Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

142 • MINOR REMEDIESEquisetum hyemale & E. arvenseEQUISETUMCOMMON NAMES Rough horsetail, field horsetail.ORIGIN Found mainly in Asia, particularlyChina, and in Europe and North America.BACKGROUND This primitive genus has beenused to heal wounds since at least the1st century BCE. Strongly abrasive, it wasused between the Middle Ages and the18th century as a pot-scourer.PREPARATION The fresh plant of eitherspecies, including the root, isfirst pulped, then steepedin alcohol.Remedy profileThose who respond best to this remedyare irritable and easily tired. Equisetum isused chiefly for painful irritation of thebladder, which is aching, full, and tender.There is typically a sensation of painfulpressure on either side of the lowerabdomen and bladder. The pain becomesworse at the end of urination. There maybe a constant desire to urinate, possiblywith dribbling of urine, or mucus in theurine. The remedy is also given to childrenwho wet their bed during nightmares orother dreams.Symptoms better For lying on the back;for walking.Symptoms worse For being touched; formovement; for pressure on the painful area.See also Bedwetting, page 248Erythroxylum cocaCOCACOMMON NAME Coca.EQUISETUM ARVENSE(Field horsetail)ORIGIN Native to Peru and Bolivia, but now alsocultivated elsewhere in South America and inAsia, usually illegally.BACKGROUND Early European travelers to theAndes noted that the indigenous Indianschewed coca leaves as a stimulant. Cocacontains cocaine, a narcotic drug that hasspawned a huge illegal industry.PREPARATION The leaves are dried, powdered,and macerated in alcohol.Remedy profileCoca is most appropriate for people whoalternate between complete exhaustion andgreat mental excitement. They may be timid andantisocial, and have a sense of impending deathand auditory hallucinations, or they may beextremely talkative and experience blissfulvisions. Their brains may feel muddled, andthey can lose their sense of right or wrong andneglect their appearance. It is often used forsymptoms associated with altitude sickness.Athletes and elderly people with symptoms ofbreathlessness or asthma may also be treatedwith Coca, since the classic physical symptompicture includes breathlessness.Symptoms better For rapid movement; for openair; after sunset; for wine.Symptoms worse For cold; for ascending to highaltitudes; for physical and mental exertion.Eupatorium perfoliatumEUPATORIUM PER.COMMON NAMES Boneset, agueweed,thoroughwort, sweating plant.ORIGIN Native to North America.BACKGROUND Native Americans used a bonesetinfusion for colds, fever, arthritis, and rheumaticpain. It became popular with European settlersdue to its ability to stimulate the immunesystem against fever.PREPARATION The fresh aerial parts in flower aremacerated in alcohol.Remedy profileWhen unwell, people for whom this remedy isbest suited may moan with pain and feel thatthey are going out of their minds. They tendto feel anxious and restless, wishing that theycould keep still. They may have a sensation asthough their bones are broken.Eupatorium per. is usually given forinfluenza or malarial fever accompanied bypain in the limbs. Fever typically starts as achill, then generates heat, sweating, and astrong thirst, accompanied by pains in thebones and great restlessness. Furthersymptoms that may be treated includevomiting of bile, and headaches that feelworse during the sweating phase.Symptoms better For conversation; aftervomiting bile.Symptoms worse For cold air; after a recurringinterval of time; for movement; for the smell orsight of food.Euphorbia resinifera ‘Berger’EUPHORBIUMCOMMON NAMES Spurge, gum euphorbia.ORIGIN Native to Morocco.BACKGROUND In classical times spurge was usedas a purgative, until recognition of the dangerof poisoning from an overdose led to disuse. InEurope its milky, irritant sap was used to burnoff warts until the 19th century.PREPARATION The hardened, resinous sap ismacerated in alcohol.Remedy profileA key symptom linked with Euphorbium isburning pain in the bones, as if there are livecoals in or on the bones. The limbs may feelweak and dislocated, with sharp, crampingpains and weakness in the joints.Another classic problem treated by thisremedy is itching, burning skin, possibly withwarts, slow-healing ulcers, or yellow blistering.These symptoms may be due to erysipelas(a bacterial infection) on the face.Symptoms better For movement; for applying oilto the affected area.Symptoms worse For sitting; for touch; onbeginning to move.Euphrasia officinalisEUPHRASIACOMMON NAME Eyebright.ORIGIN Native to Europe, but now also found inAsia and North America.BACKGROUND This herb has been used to treat eyestrain and inflammations since the Middle Ages.Modern herbalists use it for infections andallergic conditions of the eyes, middle ear,sinuses, and nasal passages.PREPARATION The whole, fresh, flowering plant,including the root, is chopped and maceratedin alcohol.Remedy profilePeople who respond well to Euphrasia aretypically taciturn, indolent, melancholic,and prone to daydreaming.Euphrasia has a classic affinitywith the eyes. Commonphysical symptoms includeirritation in the eyes, with cutting, burning,pressing pains and sticky mucus. There istypically heightened sensitivity to light,with burning, swollen eyelids and frequentblinking. The eyes tend to water profusely,a symptom that is exacerbated by open air,lying down, or coughing. The remedy isused mainly for allergies or infectionsaffecting the eyes and nose, such as colds,