Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

MINOR REMEDIES• 165Remedy profileScutellaria is best suited to peoplewho have a sense of forebodingand feel exhausted, confused, andunable to concentrate.The typical symptom picture is ofnervous exhaustion, possibly as a resultof illness, continuous, tiring work, orover-studying. The remedy may helpchronic fatigue syndrome, headacheswith a sensation of the space in thehead being too small for its contents,possible dizziness, twitching muscles,and sensitivity to light.Symptoms better At night; formovement in the open air.Symptoms worse For light; for noise;for smells; for eating.Secale cornutumSECALECOMMON NAME Ergot.ORIGIN From the fungus Claviceps purpurea,which grows mostly on cereal crops in Europe,North America, and Asia.BACKGROUND This fungus, largely found on rye,is used in a drug prescribed by Westernmedicine to halt bleeding.PREPARATION Ergot is collected while stillimmature, then dried, powdered, and maceratedin alcohol.Remedy profilePeople who benefit most from Secale often feelconfused, suspicious, and fearful, and may evendoubt their own sanity.A key affinity for Secale is with uterineproblems in women. It is often used for uterinebleeding and hypercontraction of the musclesin the uterus. Secale is given to strengthen weakcontractions during labor, and for puerperalsepsis (infection in the genital tract afterchildbirth). It may also help menstrual crampswith dark, irregular bleeding, and a flow ofwatery blood between menstrual periods.Symptoms better For cold; for bathing; forstretching; for uncovering the body.Symptoms worse For warmth; for touch, evenof sheets; before or after menstruating; inpregnancy; after miscarriage or labor.Selenicereus grandiflorusCACTUS GRAND.COMMON NAME Night-blooming cereus.ORIGIN Native to Central America and theWest Indies.BACKGROUND Widely renowned for its beauty,this plant is also cultivated for use in aSELENICEREUS GRANDIFLORUS(Night-blooming cereus)conventional rheumatic drug and is valuedherbally as a remedy for the heart.PREPARATION Young, tender stems and flowersare collected in summer, finely chopped, andsteeped in alcohol.Remedy profileSad, distracted people who tend to be anxiousabout their health are most likely to respondwell to Cactus grand.Classic symptoms associated with Cactusgrand. include constriction in the muscle fibers,and a painful feeling of the body being cagedand twisted. The remedy is especially associatedwith pains in the heart, such as those triggeredby angina. Heart conditions relieved by Cactusgrand. are typified by severe pain in the chest,as if it is being confined and squeezed by aniron band around the torso. The pain mayextend into the left arm or hand and beaccompanied by numbness.Symptoms better For open air; for sitting;for rest.Symptoms worse For walking; for lying on theleft side; for lying on the back.See also Angina, page 185Selenium metallicumSELENIUM MET.COMMON NAME Selenium.ORIGIN Found in volcanic areas and in sulfideores such as pyrite.BACKGROUND Selenium was one of the elementsdiscovered by a Swedish chemist, Berzelius.In 1817 he named it after the Greek selene,or “moon,” an analogywith tellurium, from tellusor “earth.”PREPARATION The element istriturated with lactose sugar.Remedy profilePeople who benefit mostfrom this remedy may havedifficulties in connecting toor becoming intimate withothers and may withdraw,even from close friends. Mental activity maycause them great exhaustion, and they maybe very forgetful. Great weakness, particularlyif the body temperature increases, is a classicfeature associated with this remedy. It isused for conditions such as chronic fatiguesyndrome and multiple sclerosis, whenthere is rapid mental and physical exhaustion,with unhealthy-looking skin, emaciation,constipation, hair loss, and possiblemalfunction of the nerves governing thegenitourinary tract.Symptoms better For breathing cold air; aftersunset; for drinking cold water.Symptoms worse For hot days; for drafts of air;for sleep; for talking; for passing stools.Senecio aureusSENECIOCOMMON NAMES Life root, squaw weedORIGIN Native to eastern North America.BACKGROUND Traditionally valued by nativeAmericans for problems of the femalereproductive system, life root is nowconsidered by herbalists to be unsafe forinternal use.PREPARATION The whole plant, including theroot, is finely chopped and maceratedin alcohol.Remedy profileSenecio is best suited to those who arerestless, nervous, low-spirited, and unableto concentrate.The remedy is typically prescribed forhemorrhaging in the mucous membranes.Bleeding in the lungs or the throat, incongested and inflamed kidneys, or duringmenstruation may all be helped by Senecio,as may nosebleeds. Delayed or absentmenstruation, accompanied by a thickvaginal discharge, appetite loss, excitability,and insomnia may also respond well tothe remedy.Symptoms better For menstruation.Symptoms worse For dampness; for cold air; forsitting; during puberty; for sexual excitement.