Hi Allyson, I don’t know if you’d remember me, but I had a consult with you back in 2017 about my infant son’s periodic fevers. I will admit that at the time I wasn’t totally sold on the remedy but I will share that they did resolve permanently after the treatment.
“Cough, hack, wheeze, cough …” It can start like this, or with a sore throat, or with a sniffling nose. No, it doesn’t show up in July, it comes right around December 21st just when your buying your free range turkey for the holidays. The telltale sign that Tuberculinum has you, or your family, in it’s grips with it’s gripe is that the fever will be high at about 103.8, with a sudden onset. It may be accompanied by sore throat, shivering, persistent headache deep in the forehead, yellow/green mucus from the nose, dizziness and significant constipation. The ears may be ringing with tinnitis and the pain will be acute with a sticking pain that radiates right down into the teeth.
Dr. John Henry Clarke, M.D. described the bronchial symptoms in depth as:
Chest. Sensation of pressure in chest.?Heat in chest (M).?Sticking pain in chest, esp. at the apex of l. lung.?Sensation of constriction in the præcordial region.?Pains in both sides of chest going to back.?Pains in l. side.?Sticking in side.?Nightly pains on chest.?Sticking pains: in lungs; in l. side, pains between scapulæ.?Aching in side in night.?Sticking pain in chest, on r. and l. side.?Sticking pain in l. side in morning and afternoon.?Sticking pain in lungs when laughing.?Pain in axilla, esp. when elevating arm.?Sticking pain: in lungs with cough and palpitation.?Pressure in chest, sticking pain an both sides of chest, in back.?Palpitation, caused by deep inspirations, aching in back with pains under ribs.?Pains in subclavicular region with cough.?Sticking pain in l. lung.?Pain from clavicles to throat.?Pain in apex pulmonis radiating to axilla and arm.?Sticking pain in chest and in back, < from every movement.?Pain in l. lung to axilla.?Pain on l. side going to back.?Pain in l. apex and in region of the spleen.?Severe pain in back, in axilla and arms.?Pains in l. side, must take deep inspiration.?Bronchitic sounds in both lungs (W C).?Dulness r, apex (L B).
As you can see a lot of bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma can be wrongly diagnosed, prescribed antibiotics, just to come back the following year with a more virulent expression. Tuberculinum must be cured on the sound basis of natural law to be eradicated outright. My daughter’s riding coach used to suffer annually in precisely this way until we addressed it once and for all by using Heilkunst principles.
It is interesting to note that the patient always feels better up in the mountains in a pine or cedar forest as this helps to clear their lungs so that they can breath more easily. If you lived a few hundred years ago, when Tuberculosis was an even more prevalent infectious disease, you might be sent to a sanatorium up in the mountains in Europe in order to recuperate.
There is also another aspect to this Genetic Miasmic disease that produces chronic constant symptoms and that is “the state of mind.” They will be the type of person who is yearning; yearning to travel, yearning to fall in love, yearning for fulfilment in some way or another. The movie “Amelie” is a great rendering of a Tubercular state of mind. Also, your child may exhibit unusual bouts of rage, vindictiveness, and belligerence towards yourself and others while in a Tuberculinum state. In our Materia Medica, it is written that the child may break the mother’s favourite vase or other article of value right in front of her out of defiance.
ADHD-like symptoms are also frequently anchored to Tuberculinum. They can’t keep their mind on one subject for more than a few moments. They will drive their parents and educators crazy as they’re seemingly ill focussed in every sense imaginable, sabotaging every effort at a defined trajectory.
When Jeff Korentayer was speaking to his patients this week about some of the historical aspects regarding Tuberculinum he brought up the point the this disease was often referred to as “consumption” a couple hundred years ago. Interesting as the state of mind of the Tub. sufferer will often over consume, yearning for another gadget, article of clothing, cell phone or car. They’ve let go more of their spiritual nature and replaced it with many golden calves termed consumptive consumerism.
Of even further interest, Jeff describes how Tuberculinum was the prevalent disease at the turn of the 19th century when the industrial age set in. Think of London and all the coal burning, smog and fog. It was hard to breath, folks had a lot of lung-related afflictions. Also, moving into the city meant a profound separation, a definite cutting off from nature with a deep longing for open vistas and fresh air. This was also the dawn of the romantic period when humanity was longing to connect to her inner nature through art, poetry and romantic science.
This also happens to be the time when Dr. Samuel Hahnemann discovered the principles of Heilkunst, researching and writing about this romantic science in his groundbreaking book the “Organon Der Heilkunst” which literally means the “The Whole Medical Art.” In there he describes the physicians highest and only calling and the true participation of the nature of the patient, the state of mind in illness, true participatory discernment and the eradication of disease. He also defined the qualities for health as not only the eradication of symptoms, but that the healthy individual will avail themselves of their spiritual life’s purpose when whole and hale. Hahnemann moved countless times with his many children, sometimes more than once in a year which leads us to believe he might have n
eeded the nosode himself.
In the clinical portion of my studies back in 2003, my mentor, Patty Smith told a story of serving patients in the States who also moved annually. It was a real bone of contention with their children. After giving them the Tubercular nosode, they never moved again, finally feeling satisfaction with their current domain and geography.
I also served a woman years ago in 2004 for chronic headaches. As per usual, we went through her sequential timeline and then started hitting each of her Genetic Miasms. When we hit Tub., her headaches completely dissipated. However, the other surprising part was that she also suddenly quit her very successful job as a head hunter, went to Paris, France and attended Cordon Bleu Chef School. She came back home to open her own cooking school. She’s felt utterly fulfilled in her work every since.
My hope is that we’ve depicted more clearly for you the symptoms and state of mind for Tuberculinum. Here are two other Blogs on the same if your interest is piqued:
A Different Kind of Love Story by Jeff Korentayer
Heilkunst Diagnosing; Where’s That Bloody Off-Switch? by Allyson McQuinn
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
~ Mathew 5:13-16
Salt has always had a high value for our health and as a commodity. In the ancient world Roman soldiers received their wages in salt. The Greeks considered salt to be an essence of the Divine. At one time Mosaic Law required that all offerings to God presented by the Israelites contain some form of salt (Lev.2:13). When Jesus spoke to his disciples letting them know that they were “the salt of the earth,” they understood it to mean that they were very high in value. While the universal importance of salt is now cloaked in hearsay and allopathic mystique, we know that individuals advised to go on a low sodium diet suffer greater risks of heart disease and diabetes. All iodized salt should be banned outright as it is completely stripped of minerals and actually harmful to our health. It is time to build the true value of salt back into our diets and here is the why and how of it!
Did you know that most folks are deplete in minerals? If you think of your bones, like the superstructure of a building with all the tissues, organs and skin draped over it, you want to make sure that this scaffolding is supporting you for about 100 years or so. The reason we’re deplete is because most of us don’t drink water from brooks or streams that have picked up minerals on the way to your hand pump in the yard for almost 100 years. The other reason is that our foods are also bereft of proper minerals required by our bodies, given that our soils are stripped. Ross Bishop states, “A 1999 study from the University of Wisconsin found that three decades of the overuse of nitrogen in farming has destroyed the soil’s fertility, causing it to age the equivalent of 5,000 years in 30 … For the amount of manganese you used to get in 10 green beans you would have to eat 300. You have to eat 11 bowls of spinach to receive the same amount of copper that you used to get in one bowl. To receive the same amount of iron in one tomato prior to 1945, you would have to eat 1,938 tomatoes today. Carrots used to have 10,000 IU of beta-carotene, now they have less that 70. Wheat used to be 40% protein, whereas now it is less that 10%. It goes on. . .” Even our bread is no longer stone ground, where minerals used to be baked right into whole grain goodness.
What is a modern person supposed to do? Well, we can supplement 84 minerals from a whole super food from a place on earth that still does not have any recorded pollution of any kind. Bio-available minerals from a Solé Brine solution derived from Himalayan salt is an ideal source, even showing the most amazing results in dark field microscopy.
In a dark field microscope analysis done on 3 groups of individuals in December 2002 and January 2003, it was observed that the solution created some amazing alterations to the blood as you can see below. The simple test entailed taking a drop of blood from a person and analyzing it, then feeding a teaspoon of brine solution with a glass of water to this person, and 30 minutes later, repeating the blood test.
Before brine ingestion:
After brine ingestion:
The “before” pictures clearly show clumped blood, the “after” pictures show a more fluid blood, with more space between the blood cells, a healthier blood. (Source: http://www.breathofsalt.com/brine.htm)
– The brine supplies the body with 84 minerals that the body can store and utilize over a period of up to 24 hours.
– It can raise the pH balance to a healthy alkaline level closer to an ideal 7.2.
– Solé can help to “sweep away” the sediment associated with arthritic deposits, kidney and gall stones.
– When the body has its resources met, it is less likely to have negative cravings for harmful foods.
– It can help to cleanse tissues, muscular, organs and skin congestion.
Solé (So-lay) is named for the supersaturated solution of water and Himalayan crystal salt. It is made up of the primal properties of pure solar light energy of these pink rocks immersed in water. In essence, a liquid materialization of captured sunlight! “Sol,” from the Latin for sun, is literally fluid light energy captured in a mason jar for your ultimate benefit. After 24 hours, the positive ions from the mineral rocks surround the negative ions of the molecules of water and then alternatively the negative ions of the salt surround the positive ions of the water molecules in a polaric dance, resulting in hydrolysis (a chemical reaction in which a compound reacts with water to produce other compounds).
This whole new chemical structure really isn’t salt or water anymore, creating a whole new vibration that our body wholly assimilates for its own use to heal inflammation, setting an example of primal whole health for our entire organism. It’s like hitting a reset button! Our organism remembers the primordial nature of our fluid, light imbued creator in a teaspoon. The vibratory frequency of the Solé reminds us how to structure our anatomy after a healthy bio-chemical model; a balanced and oscillating being in homeostasis respecting its inherent polarities.
For this reason, Solé brine is best taken on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning so that there are few other influences in the body. Just one teaspoon of brine in pure water at this time will also promote regularity, as you may find yourself keen to eliminate stool within 30 minutes of taking your morning dose. Some folks need to work up to the one teaspoon, even starting with a drop as the vibratory frequency is that powerful, especially in organisms that are more challenged with a greater need for healing. Within minutes, the whole stomach and intestines are stimulated, affecting digestion and metabolism as conductivity is increased in the body, ultimately affecting circulation and eliminating excess toxicity and inappropriate mineralization in joints. The salty brine allows your body’s currents to flow in freedom as intended.
The Neutralizing Effect of Salt
“The healing properties of salt are also known in allopathic medicine. The largest and oldest salt works in Europe occupies the royal salt mine of Wieliczka, Poland, just 7.5 miles outside of Krakow. Here, a hospital was carved out of the expansive salt mountain, seven hundred forty feet below the surface, specifically for asthmatics and patients with lung disease and allergies. Several thousand patients have been successfully treated in this hospital. The healing rate is astonishingly over 90%. Recognition of the healing effects of salt chambers has influenced the construction of a similar underground spa located in the salt mine of Berchtesgaden in Germany. The therapeutic benefits of long-term residency inside the healing salt chambers are allopathically acknowledged. The healing effects were originally thought to be related to the purity of the air within the mine’s chambers. However, if it was only a question of the purity of the air, why was the air in the cave so healthy, and the air above-surface so unhealthy? One cause has been determined. Our houses are charged with electromagnetic devices, such as TVs, stereos, computers, microwave ovens and the basic electric currents running through our walls. And, when not at home, we hold cell phones to our ears while driving in our cars and walking through our daily lives. This electro-smog causes an excess of positively charged ions that disturb the balance between the positively and negatively charged particles. Further, it creates an excess of positively charged, chemically unbound particles in the air. Only thirty seconds on a cell phone are enough to open up our blood-brain-barrier, a natural barrier that protects our brain from toxins, for eight hours. A Swedish study showed that ninety percent of the women who used a copper-T I.U.D. as their birth control method, while simultaneously using cell phones, developed uterine cancer; the cause being that the I.U.D. functioned as a transmitter and receiver of unnatural, dissonant vibrations.” (Source:http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/sea_salt.htm)
Not only is the brine helpful with the pH balance in the body and preventing most diseases such as Cancer, it is also a natural chelator, releasing harmful heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead and the calcified deposits contributing to arthritic complaints. It will break down the molecular structure of any unwanted matter, just as it will remove hard calcium build up in cooking pots or a teapot. The salt even creates a chemical reaction, replacing the bad with the good through a process of metabolising unwanted islets of cell organization in the body (as illustrated in the images above), helping to digest unwanted stored foods when you’re converting over to the foods that are right for your blood type. The unwanted protein structures are eliminated through the the urogenital system.
Every human organism is different and at varying levels of health. When first engaging with a whole superfood such as Solé, you are taking into your body life energy that can have a powerful effect. For those who are suffering more armoring and a more protracted state of disease, please be mindful by starting slowing with just a drop of brine in a cup of water and then working your way up to a teaspoon in a cup of water over a period of time. WARNING: While brine baths have a positive effect on many ailments, they are also demanding on your circulatory system. Please consider your age and your health. If you suffer from weak or poor heart circulation, are pregnant or have any health problems, always consult your health professional first.
We make ours in a small to medium mason jar with a plastic lid (the metal lid will rust over time). Place 3-4 rock chunks (Health Food Stores can order in, or you can buy them right off of the internet) in the jar, and cover with pure spring water or properly filtered well water. Tap water with chlorine or fluoride is not recommended in any form. To obtain a supersaturated solution, add enough salt that some of the solid chunk remains, unable to melt anymore. At this point, you’ll know that the the liquid hasn’t any molecular capacity to absorb anymore of the salt within a 24 hour period. Your brine is now ready. Start with one drop in a cup of water first thing in the morning at least 15 minutes before you have breakfast. As the salt diminishes, you can add more salt rock and top up with water.
Brushing Your Teeth:
Solé brine works wonders also balancing pH in your mouth, helping to attend to the cause of unwanted bacteria that contributes to canker sores, bad breath and bleeding gums. Let us know, and we’ll go after the root issue with curative homeopathic medicine.
Sore Throat Gargle:
Place up to a teaspoon of the solution in a cup of water, as if you’re preparing your brine, and gargle until your throat feels better. Rinse and repeat about 3-4 times over the course of a day.
Sinus Bath In Your Neti Pot:
Sinus congestion can be helped immensely by running brine solution through them. Just prepare the brine as you normally would to drink, fill your neti pot and run through your sinus cavities.
The Brine Bath:
I use a brine bath for any kind of skin affection, bug bites, joint or muscle pain. I exercise about an hour six days a week and I use my baths to relax, help strengthen my immune function and detoxify. In order to maximize the effect of the therapeutic salt bath, you need to ensure you have the right concentration of salt to water in order to obtain the maximum osmotic exchange. For about 100-200 litres (27-32 gallons), at least 1kg (2.2 lbs.) of natural salt is required. Also, the bath’s temperature should be as close to 37 degrees (97 degrees Fahrenheit) as possible. Plan to stay immersed in the bath for about 20-30 minutes. During this time, the body will reach the same salt concentration both inside and out, a primal prenatal state liken to before birth.
This primordial ionic mineralization will stimulate natural cell growth in your living cell layers. If you have any bio-energetic weak areas, the bath will help to balance the natural flow of energy, releasing the ill effects from any unnatural accumulation. This is called homeostasis, which is the desired outcome. Apparently, the detox bath can be compared to a 3 day fast, according to EMR Labs, LLC. (Source: http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/sea_salt.htm)
Due to the sodium chloride content, similar to a type of naturally safe chlorine, folks can use a hot-tub, pool, or even tub-bath that uses natural salt and be assured of it’s disinfecting properties. EMR Labs, LLC recommends that detox brine baths are typically the most beneficial at the shift in moon phases, at the new moon, or at full moon, for optimal release of toxicity.
Brine Steam Inhalation for Asthma or Bronchitis:
Before Heilkunst Medicine, my son suffered repeated respiratory tract issues. Asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and ear infections plagued him during his young years. During the winter months, when he was most affected, he was often seen kneeling on the floor in the kitchen over a hot pot of water with dissolved salt in it. The solution requires about 10% salt per water volume and you can drape a cotton t-towel over the sufferers head for 10-30 minutes depending on the severity of the infection. The longer period is required for the brine to capture and bind to the poisonous deposits in the lungs helping to produce a productive mucus that will be coughed to the surface to be excreted depending on the health of the individual.
Arthritis and Gout:
Treat the underlying cause using the principles of Heilkunst Medicine. I wish I’d known this when I cared for an ailing uncle who had gout/diabetic feet with open sores, about 30 years ago. Internally, follow the general directions above for ingesting Solé brine daily on an empty stomach. Be sure to drink between 2-3 litres of water a day (2 to 3 quarts) over the course of the day to create a tide to wash away the mineralization and uric acid associated with arthritis and gout suffering. You can also soak a cloth in pure brine solution (about 26%) and make a cold poultice, applying it to the infected areas. It will sting, but it will work. Wrap in a dry cloth to keep clean.
Osteoporosis:
Treat the underlying cause using the principles of Heilkunst Medicine. Use the same general recipe above for Solé taking up to 1 tsp. in fresh spring water. Be sure to drink 2-3 litres (2-3 quarts) of fresh spring water every day in order to create a tidal bore in the body, washing the inappropriate mineralized debris from the body. You can also make a warm poultice with a concentration of the brine (at least 10%) and ½ oz of salt for every 4 oz of water. As well, you can fill a cotton or linen bag with salt chunks and heat in the oven to 125-140 degrees F. Remove the bag and apply it to your aching back, joints or bathe with them. Water at body temperature (around 97 degrees F.) is perfect for this bath.
Open Wounds:
A poultice made of brine (brine poultice) – When dealing with a scrape or small open wound, dilute a ½ ounce of crystal salt into a ½ cup of water. If you use too much salt, it will cause a disagreeable burning sensation. Be sure to use only non-carbonated mineral water from a purified source to treat any open wounds. Use a sterile gauze, soak it in the brine solution, squeeze some of the excess water from it and apply to the wound. Wrap a dry cloth around while also taking some Calendula, either topically as a salve or orally homeopathically, and prepare to be amazed at the power of your healing.
De-tox, Flu and Fever Relief:
The idea behind these conditions is to promote sweating.
Dip a clean cotton shirt in a 3% brine solution – 2 Tbsp. (60 ml) of crystal salt diluted in 1 Quart (1 liter) of water. Soak the shirt thoroughly and put it on. Cover (wrap) yourself in a dry towel and lay in bed (covered with your blanket.) After about half an hour you will start sweating. You can support the effect by drinking a cup of Linden blossom tea. Stay in bed for 60 to 90 minutes. Take off your shirt and shower. Lie down for one hour to rest. This procedure is an excellent detoxification tool and activates the metabolism. The brine shirt shows excellent results with high temperature viral conditions. In such cases, it is better than the brine bath.”
Brine Soaked Socks – This procedure has a similar effect as the shirt but is especially helpful when you suffer from cold feet and gout. Soak a pair of clean cotton socks in a 3-5% brine solution – 2 to 4 Tbsp. of crystal salt diluted in 1 Quart of water. Wring the sock thoroughly and put them on. Wrap your feet in a dry towel. Leave it on for about one hour. Rest awhile after you remove the salty socks. (Source: http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/sea_salt.htm)
Psoriasis:
Be sure to cure the underlying cause using the principles of Heilkunst Medicine. To promote healing, take the Solé brine daily as recommended above and also use the brine baths as illustrated above, unless you’re pregnant or have advanced circulation issues.
Herpes:
Use Heilkunst Medicine to cure the underlying cause of this persistent disease condition, as the pathic expression of the root cause will keep coming back until it is cured outright. However, to support the healing/sustentive side, you can use a sitz bath with 26% brine solution in order to relieve pain from the genital blisters (or dip cotton swab in brine and apply it to affected area), in addition to ingesting the tsp. of brine in pure water daily.
Where does the Himalayan salt come from?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWAyA-69QqM
I took a look at one aspect of vaccine efficacy yesterday, and today I want to examine an aspect of vaccine safety, but from a very different vantage point than you would normally encounter in vaccine articles. The list of additives and chemicals contained in the standard vaccine schedule is shocking, to say the least. There is a great number of toxic and carcinogenic substances, and common sense would dictate that we would want to exercise extreme caution about using any one of these, let alone such a long list of additives which children receive in the standard vaccination schedule.
For the purposes of today’s blog, rather than examine these toxins in the usual way, I want to illustrate some of them from the point of view of knowledge of the homeopathic materia medica. As you may remember, the symptom picture of every homeopathic remedy contains not only an image of certain physical symptoms, but also will embody a unique state of mind. Health functions out of a particular state of mind, and when it is impinged upon by disease, it will shift into the unique state of mind of the given disease.
Looking, then, at some of the vaccine additives from the point of view of their unique disease state of mind, we start to see a side of vaccination and its adverse effects based on this deeper image of a disturbed (away from health) state of mind. To the degree that a vaccine recipient has an underlying resonance for any of the diseases represented in the vaccine additives, they are susceptible to a strong reaction to the corresponding substance. Think of the overall state of mind of kids in the public school system, as well as the overall tone of our modern society as you read through these:
The more you study and understand how our physiology works in a state of health, the more you see that every aspect of it functions through living polarities. To study any function in isolation, under this understanding, quickly feels one-sided and incomplete. The student of dynamic physiology, then, is always waiting for “the other shoe to drop”, every time they hear about a single physiological function, until they discover what its polaric function is.
An example of this is in the way our immune system functions. The underlying concept of our entire immune system is of ‘true identity’, as we experience through ‘self and non-self’. The broadest polarity of the immune system, then, is between the two aspects of our ‘Innate’ immunity, and our ‘Adaptive’ immunity.
The innate immunity is more general, and is that which is already hard-wired into our physiology, such as our capacity to generate a fever, or some of the other physical barriers of our outer immune system, such as the mucous membranes. The adaptive immunity results from our various experiences of overcoming infections, and results in more specific immunity.
A further polarization of the adaptive immunity is between the natural and artificial means of how it is acquired. The naturally acquired immunity itself polarizes into ‘passive’ and ‘active’, where the former are the immunity factors received from the mother by the fetus, and the latter are the result of the individual overcoming an infection themselves, and producing their own immune cells.
The artificial forms of adaptive immunity also further polarize into a ‘passive’ and ‘active’ form, where the former involves a donation of immunity cells from a host to a recipient, and the latter aims to induce an immune response such as in the intention of vaccination, or the much safer and efficacious method of homeopathic immunization (known as homoprophylaxis).
There’s a further level of polarization within the immune system, which is between the humoral immunity, and cell-mediated immunity. This is another level at which there is a distinction between specific and general immunity. Since these two functions are closely related to each other, the attempt to artificially increase the humoral immunity through vaccination actually decreases the health of the general response of the cell-mediated immunity.
Without a concept of polarity, any one-sided approach to healthcare tends to cause unintended consequences and often ends up causing more harm than good. Beginning to unpack all of these polarities of the immune system can seem at first like the endless chain of Russian dolls inside of each other.
I was recently on Dr. Dena Churchill‘s radio program with a panel of different experts talking about vaccination, and what the options are for parents who may be deciding to partially or completely avoid vaccinating their children.
Dr. Dena Churchill
Here was the original description which Dr. Dena posted with the show:
Are vaccines safe and effective? Is vaccination an informed choice? Where do we find information to know the warning signs of a vaccine reaction and risks?
The safety and efficacy of vaccinations is a controversial topic. Depending on who you talk to they are either praised and celebrated for wiping out epidemics or blamed for vaccination reactions and disabilities. Where is the truth in these extreme ranges of opinions? Which vaccinations carry the most risk? Why would the public challenge vaccination? Who ultimately benefits?
This show is not intended as medical advice. As with any medical procedure involving a child, parents should gather all available information and discuss the decision of whether or not to vaccinate with one or more doctors and with consideration for the individual laws of your province, state and country. Our intention in this segment is simply to illustrate that vaccination is with the most health conscious parents an informed choice and to share with you the resources, information and options.
Join me with our panel of experts:
Barbara Loe Fisher (President of National Vaccine Information Center)
Glenna Calder (Naturopathic Doctor)
Tim O’Shea ( Author of Vaccination is not Immunization)
Jeff Korentayer ( Doctor of Medical Heilkunst)
You can hear the full playback of the show here.
When I wrote my blog on Belladonna, as used as a deeper chthonic remedy, I first contextualized it in terms of its common usage as a remedy for very hot fevers in children. A reader of this blog picked up on this point, and asked a very excellent question:
“I was just wondering. If belladonna is given to a child with fever, will the organic response to the remedy be an increase in temperature?”
There is probably no topic more anxiety-provoking to a parent of young children, than the issue of how to safely and effectively treat a fever. The greater the parent’s education, the more they understand the negative consequences of suppressing a fever, however the fear remains about the potentially damaging effects a fever could have on their child.
The action of a homeopathic remedy is two-fold : First there is the initial action, and that is followed by the healing reaction. As in the principle in physics of every action having an opposite but equal reaction, the two actions of the homeopathic remedy have this same sort of pattern. In acute diseases, such as intense fevers, it is the initial action which is much more prominant and visible in the action of the remedy, in contrast to long-term, slow moving chronic illness, it is much more the healing reaction which is experienced by the patient.
The initial action occurs almost immediately upon taking the remedy, and it is the moment in time where the energy of the disease is augmented by the energy of the remedy. Remember that the homeopathic remedy is given on the basis of the law of similars, meaning that the disease and the remedy are very much alike. As in the forestry practice of ‘fighting fire with fire’, the initial action is that moment where the planned fire comes into contact with the wild fire, and there is a temporary flare-up of the flames.
This leads us to the answer to our question, which is that for a temporary span of time (usually seconds or minutes, and in rare cases hours), the original disease symptoms will increase. In the case of a Belladonna-like disease, this may include the redness and heat of the skin, the delirium, and the vivid and palpable sensation of heat upon touching the patient’s skin. The actual thermometer temperature may or may not change at this point.
The question behind this question is getting at the concern for causing any undue harm to the child by increasing the fever. As I just pointed out, the actual thermometer temperature may or may not temporarily increase in a given case. More importantly, however, is not the issue of the temperature, in terms of a quantitative measure, but what is happening at a qualitative level in such a scenario.
To go back to the principle of similars, we need to remember that this is nature’s law of cure, and that there is an important distinction to be made between a disease state itself, and its symptoms. Giving Belladonna is addressing the disease state itself, which is the real thing to be concerned about. The fever and other symptoms are not the disease, but rather the body’s visible struggle with the disease. While a fever does need to be respected, and carefully observed, it is ultimately only a secondary aspect of this whole phenomenon. The fact that the body has the capacity to mount such a strong defence, and that it may be temporarily augmented by the initial action of the remedy is a sign of a very healthy immune system. This is a critically important point for helping parents switching their thinking from a quantitative way of looking at this phenomenon, to a more qualitative way.
Belladonna is one of the top remedies for childhood fever. It produces an incredible heat, so much so, that if you touch the forehead of the feverish child, the heat is still palpably present in your hand even after you’ve removed it. It is one of the most common remedies used at home by parents, and should be a staple item in every homeopathic first aid kit.
The core feeling in Belladonna is of an attack which comes on suddenly, and which a tremendous amount of energy needs to be mustered to either run away, or fight off the attacker. The Belladonna fever in children is one where the fever, and the whole state comes on very rapidly. All kinds of delusions, and states of delirium are characteristic of this remedy.
The image of this remedy was forever cemented into my mind many years ago, when I had a co-worker who suffered periodic flare-ups of the Belladonna state of mind and feeling. She suffered from a delusion that the police were following her, tapping her phone line, etc., and at unexpected moments in the midst of a conversation, she would flare up into the most amazing accusations that you were working for the cops, raising her voice at you as her face turned beet red. There was a feeling that the possibility of violence was not far away at all. Before long, the storm would pass, almost as if nothing had happened.
Physically, this remedy can be useful in some epileptic conditions. It is also useful for bed wetting in children. In younger children, it can be the remedy to provide relief when aggressive biting is a problem. It is often a remedy very helpful for young mothers suffering from mastitis, especially where there are symptoms of extreme redness, and sensations of heat and even throbbing pain. It can also be helpful for the after-effects of sunstroke.
“Prescribed Fire” is a technique used in forestry to promote the health of the eco-system; it cleans up forest floor debris and old growth, and triggers new growth, which is suitable for animal habitat. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and when done correctly, nature repays the compliment with new healthy growth. This deliberate intervention is also a good way to prevent the large, out-of-control blazes, such as those suffered in British Columbia a few summers ago. When fire is continuously suppressed, the life cycle of the forest is interrupted and begins to spiral towards disaster. Nature will always find a way to restore balance, no matter what degree of sacrifice and destruction is required.
This same logic is also true for our own health – inflammation has a positive purpose for our health and development. Fever, for example, is not only a powerful part of our immune response, but it is also a trigger for the stages of childhood development. It has been widely observed that a child will go through a growth spurt after resolving a childhood illness, such as measles or chicken pox. If fever is suppressed with drugs or herbs, then the toxins and microbes are stored in the cells, rather than burned off. Also, a lack of fevers in childhood sets the stage for cancer later in life, as the unexpressed energy of the fever needs to manifest in another form. Nature balances the equation here as well.
The question of what to do for a child in the face of infection and fever puts many parents into a dilemma. On the one hand, the impulse to protect the child from the assumed dangers of fever is unfortunately translated into a suppressive medical approach, which takes its toll on long-term health. Oh the other hand, sitting back and doing nothing can also raise a great deal of anxiety – letting nature take its course may be a risk in certain cases. So the question shouldn’t be to intervene or not, but how to do so in accordance with nature and without risking unnecessary damage. Like the forestry example above, Homeopathy imitates nature, and “fights fire with fire”, with speedy results, and no side-effects.
Childhood fevers can be safely and easily treated with homeopathic remedies, which act to resolve the fever process more quickly, rather than suppress it. The Law of Similars, or “like cures like”, means that the correct homeopathic remedy will move the fever forward in the direction it is already going, rather than stall it. The result is a quicker resolution of the fever, with less pain and suffering, and without the toxic by-products of the fever being stored in the cellular memory. A number of parents are also choosing to use equivalent Homeopathic remedies in place of the standard vaccine program.
Fever is only one example of a healthy life function that can be suppressed. Certain physical traumas and emotional shocks can also create a blockage in the life force. These become the kindling which eventually ignites the latent diseases that have been passed down through the family tree, such as cancer and heart disease, which first start to manifest in “minor” symptoms, such as migraines, or chronic infections. By systematically removing these blockages, any symptoms or tendency towards illness will no longer find anywhere to root, and the life force will be able to function in full radiant health.
“Day 59, Project 365 – 12.18.09” by William Brawley https://flic.kr/p/7oMbJX
Well, it is that time of year again. We are getting calls on our Clinic line for help with the flu, colds, ear infections, sinus infections, sore throats and fevers. So let’s say you give us a call, worried about your aching bones, wondering whether you have a simple 24 hr. bug or something more serious. What should you do? Well, the answer to that question is different for everyone, but I’ll tell you what I do for myself and for my patients.
The first thing I do is relax, and take a quick scan of myself and my regimen, which incidentally, is the first jurisdiction of Heilkunst Medicine. Do I need more fluids, what has my nutrition been like lately, did I get caught in a cold wind or draught? This line of questioning may lead me to drink more pure water, do a mini-cleanse for a day on lemon juice, cayenne and maple syrup to purge the nastiness from my system, or give myself Aconitum for getting caught out in that wind or rain.
If my cold-like symptoms starts with a series of sneezes, I’ll generally start by taking 3-4 doses of vitamin C. If my throat is sore a dose of zinc (I love the chewables) can work almost miraculously. I also love peppermint or Eucalyptus Essential Oil on the bottom of my feet (the latter not recommended for babies) and I’ll heat the kettle, grate some fresh ginger, squeeze a lemon and add about a teaspoon of raw unpasteurized honey to my small 3 cup teapot.
If I pay close attention to my body’s signals, I can generally nip it in the bud with basic regimen to augment my already strengthened immune system. Here are some great ideas for immediate aid and also some preventative measures to institute to build a healthy immune function here. I have saved myself from engendering a more complicated cold or flu with a simple hot bath with epsom salts and an early night on many occasions. However, if these sustentive measures don’t resolve symptoms, and a fever or vomiting sets in, it may be time to look into medicine.
This is the second jurisdiction of Heilkunst medicine and it is when I hit the books. We wrote a more comprehensive guide for our patients based on some of the suggestions above called The Natural Home Pharmacy and one very comprehensive piece for children called The Natural Home Pharmacy For Children. These resources can be very helpful whether you’re trying to find one quick fix for your suffering or you’re wanting to study this art and science of homeopathic or Heilkunst (whole art of healing and curing) Medicine.
Using resources such as these, I will begin to narrow down the symptoms. If it is a fever with intense heat, of the head and face, but the body is cold then I know that the homeopathic remedy is Arnica. If the heat is intense, and the face and ear are bright red and the fever came on quickly around midnight, the remedy is Belladonna. If the liver is enlarged with intermittent fever, then it needs Nitric Acid. Generally, we’ll use a 200CH or a 1M.
Often we can discern the medicine that is right for us by piecing together, phenomenologically, what has been going on in our lives. Anthroposophic and Orgonomic therapies are the third jurisdiction. That big word starting with “A” in the last sentence literally means “the study of man”. At Arcanum Wholistic Clinic we pride ourselves in being Sherlock Holmes and Watsons when it comes to identifying the cause of symptoms as expressions of a deeper disease process. It is our ultimate responsibility to source out the aetiology or cause for the flu, cold, ear infection, sinus infection, sore throat and even fever. Sometimes these issues are easily explained given the seasonal predisposition to the genetic miasm afoot. As an example, Malaria lurks at the beginning of November throwing up symptoms that look very much like the flu accompanied by fever, aches, and delirium are all part of its tale of woe.
On occasion, the cold can be indicative of unexpressed grief, a sinus infection, too, can be telling of unexpressed need for additional support, and a sore throat can be just a front for something needing to be expressed, like a secret or some kind of resentment. Sometimes even just voicing it to yourself can be enough to tip the scale of consciousness in your favour. The reason we want to source out the cause is to lower the incidence of re-infection and to allow for the remedies to wholly complete their resolution for cure on your behalf. Sometimes my stuck little state of mind will block the full resolution of the disease.
For example, a child with a Pulsatilla-like cold will have thick yellow mucus, be whiny and clingy and suffering some dizziness. We can provide the correct remedy, a cool room (a patient in a Pulsatilla state will prefer cooler open air) for example, but if that child’s basic needs for affection are not being met on a daily basis, then the chances they will re-infect with the same symptoms or worse, start to develop others. Also, if the patient has a sore throat, but has not been able to express that she desperately needs to tell her husband that she is no longer happy in the marriage, chances are the symptoms won’t be wholly eradicated until the environment is addressed and more conducive to her health and well-being.
The problem with symptoms is that you can run, but you can’t hide – and for the ultimate success of curative remediation, we need to be accurately hooked into to all three jurisdictions of Heilkunst medicine, as outlined above. If we try to nail it just with medicine alone, it is a bit like a tricycle trying to operate effectively with only one wheel. The back end will leave significant tracks in the dust and it will be tough to make it to your destination. Believe me, I know. I’ve tried it!
If you are looking for preventative treatment for any of these ills, this is the area we speicialize in – give us a call. We have every medicine to prevent any flu either created in the past, present or future. With bioenergetics, there are no limits to what we can effectively treat on the basis of law, like cures like. Also, let us know if you would like us to come out to your home and teach a class on basic Homeopathic prescribing. We can also do a tele-class via teleconferencing. Jeff or I will gladly come out if you can gather 7 – 10 people together for a couple of hours and we’ll happily teach a course specifically on seasonal afflictions such as colds and flus in-person or remotely.