Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

MINOR REMEDIES• 169often feel drowsy but sleep restlessly and havea sense of hurry. It is useful for hyperactivity.The classic symptom picture for this remedyis of severe, painful inflammation, burning,stinging pains, and extreme prostration andweakness. It is given for slow-developing fever,acute infection such as diphtheria, and septicconditions such as carbuncles, septicemia,painful abscesses, especially near the fingernails,ulcers that will not heal, and gangrene.In addition, the remedy may be used to easepain experienced during a slow death.The appetite is generally low, and the stomachfeels hard and sore. Severe coughs such aswhooping cough may also be helped, if thereis great prostration.Symptoms better For smoking; for music.Symptoms worse At night; for exertion; for colddrinks; for touch.Tellurium metallicumTELLURIUM MET.COMMON NAME Tellurium.ORIGIN Found throughout the world.BACKGROUND Klaproth named this rare mineral in1798 from the Greek tellus, or “earth,” asa counterpart to his discovery in 1789 ofuranium (named from the Greek ouranos,or “heaven”).PREPARATION Tellurium is triturated withlactose sugar.Remedy profileTellurium met. is most appropriate for peoplewho are excitable and irritable, witha disposition that is sometimes describedas “rough and angular.”Skin disorders are the characteristic focusof Tellurium met., including conditions suchas psoriasis, ringworm, herpes, and eczemaon the eyelids and behind the ears. A keysymptom associated with the remedy is acharacteristic smell of garlic in the perspiration,which tends to burn and irritate the skin.Skin symptoms are often circular or ringshaped,and may occur in conjunction withsevere back pain.The remedy may also be used for back painthat is typically worse for coughing, sneezing,or straining when passing a stool. It may helpback pain after injury, spinal irritation, rupturedintervertebral disks, and pain that radiates downthe legs. In addition, it may be effective for eyeand ear infections, especially ear infectionsthat produce a discharge that smells likefish brine.Symptoms better For lying quietly.Symptoms worse For cold; for touch; for lyingon the affected area.Terebinthina laricinaTEREBINTHUMCOMMON NAMES Turpentine, turps.ORIGIN Resin tapped from the trunks of theLarix decidua ‘Mill’ species of larch, whichis native to Europe.BACKGROUND This viscous resin is used in themanufacture of paints. In the past it wasused as a treatment for gonorrhea intraditional Western medicine.PREPARATION The resin is macerated inalcohol, before being filtered, diluted,and succussed.Remedy profileTerebinthum is best suited to people who aretired, delirious, and unable to concentrate.Classic symptoms associated with theremedy include burning pain and bleedingof the mucous membranes, with dark,fetid-smelling blood. The remedy has anaffinity with inflammation of the urinarytract or kidneys, accompanied byhemorrhaging, water retention,and edema in the hands and feet.These ailments are often associated withsmoky-colored urine that has a strangesmell of violets.Symptoms better For movement; forwalking; for stooping.Symptoms worse For cold; for touch; in themorning; for lying on the affected area.Teucrium marum syn. Marum verumTEUCRIUM MARUMCOMMON NAME Cat thyme.ORIGIN Native to Spain and southernEurope, and now found worldwide.BACKGROUND Cat thyme hastraditionally been used byherbalists for its propertiesas an astringent andstimulant. It has also beenused in the treatmentof gallbladder andstomach disorders.PREPARATION The fresh aerialparts without the woodylower branches are finelychopped before beingmacerated in alcohol.Remedy profilePeople for whom Teucriummarum is considered mosteffective tend to be oversensitiveand feel worse for hearing ortalking about unpleasant things,including their symptoms. They are easilyoverexcited and exhausted.The primary affinity of this remedy is withpolyps, which may affect the nose, ears, vagina,and rectum. Nasal polyps may be accompaniedby chronic catarrh, dried-up, foul-smellingcrusts of catarrh, and loss of smell. Fibroustumors on the eyelids and fibroids in theuterus may be helped by the remedy, asmay lumps in the urethra causedby gonorrhea.Teucrium marum may also be given forintestinal worms, involving itching andtingling in the anus and rectum.Symptoms better For open air; for perspiring.Symptoms worse For damp and cold; forchanges in the weather; for the warmth of thebed; for evening; at night; for touching orrubbing the affected area.Theridion curassavicumTHERIDIONCOMMON NAME Orange spider.ORIGIN Native to Curaçao and the West Indies.BACKGROUND This small spider has orange spotson its back. Its bite can cause trembling, coldsweats, and fainting.PREPARATION The whole, live spider ismacerated in alcohol.Remedy profileSensitivity to noise may be so extreme inpeople who respond to Theridion that it causespain and vibrations to penetrate through thebody. There may be a feeling that time ispassing too quickly, and a tendency to bechilly. Theridion is generally used for acutesensitivity of the bones, nerves, and spine. Thespine tends to be so highly sensitive that theleast jarring motion, such as walking, may beunbearable; on sitting, one buttock may beraised off the seat to ease the pressure on thelower spine. There may be accompanyingvertigo, dizziness, or motionsickness. Theridion may alsobe used to treat diabetes.Symptoms better For warmth;for rest; for drinkingwarm water.Symptoms worse At night; fornoise; for touch; for pressure onthe affected area; for travel; forjarring movement; for closing theeyes; for bending forward.See also Diabetes, page 191;Dizziness, page 266TEUCRIUM MARUM(Cat thyme)