Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

136 •MINOR REMEDIESChininum sulphuricumCHINA SULPH.COMMON NAME Quinine sulfate.ORIGIN Chemically prepared.BACKGROUND This compound is one of thequinine salts used in conventional medicineto treat malaria (see page 49).PREPARATION The compound is dissolved inalcohol, diluted, and succussed.Remedy profileA great fear of impending misfortune orextreme anxiety about the future is typicalin those most responsive to China sulph.They often seem bad-tempered, nervous,indifferent, weepy, and depressed. Theymay have difficulty naming objects.Classic physical symptoms linked to Chinasulph. include heavy, aching limbs, joint pains,and a tender, sensitive spine that feels worsefor pressure. There may be a sinking sensationwhen lying down, as if falling through the bed.The remedy may also be used for tinnitus,severe head pain, and recurrent fever, possiblydue to malaria. Symptoms often recur at thesame time each day, particularly at around 3 p.m.Symptoms better For cold compresses; foryawning; for bending forward; for pressure on theaffected area.Symptoms worse For cold; for touch; at particulartimes of day; at around 3 p.m.See also Tinnitus, page 222Chionanthus virginicumCHIONANTHUSCOMMON NAME Fringe tree.ORIGIN Native to the US but now also found ineastern Asia.BACKGROUND Traditionally used to treat mouthulcers, spongy gums, and eye inflammation bynative Americans and early European settlers inthe 18th century.PREPARATION The chopped bark of the fresh rootis macerated in alcohol.Remedy profileChionanthus is most appropriate for those whoare insular, melancholic, and gloomy, withhypochondriac tendencies. They feel “playedout,” apathetic, and listless, and may developnervous exhaustion.The remedy is generally used for liverproblems such as jaundice, gallstones, andbiliary colic, with the characteristic fatigue.Liver pain is usually accompanied by colic,cramps, vomiting, and the feeling that theintestines are being spasmodically squeezed.The stools may be pale due to lack of bile.Another key use of Chionanthus is forheadaches, especially those associated withnervous tension or menstruation, oraccompanied by digestive upsets.Symptoms better For lying on the abdomen.Symptoms worse For movement; for jarring.ChocolatumCHOCOLATECOMMON NAME Chocolate.ORIGIN Made from the fruitsof the Theobroma cacaotree, native to CentralAmerica and grown inother tropical areas.BACKGROUND Used forcenturies by the Mayaand Aztecs in a bitterdrink called xocolatl,cocoa was brought toTHEOBROMAEurope by ChristopherCACAO (Cocopod and seeds)Columbus in 1502.The Europeans then gradually developedthis import into the chocolate that hasbecome so popular in modern times.PREPARATION Dark, high-cocoa-mass chocolateis triturated with lactose sugar.Remedy profileThis remedy is primarily used for a classic stateof mind rather than a set of physical symptoms.People for whom Chocolate is best suited tendto lack concentration and to feel anxious,vulnerable, and self-conscious, as if they arebeing watched. They are prone to fears of cars,accidents, illness, dogs, or being attacked. Theymay feel estranged from loved ones, and believethat they do not belong anywhere. This stateof mind can develop into withdrawal andantisocial behavior, associated particularlywith a reluctance to talk and a desire to bealone in the evening.Although used chiefly for emotionalstates, the symptom picture for Chocolatemay include physical symptoms such asconstriction in the chest or head, andnervous disorders associated with greatclumsiness and heaviness in the limbs.Symptoms better For warmth; for beingcovered up.Symptoms worse In the evening; on waking; foreating chocolate or sweets; for drinking tea.Cicuta virosaCICUTACOMMON NAMES Water hemlock, cowbane.ORIGIN Found in swamps and wet places inKashmir and the Arctic.BACKGROUND The name “cowbane” derives fromthe fact that grazing on the plant can transmita potentially fatal disease to cattle.PREPARATION The fresh root, gathered when theplant is in bloom, is chopped and maceratedin alcohol.Remedy profileCicuta has an affinity with the nervoussystem and is used both for nervoustemperamental conditions and for physicaldisorders of the nervous system. It isgenerally given to people who behavechildishly and do absurd things. They maybe wild, delirious, and overexcited, orexhibit great sensitivity to sad stories and tothe happiness of other people. Alternatively,they may be distrustful, despise otherpeople, and have an aversion to society.Their memories can go blank for longperiods. Classic physical symptomsassociated with Cicuta focus on spasmodiceffects on the nervous system, ranging fromstammering and hiccups to sudden, strongjerks and spasms. Petit mal fits with longabsences may be treated with the remedy,as may epilepsy or violent convulsionsaccompanied by facial contortions andsevere backward twisting and archingof the head and neck.The remedy may also be used for someskin disorders, often involving pustules thatleave yellowish scabs, such as eczema orimpetigo. The head and face may be mostaffected, or the whole body may developchronic eruptions that itch, burn, and crust.A craving for chalk may occur, as may aninability to distinguish what is edible.Symptoms better For warmth; for arching thehead, neck, and spine backward; for dwellingon pain; directly after eating.Symptoms worse For cold; for being touched orjarred; during sleep; for noise; if skin symptomsare suppressed or diminished but not cured;for intestinal worms; after concussion.See also Severe eczema, page 194Cinnamomum camphora syn.Laurus camphoraCAMPHORACOMMON NAME Camphor.ORIGIN Native to Indochina and Japan, but nowfound in tropical and subtropical regionsthroughout the world.BACKGROUND Commonly used as a mothrepellent, camphor is also a strongnarcotic, and was praised by the famous16th-century scientist Paracelsus for its“cooling” effect on brain disorders. It is