Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

MINOR REMEDIES• 167PREPARATION The fresh aerial parts are finelychopped and macerated in alcohol.Remedy profileThe classic symptom picture for Solidago isof kidney disease, possibly with nausea,insomnia, a weak chest, and susceptibilityto colds. Solidago is used when the kidneysfeel distended, sore, aching, and tender, withpain extending down to the thighs, or towardthe bladder and abdomen. There are typicallydifficulties in passing urine, which is scanty anddiscolored, or clear and foul-smelling. Theremedy may also be prescribed to treat fibroids.Symptoms better For profuse urination.Symptoms worse For pressure on theaffected area.See also Fibroids, page 199Spigelia anthelmiaSPIGELIACOMMON NAMES Pink root, annual wormgrass.ORIGIN Native to South America, but now foundin the US and the West Indies.BACKGROUND Pink root contains certain alkaloidsthat are used in the herbal treatment ofheart disease.PREPARATION The dried aerial parts are maceratedin alcohol.Remedy profileA sad, forgetful, “blank” temperament ischaracteristic of those who respond mosteffectively to this remedy. They are responsiblepeople who suffer intense pain, causing greatnervous agitation.It is given chiefly for problems of theheart and the nervous system, especiallyif symptoms affect primarily the left sideof the body, and if there are intense, violentpains. Spigelia may be given for frequentpalpitations that are violent, visible, andaudible, for heart murmurs or valve disorders,and for rheumatic heart disease. It is alsoused for angina with constricting chest painsthat extend down one or both arms, intothe chest, and up to the throat. In addition,the remedy may be used for headaches,migraines, sinus infections, or neuralgic orrheumatic pain, especially if the symptomsare worse on the left side.Symptoms better For breathing in; for lying onthe right side with the head higher than the body;for steady pressure on the affected area.Symptoms worse For changes in the weather;for touch; for lying on the left side; for movement;for tobacco.See also Angina, page 185; Rheumatoid arthritis,page 197; Neuralgia, page 268Spongilla fluviatilis syn. S. lacustrisBADIAGACOMMON NAME Freshwater sponge.ORIGIN Found in Russia and Europe.BACKGROUND In Russia this sponge is powderedto make a traditional treatment that causesbruises to disappear overnight.PREPARATION The fresh sponge is collected in fall,dried, and triturated with lactose sugar.Remedy profilePeople for whom Badiaga is best suitedenjoy mental activity, and feel that theirminds are always clear and active, evenwhen ill. Excitement or pleasure may easilybring on palpitations. The body may feelsore to the touch, as if it has been beaten,which may cause restless sleep; frighteningdreams may also disturb or disrupt sleep.Profuse mucus in the respiratory system,with copious catarrh that drips from thenose, possibly due to influenza or hay fever,may respond to Badiaga. Sneezing broughton by coughing may be helped, as mayhard, swollen glands in the neck and breast,possibly linked to cancer.Symptoms better For heat; at night.Symptoms worse For cold; for stormy weather;for lying on the right side.Stannum metallicumSTANNUM MET.COMMON NAME Tin.ORIGIN Mined from cassiterite, which is found inEngland, Nigeria, Thailand, and South America.BACKGROUND Tin has long been used forhousehold and commercial purposes, andhas been used medicinally: in 18th-centuryScotland it was taken for intestinal worms.PREPARATION The metal is triturated withlactose sugar.Remedy profilePeople who benefit most from Stannum met. aresuspicious, anxious, uneasy, and sad, possiblywith fixed ideas. They may be weak, debilitated,and unable to talk or move, and feel worseduring the day.Stannum met. is used for exhaustion afterchronic respiratory problems, or for nervoussystem disorders. It may be given for weaknessin the chest, during or after a serious infectionsuch as bronchitis or pneumonia. Theweakness leaves the lungs and bronchisusceptible to inflammation or serious illness,including asthma.Symptoms better For lying across somethinghard; for expelling mucus.Symptoms worse For lying on the right side;for gentle movement; for talking.Strontium carbonicumSTRONTIUM CARB.COMMON NAME Strontium carbonate.ORIGIN Found in strontianite, whichoccurs mainly in Scotland, Germany,and California.BACKGROUND This mineral takes its name fromStrontian, the village in Argyllshire, Scotland,where strontianite was discovered in 1790.PREPARATION Strontium carbonate is trituratedwith lactose sugar.Remedy profileIrritable people who are prone to ragerespond to Strontium carb. Rage may evenprovoke violence and destructiveness in them,but they also tend to be forgetful, fearful,particularly of the dark, and easily startled.Although they may seem haughty, they areextremely sensitive to the scorn of others.They may start involuntarily and violentlywhen asleep, waking themselves.STRONTIUMCARBONICUM(Strontianite)This remedy is given mainly for acuteconditions following an operation orinjury, such as fainting, exhaustion, chills,violent palpitations, and collapse, possiblydue to severe trauma and bleeding. It mayalso be used to treat heart conditions,including angina, phlebitis (inflammationof a vein), and terrible pains in the musclesand bones.The symptom picture for heart problemstreated by Strontium carb. describes a heavy,smothering sensation in the heart area, or dull,intermittent pressure in the heart.Symptoms better For heat; for light; for sunlight;for warm compresses; for a hot bath.Symptoms worse For cold; for loss of blood; foruncovering the affected area; for walking.