
they have eaten a bit more than usual so they often enter a vicious circle:
they starve, then eat a lot, cause vomiting, then starve again, etc.
6.10 Other vain idiosyncrasies
Palladium and Tarentula Hispanica also - but more rare - have that feeling
of being taller or larger like Platina but their self-confidence is not as
great as in Platina.
Palladium has that strange state where on the one hand she thinks a lot of
herself and on the other hand she seems to lack self-confidence since she
is so keen of flattery and self-confirmation and self-reassurance
especially from her own and more specifically from her companion. She
wants her own people not just to love her but to deal or even dwell with
her. She wants her close ones to show her that they love her all the time.
She even asks for it, complaints about it and even demand it but in a
playful or childish way. She knows that she exaggerates; she knows that
her companion not only loves her but is indeed expressive but she keeps
complaining about it and wants more.
Others opinion about her, either negative or positive, means a lot to her.
She may go to a party and then when going back home she starts thinking
about the impression she has made to others, the comments that have
been taken place, etc. She keeps thinking all those negative or flattering
comments for days and they affect her life a lot. Its a special kind of
insecurity. On the contrary, Platina isnt feeling any kind of insecurity, no
matter what comments have been made.
On the other hand, Tarentula Hispanica is a more playful and more sexual
version of Platina and certainly a milder one concerning self-confidence.
She feels very hot and sexy, very beautiful and is more sycotic and
superficial regarding intellectuality. She has that great desire for sex and
flirt and play with men. She also radiates it. No wonder why dancing is
her great love and the love of her life. She is so good at it and enjoys it to
the maximum. Her relation with dancing is literally an orgasmic one!
Valerian is full of well hidden contradictions and inconsistencies. She
also thinks a lot of herself but not so much like Platina. She thinks that
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she is bright, that she has quick thinking and that she is very intuitional
regarding others personality. But on the other hand, she likes to present
herself as an anti-conformist that despises formalities and establishment.
She likes to be considered beautiful and sexy but she sneers over those
Platina Barbie girls. You see, she adopts the style of the anti-conformist,
modern intellectual girl because she is so reactionary!
She thinks a lot of herself but she doesnt admit it; she cares a lot about
her appearance but she doesnt admit it; she thinks she is very bright but
will not admit it so as not to be considered vain. She seems to be so
dynamic and self-confident but in reality she is so insecure. She goes to a
party and seems so cool and self-confident but in reality she is very
insecure regarding what to wear, how to speak and what impression she
will make to others. This is especially the case when she is at a party
where there are very few or none that she knows. Platina, on the other
hand, has no problem, even with strangers.
Arsenicum also, being very egoistic and selfish, thinks a lot of himself. In
fact, he only thinks of himself! He thinks he knows everything about
anything! His opinion is the only right one! No wonder that he wants
things to be done his own way. He is domineering and intervenes in all
little matters that concern his job, family and area of dominance. He is
miserable, critical, scrounge, stubborn and selfish.
Lycopodium, although psoric, also thinks a lot of himself but mostly
regarding his intellectuality, his culture and civilized manners, his
morality, his gentleness, his knowledge of things, his sensitivity and his
liberal ideas. He also thinks a lot of himself regarding his ability to think
in a complex and radical way so as to create new, pioneering ideas. He
cares so much about his image and especially about his image of the
cultured and cultivated person. He wants to be recognized by all others, to
have fame but he radiates it in a psoric way.
Usually, its a male idiosyncrasy and he so much cares so show off - in a
psoric way of course - towards women. His sophisticated image and fine
manners are a way of flirting women but its a fine flirting, a psoric one,
with much talking and ideas and much fear about getting the mitten!
Sulphur, another intellectual idiosyncrasy, also thinks a lot of himself
although he may not deserve it considering his abilities and
achievements. Quite often, he is the dirty, rugged philosopher. He
never reads systematically like Lycopodium. He learns superficially
about a few philosophical, metaphysical or scientific strange matters and
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then he thinks he knows and furthermore he is absolute about his ideas
and opinions. He thinks he knows, he thinks that he is an out of the
box thinker, a great philosopher, an original inventor and a pioneering
scientist. But when it comes to reality, he is so unorganized and lazy to
apply his ideas that he is rarely a successful man.
Medorhinum thinks a lot of himself but not regarding his intellectuality.
He thinks a lot of himself regarding his physical strength, his robust body,
his handsome body and regarding his wide-boy image. He loves thinking
that he is the tough guy, the hard man, the womanizer, the sex machine,
the athletic guy and the guy that knows how to enjoy life!
Lachesis thinks a lot of herself in the sense that she is that very clever
fox that can manipulate all others and do things her own way. She finds
it so easy to dominate in family and work! Life has convinced her that she
can manipulate anyone because she is so flexible, so hypocritical, so
insisting, so energetic and so clever.
The syphilitic version of Anacardium thinks a lot of him and believes that
he is the cleverest guy. He so much finds fun in self confirmation
especially on the expense of others. He can be so cruel and insensitive,
even malicious laughing at others stupidity! He is keen in playing
practical jokes to others but these practical jokes are not fun at all to his
victims because he can be very cruel, ironic, vain and even sadistic.
Hyoscyamus, when in a psychotic state, may develop an insane sense of
greatness. He may think that he is Napoleon the Great or a great scientist.
6.11 Idiosyncrasies with low self-confidence
Thuja, regarding self-confidence, is the quite opposite of Platina. She
feels that she is the lowest person on Earth; that she is a big zero; a
failure; a stupid person; an ugly woman; trash! Although life may have
proved to her that she does well in many fields still, she refuses to believe
it. She always underestimates herself and she always feels guilty, as if all
wrong things around her are due to her. She tends to blame herself for
everything.
Gelsemium also suffers from a great lack of self-confidence but
accompanied with great timidity and stage fright. When talking to others,
especially persons who he meets for the first time, he blushes and stutters.
He feels such an embarrassment in front of others and especially in front
of strangers.
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The psoric version of Sulphur or psoric Lycopodium although think a lot
of themselves regarding their intellectuality, nevertheless, seem to have
lack of self confidence in front of others, especially new ones. Its a
psoric kind of cowardice. In the case of Lycopodium this has to do with
his great concern about his public image.
6.12 How do we ask about intellectuality?
Lets proceed to intellectuality: How do we ask about it? Do you like
reading books? What kind of books? I mean what subjects? What kind of
movies do you prefer? Do you like documentaries? What kind?
Documentaries About Nature or about mysteries or about scientific
discoveries? Do you like research? Do you like teaching? Do you like
poetry or literature?
Lycopodium is the typical representative idiosyncrasy regarding
intellectuality. He likes reading a lot. He likes to be informed and updated
about culture, history, politics, psychology, religion and about social and
scientific matters. He may enjoy a novel but he doesnt just read to have a
pleasant time. He reads so as to learn, so as to be cultivated and in order
to build his intellectual image. Then he enjoys showing off his knowledge
to others by talking, teaching or writing. But, nevertheless, its a psoric,
mild and gentle showing off. Medorhinum is showing off his manly body
while Lycopodium is showing off his cultivated spirit.
Sulphur, as already said, is a shallower and more babbling version of
Lycopodium regarding intellectuality. He is the dirty, shallow
philosopher. He reads a lot about shallow things like mysteries or strange
things. He has no serious knowledge or arguments about it but he is so
certain that he knows.
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CHAPTER 7
LIVE HOMEOPATHIC CASE TAKING
WITH
ANALYSIS
7.1 Present illnesses, Past and Hereditary History
7.2 How to introduce the patient to Homeopathy
7.3 What can Homeopathy do to your case?
7.4 Repertorising and Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis
7.5 Non-verbal information and noting down of possible
idiosyncrasies
7.6 How do we ask about his general physical characteristics?
7.7 Evaluation and noting down of general physical characteristics
7.8 Case taking demands quick and aggressive tempo
7.9 How do we ask about general psychological characteristics?
7.10 Evaluation and noting down of general psychological
characteristics
7.11 Excluding less possible idiosyncrasies
7.12 Differential diagnosis between Sulphur and Lycopodium
7.13 Homeopathic Prescribing
7.14 Instructions to the patient
Good Evening to you all! Today, after many theoretical lectures its time
to move on to an exhibition of live homeopathic case taking! Which one
of you will be on the dock and stand trial? (laughing) Any volunteers?
(laughing)
-
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-Yes! Thank you John! Youve won the lottery! Please, step to the dock
facing me! (laughing) Ill try to be gentle with you! (more laughing)
7.1 Present illnesses, Past and Hereditary History
-How old are you?
-Thirty one.
-What do you do for a living?
-I am a medical doctor.
-Where, were you born?
-In Greece.
-What brings you to my office?
-I suffer from oesophagitis.
-When did the first symptoms start?
-About ten years ago. I was then at my fifth year of studies and since then
I have calm periods and relapses.
-What are your main symptoms?
-Heart-burning, sour eructation and stomach pain. To be frank, I have
these symptoms mostly when I eat or drink a lot.
-At the time that these symptoms started ten years ago, did anything
important happen in your life? Did you have any serious misfortune or
any intense stress?
-I must say that the diagnosis was set a lot later than the beginning of my
symptoms. Indeed, I had such symptoms since my puberty.
-Any other health problems?
-No, nothing worth mentioning.
-Do you take any medicines for this problem at the present?
-When I have severe symptoms I take anti-acids or inhibitors.
-Did you have any severe disease in the past or done any surgery of any
kind?
-No.
-Do your parents suffer from any severe health problem?
-No.
7.2 How to introduce the patient to Homeopathy
-So, lets take a break regarding questions and let me tell you some things
about your problem and what Homeopathy can do about it before I go on
asking more.
Any man is born with certain predispositions, certain weak points; we
could say that this is his medical dowry. As long as a car is brand new
and hasnt faced dirt roads these predispositions are not expressed. When
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years pass by and we face misfortunes and stress, then symptoms and
diseases, concerning these very predispositions, come forward.
There are two ways of dealing with our health problems: The common
one is to take chemical drugs. But, as youve already possibly found out,
common chemical drugs simply suppress symptoms temporarily. They do
what we call in Medicine, suppression of symptoms. They dont perform
an etiological and radical treatment. Thats the real reason why, no matter
how many years you take them they will never cure you. They will never
drive away peptic predisposition which is the main cause of your disease.
Moreover, after some time, you will also have to deal with all the side
effects that chemical drugs cause on your organism.
Whenever you enter a pharmacy you can see several drugs on the shelves:
antipyretic for fever, anti-acids for heartburn, antibiotics for infections,
antidepressant drugs for depression, etc. Moreover, whenever we dont
know what to prescribe we usually give cortisone to have a general
suppression of the patients immune system or psychoactive drugs for the
general suppression of his psychology. So, most of the chemical drugs
dont exactly cure but simply suppress symptoms or diseases.
Our effort in Homeopathy isnt just simply to suppress symptoms and
diseases. Although homeopathic drugs dont have any side effects, theres
no point in simply relieving symptoms for years and years, again and
again. Our goal in Homeopathy is always to cure radically and
permanently. Does that mean that weve got some sort of a magic pill
that cures everything, a kind of panacea? No! Of course, not! But,
nevertheless, judging from my experience, homeopathic treatment can
cure many health problems radically, permanently and without any side
effects of any kind.
Our treatment will not only have effect on your peptic disease. It will
affect beneficially the whole and by whole I mean both body and mind.
That doesnt mean of course, that the homeopathic drugs that I will
prescribe for you are in any way psychoactive drugs suppressing your
psychology and affecting your mental functions, for example your ability
of driving or concentration. Nor does it mean that they can cause any kind
of addiction or drug dependence.
We prescribe for each patient his own specific medicine: the one that is
similar or homeo to him. Thats why we call our treatment Homeo-
pathy. The homeopathic drug is similar not to the disease but to the
idiosyncrasy of the patient. It is similar to his temperament, similar to his
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type both physically and psychologically, similar to John, in this certain
case. Thats the reason why we may treat twenty patients with
oesophagitis and may prescribe up to twenty different homeopathic
medicines. Each one will be treated with the remedy similar to his
idiosyncrasy.
Furthermore, if a patient has, lets say five different diseases, a skin
disease, a peptic one, a hormonal one, a gynecological and a
psychological one, we will not prescribe one medicine for each disease.
Instead, we will only prescribe one similar homeopathic medicine for the
whole, similar to his one and only idiosyncrasy at that time.
This similar homeopathic medicine will mobilize all his physical and
psychological defense mechanisms and the patients whole organism. His
organism is, by Nature and God, wiser than us, doctors and will restore
health and balance. You see, our organism knows best his house and
will clean and put things in order without any side effects of any kind.
Homeopathic medicines are mainly prepared from plants and minerals
but that doesnt mean that they are simply herbs or vitamins. In fact, they
are drugs and are sold only in pharmacies although they are harmless.
They are so safe that can even be administered to babies and pregnant
women. They can also be administered to allergic patients and patients
that suffer from severe renal or liver failure.
Moreover, I must clarify that there is no problem if during our
homeopathic treatment you take at the same time, any kind of chemical
drugs. Chemical drugs act on the physical level while homeopathic drugs
act on the energy-etheric level so there isnt any possibility of
counteraction. To put it in simple words, they dont fight each other!
In fact, if you have been on standard treatment with any kind of
medication there would be no reason and it would be medically wrong to
stop any of your drugs immediately. You would be taking both for some
time and gradually, according to your progress we would decrease
dosages until safe end of both allopathic and homeopathic treatments.
7.3 What can Homeopathy do to your case?
But, its time to end theoretical information and see whats important to
you, that is, see what Homeopathy can do to your problem, i.e.
oesophagitis. The mechanism of your disease is that peptic fluids rise
from the stomach to esophagus due to loose gastro-esophageal valve.
Esophagus is not made to stand such acid fluids and therefore is inflamed
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and produces symptoms. But, this is of course the mechanism of your
pathology and not the causes. We could consider as main causes the
peptic predisposition you have and the anxiety from which you suffer at
times that causes stomach malfunction.
What can you expect from my treatment? A loose gastro-esophageal
valve is an anatomic change that most of the times, is irreversible. There
are, of course, certain cases where if this is treated at early stages it can
come back to normal. But, what interests us more, is to act on the main
causes of your problem, that is, to restore stomach function by reducing
your peptic predisposition and by increasing your resistance to stress. So,
if you also take some care about your food habits and eat more healthy
you will be able to live a normal life without any symptoms or, at least,
without any significant symptoms.
Homeopathic treatment will also strengthen and balance you in general. If
you also have some other physical symptoms, they too, will be cured.
Furthermore, you will feel better and have much more resistance to stress.
So you see, the homeopathic remedy that I am going to give you is not
given only for oesophagitis. It will treat your idiosyncrasy as a whole.
And thats the reason why I will ask you many questions about your body
and mind. I want to reach a diagnosis about your idiosyncrasy, that is,
about your type, character, personality, call it as you like.
7.4 Repertorising and Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis
Its time to stop the procedure of this live case taking and do some
comments. From what you have seen, up to now, Ive asked about present
diseases, past individual history and hereditary history. All these are
parts of the allopathic history. As you have probably noticed, apart from
asking about his main symptoms I didnt let myself ask about the
modalities of his symptoms. I did this on purpose, because my aim isnt to
do Repertorising. Let me remind you that Repertorising is a method of
homeopathic diagnosis, during which we take each symptom and its
modalities, either physical or mental and refer to several Repertories,
that is, lexicons of symptoms, to see what idiosyncrasies have these
certain symptoms and modalities.
When it comes to my method of homeopathic diagnosis, i.e. Miasmatic
Homeopathic Diagnosis, I almost never use Repertorising in chronic
diseases and especially during the first case taking. I only use it in acute
conditions and again with certain limitations. I rarely use it as a
secondary aid when I have difficulties in differential diagnosis but then
again only as a simple reminder. Its the general miasmatic and
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idiosyncratic picture of the patient that will define our final prescription,
at least in my Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis.
7.5 Non-verbal information and noting down of possible
idiosyncrasies
As you might also have noticed, I asked when his symptoms started and if
they were caused by certain physical or psychological conditions. You
see, many times, this gives us hints about his idiosyncrasy but I will not
go further regarding this, as we have already discussed it in details, in
previous lectures.
Although we havent proceeded to the main homeopathic case taking,
weve already have a rough idea about whom we have standing in front
of us. I am referring to non verbal information, as we have analyzed it in
previous lectures. His body type, his manner of speech, the way his
dresses and behaves, all these have been already talking to us in their
own non verbal way.
In my opinion, John radiates a Lycopodium odor and his peptic
predisposition and symptoms agree with this specific idiosyncrasy. I note
it down as a possible idiosyncrasy so as to bear it in mind. I will not go
on at this phase of my case taking to ask about Lycopodiums main
characteristics because we are just at the phase of gathering information.
Its the phase during which, we have our eyes, ears, senses, heart and
mind open without aiming to reach a final diagnosis of the idiosyncrasy
of the patient.
There are, of course, quite enough cases where the patient in front of us
is a very clear and typical idiosyncrasy and shouts to us: I am Lachesis,
give me Lachesis! In such cases, due to my experience, I may go on
asking all other characteristics of Lachesis so as to confirm this certain
idiosyncrasy and after differential diagnosis prescribe it. But I wouldnt
advise you to act accordingly unless after many years of successful
homeopathic prescribing. Even then, its very important to go on and take
a complete history of the patient, just in case youve failed to recognize
that the patient is not Lachesis, but a relative idiosyncrasy.

Even if the patient is indeed Lachesis, a complete history is essential so
as to note down all other relative idiosyncrasies that affect this certain
person and may be needed in due time as his treatment progresses. A
complete history of the patient is also very helpful in differential
diagnosis from other relative idiosyncrasies because in Miasmatic
Idiosyncratic Diagnosis the differential diagnosis is again based on the
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whole miasmatic and idiosyncratic picture of the patient and not on
isolated physical or mental symptoms.
Now, lets go back to John. His way of dressing is not so characteristic of
any idiosyncrasy. Its the average style and a little bit conservative. His
manner of speech is more characteristic: it reveals a mild, low profile
person, possibly a psoric person. What else can I see? I can see a greasy
face and oily hair. If I add all non verbal information I start thinking of
Sulphur apart from Lycopodium, not to mention that these two
idiosyncrasies are indeed relative ones.
Due to a certain degree of shyness I also note down Gelsemium although
I think that a Gelsemium guy would not have volunteered to be the center
of attention by taking his case history. But since it crossed my mind I note
it down but not in a bold manner. Its not time for differential diagnosis,
after all; its time for data gathering.
See how a homeopathic case taking isnt just a cold one-way
procedure of asking questions on the part of the doctor? We arent bored
employees asking typical questions just to fill a list of answers. We are, in
fact, eager detectives! We are Sherlock Holmes! We throw bates to catch
fish. We are on guard. We are on an emergency: our ears, eyes, heart and
mind are on red alert! We want to grab him by the neck and make him
spit out his idiosyncrasy! (laughing)
From the time weve started this case taking I kept asking myself: What
kind of person are you? What kind of miasmas do you carry with you?
What role are you playing? Or, are you a case of what you see is what
you get?
So, I already noted down Lycopodium, Sulphur and Gelsemium. For a
moment I sensed a lack of confidence so Thuja crossed my mind although
seconds after that, this seemed most unlikely. But, still, I need to note it
down, even not in bold letters. If it crossed my mind, then I should note it
down and do differential diagnosis later on.
I resemble a hunting dog, a hound, a sleuth and I am hurrying through
the fields so anxious for pray! I smell the air and say to myself: What
the hell is this smell and where does it come from? Is it a partridge? Is it
a hare? Is it a fox? Lets have a closer look!
I have already started thinking about his main miasma. It seems to me a
psoric person. I note it down. I write 1 for psoric miasma, 2 for sycotic
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and 3 for syphilitic. If he is predominantly psoric and secondarily sycotic
and only vaguely syphilitic then I write down the number 123. If he is
mainly syphilitic, secondarily sycotic and vaguely psoric I note down the
number 321.
What have I noted down up to now? I have written Male, 31 years old,
doctor, born in Greece, oesophagitis 10 years, loose gastro-esophageal
valve grade 1, anti-acids at times, mainly psoric, greasy hair, low profile,
possible idiosyncrasies: Lycopodium, Sulphur primarily and secondarily
Gelsemium and Thuja. Now its time to move on to the main part of our
history, that is, homeopathic history. I have to ask about his general
physical characteristics and about his psychological characteristics. I
start asking.
7.6 How do we ask about his general physical characteristics?
-Are you hot or cold in general? Are you annoyed mostly from heat or
cold?
-I am hot in general and seek for cold.
-During Winter do you dress normally or do you feel better with light
clothing?
-Not much.
-When you are in a hot room do you feel uncomfortable or suffocated and
want to open the window?
-I feel comfortable with my clothing right now although I am dressed
lighter than you around me.
-During Winter, even if your bedroom is cold, are you more comfortable
with light coverings?
-Yes, most of the times I need lighter clothing and coverings than others.
-During Winter, even if your bedroom is cold do you want to have your
feet outside of the coverings?
-Yes, I do, quite often.
-As soon as your feet get hot, do you want to change position under the
sheets so as to find a cooler place?
-Yes.
-Do you sweat normally, less than normal or a lot?
-I sweat a lot. Of course, there are friends of mine that sweat more than I,
but in general I sweat more than the average person around me.
-Does your sweat, smell bad?
-No, not bad.
-But if you neglect, even a little, to have a bath or use deodorant, does
your sweat then smell bad?
-Yes, it does!
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-At night, does your pillow get wet from the sweat of your neck and
head?
-Yes.
-Does your stool or gases smell bad?
-Yes.
-Have you got many gases?
-Yes.
-Does your skin chafe easily, especially at the armpits or thighs, even if
you slightly neglect to wash yourself?
-Indeed, something like that happened in the past at my armpits.
-But does that happen now?
-No, it never happened again.
-Do your white undershirts become yellowish at the armpits from the
sweat during summer?
-No.
-Do you have salty white depositions on the hair of your armpits during
summer due to sweat?
-Yes.
-Does your hair or face get greasy easily? How often do they need to be
washed?
-No. I wouldnt say so; every second or third day.
-Do you like sweet a lot?
-Yes, I do.
-Are you crazy about it? I mean do you long for it every day? Do you eat
it only when you find it or do you seek for it?
-At times I feel like it and seek for it. Yes, I would say that I seek for it.
-How about salt and salty food? Do you like salt a lot?
-I like salt but I dont get crazy about it.
-How about sour things, lemon or vinegar?
-Yes, I like them.
-Do you also like crab apples or bullace plums, a lot?
-No.
-Do you prefer oranges to be unripe and sour or ripe and sweet?
-Sweet.
-Do you like fat and fatty meat a lot?
-I like it to be tasteful.
-Will you choose a meat that has plenty of fat?
-No, maybe because I was taught not to eat fat.
-Do you like the skin of a boiled chicken?
-Yes, I like it.
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-I mean boiled, not roasted or fried
-Oh, I see! No, not if its boiled.
-Do you like cold water?
-Yes.
-Even in winter do you prefer it from the fridge?
-I dont keep water in the fridge in winter.
-Do you, however, want even in winter to open the tab and let it run for
some time so as to allow cold water to come and drink it?
-I usually drink mixed water, that is, fridge water mixed with tab water.
-Do you like raw onions in a salad?
-Yes.
-Does it cause any trouble to your stomach?
-Yes, but still, I like it.
-Do you like the taste and smell of fresh milk?
-Yes.
-Does it cause any trouble to your stomach or intestines?
-I guess, not.
-Do you like spicy food a lot? Not if you avoid it because they cause
trouble to your stomach, but if you enjoy it a lot?
-I do like it but usually I avoid it.
-Around 11 oclock in the morning do you have a faint feeling due to
hunger at your stomach area or a craving for food?
-Yes.
-Does this happen often?
-Yes.
-Do you usually eat hastily?
-Yes.
-Even when theres plenty of time ahead?
-No, just normally, as all other people.
-If you eat late at night do you often have indigestion?
-Yes.
-Do you often, have distention or other ailments at your belly area?
-Yes, but not much.
-What is your favorite position in bed? Do you like sleeping on your
abdomen, on your back or at the sides?
-Id say, rather on my back.
-With your hands on the back of your head?
-No, mostly I keep them on my stomach.
-Do you also sleep on your abdomen?
-No, not often.
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-Do you have any saliva running from your mouth to the pillow at sleep?
-It may have happened sometimes.
-Did you have any warts in the past? I mean those small hard lumps that
grow on the skin, especially on the hands.
-No.
-Did you suffer in the past from relapsing urine infections, gonorrhea,
condyloma, herpes of genitals and diseases of this kind?
-No, but I had kidney colic three times.
-Do you often get up at night to urinate?
-Yes, at times.
-Do you prefer the mountain or the sea?
-I dont know what to say.
-Did you have anemia in the past?
-Yes, I have anemia now, my haematocrit is 39.
-Do you carry the stigma of thalassemia?
-No.
7.7 Evaluation and noting down of general physical characteristics
Its time to interrupt our live case taking for comments. What have I
noted down up to now? He is hot 2 to 3, feet out of bed during winter
which is a great characteristic of Sulphur, sweats 2 to 3, offensive odors2
and gases 2.
A non verbal characteristic of his is that, at times, he seems as if he is
slightly stuttering. I dont know if its something temporary, perhaps due
to stress or if its a permanent thing but I just bear it in my mind. You see,
we dont only note down whatever he says but also how he says it. We
note down if he is stressed when we ask him a certain thing or if he is
annoyed or angry, that is, how he responds to our questions.
What else have I noted down? Salty depositions on the hair of the
armpits, which is a Sulphur characteristic. Greasy hair2; desire sweet2
and not grade 3 because if it was so he would have been eating sweets
every day or almost every day. He likes fatty food2?; I place a question
mark after grade 2 because from his whole picture he seems to be a
Sulphur case and I would expect him to like fatty food at a grade 3.
However, I must take in consideration that he may like it 3 but due to
tendency for healthy nutrition and most probably due to his stomach
problems he may avoid it for years and thus appear to be desire fat2.
Lets go on: desires cold water2; if he was drinking cold water from the
fridge even in winter that would be grade 3; raw onion makes him worse
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which is a Lycopodium characteristic. Lycopodium usually likes onion
but still, that makes him worse in the sense that it causes indigestion. He
also has indigestion if he eats any food late at night which is also a
Lycopodium characteristic; distention abdomen2.
He sleeps on his back-a Sulphur characteristic. Sulphur, often places his
hands next to his head on both sides or even over his head; we dont see
that in John; kidney colic three times; Lycopodium has predisposition for
renal colic because he usually suffers from formation of sandy
depositions in his kidneys. During summer, when urine is condensed he
tends to have a renal colic; He wakes up at night to urinate without
suffering from prostate hypertrophy. This is also a Lycopodium
characteristic; it happens even in young subjects without any findings of
prostate hypertrophy because the bladder, probably due to muscular
tension, cannot tolerate much urine, so he tends to wake up around 4 to 6
oclock in the morning and urinate.
7.8 Case taking demands quick and aggressive tempo
Have you noticed the tempo with which I ask him? Its a quick one,
almost an aggressive one. I dont take my time asking slowly or having
great intervals of silence. Its very important to have a quick and steady
tempo during case taking. What matters, is to grab the patient from the
neck so as not to give him time to do any secondary processing of his
answers and thus remain spontaneous. You see, anything direct and
spontaneous is closer to truth and reality. When we leave him time to
think and filter his answers, then he may put forward not the truth but the
public image he keeps about him. This is also true regarding his taste
desires because he may say not the truth but what he does due to healthy
nutrition or fear about his health.
You may have also noticed that at times I ask him something, for example
Do you like this? and if he hesitates to answer I may go to another
question without even waiting for his answer! Why so? Because if he had
this characteristic in grade 3 or even 2, then he wouldnt hesitate and he
would answer right away. In certain questions I am not interested if he
has a desire or aversion 1 or 2 but if he has this characteristic at grade 3.
If during my case taking I have already been guided towards certain
idiosyncrasies, for example in this case towards Sulphur or Lycopodium,
I have the right, even at this point of my case taking, to go on and ask not
only general questions but also targeted ones towards these certain
possible idiosyncrasies. As you must have noticed, since he strongly
reminded me of Sulphur I insisted on clarifying his relation with fatty
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food, a very strong characteristic of this idiosyncrasy. Now lets go on by
asking about his general psychological characteristics.
7.9 How do we ask about general psychological characteristics?
-How about irritability? Do you easily get angry?
-I do, at times.
-Not if you easily express your anger but if you easily get angry
independently of expression.
-Yes, I easily get angry.
-What makes you angry? What annoys you? Which behaviors?
-Injustice; when others treat me wrong; when they take advantage of me.
There are also some persons that I dont like and they tend to give on my
nerves.
-What kind of persons?
-Pretentious people, those that always show off these kind of people
make me angry. I may not express my anger but I am annoyed.
-Do you express your anger most of the times or do you keep it inside?
-I guess I dont.
-When it comes to strangers, do you express your anger?
-No! I rarely, do.
-What about when it comes to your own people?
-Well, you see you just cant take it out like a small child does. You
simply express your disagreement.
-Suppose that you are driving your car and somebody starts cursing.
Although he did a wrong maneuver, nevertheless, he is pissed off and
ready to fight. Will you fight or will you suppress your anger?
-No! I will certainly not fight, here in Athens!
-Why so?
-Because thats a risky thing, nowadays! (laughing)
-Whenever you express your anger, how you do it?
-Its been only a few times I guess I speak with an intense tone of voice
and maybe by striking but most of the times I restrain myself.
-Are you tidy or sloppy?
-Rather sloppy.
-Are you clumsy? I mean do you easily stumble or trip over? Do you
easily hurt yourself?
-This is a characteristic of tall people, so I consider myself as being in the
average. No, thats not me.
-Do you easily get dirty while eating?
-It happens quite often.
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-What about your personal problems, your deep-felt matters? Do you
want to talk about it, to share it or do you keep it inside?
-I guess I keep it inside.
-To how many people will you speak about your personals?
-Only to a few ones.
-One? Two? More?
-It depends on what people take cognizance of the certain matter. During
my army service there were five soldiers that were my friends but in my
family I talk to my wife.
-At the present, who are the persons that you will share your personals?
-Only to my wife.
-Will you talk to her about your personals by your own or do you need a
little push?
-I may not talk, even to her.
-Whenever you get upset do you often feel oppression at your chest?
-Yes, this is one of my stomach ailments.
-A feeling of lump at your throat?
-No.
-Do you easily cry?
-No.
-If you feel like crying, do you really need to be alone or it doesnt matter
if it happens in front of others?
-It doesnt matter.
-If somebody sees you sad, not one of the close ones, he learned that you
are going through a personal thing and he starts consoling you, how do
you face consolation? How do you feel? Do you like it, do you just listen
to him or does it annoy you or makes you angry?
-If its a sincere consolation then I am positive.
-How about fears?
-No.
-Are you afraid of height? Are you afraid of looking down from high
above, lets say from a balcony?
-No.
-Whenever you come across or hear about heart attacks, strokes, cancer
and several diseases, do you start thinking about it? Are you affected? Do
you start thinking that it may happen to you also?
-No.
-Whenever you leave the house, do you have the persisting idea that you
may have forgotten to lock the door or that you may have left the cooker
on?
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-No.
-While walking in the street do you have the tendency to count steps, cars
or numbers?
-No, but I did it when I was a child.
-Do you want to wash your hands, often? Are you afraid of germs?
-No.
-Are you superstitious? Do you say to yourself: I saw this thing so
something bad may happen?
-No.
-Any other fears?
-Perhaps a kind of agoraphobia.
-What do you mean?
-I dont feel good whenever I go to the flea market.
-Why dont you feel well there?
-Its a strange place for me; too crowded.
-How about a medical convention?
-I am not going to have a great time.
-Why so? What bothers you?
-I dont know. I guess its because its crowded.
-Compared to the average, how do you feel regarding cleverness,
regarding I.Q? Do you feel on the average, lower or higher? Not
regarding diplomas, achievements or grades but regarding cleverness.
-On the average.
-Do you like reading books?
-Yes. I read a book every month.
-What kind of books? What subjects?
-Literature, scientific and sophisticated ones.
-Do you like learning new things when you read a book?
-Yes.
-What kind of movies do you enjoy seeing more?
-I prefer sophisticated quality European movies.
-What about documentaries about Nature and animals?
-Yes, I like it, but I dont see it often because Ive got no time.
-What about documentaries about scientific discoveries or mysteries of
the Universe?
-If its on the TV I will not change channel.
-How about mystery movies, but not violent ones?
-Yes, I like it a lot.
-Science Fiction movies?
-Yes.
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7.10 Evaluation and noting down of general psychological
characteristics
Its time to stop our case taking so as to evaluate and note down his
general psychological characteristics.
I noted down irritability 0 or 1. This leads to Lycopodium or psoric
Sulphur. What makes him angry? He said: injustice, especially towards
him, when others take advantage of him, pretentious people, people
showing off, etc. All these are psoric causes. Why psoric? Because a
syphilitic person who is used to taking advantage of others is not afraid
that others may take advantage of him. He does think of the possibility
and may also be mistrustful judging, from oneself but he is not afraid of
it. He has such a self confidence on his ability to manipulate others.
On the contrary, a psoric and yielding person is afraid that others will
take advantage of him because this is the story of his life! Thats what
usually happens to him. He is manipulated and double crossed all the
time by syphilitic individuals. See how we can derive very important
miasmatic and idiosyncratic information from a simple, seemingly
innocent phrase or expression? Nothing is accidental to the
experienced eye, mind and heart of a homeopathic doctor! For example a
syphilitic Platina would say that she gets angry whenever others try to
snob her or whenever others dont appreciate her superiority, etc.
On the contrary, John is usually annoyed from injustice because being
psoric and yielding he is often harmed by others. He is afraid of non
straight behavior because he, himself, is sincere. He also said that he gets
angry from the showing off of others. Why, so? Possibly because he,
himself is very interested in being appreciated by others. He feels that he
is a worthy man, he wants others to recognize his qualities but being
psoric he is not good at showing off. So whenever he sees that other
sycotic or syphilitic guys that have no quality do well in the field of
showing off, he gets angry. This, specific behavior is characteristic of
psoric Lycopodium.
But we dont get important information only from his behavior. We also
get great information from his manner of speaking and from the quality of
his language; from the words and phrases he uses. For example he said I
express my disagreement, I speak with an intense tone of voice, this
is characteristic of tall people, it depends on what people take
cognizance on the certain matter, sophisticated quality European
movies. An average person doesnt speak this way; this is a
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sophisticated and cultured way of speaking; its a characteristic of
Lycopodium.
He also tells us - and I believe him - that he doesnt express his anger 3.
But why so? I say because he has that Lycopodium cowardice grade 2 or
even 3! Why I call it cowardice and what kind of cowardice is this? He
was so revealing! He said that he rarely expresses his anger towards
strangers and that this is a risky thing, nowadays, in Athens. He also
said that he always restrains himself even when he is right. I dont take in
consideration the thing that he said, that he may rarely hit someone; it
doesnt match his whole anger profile. Thats what he said but its
important to draw conclusions not only from what he said but also from
what I understood from what he said. Thats the true art of homeopathic
case taking!
Well, I understood that he has this Lycopodium cowardice! He is afraid
of fights because he is afraid that he will be hurt and that he will be
ridiculed to society walking around with a black, bruised eye! Goodbye
cultured, civilized public image! (laughing)
He also said that expressing his anger is a risky thing to do, nowadays, in
Athens. Somebody could say that this is a reasonable argument. He could
say: He is so right! But an experienced homeopathic doctor will never
say such a thing! We dont care about his well organized arguments or if
his opinion seems right or wrong! We are not judges! We are not
politicians! We arent priests! Our main concern is not what he says but
what lies beneath it! Why does he adopt this opinion? What are his true
intentions?
Most Lycopodium subjects dont admit that they are coward. They invent
such excuses as the above to cover their cowardice regarding fights. They
say that they are civilized persons, cultured persons, spiritual men that
dont want to have anything to do with animal behavior. They are very
good at verbal fighting but are very afraid of physical fighting.
Please, John, be careful to what I say about you right now. In fact I dont
say these things about you but I say it about the idiosyncrasy that affects
you at the present! You shouldnt take it personally! I am not blaming you
for anything. I just say things as I believe they are! Discovering the truth
about the patient is very important in Homeopathy. Moreover,
discovering the truth about ourselves, as healers, is of outmost
importance. If you dont know thyself at least up to a certain point,
then you will never know your patient!
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I am not a politician or a guru! I dont want fans! If I wanted fans I would
never talk about your negative qualities. On the contrary, I would praise
you of your good qualities. From the moment you have come to me to
teach you Homeopathy you gave me the right to tell you the truth not only
about others but also about yourselves. You see, idiosyncrasies dont
only affect others or the patients. They also affect us, the doctors. My
method of homeopathic diagnosis, that is Miasmatic Idiosyncratic
Diagnosis, presupposes the healing of the healer. If you are not healed
and balanced up to a certain point so as to become unprejudiced observers
you will not be able to reach a correct diagnosis regarding your patients
miasmatic and idiosyncratic personality.
So, truth is a two-edged knife; it tells you your good things and your
bad things also. Truth hurts most of the times because we are full of
imbalances! I have to tell you, your weak points because as commercials
say youve asked for it from the time you came to me. (laughing)
I must say once again, that you as an individual are one thing and your
idiosyncrasy is another thing. Your internal self is the real one and your
external self or idiosyncrasy that affects you at the present is the fake one.
I feel friendly about John but I dont feel friendly about the idiosyncrasy
that affects him at the present because any idiosyncrasy is an imbalance,
is an illness and since I am a doctor I cant be friends with illness. I dont
make relations with illness. I try to cure and vanish, illness!
Up to now, John seems to have many Lycopodium and many Sulphur
characteristics. He is sloppy2 like Sulphur but he is not clumsy like
Sulphur. He easily gets dirty during eating which is also a Sulphur
characteristic. He is introvert3 and this is very characteristic of Sulphur
also. You see, Lycopodium isnt so introvert and it may even be
extrovert. Its a special kind of psoric introversion, this sulphuric
introversion; we could say that he lives in his own psoric philosophical
world. Natrum Muriaticum is also very psoric and introvert but she
doesnt like others to know her personal matters because she wants to
preserve her dignity and because she feels exposed and hurt.
On the contrary Sulphur says to himself: Why tell my personals no
use! Nobody can solve my problems. Its my problems and I should be
the one to solve them. You see he doesnt hide it from others and is not
offended if others know about it. He has this psoric, stoical, philosophical
attitude and thats why we call Sulphur the dirty, rugged philosopher. He
doesnt care if others find about his personal matters; he isnt offended
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like Natrum Muriaticum and he doesnt have an aversion for consolation.
He, himself said so! He said that if its a sincere one then I am positive.
When dealing with such psoric introversion we should also differentiate
from Psorinum. Psorinum is very cold, very sad and pessimistic and does
not want company; but its obvious that this is not John. What about a
psoric Argentum Nitricum? John doesnt have any obsessions although I
asked him persistently about it. You must have noticed that he refers to
the past when he says that he had the obsession of counting numbers, but
not anymore. Perhaps he was affected by Argentum Nitricum when child
but not now.
He mentions agoraphobia but not an intense one. This matches with his
psoric insecurity and shyness, as I take it. He really likes reading books.
At his age, with a full time work, wife and kid, to be able to read a book a
month in Greece, he should be graded 3 or at least 2 regarding reading
books. You see, we must always take in consideration facts and
conditions so as to evaluate a characteristic. Whats more important to us
is that he is very fond of sophisticated books and sophisticated, quality
European movies; thats a Lycopodium characteristic. He is also fond of
mystery movies and thats rather a Sulphur characteristic than a
Lycopodium one.
7.11 Excluding less possible idiosyncrasies
Our next step is to exclude the less possible idiosyncrasies so as to
proceed then to differential diagnosis among the most possible two or
three ones. Judging from his whole personality I consider it most unlikely
to be a Thuja case. Not only because he feels on the average regarding
I.Q. as he has told us, but also because the feeling he gives me is that he
feels cleverer than others although he didnt say it out of psoric restrain.
Do you agree with me John or not?
-A psychiatrist does the same questions so as to verify the level of his
patient
-You see he is confirming my diagnosis about his psoric and
intellectual personality by not answering my question in a straight way,
by employing a psoric evasion and by beating around the bush
(laughing)
The correct attitude regarding me, regarding any homeopathic doctor,
isnt to try to convince him without taking no for an answer. I am not a
politician or a pseudo-guru and I dont want to manipulate my patient or
my students. From the minute he addressed me as a patient, I will try to
help him by curing him and thats all folks. My job ends there! If he is
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convinced about Homeopathy or about my good intentions or opinions,
thats another thing! A totally different thing! Its his problem and not
mine!
Lets proceed. Lets think of Natrum Muriaticum. He is hot and introvert
as a Natrum Muriaticum but he isnt easily offended at all. He isnt
annoyed by consolation and he isnt as nervous and irritable as Natrum
Muriaticum. We should also take in consideration that this idiosyncrasy is
rare to men and often to women.
In order to see if he is a Gelsemium case or to exclude this possibility I
must make some clarifying and targeted questions.
-When in a company with strangers are you shy or comfortable? Do you
have stage fright?
-I am reserved because I dont know them.
-When you get to know them, are you more expressive?
-Yes.
-When in a strangers company do you blush or stutter?
-Rarely.
-Do you easily get tired?
-No.
His answers and most of all his whole picture and feeling among with my
experience lead me to reject Gelsemium.
7.12 Differential diagnosis between Sulphur and Lycopodium
Its time for the final differential diagnosis between Sulphur and
Lycopodium, the two most possible idiosyncrasies. John, has plenty
characteristics of both idiosyncrasies, so its going to be a tough one.
On the part of Sulphur he is very hot and sweating, he takes his feet out of
the blankets even in winter, he is very introvert, etc. On the part of
Lycopodium he is sophisticated, coward, has gastric sensitivity,
indigestion if he eats late at night let me ask you something John:
-Youve said that you dont eat quickly. Is this something natural for you
or did you press yourself not to eat quickly due to your stomach
problems?
-Ive always been like that.
The reason that I ask this question is that a characteristic of Lycopodium
but not of Sulphur is that he eats very hastily even when he has all the
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time in front of him. Other sulphuric traits are intense introversion and
sloppiness while Lycopodium on the other hand, isnt so introvert.
During differential diagnosis the most important questions are those that
the one idiosyncrasy has at grade 3 or at least 2 while the other one has
the opposite characteristic or at least is normal regarding this
characteristic. There is no point in asking about characteristics that both
idiosyncrasies have at the same grade.
If John was a patient in my office and not a colleague among colleagues I
would have asked him about his sexual attributes because there are
distinct differences among Lycopodium and Sulphur in this field.
However, I will ask questions about sexuality as I normally would but
without expecting for answers.
-How about sexual desire? Normal, high or low?
Lycopodium compared to Sulphur has a higher degree of sexual desire
and is, most of the times, obsessed with sex. We also ask:
-What about having your sexual partner pleased?
Lycopodium proudly says that this is a very important thing for him; in
fact, many times he deliberately delays his own ejaculation so as to be
sure that his partner comes first or at least, at the same time with him.
Dont you even for a minute, think that this is done out of genuine
altruism or high spirit of companionship! He is simply horrified about his
image regarding his masculine pride. Ironic comments in case of failure
can tear him to pieces. In fact this is not a rare incident if he has to do
either with sycotic Medorhinum women who expect to be well satisfied
or with syphilitic women who would gladly take advantage of his
misfire to manipulate him by castrating him. Sulphur on the other
hand, especially a sycotic one, may have such a problem but not in such a
tremendous degree. We also ask:
-Do you happen to have early ejaculation?
If his answer is yes then we ask since when and how often.
Lycopodium is the main idiosyncrasy for such a characteristic. Quite
often he has a past history of early ejaculation or even a present situation.
For most men this may be a fleeting occasional incident but for
Lycopodium it may be a stigma that he carries out through his life. It
may have been blocking him for years and years not only in his sexual
life but even in his relations with women. This is indeed present
whenever he starts a new relation and his levels of anxiety are increased.
We go on asking:
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-Do you often have the tendency to stare at females, longing them, even if
you do have an affair? I dont mean if you go on proposing something but
if you are very fond of looking.
You see, Lycopodium has a great visual lust. He gets a kick out of
watching women, staring at women and imagining horny scenes. Many
keyhole lovers, many peeping Toms, especially the coward psoric ones,
are indeed Lycopodium subjects. He is so thrilled gazing at women and
even flirting but when the time comes for the final decisive move he
keeps postponing and postponing all the time due to his terror about
taking the mitten. In the end, a decisive and bold Medorhinum guy rushes
in and steels the girl from his hands driving her straight away to the
bedroom! Lycopodium didnt take the mitten but he didnt get the girl
either! (laughing). Let me ask a few more things:
-Are you indecisive? When it comes to make up your mind about
something to hesitate and keep examining things from several aspects and
delay reaching a decision?
-Yes.
-Do you easily apply for loans or do you find it hard to engage yourself to
such financial steps?
-Rarely.
Lycopodium, being very coward about consequences of his actions and
about spoiling his social image, is very much afraid of loans and risky
financial steps. He goes as far as he can; not an inch further. At this point,
I must stress that whenever I refer to traits or to attributes of any person
or idiosyncrasy I dont judge the person or feel negative towards him. I
am a doctor, not a judge or a preacher! I simply describe things.
We should always be aware that all characteristics of any person or
idiosyncrasy are but negative traits, that is imbalances. Any balanced
quality or virtue of a person is not a characteristic since it is not
something that helps us reach a diagnosis of his idiosyncrasy.
Idiosyncratic characteristics can only be those that make this certain
individual differ from others. Now let me go on asking:
-Do you often philosophize about things like Nature, Universe, Man or
Society? Not if you necessarily discuss about such things but if you keep
thinking about it.
-I would say yes. I keep thinking about it.
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Now, this is a characteristic that refers mostly to Sulphur than to
Lycopodium. During our last questions our clues drive us at times to
Sulphur and at times to Lycopodium. This is not a strange thing since
these two idiosyncrasies are very relative ones.
-Should we be guided by which idiosyncrasy is more to blame about my
stomach symptoms?
-I wouldnt base my idiosyncratic diagnosis on that.
-Why so?
-You see, firstly because both of these idiosyncrasies have a gastric
sensitivity, although Lycopodium is the leading one but secondly because
according to the Law of Hierarchy, when it comes to idiosyncratic
diagnosis what counts more are the psychological characteristics and not
the physical ones.
7.13 Homeopathic Prescribing
Its time to reach a decision. I have made up my mind about Johns
present dominant idiosyncrasy. He will be administered Sulphur 1M, that
is, he will receive one capsule of Sulphur at the thousandth potentization,
the first day of his treatment. Then, for the next thirty days, he will
receive each morning one capsule of Kali Sulphuricum 12CH. He will be
instructed to give us a telephone call in two weeks time so as to decide if
at that time he will need a Lycopodium 1M capsule or not.
Why so? Because my patient is very close to both of these relative
idiosyncrasies and I may have prescribed wrongly Sulphur instead of the
correct one-Lycopodium. So, in two weeks time I have the chance to
reconsider my judgment taking in consideration his course. If he is doing
well or excellent, that is, if he is better at a degree of 2 or 3, I will not
change anything since practice has revealed to me that my prescription
was correct.
But if my patient is the same, both physically and psychologically, I have
to reconsider my prescription. I have to decide if I must wait longer and
reexamine the case. I also have to consider the possibility that his
idiosyncrasy is not Sulphur or Lycopodium but a relative one like for
instance, Psorinum or Graphites. In any case, I should reexamine my
patient more thoroughly to decide what to do. You see, whenever we
prescribe, we try to match the picture formed in our mind with the real
picture of the patient standing in front of us. We are the ones to be in
agreement with Nature and Reality and not vice versa!
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7.14 Instructions to the patient
As soon as I write down my prescription, I have to proceed to some
instructions to my patient. I go on, talking to John as if I have to do with a
real patient of mine for the sake of live presentation.
Well, John, our medicines are in the form of capsules. In the morning of
the first day of our treatment you will take the single capsule that is
separately packed from the others. From then on, each morning, at least
five minutes before any breakfast, you will take one capsule from the
second pack. You will do accordingly for one month and then we will
meet again so as to decide what to do next. Nevertheless, in about two
weeks time, you will call me and I will ask you some things so as to
decide if you are going to use another single capsule that you will buy
from the pharmacy but wont take it unless I tell you so.
During treatment time and even if you are left without any capsules, you
must avoid completely some things that may antidote our treatment, that
is, any kind of coffee and anything that has caffeine in it like cola
refreshments for example. When I say completely, I mean it; not a sip of
these substances because they may prevent any therapeutic result or may
cause a relapse to any progress you may have. But, still, feel free to drink
cocoa or chocolate instead; you may also drink tea but not excessively;
you can also drink decaffeinated coffee - any kind of it - but only once a
day.
There is a slight chance, that during the first day or days of our treatment,
when you have taken the first capsule, that you may experience a severe
headache or feel a little stupefied or sleepy. Dont worry about it. Its not
a bad sign and certainly not a side effect, since these medicines have no
side effects at all. On the contrary, such an incident is, indeed, a positive
sign. Its what we call a therapeutic crisis. It is a sign of mobilization of
the organisms therapeutic mechanisms. Most of the times it doesnt
happen but this dont mean that we will not have a good therapeutic
result. Usually we have improvement without the need for a therapeutic
crisis. If the headache is a severe one you can always use pain killers to
get a relief without any problem to our treatment.
Well thats all folks! Thats all John for tonight! You will take your
medicine and get well dont worry at all! (laughing). And if you dont
get well, well then, you have at least, contributed to the training of your
colleagues and the progress of Medical Science (laughing)
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CHAPTER 8
LIVE HOMEOPATHIC CASE TAKING
BY A TRAINEE
AND
ANALYSIS BY THE AUTHOR
8.1 Obsessive ideas and depression
8.2 It is important to reach a clear diagnosis of the disease
8.3 The necessity of informing the patient about the homeopathic
aspect of his problems
8.4 Our questions should be clear and understandable
8.5 Clarifications, clarifications, clarifications!
8.6 Indirect information is crucial to our diagnosis
8.7 How do we ask about irritability? The importance of examples
8.8 Words talk to us only if we are able to listen
8.9 How to ask and the use of emphasis
8.10 Clarify, clarify, clarify
8.11 Predominant idiosyncrasy and secondary ones
8.12 Ask right, investigate and draw conclusions
8.13 Differential Diagnosis: Exclusion of relative idiosyncrasies and
confirmation of Simillimum
Today we will proceed to something new. We have already heard
recordings of case takings and have analyzed them. Then youve watched
me taking the case, having one of you as a patient. Now its time one of
you to be the doctor and another one the patient. This will give me the
chance to make remarks about how you take a live case; about how you
ask, what you ask and why you ask it.
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A volunteer please? Yes, thank you Zoe, you will be the doctor. Any
volunteer for the patients role? Yes, thank you Thomas, most considerate
and of course risky of you! (laughing) Well, Zoe, go on! Fair field and no
favor!
8.1 Obsessive ideas and depression
-How old are you Thomas?
-Thirty five.
-Where were you born?
-Here, in Athens.
-What brings you to the doctor? Do you have anything in particular?
-I come mostly preventively. I dont have any physical symptoms for the
present being or quite recently. Apart from some injuries my main
problems usually belonged to the psychic area. Even now, what bothers
me are certain thoughts and fears about my health. For example I am
afraid of germs and this fear annoys me a lot. I really dont want it, I
dont like it but still I do it. I am also afraid that the TV screen of my
computer has a lot of radiation and it may cause cancer to me after a
while you see I once tried to take it apart and fix it.
I must say, that all these symptoms, all these ideas were much more
intense some weeks ago it was then that I have dismantled the TV and
now now it doesnt bother me so much but still it keeps coming into
my head although I dont want it. In the past, I did have some episodes of
depression, but I dont have any such problems now; I am free of
symptoms at the moment.
-When did these fears start?
-Well, around I had such fears bothering me approximately the last
seven years.
-Did anything happen seven years ago? Anything that bothered you,
stressed you, pressed you or annoyed you?
-Yes, indeed. At that time I had trouble with my studies. I had stopped
my studies for some time and then I got back and I was attending a
lecture on Psychiatry at the University and I got so anxious almost to
the point of panic attack. Then I stopped that course and never attended
such kind of lectures but still, since then, these ideas became more and
more obsessive, stronger and I had several obsessions. I kept checking if I
had locked the door and then rechecking and several stuff like that. It
never bothered me so much in the past. At that time for a couple of
months I also felt very exhausted, I had no strength at all. Then, time after
time, I felt a little better, I rejoined the course and completed it but,
nevertheless these things keep coming again and again at times.
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-I see. What about depression? At what period of your life did you have
depression?
-It started at the third year of my studies not the third, it was the second
year in fact, and it has begun before my obsessions. Depression was
indeed my first psychological problem and it began in 1994 when I was at
my second year of studies to be diagnosed later on in 1995. Since then it
reappeared a number of times.
-Were you on medication at times?
-Yes, I was.
-For how long?
-For a few months. Every time I was on medication, it wasnt more than a
few months. Things got better every time and then they told me not to
take drugs anymore.
-You mean that you did so again and again?
-Yes, it happened about, well since1994 that it started, it happened
seven times six relapses, a first time and six relapses.
-When was the last one?
-The last one was last year the same season. Again I had a treatment
yes again I had a treatment with medicines. Yes, thats what happened
then.
-Are you on medication now?
-No, I am free of symptoms right now so I dont take any drugs.
Well, Zoe and Thomas, I think its the right time to stop the case taking
and do some commenting. What we have already heard is but the present
disease. We still have to ask about past case history and his hereditary
record. Zoe you did well. Well done! Youve asked well and in a general
way and it were correct that you did not over-guide the patient and let
him speak. However, we need some clarifications. We shouldnt accept
any terms used by the patient as a fact, even if he is a medical doctor. The
term depression, is especially nowadays very frequently used and
many times abused.
-Do you mean that I should make clarifying questions on what he said?
-Yes, indeed.
-But I would have done so if you havent interrupted me!
-Sorry! I thought that you would proceed directly to the specific
homeopathic case taking and start with general physical symptoms
-No, no, I wasnt going to
-Sorry, again please go on
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-OK, I go on. Thomas, when you say depression, what do you mean? I
mean what symptoms did you have? How did you feel then?
-As days went by I watched myself getting down, I didnt feel well,
wasnt in a mood for anything, a whole day would pass and I hadnt even
smiled, I got no pleasure at all. I didnt deal with all that pleased me in
the past and the only thing I was doing was to sit and study for my exams.
I felt an uneasiness right here inside my chest, something heavy,
something tightening me.
I didnt want to talk much, I kept having unpleasant thoughts and after a
while I found myself sleeping a lot; not that I did sleep but rather sitting
in bed all the time. Thats what was going on! Then came a moment that I
couldnt take it anymore because it was getting more and more worse and
I felt so bad and then I had to go to the doctor. I was trying so hard to
fight it, that is, to keep my usual life going despite these annoying
symptoms but I in the end I just couldnt. I even tried to ignore it, to
pretend that it didnt exist but it insisted being there all the time.
-Were you also pessimistic about your life or did you simply felt sad?
-I simply saw things in a I didnt like my life, I wasnt pleased. Not
that I thought that it wasnt worth living but I fell into a mental trap
where all seemed not to be going well and I felt bad all the time.
-Were you pessimistic about everything? About you studies and
-Yes, yes!
-All seemed black to you?
-Yes, yes, of course, I was in a constant disappointment. I blamed myself
for not making good choices, I wasnt pleased with whatever I did, and
nothing seemed worth doing, even things that I used to do like cycling
and other sports.
-Is there a hereditary tendency for depression in your family?
-My mother once told me that she, herself, had depression after her
divorce and that she had taken some drugs for a while. She didnt reveal
it to me until after years passed seeing me suffering from depression and
it was done after I pressed her a lot. A first cousin of mine, also had
depression she was so down for some time!
-Did you ever have suicidal tendency?
-No, no, never! Nevertheless, there were times that I got so angry with
myself that I wanted to hit me. I didnt do it of course, but I wanted to
take it out on me, but not to the point to want to commit suicide.
-What do you mean you got angry with yourself? Did you hit yourself?
-Not that I hit myself but there were times that I wanted to slap myself, as
if it was my fault; once I tried to do it but in the end I didnt. Not more
than once or twice.
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-As if it was you to blame for what you were feeling?
-Yes, I wanted to hit someone and there was nobody there and moreover
nobody really did something to me. Nobody really did something to me.
-You mean that the prevailing feeling was that all seemed black?
-Yes, yes, thats it! Yes, indeed! I remember that I woke up especially
during my first episode, which was the most severe, the first was the most
severe, and even before really waking up I felt in my sleep that sadness. I
used to wake up at five oclock in the morning and even before opening
my eyes I felt that sadness, while I was asleep. I knew that I would be
awake in a while and I would be in the same depression trap. It was a
clear case of depression, officially diagnosed by a psychiatrist.
-OK. I get it. I have nothing else to ask for the present.
8.2 It is important to reach a clear diagnosis of the disease
-I rest my case, as lawyers usually say! (laughing) Well, we are
interested in what happened to him and moreover we are interested in
deciding whether what he has experienced was really what he said it was.
It is a fact that he had depression; depression it was, indeed. But as a
true doctor I would go a little further asking more to clarify things and be
sure that on top of that he didnt also have a psychotic incident. Up to
now, concerning this certain case, I would consider such a thing as
improbable, but still I should give it a shot, just to be certain.
When asking a patient we usually avoid using medical terms. We dont
normally ask: Have you had a psychotic incident in the past?
Nevertheless, we can reach to such a conclusion or exclude it by asking if
he had experienced specific psychotic symptoms. It is not a good idea to
judge by the drugs he had been given in the past because there are times
that a patient has been on anti-psychotic treatment although he had no
psychosis at all; doctors are often mistaken you know!
So, we can ask: Have you been hearing voices or seeing strange things
in the past? Its not advisable to ask a patient: Have you had delusions
or illusions in the past? Please Thomas, dont answer this question. I
am not asking you and I dont want you to answer. It has already taken a
lot of courage to volunteer as a patient and you have already talked
gladly about personal matters, for which I am grateful. There is no need
to answer. I just take the chance to generalize using your case as an
example.
Furthermore, in order to trace an insane psychotic mistrustfulness we
can also ask: Does it sometimes happen that you see two strangers
chatting and you think that they are talking about you?
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Whenever we deal with past symptoms that happened a long time ago we
shouldnt go into great details. It is of course useful to clarify, if possible,
three things: what kind of disease was he suffering from, what possible
idiosyncrasy he had developed at that time and if a certain event was to
blame about it. For example, in the case of Thomas, I would ask if
something happened before his panic episode, something that could lead
to such a condition.
-You are right! Something did happen then! I was taken to court
concerning a car accident and the guy was asking for a lot of money
saying a bunch of lies. In fact, this thing has not yet come to an end.
-In what way were you involved in that accident?
-I drove through a red traffic light but he was presenting things so
inaccurately, so wrong and I was so upset reading all the lies his lawyer
had written I was so annoyed!
-What was your main feeling then?
-Well it was anger. I was so angry because he presented things so
changed but I was also afraid because he was asking for a lot of money. It
was anger and fear at the same time.
-I see, Thomas. Thank you. Let me tell you something, dear colleagues: if
he had felt as if being hunted, this could have led him under the influence
of Hyoscyamus. But I dont think that he felt so. Am I right Thomas?
-Yes you are! I didnt feel anything like that, my approach was simply
realistic.
-I suspect that what he really felt was injustice and anger; it was a true
phosphoric reaction and not a hyoscyamic one. It is always very
important to understand what he has felt during any incident because this
may lead us to possible idiosyncrasies. An allopathic general diagnosis of
the kind of his symptoms is also important not only regarding defining his
disease but also in driving us towards certain homeopathic
idiosyncrasies. For example be the symptoms psychotic, depressive,
hysteric, nervous or neuro-vegetative can lead to different idiosyncratic
families. It is also possible that he still has that past idiosyncrasy
influencing him at the moment.
Another clue is that Thomas is expressive and gives direct answers
promptly and willingly and such a behavior is far away from a syphilitic,
introvert and insane behavior like that of a Hyoscyamus subject. He
seems to be psoric regarding his morality and principles but at the same
time sycotic regarding his expression.
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It is wrong to deal greatly with his past diseases and his past
idiosyncrasies. We need to be focused mainly on his present state and
guide our patient to talk to us about his present. We are interested mostly
in his present state of health and present idiosyncratic influences. It is
also wrong to focus only on his latest idiosyncratic state if during the last
days he is temporarily influenced by superficial idiosyncrasies due for
example to a cold. For example he may be hot in general but due to a
cold he is now very cold.
He has already given us some valuable information about obsessive ideas
concerning germs or TV radiation. We immediately think of Argentum
Nitricum and secondarily Phosphor due to his concern about his health
and also due to his sycotic and likeable character. We take these in
consideration, note it down and go on. Please Zoe, continue asking.
-Are you hot or cold in general?
8.3 The necessity of informing the patient about the homeopathic
aspect of his problems
-Excuse me, Zoe, for interrupting once more but if I was a patient and
have already confessed to you my personal burdens I wouldnt feel nice if
you didnt say anything to me about what I have told you and you started
asking me strange questions about heat and cold. I would have liked you
to tell me your opinion about my diseases and about what can
Homeopathy do for me.
-I thought that we could have skipped that
-No, no! You are supposed to act as if you have a real patient in front of
you. This is a real live case taking. You have a patient facing you, who
most of the times, doesnt know what is the matter with him, what is his
disease, what is Homeopathy and what can you do about him. How can
you start asking him about heat and cold or about sweet and salty things?
His mind demands information and his heart demands hope. What can
you do about it?
-What can I tell him? How shall I start?
Well Thomas, I will try to help you and solve your problem by giving
you a certain homeopathic medicine. This medicine will be similar to
you, similar to your traits. It will not be similar to your diseases. Thus,
your organism will try, by himself, to find in him the power and the
solutions to your problems. It will activate all your physical and
psychological powers so as to solve your imbalance which is both
physical and psychological. On the contrary, Allopathic Medicine
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employs medicines that correspond to the disease and not to the patient.
But the only thing that such a treatment manages is to just cover up the
problem without offering a real solution to the problem whats the
matter with me I am tongue-tied (laughing)
-Please go on, go on.
-So I will ask you some general questions that refer both to your physical
and psychological characteristics. I will start by asking you if you are hot
or cold.
-Wait a minute. Before we go on we have to say a few more things to the
patient. See how different is to listen to an experienced doctor taking the
case compared to taking it you, yourself? (laughing)
The thing is that when a patient comes to the homeopathic doctor he is
not so much interested in Homeopathy or in anything theoretical. The
only thing that matters to him is his case, his problem, his pain. Thats
the reason why our introduction to the patient, after hearing him, must
consist of three parts. The first part is to answer to his anguish question:
What is wrong with me, doctor? Whats my problem? He may have
come already diagnosed regarding his diseases, already labeled but he
demands to have your opinion also.
So you have to say to him: Thomas, my friend, I agree that you have
suffered from depression, if of course, that is also your diagnosis. If not,
you have to give him your diagnosis and support it by evidence and
arguments. That is what you should do, if of course, you want to be a true
doctor. You are not a homeopath! You are a doctor! You are a doctor
that practices Homeopathy. You are a homeopathic doctor! He is a
patient and he came to you because you are a doctor and he hopes that
you can cure him. He wants you to relieve him from his suffering. Most of
the times, he doesnt care if you are a homeopathic, allopathic or any
kind of pathic! He seeks for cure! That is the important thing! That,
however, doesnt mean that you shouldnt explain to him your view about
what is wrong with him and how you can cure him.
It is a good thing that you have explained to him that Allopathy simply
covers up the mere symptoms without treating the whole but you need to
speak in a simple and specific way, individualizing to his case. You can
say for example: As you have already seen, Thomas, you have been
taking anti-depressing drugs for years and the result was temporary
relief but no definite and final cure. This means that these drugs are not
curative and that is the reason that you kept relapsing again and again.
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On the contrary, regarding your case, in Homeopathy we can do this and
that
You have to be specific, you have to speak to him not in general about
Homeopathy but you have to explain to him what can Homeopathy do to
his own individual case. You must go through all his present diseases and
explain to him for each and every one, what he has, why allopathic
treatment didnt help him and what your homeopathic treatment can do
to him. Above all, we ought to be honest and straightforward to him. We
have to be realistic. If we have to do with an incurable disease we should
tell him that the only thing that we can achieve is palliation of a certain
degree. If further laboratory tests are needed we should order it.
Its important to express our thoughts and our way of thinking to our
patients so as to help him change his medical thinking from mechanical
and partial to holistic. To prescribe drugs is not the only therapeutic
action of a doctor! It is essential and very therapeutic apart from putting
his body into order, to put also his mind into order. Never forget that
imbalance and illness begin their course from above downwards! And
that is also the route of any true treatment!
However, there are cases in which you suspect that there is something
severe going on, for example a cancer. You shouldnt panic your patient
unless you have confirmed your suspicions. But then you must insist on
further tests until your diagnosis is clear and certain. After you have
completed your patients briefing about his state, you have in front of you
an informed and usually relaxed patient. He now knows what he has and
he has heard from you what he can expect. So it is the right time to ask
whatever you like in order to help him.
A final explanation for the questions to come is: In Homeopathy we
prescribe to the patient that certain medicine that suits not his disease but
his idiosyncrasy, his type, his personality. So I will ask you some
questions in order to define your idiosyncrasy. Now its the right time
for you Zoe to ask your questions. Go on please.
8.4 Our questions should be clear and understandable
-Are you hot or cold?
-Generally I think that I am hot, although inside my house I feel cold. The
fact is that we never turn on the heat, so it is expected to feel cold. So in
general, I am hot. Yes I am hot. I always take a shower with cold water.
-You mean that you never turn on the heat during winter?
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-Yes, never. I mean that my mother turns it on and then I go and turn it
off. Only a few times I turn it on just for a while. However, I am not the
extreme hot guy. When I go out and its cold, then after a while I start
getting cold. But when I go to the gym I get hot. I feel alright when I
sleep with light clothes and when I go out I see other people dressed up
heavily while I wear normal clothes.
-Generally, do you wear lighter clothing during winter?
-Yes, thats certain! I wear lighter clothes than others do during winter
time.
-Do you feel suffocating in a hot room? Do you want to open the
window?
-Yes, I do. If its a hot room I certainly feel bad and want the window
open. Heat makes me feel bad to your information, in this room at this
temperature I feel ok.
-Do you sweat easily?
-No, no, not really.
-When you perspire, does your sweat, smell bad?
-No, no!
-Let me interrupt you Zoe for a minute. Youve asked: Do you wear
lighter clothes during winter? If you ask in such a way then your patient
might think that you have asked him do you wear lighter clothes during
winter than during summer?
-I meant lighter than others
-It is very important to ask clearly. Go on.
-In a cold bedroom, do you want to have your feet outside of the
blankets? Does your feet become hot at night?
-No.
-Does your face and hair become greasy easily? How often do you wash
it?
-Eh, I do it, well, on the third day they start becoming greasy yes, on
the third day.
-Do you have gases and feel distended?
-Well, nothing special normal I would say.
-Does your stool and gases smell bad?
Please Zoe, allow me to interrupt you again. When you ask Do you have
gases and feel distended, you are asking for two things at the same time,
so if he answers yes then what did you understand? That he has gases,
distention or both of them? You have to be specific. Please, ask again.
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-Do you often have gases?
-Normal, but I dont have any distention.
-Do you like sweets?
-Well, yes.
-You mean that you go and buy sweets, you seek for it every day or
simply if it happens?
-Yes, unfortunately, I have to go and buy every day.
-So you eat sweet and chocolates what kind of sweets do you eat?
-Mostly chocolates though I like candies also and such stuff.
-If you eat a lot of sweets then do they cause indigestion to you?
-I usually try not to eat much but even if I eat a lot I dont have any
particular problem.
Excuse me for interrupting you again. Be aware that when you ask Do
you like sweets? and Do you eat sweets a lot? you are asking two
different things. I may like sweets a lot but because I worry about my
diabetes I dont eat them at all. We are interested in both, although the
desire is much more useful than the action. It is useful when you ask
about desires especially for things that are considered unhealthy like
sweets, salt and fatty food, to add I am interested especially if you desire
it and not if you avoid it for medical or other reasons. It is also
important that you cross-check what he says to you. For example it is a
usual thing to hear your patient say enthusiastically Yes, yes, I love
sweets! but when you ask him if he eats it a lot to say well, from time to
time although he is not afraid about his health or about his weight.
You have to forgive me Zoe for interrupting you. I know that I keep
violating your pace of asking but it is important to interfere whenever
needed. That doesnt mean that you did something wrong and I corrected
you. It means that I have something to tell you. Please, go on.
-Do you like fatty food? Do you have a desire for it?
-Well
-I mean when you eat meat, do you prefer a fatty part?
-No, not much.
-How about spicy things?
-Yes, I do like spicy things.
-How about pepper?
-Yes, yes, I do.
-If you eat spicy food late at night do you have stomach ailments?
-No, no it doesnt cause any trouble to me.
-If its late at night and you eat rich food do you have indigestion?
-Yes, if I eat rich food I may have some trouble to get to sleep.
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-Excuse me Zoe. Let me ask Thomas something. Does it happen often?
-No, not often.
-So what he said about indigestion from rich food isnt something
characteristic for him. He doesnt have the indigestion that Lycopodium
has if he eats rich food late at night. You have to evaluate what your
patient says. Frequency and intensity are very important. A symptom is
characteristic only when it is both frequent and intense. Go on Zoe.
-Do you like onions?
-Yes.
-Does it cause you any stomach trouble when you eat it?
-No, no.
-Do you like milk?
-I like milk, I like it.
-Do you like its taste also?
-Yes, of course!
-Do you feel distended when you drink it?
-No, no.
Please, take five! Cut! When you ask Do you like milk? and Do you
like its taste? you are asking the same thing and that is the reason why
he told you Yes, of course! You see, the only way to like something you
eat is because of its taste! (laughing) Nevertheless, I understand that Zoe
feels under interrogation, as if being grilled, so it is a normal thing to
do things the wrong way. But, to err is human and useful also,
because we can learn many things from our mistakes. So, keep up the
good work, Zoe and dont let us intimidate you (laughing)
8.5 Clarifications, clarifications, clarifications!
-Do you like drinking cold water?
-I like cold water but I dont drink it because it causes pain to my teeth.
-Would you prefer cold water if your teeth didnt bother you?
-It also causes a pain in my throat so I avoid drinking it although I like it.
-Let me interfere again Zoe. If you didnt have any problem with your
throat or whatsoever, would you enjoy drinking cold water?
-Yes, I would.
-Even in mid winter?
-Yes, certainly.
-Every single day?
-Yes.
-From the fridge or from the tab?
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-No, not from the fridge; from the tab.
Have you noticed what am I doing to him? I am driving him hard; I am
forcing him into the corner! I dont let him breathe! Not that I dont like
him or that I am aggressive. I push him hard so as to have a clear
answer. I am an interrogator and I want the truth and nothing but the
truth, so help me God! (laughing)
What are the results of my hard questioning? If he liked cold drinks at
grade 3 then he would have answered: I dont care! I like it from the
fridge no matter what! I dont care if its snowing outside and freezing
inside! So I try to take out the problem with his throat so as to
investigate his true desire. If his answer was I like it from the fridge
even in winter then it would have been a desire for cold water grade 3
but now it is a grade 2 desire. Go on Zoe.
-Do you like sour things?
-Oranges for example I dont like it. If a fruit is very sour I dont want
it.
-Do you have a desire for salt?
-Not much, not much to be honest I avoid it. I never use salt even in
salads. I prefer eating things without spoiling their natural taste. When I
eat salty food as a guest invited to other homes it bothers me. I say its
very salty. I dont like salt!
-When you sleep
-Cut! Cut, Zoe! Dont go asking something new unless we have clear
information from his answers. You see, I have a question here troubling
me: Does he avoid salt due to healthy diet or does he despise its taste?
A key-phrase he said will help you clear things out. He said: I prefer
eating things without spoiling their natural taste. So I have a good
reason to suspect that he is a great fan of healthy nutrition and thats the
reason why he avoids salt even if he likes it. What have you to say about
it Thomas?
-If I added salt it would only be a little. When a bit more is added I dont
want it.
-Dont you like it or do you avoid it for healthy-diet reasons?
-Well, the food gets more tasty if you add it but I never use much.
8.6 Indirect information is crucial to our diagnosis
-Enough! I rest my case! (laughing) Well, its so easy to laugh but not so
easy to draw conclusions! What is your conclusion from what he said?
What piece of information did you gain? My conclusion has nothing to do
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with salt. OK, he may like salt grade 1 or 2 but thats not important to my
diagnosis. Whats of great importance is that he deals a lot with his
health! Thats a characteristic of his idiosyncrasy. He so much cares or is
so much afraid about his health that he even adjusts his taste according
to his brain decisions! See how important is to draw information even in
an indirect way! You must learn to read through the lines! In the same
way that non verbal information is very important, in the same way
indirect information is very crucial to our diagnosis of his idiosyncrasy.
We started hunting partridges but we ended up with a juicy fat hare!
(laughing) Go on, Zoe.
-Whenever you go to bed, how do you like sleeping? On the back, on the
belly or on the sides?
-I always lie on my back. I never ever sleep on my belly except rarely
when I am extremely tired but even then, after a while, I turn to the sides.
-When on your back do you like putting your hands over or in the back of
your neck?
-No, no.
-If you sleep on your left side do you feel that you press your heart?
-No, but in a lecture at the university they told us that since the stomach is
situated on the right side, when you lie on your left you make things hard
for you and furthermore I have recently observed that if I lie on my left
side after eating something then my stomach makes some noises which
means that I am giving it a hard time and then I immediately turn to my
right side.
-Dear colleagues, what do you make out of what he has just said?
-We confirm that he deals a lot with his health! (laughing)
-Thats right! Very well said! We have just confirmed that he deals with
his health a lot, not to say that he may even be afraid of diseases. You see
how we can draw indirect information, even irrelevant to what we have
asked? See how we can skin a fling? See how we can get blood out of a
stone? But, before that he said another thing that left me with questions.
He emphatically said that I never, ever sleep on my belly. Doesnt this
create a great why? to your mind? Be careful! Every time your patient
becomes emphatic or enthusiastic or annoyed or angry, in general
whenever your patient shows a strong feeling of any kind, you should
always clarify things. Juicy information is waiting there for you to reveal
it.
-So, why, my friend Thomas, you never, ever sleep on your abdomen?
-Its because I feel that I press my chest and I cant breathe in the first
place and secondly, my head is turned on the sides in a weird way.
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-As you can easily see, he again confirms to us that he deals with his
health a lot. (laughing) He keeps splitting hairs regarding his health.
Please, Thomas, try not to be affected by what we say about you! Dont
bother with us! Keep answering unaffected by our comments and when
asked say the first thing that comes into your mind. Be a solid rock!
(laughing) Zoe, go on!
-When you sleep at night, do you have saliva coming out of your mouth
on the pillow?
-No, that is a very rare thing to happen.
-Did you have warts in the past?
-I did have and still have now I didnt mention it before because I
didnt think that it mattered but the truth is that I have three or four on my
hands.
-Did you do something with it?
-In the past I had it cauterized but they kept growing so I stopped any
effort to cure it.
-Did you have any urine infections in the past?
-Wait a minute Zoe. How do you know that he has warts? Just because he
told you so? That doesnt mean anything. Did you see it? Have you
confirmed it? He may have a skin problem of any kind and he may think
that its warts
-But he is a doctor!
-So what! Ive heard so many false statements from colleagues that its a
rule for me always to confirm what patients say, even if they are doctors.
If you dont confirm what a patient tells you, you will have false
information and this may affect your diagnosis. Please, Thomas, show us
your hands yes, it is definitely warts.
-How are warts listed in the Repertory of Kent?
-You will find it under the word warts.
-How about eczema?
-Under the word eczema or under the more general rubric
eruptions. The rule is that only a few diseases are listed as such in
Kents Repertory. But you can search for the symptoms of any disease
because Repertory is a list of symptoms and not a list of diseases and this
is in accordance with the homeopathic law that tells us that our diagnosis
aims not at the disease but at the patient as a whole. Go on, Zoe.
-Did you have any urine infections in the past?
-No, never.
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-Before we go on asking about the psychological characteristics of
Thomas, can you tell me, what idiosyncrasies crossed your mind about
him, up to now?
-Argentum Nitricum, Phosphor, Psorinum
-When you have to do with such a hot person its a bit improbable to be a
Psorinum case.
-Right.
-I would definitely think also of Sulphur and Lycopodium so I write it
down and question about it later.
-I also suggest Gelsemium.
-Why so?
-Because he blushes at times when he talks and because he seems shy.
-I dont think that a shy Gelsemium would volunteer to be examined
publically and furthermore speak about his personals in such a comfort,
but, nevertheless, lets keep it in mind.
-(Thomas) Well, the thing is that I already know you for some time,
otherwise, I would be reserved.
-Well, thats a fact but despite it, if you were a Gelsemium case it would
still be very strange to be so extrovert and comfortable. Go, on Zoe.
8.7 How do we ask about irritability? The importance of examples
-Do you easily get angry?
-Yes, I must say I do.
-What makes you angry, what behaviors annoy you?
-Cut, Zoe! Before you ask what makes him angry you have to decide if he
is indeed really easily angry and at what grade. Continue.
-When you say that you get angry, what do you mean Thomas?
-I get angry when something goes wrong and I cant fix it or when I
program something and I dont manage to bring it to an end or do it well
and then I get angry. I certainly try to restrain myself. At other times, I
get angry when I face problems.
-When you get angry do you express your anger?
-Well not so easily.
-Wait a minute. You, still, havent cleared out if he is easily angry and at
what grade. We dont just ask questions during homeopathic case taking.
We ask in order to draw certain information. Let me ask him.
-Do you often get angry?
-Thank God I dont get angry often I would prefer even when I get
angry not to
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-I dont care if you express your anger, if you burst but I am interested in
a specific fact: if you often feel anger inside your heart no matter if you
express it or not.
-Thank God, this does not happen often, no, not often.
-Now its time for conclusions. Have you noticed that he said Thank
God I dont get angry often? This is very important information.
Usually, it is a psoric person that would say such a thing in such a
manner and really mean it. Furthermore, as a rule, a psoric person
would get angry with himself if he didnt do things well. A sycotic person
wouldnt care so much and wouldnt criticize himself so easy. On the
other hand, a syphilitic person would say such things only to pretend,
only in an exaggerated manner so as to manipulate others by projecting a
good false image. And judging by his whole appearance and behavior,
Thomas isnt such a case. He is, in fact a very psoric person because he
truly believes in moral principles which he tries hard to apply in everyday
life. Moreover he is strict with himself and easily feels guilty and that is
the reason why he often says Thank God and unfortunately. So,
there is a great possibility, that he is a true psoric person.
So, our conclusion is that he gets angry grade 1 or 2, the more. I will ask
him one more question because I want more reasons for which he gets
angry, reasons that have to do with other people. So, I say to him:
-What behaviors of other people annoy you or irritate you?
-As a rule I am annoyed when somebody tries to tease me, underestimate
me, make fun of me just like yesterday when I was skiing and some
guys were ironic and told me Why dont you have a seat and watch how
skiing is done! At first I didnt realize their intentions and after a while,
when I did, I got angry but they were already gone. I am angry especially
when others do to me what I would never dream of doing to them.
-Any other behaviors that annoy you?
-When others try to suppress you and force you to do things their own
way and then you feel that you are not free basically thats the things
that annoy me.
-Can you give me an example? A recent example?
-My parents make me angry although I try hard not to. My mother tells
me that I should follow a certain medical specialty or that I should go to
study in England where my brother is and keeps saying When theres a
will, theres a way and that I dont have the guts to do it and I say I
want to rule my life and not to do things her way. Or other times they
tell me to go and buy expensive clothes so as to attract women but I like
to wear ordinary clothes and I say dont push me. I also get angry when
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somebody who has a strong personality wants things to be done his way
and forces me to the sidelines.
-Does injustice bothers you?
-Yes, certainly. No matter how I try to reason and find excuses for the
one that hurts others it doesnt stop bothering me.
-(Zoe) But that has nothing to do with injustice
-It certainly, is! I keep saying to me his spiritual level doesnt permit
him to realize that we shouldnt harm others and that Socrates said I
prefer to be harmed instead of harming others but I cant help being
annoyed when harmed.
-When somebody else is being harmed, a stranger, does this annoy you?
Does it make you angry?
-Yes, certainly! This can even make me behave like a very bad person.
-Will you interfere?
-Of course, I will!
-Even if the odds are against you?
-Yes, yes I will certainly well, I will do my best.
-Does that mean that you will hit him if necessary?
-I will do my best, I just cant help it.
-Has such a thing happened in the past?
-No, I didnt hit anyone but at times I reacted badly. I mean there was a
time that I was working in a summer camp and a child was
underestimated by the chief leader - you see he shouted terribly to the kid
because he was talking during prayer time and I told the chief leader in
a polite manner how come and he said It was my duty because he
believed that this was the right thing to do but it wasnt.
-(Zoe) What wasnt right?
-Shouting like that to the kid.
8.8 Words talk to us only if we are able to listen
Its time to do some comments. I know that we are giving a hard time to
Thomas because we keep interrupting and commenting him while he is in
the mood to speak about himself and even about his personal matters.
But, despite that, he keeps talking about him enthusiastically and
sincerely and that is, indeed, a great characteristic of his idiosyncrasy!
I urge you to be observant, to be conscious, to be aware! Words talk to us
only if we are able to listen! He used words and phrases like tease me,
underestimate me, make fun of me, suppress me, force me,
my mother keeps saying to me and forces me to the sidelines. All the
above, certainly dont reveal a sycotic person. If he was sycotic he would
either say fuck you all or he wouldnt give a shit about it and would
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do all things his own way having no problem with himself and paying no
attention to others opinion about him.
Such expressions like the ones Thomas used could also be used by
syphilitic persons that tend hypocritically to adopt the role of the
victim in order to manipulate others and dominate over them. But what
we have here, is a person that has one and only one problem: that others
try to dominate on him and he keeps desperately defending himself and
not with much success as it seems. In fact, this is the story of his life!
Thats why he has such anger inside him when others, especially weak
ones like children, are being hurt. Thats the reason why he developed
relapsing depression: because he is soft, good natured and sentimental;
because he sticks to moral principles, because he is honest and because
he is psoric, after all. Thats the mere reason why he is screwed by
others! (laughing)
He reacts, he tries to rebel but due to his psoric nature he gives in and
suppresses himself and then reacts again and then gives in and so on. The
story of his life! The story of his relapsing depression! There is nothing
accidental in the course of our lives. Only someone with lack of
awareness can resort explanations like accidentally or by chance or
it just happened.
But, dont even for a minute think that he is the psoric guy that does not
react and is very introvert and keeps shrinking gathering bitterness inside
like a Psorinum or a Natrum Muriaticum. He reacts intensely but
syphilitic dominant persons can manipulate him due to his good nature
and moral character. He is psoric regarding principles and ideas but
sycotic regarding expression. What idiosyncrasy does such a combination
remind you of?
-Phosphor?
-Right! Phosphor, it is! A Lycopodium guy would be annoyed by the
injustice done to the kid but he wouldnt easily react as Thomas did. His
mind would react and not his heart as in Phosphor. Phosphor tends to
take things personally and react sentimentally while Lycopodium tends to
think, to argue intellectually and not so much to feel.
Havent you noticed that Thomas, even on remembering that old incident,
gets angry right now, his heart is ticking and his emotions are on
turbulence! Lycopodium reacts logically, by the mind, intellectually. He
says to himself this isnt right! and may argue in a civilized way only if
the odds are on his side because he is a coward especially when it comes
to getting into a fight that may involve punching and hitting and any kind
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of physical violence. Phosphor, on the other hand, guided by his
overwhelming emotions, may even hit others in order to protect weak
ones, even strangers.
We have also heard Thomas philosophizing, quoting from Socrates etc
but that is not a characteristic only of Sulphur and Lycopodium. It could
also be a trait of Phosphor. That doesnt mean that Thomas is a genuine
Phosphor. He certainly has elements of Phosphor, Lycopodium, Sulphur,
Argentum Nitricum and other idiosyncrasies.
A genuine phosphoric element of his is that childish innocence although
he is 33 years old! He is enthusiastic, straightforward, sincere,
spontaneous and passionate. He has that expression on his face of a child
who protests sincerely and passionately because a bad guy has
grabbed the favorite toy from the hands of another child next to him!
Even now, at this mature age he still cant accept the injustice and
insensitivity that exists around him: a true psoric, romantic guy but with
sycotic overwhelming expression!
His favorite expression is that wasnt right! and if his motives are true
then this is definitely a psoric expression. It could have been, of course, a
syphilitic expression if the person that said it was hypocritical and
manipulating, playing a theatrical role: the role of the warrior of
justice and the role of the defender of morality. But, my clinical
experience makes me say with a great certainty that this is not the case of
Thomas. Thomas is spontaneous and sincere. But at this point someone
could say: How can we discriminate between a psoric and a syphilitic
expression? The key is the motive lying behind the act! If the motives
are moral and the action is spontaneous, true, sincere and involves no
egoistic personal interest then it is psoric. If the motives are egoistic and
the action is hypocritical, manipulating and fake then its syphilitic.
Whenever we come across a person that is easily angered, has a lot of
anger inside him but never expresses it, then we must think of
Staphisagria. Thomas isnt such a case because he expresses his anger
most of the times. Please Zoe, go on and ask him if he expresses his
anger.
-He has already said that he expresses his anger so why should I ask
him?
-I want you to ask him because I want you to practice on how we ask the
patient about certain things. In past lectures when I was the one who did
the case taking we focused on the answers of the patient. During this
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lecture, where you as trained doctors, carry the case taking, we also
focus on the way you ask things. A right way to ask is Do you express
your anger or do you keep it inside?
This is an important question and it matters a lot how we ask because if
we are not clear he may think that we ask him if he discusses with others
the incidents that made him angry. You see, discussing about an incident
that made me angry and expressing my anger at the time of the arousal,
are two different things. Go on and ask Zoe if he expresses his anger and
do it in the right way.
-So, I ask you Thomas, do you express your anger or do you keep it
inside?
-Yes, of course, yes, certainly!
-How do you do it?
-Usually I shout. I mean I shout and I answer back, lets say in an intense
way whenever I can of course whenever conditions allow it.
-(Zoe) Ok, weve asked that also. Nevertheless, he has already told us a
while ago that when engaged in a situation he will react.
-Yes, he reacts, that is true but not very much.
-Does Staphisagria express her anger?
-Not at all or at least only rarely! And even then she will express only a
small amount of her tremendous quantity of anger. Thats the reason why
she is all the time up to the neck from anger, boiling and ready to burst
but without eruption.
Now, pay attention to what happens inside Thomas. He shouts but only
when situations allow it. What kind of situations? He doesnt restrain
himself due to cowardice like Lycopodium. Its his morality that restrains
him. Thats the burden of any psoric person. He realizes all that is wrong
around him, he reacts inside or even takes it out but keeps restraining
himself because he has adopted the philosophy and morality of the good
boy, the kind boy etc. Go on, Zoe.
-Shall we go on asking questions to verify Phosphor?
-No! Not yet! We havent finished all questions that refer to diagnosis,
then how can we go on to differential diagnosis and specific questions
about specific idiosyncrasies? Ask about order.
8.9 How to ask and the use of emphasis
-Are you tidy or untidy in general?
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-Well, not much tidy from time to time I try to put things in order but I
am not much of an orderly guy most of the times things keep piling up
until the time comes to straighten it out. Thats what happens.
-When you walk do you often stumble or when you eat do you easily get
yourself dirty?
-No, no.
-Do you like talking about your problems?
-Yes, yes I like that, I like talking about it.
-With how many people?
-Wait a minute, Zoe! Youve asked do you like talking about your
problems? The emphasis is on the words like and problems. But if
I ask Do you want to talk about your personal problems or do you keep
it inside? then the emphasis is on the words want, personal and
keep it. Want is more proper because it is more neutral than like
and less guiding for the patient. Personal is more defining and
targeted and that is the reason why its more proper. I added keep it
inside as the other side of talk about again in an attempt to have a
more neutral and not guiding question. Neutral and not guiding general
questions result in spontaneous and true answers. So let me ask Thomas
again Zoe with emphasis on the important words.
-Do you want to talk about your personal problems or do you want to
keep it inside?
-Yes, I want to talk about my problems but I try to be cautious because at
times I have spoken to certain people who were completely unsuitable
and
-At times or often?
-Well, now it doesnt happen very often but in the past it did a number of
times.
-Well folks, my conclusion is that not only he talks about his personal
problems but that he talks a lot! In fact he is dying to talk about it!
(laughing) But, because he got into great troubles in the past due to this
habit of his, now he tries hard not to yield to this tendency. (laughing)
-Unfortunately you are so damn right! Thats what I do! Thats me!
(laughing)
-So, he is extrovert grade 3 or at least 2. Let me ask you: To how many
people do you talk about your personal problems?
-I talk to my brother, father, two friends that I no longer see often and
with a female friend
-He has already referred to 5 people!
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-And it is likely that he would have wanted to talk to even more if he
could
-Thats right! So, to sum up, he is extrovert grade 3. Go on Zoe.
-If you want to cry, if you feel like crying at a certain moment, you may
do it in front of others or do you want to do it alone? Well Id rather
ask you first if you cry easily.
-I would say that I dont cry easily but, yes I may be moved even to
tears but to cry often I wouldnt say that.
-Cut again! Please, notice what I am going to tell you. Whenever we ask
a man if he cries easily he will not answer the same way as a woman will
do. A man will not confess easily that he weeps but he will easily accept
that his eyes filled with tears or clouded over but that is also
weeping, in the sense of the male version. Thats why Thomas said that he
doesnt cry easily but instead he is moved even to tears. Phosphor
and Lycopodium have this characteristic and also sycotic Sulphur may
have it not to mention Pulsatilla that has it at grade3. I must, of course
add, that Pulsatilla is most of the times a female idiosyncrasy and rarely
a male one. Go on, Zoe.
-Have you got any fears, any phobias?
-Wait a minute, Zoe! He has already told you many things about his past
fears at the beginning of our case taking. You just cant ask him again as
if he said nothing. You could simply tell him: Lets go back to the fears
youve mentioned so as to reignite that subject. Whenever we discuss
his present disease at the beginning of our case, even if that has to do
with his general psychological characteristics, like for example fears, it is
advisable not to fully clarify it until the patient becomes more
comfortable with us and the procedure and then later on fully examine it
as we should. So I ask him now:
-You mentioned some fears you had in the past. What fears do you have
now, not then, now, the last few months?
-Well, my main fears have to do with my health. As a matter of fact in the
past I was also afraid of insanity but not anymore. Now I am afraid that
something will happen and will ruin my life.
-OK, continue Zoe.
-Whenever you hear that someone you know had a stroke or a heart
attack or a severe disease does this affect you?
-Yes, unfortunately, yes it does! Especially when I hear about cancer,
especially that.
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-Does this mean that you may
-That I may have it too? That it may happen to me also and that at any
moment it can happen to me also? Yes! And I think about what he has
done in the past so as to get ill and if I have done it also it sticks into
my mind and Id rather never have heard it. Thats what happens.
-(Zoe) Would you like me now to ask something else to see if he is
Phosphor or shall I ask in general?
-I think that he has already spoken very clearly about his fears regarding
his health. That is, he has a great fear about his health and he is greatly
influenced when he hears about others health problems in the sense that
he is at the same time worried about him and sympathizes with the
misfortunes of others. He is at the same time fearful about his health and
compassionate to others. So go on, Zoe.
8.10 Clarify, clarify, clarify
-Any fears about germs? Does it happen sometimes that you wash your
hands and then feel like washing it again and again?
-Yes, yes, that happens all the time!
-How often?
-Well, it happens when well, in general I am very tidy. I wash my
hands every time I come home and necessarily before I eat there is no
way I wont wash them before eating.
-Does it often happen to wash it again and again for a second or third
time?
-Well, not so often, maybe once in a while but I am very cautious.
-I have to interfere and ask a few questions so as to clarify things and
evaluate this fear. I cant be satisfied to let my patient evaluate his
symptoms by saying a lot, often etc. These are general expressions
and have a different meaning for each patient. Someone may wash his
hands five times a day and consider this as too much and someone else
may wash his hands thirty times a day and may consider it inadequate. So
I will ask:
-Usually, how often do you wash your hands in a single day? Five times,
ten, twenty, forty or more?
-Well, lets say from five to ten times a day.
-See what I told you? He is so enthusiastic and plethoric when he talks
that someone could think that he washes his hands at least thirty times a
day but the fact is that he only washes it five to ten times a day, that is, at
a rather normal rate. Its possible that in the past his fears about germs
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were much stronger and it is probable that at the present he answers in
an exaggerated manner due to past memories. So you must always clarify
and crosscheck whatever your patient says. Go on, Zoe.
-Did it ever happen when leaving home, job or car to have the feeling that
you may have left the door open?
-Yes, yes of course, thats it that was one of my obsessions in the past
and then it was very strong.
-Does it happen now also?
-Well, not now because I have found a way to solve this problem I do
all procedures in a prefixed way and I say to myself now I am locking
the door. But then I may think that the key was left on the door although
I know that I have put it in my pocket. I always check if I have left the
key on the door although I know I took it.
-After going away from the door do you still have the
-No, I dont.
-Let me interrupt again. Zoe asked Did it ever happen while the
correct way to ask was Does it often happens which implies
something that is happening now and something that happens often,
which of course becomes a characteristic symptom and not an ordinary
one.
8.11 Predominant idiosyncrasy and secondary ones
My conclusion from his last answers is that he was grade 3 regarding
obsessions in the past while now he is grade 2. This is very important
because he must have been a typical Argentum Nitricum in the past while
now the predominant idiosyncrasy, the Simillimum, is Phosphor. The
changing of an important characteristic symptom at a certain time is
critical at times and may signify a change in the predominant
idiosyncrasy. Whenever such a thing happens how do I note it down? I
write down obsessive3-2, which means that he was grade 3 in the past
and now is grade 2.
-But, does Phosphor have such intense obsessive ideas?
-No, this is not characteristic of the idiosyncrasy Phosphor but it is a
characteristic of the individual called Thomas at the present time. Dont
ever confuse the individual, the man, with the idiosyncrasies that affect
him at times. Moreover, a certain person during his life is affected by
several, mostly relative, idiosyncrasies. At a certain moment only one is
the predominant, the Simillimum, but at the same time there are a few
more secondary ones that are underneath the prevailing and may pop up
and become predominant according to conditions of his life. These
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secondary idiosyncrasies often produce certain symptoms at the present
that are not part of the predominant idiosyncrasy. In Thomas case, for
example his Simillimum for the present is clearly Phosphor but he has
Argentum Nitricum as a secondary idiosyncrasy that lies underneath
Phosphor and produces certain obsessive ideas but not as prevailing
symptoms.
-Should we ask about how he was during his childhood? I mean how he
was idiosyncratically. Dont we need that?
-Not regarding present prescription but its useful to know his past
idiosyncratic history because this often gives us a clue about his
idiosyncratic future. Nevertheless, at present, now, we have a clear
picture of Phosphor. Go on, Zoe.
8.12 Ask right, investigate and draw conclusions
-Whenever you walk on a street does it happen to want to count steps,
numbers, cars etc?
-Well, at times I want not to step on the margins of the paving stones and
other times while walking I feel as if there is a certain rhythm inside me
and I say to myself stop thinking about it, walk free without counting
-So you do count?
-Its as if I walk by a certain rhythm, as if I follow a metronome and I try
to say to myself stop it, I dont want you to have this rhythm in your
head.
-While walking do you have the feeling that something is behind you or
besides you?
-No, no.
-Are you afraid of heights?
-No, to be frank, no.
-Any other fears?
-Stop! Cut! Have you reached to a conclusion about fear of height Zoe?
-But, he said that he doesnt have any fear and moreover he knows
Homeopathy
-No, he doesnt! At this moment, you are the doctor and he is the patient!
And your job is to ask right, investigate, evaluate and draw conclusions.
You have to be more specific as to your questions. For example you ask a
patient about fear of heights and he remembers some years ago when he
went on an excursion and passed a bridge that was over a steep cliff and
he was scared so now he tells you yes, I am afraid of heights a lot.
Should you accept his answer just like that? You will be wrong. The
correct way to ask about fear of heights is: Are you afraid of heights, for
example when you look down from a balcony? And if he says yes,
then you ask him:
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-From what floor up do you start being afraid? From the first, second,
third or fifth?
-I dont have any such problem.
-Have you got any other fears at the present?
-Well, no, I havent got any other fears for the present. Thats all there is
to.
-Zoe, go on asking about his self-confidence.
-Compared to average person of the same age regarding cleverness, do
you feel on the average, below or above?
-Regarding cleverness I dont think that I am inferior because whenever I
talk with other people it never happens not to understand what they say or
to be late in understanding. On the contrary I realize what the others say
right from the beginning. I believe that maybe I think a lot more than
most others do and I sit down and analyze things well I dont know if
that means that I am more clever. I think I am a normal guy.
-Do you like reading books?
-Yes, I like it a lot.
-What kind of subjects do you read? Litterature
-Stop Zoe. You shouldnt ask What kind of subjects do you read?
Instead, you should ask What do you like to read? Can you understand
the difference? If we ask him in the first way then if he is an engineer he
will probably say that he reads technical stuff because of his job although
he may not like it. If we ask him in the second way what interests us is
what he really likes to read although he may not have the time to do it.
Our aim is what he likes because this always reveals idiosyncratic
characteristics. So, we always emphasize on like. Let me remind you
that we did the same thing when we were asking about his likes and
dislikes concerning tastes. Our emphasis wasnt on what he eats,
probably for medical reasons, but on what he likes to eat. Go on Thomas
and answer to Zoe.
-I like subjects like Psychology, Literature and anything that has to do
with esoteric inquiry. Conventional Science does not interest me
anymore.
-Does that mean that you like reading books from which you will gain
knowledge?
-Yes, I want that, I want it. I want it because after reading it I try to
analyze it and think over it.
-What about movies and TV?
-Yes, I do watch movies.
-What kind of movies do you like watching?
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-Well, I like social movies because they deal with people that face hard
problems like for example a recent movie called Life Imprisonment
which dealt with the profile of a rapist but I also enjoy cartoons at times.
It may seem strange but I like watching how a cartoon is made and I like
watching cartoons if they are good ones.
-How about documentaries about Nature?
-No, I dont watch documentaries about Nature.
-How about documentaries about Universe or science fiction?
-Yes I like science fiction.
-Let me comment a little. Whenever we ask about books or movies we are
mainly drawing characteristic information about two idiosyncrasies. If he
is a Sulphur guy, a superficial philosopher, then he likes mysteries,
strange things and deals with it superficially. If he is a Lycopodium
individual he likes reading in order to learn, to improve himself and to
show off to others creating a cultured public image. Phosphor usually
reads books because he wants to solve his problems and because he is
interested in social matters, especially with whatever has to do with
injustice, etc. Go on, Zoe.
-So you like cartoons also?
-Yes, he likes cartoons also because he, himself remains a child inside
and enjoys it (laughing). Sorry for interrupting you Zoe, I couldnt help
it please, go on.
-I forgot to ask him if he prefers the sea or the mountain. Do you prefer
the sea or the mountain?
-I like it both.
8.13 Differential Diagnosis: Exclusion of relative idiosyncrasies and
confirmation of Simillimum
-Now its time for differential diagnosis. When on the process of
differential diagnosis, the first and easiest thing to do is to exclude the
less possible idiosyncrasies, for example in our case Gelsemium. How do
you ask about it? Let me show you:
-If you are in a party with a crowd, will you feel comfortable or will you
have stage fright?
-Well in the past I did have stage fright and I had a hard time but now
only at the beginning then I get over it and I talk and I seek for
interesting people and have a nice time.
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-You see, he wasnt a Gelsemium guy in the past he was a Lycopodium
guy. (laughing) Well let me ask him so as to exclude Lycopodium as
present idiosyncrasy. Around 11 oclock in the morning, does it happen
to have a strong desire for food?
-I dont think so unless
-Do you usually eat quickly, hastily, even if you have enough time?
- (Zoe) But, but you didnt leave him any time to answer to you
-I know it but the way he started answering already revealed me that he
has nothing important to say, so I go on or else we will not finish our case
taking in another five hours so I ask again: Do you usually eat
quickly, hastily?
-No, no.
-Do you have the tendency to eat hastily? I am not asking you if you
control it for reasons of better digestion
-If I eat hastily then I will have digestion problems.
-Is your original tendency to eat hastily no matter if due to digestive
problems you control it? Yes or not?
-No. To be frank, in the past I used to eat more quickly but I have read
that we should eat slowly and then I started to like eating slowly and
since then I just cant eat quickly.
- (Zoe) He isnt a Lycopodium patient not only regarding the above
answers but also in many other aspects
-Right! So we exclude Lycopodium, we exclude also Sulphur by asking
the appropriate questions and lets proceed to differential diagnosis
among the two most probable idiosyncrasies, that is Argentum Nitricum
and Phosphor. What we do is to ask again questions about the main
characteristics of these two idiosyncrasies so as to clear the picture. If we
still have a dilemma, then a helpful technique is to let the patient choose
among the basic critical characteristics of the idiosyncrasies involved in
differential diagnosis. Regarding our case I ask him:
-Whats stronger the last couple months: Your obsessions or your worry
about your health?
-I would definitely say my worry about my health.
-See, how clear it was for him? I am also convinced that he is right so we
will prescribe Phosphor for him. The patient is usually closer to himself
that the doctor. He feels himself while the doctor suspects things about a
different person. So the patients opinion must be taken seriously in
consideration, provided that I ask correctly, that I have a good
communication with my patient and that the patient has a good conduct
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with himself. So, finally, at last, Thomas will swallow a pill of Phosphor
and will get well! (laughing)
I must add that in the past he was a typical Argentum Nitricum case,
especially at the time he had that panic attack when attending psychiatric
lectures
-I felt such strong things at that time
-You have faced hard conditions and Argentum Nitricum was the result
-Is depression an Argentum Nitricum state?
-Only if it has the Argentum Nitricum characteristics. Depression is a
disease. Any idiosyncrasy can suit a case of depression, some more
frequently and some less frequently. Depression isnt an idiosyncratic
characteristic! Its a general state and can have the characteristics of this
or that idiosyncrasy or this or that miasma. How would you describe a
sycotic depression for instance?
-He would be shouting, dancing
-Yes, it would certainly involve overacting. Let me remind you of old
classic Greek movies where the wide boy was dumped by the heartless
broad and goes to the club late at night already drunk and orders a special
request to the band and dances the Zorba the Greek dance (laughing).
On the contrary, when it comes to psoric depression, the poor psoric
heart-broken guy wants to be alone doing nothing else but thinking about
his dark life. Lastly, the syphilitic heart-broken person may go and stub
that bitch that dared betray him or will work out a wicked revenge.
(laughing)
To conclude, this is the way a case taking is being done by a homeopathic
doctor applying the Miasmatic Idiosyncratic Diagnosis. You definitely
need to have a very good knowledge of idiosyncrasies and a very good
training in the technique of interrogation. Its useful to have a general
diagram of the questions to be asked inside your mind but we always
individualize. We never ask in a mechanic way but we always interact
with our patient. We keep asking for clarifications in order to evaluate
correctly whatever our patient says. We often receive irrelevant answers
from which we can draw important information if we read between the
lines, that is, if we can perceive the intentions of the patient, that are
hidden behind words, phrases, motions, appearance, etc. Let me remind
you once again, the crucial importance of non-verbal information.
Our questions should always be clear and understandable. They should be
purposeful but at the same time shouldnt guide the patient towards a pre-
chosen direction so as not to receive a biased answer. Whenever the
patient becomes enthusiastic its because weve used the right bate-
159
question and then we encourage him to talk extensively and express
himself. Let me remind you that I kept asking him what behaviors make
you angry because I realized from his enthusiasm that this was
something important for him. Our discussion on that field did not result to
a certain rubric from the Repertory but it gave us important information
about his miasmas. It revealed to us that he is psoric regarding his
morality and principles and sycotic regarding his expression and that,
alone, guided us towards his Simillimum, towards Phosphor.
So, thats all folks! I am obliged to Thomas for volunteering to be the
patient for tonight, although I am sure that he really enjoyed it! And
that, my friends, is the final and most decisive confirmation that our
prescription was indeed, the right one! (laughing)
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EPILOGUE
If you are not a doctor
and reading this book new horizons met your thought,
If you are an allopathic doctor
and this book raised philosophical and medical issues to you,
and finally,
If you are a homeopathic doctor
and this book added something to your knowledge,
then, it was worth writing it!
Nevertheless, I did enjoy writing it too
and it has become, indeed, a joyful part of my life and me!









Dr. Athos Stavrou Othonos

I practice Homeopathic Medicine as a private doctor in Athens the last 28
years, being a member of the Athens Medical Association and a member of the
Greek Association of Homeopathic Medicine.
I've always enjoyed reading and writing books! Up to now I have written 21
books on Holistic Philosophy, 16 Homeopathic Medical books and 8 Litterature
books. In my Homeopathic Medical Books one can find a complete course on
Homeopathic Medicine and the description of the Method of Miasmatic
Idiosyncratic Diagnosis developed by me the last 15 years.
My books either philosophical, novels or medical are the outcome of this
theoretical search and also the outcome of many years of medical and personal
experience. Their common ground is Holistic Thinking and Holistic Philosophy.
My choice to offer all my books for free in my web site homeomed.gr and in
other sites for free e-books is in accordance with my holistic beliefs.