Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

MINOR REMEDIES• 161Remedy profileGranatum is best suited to people who areill-humored, overly impressionable, andsensitive. Often dejected, discouraged, weary,and gloomy, they tend to be melancholic andprone to hypochondria.The remedy is used primarily for theexpulsion of tapeworms. The typical symptompicture may include nausea, excess salivation,dizziness, pale blue rings around the eyes,itching and tickling in the nose, and itchingand tingling in the anus. There may beemaciation or a loss of appetite, or ravenoushunger with cravings for coffee and souror juicy foods such as fruits.Symptoms better After dinner; after drinkingcold water.Symptoms worse For looking upward;for walking; for the pressure of clothing;for alcohol.PyrogeniumPYROGEN.COMMON NAME Pyrogen.ORIGIN Decomposed, rotten meat.BACKGROUND The term pyrogen oftenapplies to proteins produced in responseto infection. They are also produced whenflesh decomposes.PREPARATION Chopped, lean beef is soakedin water, sterilized, dissolved in purifiedwater, then diluted and succussed.Remedy profilePeople who benefit most from Pyrogen.have a tendency to be hypersensitive,and have overactive brains. Restless andtalkative, they often think and talk rapidly.They may feel insane and have bizarrephysical sensations; for instance, that theirbody is “crowded with arms and legs.”These are most common during a fever.Conditions usually treated by Pyrogen.include infections, fevers, suppuration,influenza, and septic states. Characteristicsymptoms include aching, bruising, pain,great restlessness, and foul-smelling sweat,diarrhea, breath, and other discharges.Conditions may be acute or due to a priorinfection. There may be red streakson the skin from the limbs to the heart,or sore, recurring abscesses that never fullyheal. The tongue may be red and shinyor coated.The remedy may also be used to treatinfection in the genital tract followingchildbirth or an abortion, and may helpwomen who have a pelvic infection, orwho have a fever during menstruation.QUERCUS ROBUR(Oak)Symptoms better For heat; for a hot bath; forstretching; for changing position; for hot drinks.Symptoms worse For cold and damp; for sitting.Quercus roburQUERCUSCOMMON NAMES Oak, common oak, English oak.ORIGIN Found throughout the NorthernHemisphere and cultivated for its timber.BACKGROUND Sacred to the Druids anddedicated to the Norse god Thor, the oak haslong been important in many cultures, botheconomically and in herbal medicine.PREPARATION The acorns are steeped in alcoholuntil soft, then peeled, crushed, diluted inalcohol, and succussed.Remedy profilePeople who respond best to Quercus tendto be nervous, weepy, and unable to speakclearly or think straight.Chronic spleen disorders involving fluidretention are primarily associated with Quercus.It is used for an enlarged spleen, possibly dueto recurrent malaria or to alcoholism. Quercusmay relieve the effects of acute alcoholpoisoning and lessen the desire for alcohol,although it will not cure alcoholism. Recurrentgout may also be helped by the remedy.Symptoms better None known.Symptoms worse None known.Radium bromatumRADIUM BROM.COMMON NAME Radium bromide.ORIGIN Chemically prepared.BACKGROUND Radium is too unstable to exist ina pure form in nature, and usually combineswith chlorine or bromine.PREPARATION The compound is dissolved inpurified water, diluted, and succussed.Remedy profileRadium brom. is best suited to depressed,anxious people who need company and areafraid of being alone in the dark. Conditionsarising from radiation poisoning or treatment,such as ulcers from X-ray burns or skinproblems, are typically treated with the remedy.Skin symptoms are characterized by burning,dry, itchy, scaly eruptions, or by thickening orcallousing of the skin: psoriasis, eczema,dermatitis, acne rosacea, nevi (skin blemishes),moles, ulcers, and even cancers may all respondto the remedy. Constricting neuralgic pains,acute rheumatic pains, and numbness may alsobe helped by Radium brom.Symptoms better For open air; for hot baths;for sleep; for eating.Symptoms worse For movement; forgetting up from lying down; for shaving;for bathing.Ranunculus bulbosusRANUNCULUS BULB.COMMON NAMES Bulbous buttercup,bulbous crowfoot.ORIGIN Native to Europe, but now alsocommon throughout North America.BACKGROUND The buttercup has been usedmedicinally since the time of ancientGreece. Toxic and irritant, it was mostlyused externally for skin growths such aswarts and blemishes.PREPARATION The whole plant in flower isfinely chopped and steeped in alcohol.Remedy profileThis remedy is most suited to those whoare irritable, depressed, and quarrelsome.They feel weepy and inadequate, andworse for thinking about their symptoms.Restlessness and insomnia are commoncharacteristic traits.The classic symptom picture for Ranunculusbulb. includes muscle, joint, and skin problems,possibly occurring simultaneously. Typicalmuscle problems include soreness, deep,bruising pain, and, particularly, chest painbetween the ribs. The classic skin symptomsfor this remedy focus on eczema or herpes,especially herpes zoster (shingles), with intenseburning and itching.Symptoms better For warm weather; for warmcompresses; for rest; for standing; for sittingbent forward.Symptoms worse For drafts or open air,especially damp, cold air; for stormy weather;for changes in temperature; for movement,particularly of the arms; for thinking aboutsymptoms; for alcohol.