Silica

Core Essence: FIXED, DEFINITE SENSE OF IMAGE/OPINION

CONCEALED BY A
YIELDING EXTERIOR
Central Picture:
The key idea describing Silica patients is that they are YIELDING. It is a kind of shyness
or timidity. It is a submissiveness that arises out of a lack of energy to insist upon his or
her point of view, even though it may be strongly held'They are quite agreeable and mild,
easy to get along with. Silica patients are intellectuals, but not aggressive or critical. They
have highly refined sensibilities, and they are very intelligent. If you try to impose an
opinion upon a Silica person, she will not oppose you. She is sensitive to impressions and
therefore takes into account your point of view. She understands very well where you are
right and where you are wrong but she holds her opinions to herself. She has an opinion
of her own, but she does not want to go to the trouble to impress it upon the world.
Keynote Characteristics:
- The patient will admit to having convictions which he does not argue.
- He catches cold easily, especially when he uncovers his feet and head. Stitches in all
the joints at night. General aggravation from suppressed sweat, often of the feet.
- Acute and chronic otitis media and serous otitis; Chronic, dry nasal obstruction.
Dental abscesses, fistulas and infections of the gum. Bartholin's cysts.
- Constipation: always before and during menses; difficult, as from inactivity of rectum;
with great straining as if rectum was paralyzed.
- Foot-sweat, often offensive and profuse, more prominent in children than adults.
The sweat can be corrosive, causing excoriation of feet and holes in the socks.
Bunions. Ingrown toenails.
- Painless suppuration of the glands and suppuration of all kinds. Usefulness in
running ears and fistula lachrymalis. Psoas abscess. Fistulas. Inflammation and
swelling of the bones and caries in any part. Non-tuberculous curvature of the spine.
- Aggravation. Cold: during menses; during new moon; uncovering, especially the head;
lying down. Amelioration. Warmth, especially from wrapping up the head; all the
symptoms except gastric, are ameliorated by cold food.
Differentials:
Silica and Nitric acid. Both tend to be thin and chilly. Both have acrid perspiration. Both
have tumours, warts and fissures. Both have white spots on the nails. On purely physical
symptomatology, the key differentials are salt and fat. Nitric acid desires fat and salt,
whereas Silica is averse to salt and intolerant to fat.
Silica and Calcarea sulph. In suppuration compare Calcarea sulph., the difference
being that Silicea promotes suppuration and brings the process to maturity, whereas Calc.
sulph. heals the process by checking it and promoting the healthy granulation.

Silica and Lycopodium. Both remedies appear pliant and yielding But Silica has an
opinion of her own but choose not to argue while Lycopodium submits due to inferiority
and cowardice.