 We are definitely in the dog days of summer here in the desert southwest. It is monsoon season but the rain is not landing on us. We do have a couple of rooms in the house that have a little air conditioner, the rest of the house is cooled with a swamp cooler. For the most part, I definitely prefer the swamp over refrigerated air — the windows need to be open for them to work properly (we still hear the birds and the the little fountain!) and we’re not hermetically sealed inside and they add some much needed moisture into our desert house. For those unfamiliar, a swamp cooler is an evaporative cooler, meaning it only works during low humidity. How high does the humidity need to be for the swamp cooler to turn the house swampy? Not very — once we go above 30% humidity, it starts to feel fruitless. See here for more information. As I write this, the swamp has cooled our porch down to 80 (from the 99 outside), but with 56% humidity I have the unusual (for us) experience of a water glass covered in condensation. These hot and (relatively) humid days, remind me of the movie 12 Angry Men. Have you seen it? The original film with Henry Fonda (1957)? Fantastic movie. If you haven’t seen it, put it on the list — again, the original black and white movie. (You’ll get over it not being in color soon enough. You can do it.) 12 Angry Men is about the 12 jurors stuck in a jury room where one juror holds out against the others — and, of course they have to confront their own biases and demons while enduring a hot, sweaty environment. There’s so much to say about this movie — swimming against the current… doing what is right even though you’re alone and it’s difficult… bias, prejudice and yes, anger. I’m not the only homeopath who watches a movie and wonders what homeopathic remedy may benefit each character. (See also, Fictional Wounds for a previous take.) I wish I had taken notes during the movie to flesh out the characters and their anger. In hindsight, it was really only 11 angry men and 1 who was determined, rather than angry. With these memories of this movie popping into my head with these hot and sweaty days, I thought I would take a look at different kinds of anger. Well, sort of — more of how anger is expressed or what sets it off. Let’s now look at our 12 angry men. It has been a couple of years since I last watched it and I didn’t take notes, so I did ask Grok for a review of the characters to refresh my memory (turns out I did pretty well without any notes — the movie must have made a bigger impression on me than I realized!)
Let’s ruminate on some anger remedies (and, rubrics)! Are there other rubrics? Absolutely! It’s a movie, I went very surface level, here! Note: I used Murphy (via RadarOpus) unless otherwise noted and I kept it to just two possible remedies for each man — just enough to get a broad overview of the anger aspect of each remedy. For the man who had to be right (#1) I would consider Platinum metallicum or Lycopodium.
#2, the man who was angry about missing a ball game, Ignatia or Gelsemium.
Man #4 is an angry bigot. The top 2 remedies are Causticum and Lycopodium.
Our 5th man is timid and doesn’t take kindly to being talked over. Here comes Lycopodium again, as well as Staphysagria.
Juror #6 is the man who is angry about being looked down upon due to his upbringing. Once again, we are comparing between Staphysagria and Lycopodium.
Angry man #7 is the one who would get angry when he felt the older jurors were not being shown the respect he thought they deserved. Colocynthis and Causticum.
#8 (should probably be #1 since he was the foreman) is frustrated by the lack of order — he worked hard to keep thing running properly. Aurum metallicum and Calcarea carbonica are two remedies which take their responsibilities seriously.
The 9th man was indignant about how he perceived others’ prejudices clouding their judgement. The two remedies I would think about for this man are Nux vomica and Ignatia.
Juror #10 is the man who was righteously angry that others were not showing the proper respect to the justice system. This was a harder one to figure out, but I came down to Kali carb and Cuprum metallicum.
#11 is a man who was irritated at having to be inconvenienced. This one, too, has so many underlying possibilities, it’s hard to get a handle on it, but I am going to make a couple of assumptions in my rubric choices. The main remedy that comes up is Nux vomica but further down the way were two rubrics that led me to an interesting choice of remedy that I would not have thought about: Ipecac.
12 Angry Men nicely illustrates the individualization of homeopathy — there is not one remedy that would address the various expressions of anger in all these men. Their past experiences and the way their anger shows up and what they do with that anger — these are all very important considerations in finding a suitable homeopathic remedy. This article has been rolling around in my head since I last saw this movie a couple of years ago and I now know why it took so long to see the light of day — it’s actually a really big topic. (Look for the Digging Deeper into Angry Remedies soon.) It turns out, though, that I was more than happy to while away some of these really hot days sitting in front of my fan, listening to my little fountain outside the open window and finally putting some possible homeopathic remedies to these characters. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference listArndt, H. E., 1904. First Lessons in the Symptomatology of Leading Homoeopathic Remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software.
Buck, H., 1895. The Outlines of Materia Medica & Clinical Dictionary. accessed through Radar Opus software. B. Jain Publishers. Clarke, J. H., 1902. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. accessed through Radar Opus software. Cowperthwaite, A. C., 1909. A Text-book of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Characteristic, Analytical and Comparative. accessed through Radar Opus software. Farrington, H., 1935. Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing : A study course for graduate physician. Master, F., 2017. Clinical observations of children’s remedies. New Delhi, India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd. Master, F. J., 2003. Suppressed staphysagria. B. Jain Publishers. Murphy, R., 2003. Homeopathic medical repertory : a modern alphabetical repertory. Blacksburg, Va.: H.A.N.A. Press. New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1995, 4 (2). accessed via Radar Opus software New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1996, 5 (2). accessed via Radar Opus software Shore, J., 1990. Seminar Glasgow [Scotland]. Presented at the Seminar Glasgow. Accessed through Radar Opus software Vermeulen, F., 2004. Prisma : the arcana of materia medica illuminated : similars and parallels between substance and remedy. accessed through Radar Opus software. Haarlem, Netherlands: Emryss.
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 There is no shortage of books and movies about betrayal. These are the plots that make us gasp out loud at the audacity of the baddies or weep for the wrong that has been done to someone. The Fugitive, Oppenheimer, The Beach (the book was much better), Au Revoir les Enfants, The Kite Runner, Julius Caesar (and many other Shakespeare plays)… spy movies and gangster movies all seem to have some level of betrayal in them. Heck, probably most popular fiction and movies portray disloyalty, backstabbing, treachery, treason and unfaithfulness.
There is a reason why betrayals make for great novels and movie plots and that’s because we have all experienced it at some point in time and we can all empathize with what we’re seeing/reading. In a movie or book, sometimes we can see it coming. In real life… Boom! We never see it coming; even if we saw it coming in hindsight, we never see it before it’s there. Betrayals are sometimes big and clear cut, like an extramarital affair and sometimes they are little, like promises broken to a child. Even if it seems like “nothing” from the outside, it can sit heavily on the one who feels they were betrayed. It's not unusual to carry that heavy weight along with them for years. How can homeopathy help? Well, let’s look at the results for someone who feels betrayed. Children may display their effects through anxiety, depression, anger, nightmares or even physical pain like stomach aches. Betrayed adults may suffer from intrusive thoughts or anger or sadness, even deep depression, and, adults, too, may find their feelings translated into physical symptoms like stomach pain or insomnia. The long and the short of it is, however, these effects can stick around for a long time and homeopathy can help clear out this unpleasantness. (Since the reaction to a betrayal is so individual, I highly suggest working with a professional homeopath so your specific symptoms can be addressed properly.) Nat mur comes to mind because ultimately what is often experienced after such an experience is sadness. I’ve written a few times about Nat mur and sadness: Happy Pills, Musical Resonance, The Big Goodbye. Pulsatilla is another remedy that sounds about right. Pulsatilla is known for feeling forsaken and being betrayed certainly falls under the definition of forsaken: to be or feel abandoned. Calvin Knerr’s Repertory of Hering’s Guiding Symptoms lists: "as if slapped in the face." That sounds about right, too. Pulsatilla is the only remedy listed in that rubric. Ailments from being alone. Exaggerated anxiety with palpitations or anxiety felt in the stomach. Depression and apathy. Beside oneself. Desires to be carried or caressed. Clinging behavior. A strong need for company and if that company offers consolation, they find that very helpful. (This desire for consolation and company is the opposite to Nat mur, fyi.) Crying makes them feel better and they may feel like crying all the time. Loneliness. Feelings of mourning. Ailments from being deceived and feeling dejected. Ailments from disappointments. Ailments from grief. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross talks about the five stages of grief, DABDA: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. Pulsatilla is a bold-type remedy for bargaining. The betrayal doesn’t have to be fresh. Homeopathic remedies can help clear out old icky feelings, too. Life is too short to stay focused on the bad. Try homeopathy and see if it can help you re-focus on the good. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits
 Photos by Saara Nafici.  One of the first remedies I gave my (then) young son after beginning to study homeopathy was Stramonium. He was about 9, I think, and my previously easy-going young fellow had become pretty surly. To paint the picture, he had previously had a good relationship with the after-school tutor who had been helping all 3 of my boys at various times for a few years. They would sit at the dining room table when I was cooking dinner and they chatted nicely and joked as she explained to him how this thing called “math” worked. Then, one day, he just became unpleasant and rude to her. It was not just with the tutor, but that relationship provided the clearest display of what was happening. I had learned recently about the homeopathic remedy Stramonium and I ordered a tube because it sounded like a pretty good fit for him. As the days went by, waiting for the remedy to arrive in the mail, I hoped that it was actually just a passing phase and my pleasant son would return. My hopes went unanswered. As luck would have it, the Stramonium arrived in the middle of a tutoring session. I opened the package and popped a couple of pellets in his mouth. A few minutes later, he said, “what did you just give me? It has made me really angry!” I have to admit that I panicked for a minute. What had I done? (In hindsight, a lower potency probably would have been better.) But, a few minutes later, he calmed way down after a short-lived aggravation*. I don’t think I ever actually gave him a second dose of Stramonium and his old, pleasant self soon returned. What is Stramonium and how can it possibly have this effect? Stramonium is made from jimson weed, a nightshade relative of tomatoes, eggplants and tobacco, and is known to trigger psychosis when ingested (Mental Health Daily 2015). All parts of this plant are toxic and in its raw state can cause convulsions, hallucinations and even death if ingested (Nafici 2016). The bloom itself is quite striking, but the seedpod (see top photo) is a better depiction of what this plant is all about. Jimson weed, also known as “locoweed,” “mad-apple” “thorn-apple” and “stinkweed” is “UNSAFE [original author's emphasis] when taken by mouth or inhaled” and “contains chemicals such as atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine” which “interfere with one of the chemical messengers (acetylcholine) in the brain and nerves” (Rxlist.com 2021) and can be fatal in high doses (Charmley 2022). Alrighty then! Message received — keep a safe distance from the plant itself! (If you or your pet do come in contact with this plant, call Poison Control at 1.800.222.1222.) “Jimson weed poisoning is found primarily among adolescents who seek the hallucinogenic effects of the plant” (Chan 2002) but it can also harm animals (Guthrie 2014) and makes the list of the “10 common poisonous plants” (Charmley 2022). (A quick search of the internet turns up many news articles of teens ending up in trouble from smoking or ingesting this weed.) Many of homeopathy’s most powerful medicines come from the most poisonous substances on the planet: Belladonna, Hemlock, Aconite… the list goes on because as we know in homeopathy, “Like cures Like.” What does that even mean? "Like cures like" means the symptoms or conditions which can be created or caused by a substance in its natural state can then be “cured” through the use of the potentized homeopathic version of the same substance. (See also, “Hom, not home”.) Indeed, one of the ways we find out the healing properties of homeopathic remedies is through historical accounts of poisonings. Take for instance Socrates, the Greek philosopher who was sentenced to death in 399 BC by drinking a hemlock liquid mixture — his symptoms were recorded by Plato in his book Phaedo (Dayan 2009). Plato told of the slowly ascending paralysis which crept up his legs and resulted in death when the paralysis reached the respiratory muscles. Enid Bloch researched the veracity of this account and discovered Scottish toxicologists of the 19th century conducted their own experiments and found similar effects. John Harley, author of The Old Vegetable Neurotics, poisoned himself and recorded the physiological effects, again confirming Plato’s account. As a result, we have a good homeopathic picture of what Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock) can do. (For this article, suffice it to say that homeopathic Conium can help with feelings of constrictions, indurations, nodules and tumors; conditions where the symptoms move upwards; it is highly indicated in a number of coughs, especially when lying down; sensations of heaviness and weakness, and, finally, progressive weakness, even to the point of paralysis.) Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, “found that the more he diluted his medicines, the more the toxic impact of their original substance was washed away. And, he found something else that was even more surprising: that the more dilute the medicines became, the more powerful they became in terms of their healing power” (McCabe 2010). McCabe goes on to speak of the homeopath E.B. Nash (1838-1917) who said, ‘the stronger the poison the stronger the cure.’ “Homeopathic remedies, when given in micro dose, have no toxicity left. But it is also true that they retain their inherent medicinal strength, making the remedies taken from poisonous substances particularly curative.” How these diluted solutions actually work eludes scientists to this day. Back to jimson weed… Along with the hallucinations, Charmley lists “aggressive or unusual behavior” as one of the dangers of consuming this plant. Dewitt (et al. 1997) lists “combative” behavior. Homeopathyonline.org (2013) says “the idea of Stramonium is we have lived through a night of terror … but more commonly the terror is internalized.” A person or a child has seen or experienced something frightening and that fright got stuck inside them. Morrison (1998) lists a “change of character” and “rages.” “Terror. Night-terrors. Feeling of threat or violence.” Boger (2015) lists “DREADS DARKNESS … Fearful, desires company or wants to escape … talks incessantly … wildly excited … or does all sorts of crazy things. Raving mania … cursing … Awakes in fear or screaming.” How do these internal terrors express themselves? Often through rage which shows itself with a red face. Or, rage alternating with laughing; rage with cursing and hitting, even an uncontrollable, violent rage. Stramonium is one of only 5 remedies listed in Murphy’s Repertory for rage and fury in children. It doesn’t have to get to this level though. Those symptoms listed above are extreme examples. Like all homeopathic remedies and their symptoms, there is a range of expression. Stramonium is also used for plain old anger: those who are easily angered and those who are angry from being frightened. It’s a good remedy for those who get angry as a result of anxiety and for temper tantrums. It was the idea of temper tantrums that caught my attention all those years ago. I realized that was what my young son was doing. It wasn't like the temper tantrums of a toddler, this was different, but very much the same -- an unreasonable bout of anger, out of reach of logic. Where else is Stramonium useful? For those suffering from fear: fear of being alone, (especially children), as well as fear of being alone in the darkness — they want light and company. Fear of animals and dreams of scary creatures. Fears of being attacked or bitten. Claustrophobia, the fear of going to the doctor, fear of ghosts and imaginary things. The fear of being injured, the fear of mirrors in a room, and being afraid of monsters and scary noises. As you can see, Stramonium is an excellent homeopathic remedy for frightened and/or angry children. Was my son exhibiting fearful behavior at this same time? I don't remember now and I didn't have the knowledge to look for such things then. Did my son see some show or read some story that freaked him out and got stuck in his head? Possibly, but I’ll never know for sure. What I do know is homeopathic Stramonium removed that layer of anger from him, regardless of where it originated, and returned to me the sweet young fellow I knew him to be. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Remember, an aggravation is considered a good thing in classical homeopathy. It is an exacerbation of the existing problem. The pendulum swings further in the direction of the problem and then corrects itself soon after, resulting in equilibrium. Reference list:
Bloch, E., n.d. Hemlock Poisoning and the Death of Socrates: Did Plato Tell the Truth? Academic Paper. [online]. State University of New York at Buffalo, NY, USA. Boger, C. M., 2015. Synoptic key of the materia medica : a treatise for homeopathic students. New Delhi: B. Jain. Chan, K., 2002. Jimson Weed Poisoning—A Case Report. The Permanente Journal [online], 6 (4), 28–30. Charmley, S., 2022. Top 10 most common poisonous plants: How to identify [online]. www.medicalnewstoday.com. Dayan, A. D., 2009. What killed Socrates? Toxicological considerations and questions. Postgraduate Medical Journal [online], 85 (999), 34–37. Dewitt, M. S., Swain, R. and Gibson, L. B., 1997. The dangers of jimson weed and its abuse by teenagers in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia. The West Virginia Medical Journal [online], 93 (4), 182–185. Guthrie, T., 2014. Jimsonweed – a poisonous plant that may be found in or around your horse pasture [online]. MSU Extension. Homeopathyonline.org, 2013. Stramonium [online]. homeopathyonline. McCabe, V., 2010. From Poison to Medicine: Homeopathic Medicines made from Poisonous Plants. kindle. McBooklets. Mental Health Daily, 2015. Drug-Induced Psychosis: List Of Causative Agents [online]. Mental Health Daily. Morrison, R., 1998. Desktop companion to physical pathology. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Publ. Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software. Mutebi, R. R., Ario, A. R., Nabatanzi, M., Kyamwine, I. B., Wibabara, Y., Muwereza, P., Eurien, D., Kwesiga, B., Bulage, L., Kabwama, S. N., Kadobera, D., Henderson, A., Callahan, J. H., Croley, T. R., Knolhoff, A. M., Mangrum, J. B., Handy, S. M., McFarland, M. A., Sam, J. L. F. and Harris, J. R., 2022. Large outbreak of Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) poisoning due to consumption of contaminated humanitarian relief food: Uganda, March–April 2019. BMC Public Health [online], 22 (1). Nafici, S., 2016. Weed of the Month: Jimson Weed [online]. Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Rxlist.com, 2021. Jimson Weed: Health Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, Dosage & Interactions [online]. RxList. |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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