 Well, it appears Whole Foods has failed us. Despite receiving a tremendous number of requests in a short amount of time, they have decided at a corporate level to stop carrying single homeopathic remedies. I am terribly disappointed, but I’m not surprised. (Though I haven’t heard an official word, I have noticed Whole Foods had stopped carrying most of the Bach essences recently, too.) Ever since Amazon purchased Whole Foods, nothing has been as good as it was. At all. By far. The selection of products, the quality of prepared foods and even the offerings at the butcher counter are not as nice as they once were. It’s a real bummer on many fronts. So, where to buy your homeopathic remedies locally? If you have a Sprouts in your town, that is your best bet. Sprouts carries a much larger selection of homeopathic remedies than Whole Foods ever did. Natural Grocers is another store that carries individual homeopathic remedies. If you have a local independent herb store, they often have a few individual remedies for sale. If they don’t, ask them to do so! Other than that, it’s to the internet we turn. (For all examples, I looked at Bryonia alba in both 30c and 200c for pricing.) If you want the familiar blue and purple tubes, go to Boiron*. Online, Boiron actually offers a much wider range of remedies and potencies. Their 30c is $8.49 and 200c is $11.99. (Note: Boiron tubes contain 80 pellets or 16 doses.) Additionally, they sell some Gemmos (see here for a little information on those.) Bonus! At the time of this writing, Boiron has 10% off Calendula and “On the Go” medicines. I also see “free shipping is automatically applied to all orders.” It’s not clear if this is all orders all the time or just the above mentioned promo. Washington Homeopathics is an excellent US pharmacy. They can be found at homeopathyworks.com. Their prices are $9.49 for a 30c and $16.29 for 200c. (Note: Washington sells their individual remedies in a 4 dram vial, so 900 pellets, which is a lot of pellets!) They also sell some of their remedies in 1/2 dram kit refills (containing 350 pellets) in nice little glass vials for $4.19 and $5.29 respectively. Additionally, they sell Bach Flower Essences and offer a nice selection of books and even a home-school curriculum. Bonus! Washington Homeopathics always has a few remedies on 20% sale each month. Hahnemann Labs is another superb US pharmacy. They offer a wide range of remedies and potencies and their glass tubes are $10.95 for 1/2 dram and $12.95 for a 2 dram 30c; 200c is $16.95 and $22.95 respectively. (The number of pellets is different and a little confusing: for up to 99c potencies, 80 pellets in the 1/2 dram and 240 pellets in the 2 dram.) For 100c potencies and up: 1/2 dram = 240 pellets and 2 dram = 730 pellets.) Note: Hahnemann 1/2 dram do not fit in standard kits; they are short, fat tubes. Bonus! I just got off the phone with a nice woman at Hahnemann Labs who confirmed that there is $2 discount on each remedy when ordering on-line. Olloïs sells nice remedies. They don’t have a huge selection but what they have, I like. Their claim to fame is lactose-free remedies. Their 30c is $8.49 and 200c is $9.49. (Approximately 80 pellets per tube.) Additionally, they offer a free 7-day video course on homeopathy if you want to learn more. Bonus! Free shipping on orders over $29. On to distributors in the US… I have written about Tap Roots before in regard to their kits, which I really like. They sell some individual remedies from both Washington and Boiron (similar or identical prices to buying those directly). They also sell Narayani mixes (which appear to be $22.99 each) and some Banerji protocol combination remedies (ex. Aconite 200c + Bryonia 30c for $20.99. As a reminder, Acon/Bry is the Banerji go-to protocol to use at the first sign of feeling unwell.) Additionally, they have cell salts and a nice selection of homeopathic books. Bonus! Tap Roots offers free shipping on $75+ orders. Vitamin shoppe sells a few Boiron single remedies, also for $8.49 each. Vitacost has a few Boiron and Olloïs remedies on offer. Prices seem to vary more than the other sites. Looking further afield (if you are in the US these are further afield anyway)… Helios in the UK ships to the US, though don’t expect it to arrive immediately. They have an excellent selection of remedies but their site can be a little cumbersome. If you like the self-dispensing tubes (similar to Boiron), choose: “Pills (No 6) (sucrose) in a 4g dispenser)”. Generally speaking, it appears these tubes run £5.85. They offer a huge range of potencies and a really nice selection of books and other products. Additionally, when I was in the UK at Christmas I discovered A. Vogel’s Echinacea Bioforce tablets that you might want to consider. (Not homeopathic, but good stuff!) Ainsworths is another UK homeopathic pharmacy. One feature I like about Ainsworths is you can build your own combo remedy. They, too, have a huge selection of remedies offered in a selection of pellets/tablets. 7g vial is the closest to the size we’re used to in the US. Though, their 1g vial (with the cute little cork stopper) is good for travel or, if you are in need of a “specialty” remedy. A 7g vial of a 30c or 200c is £7.50. I recently purchased “tablets” and that has been a nice change from the little pellets, though it doesn’t feel like the quantity will go very far. Weleda in the UK sells a nice “counter range” of 30c remedies for £7.65. Note: these bottles are not pocket friendly tubes. I have purchased these in the UK but I have not tried ordering from the US. If you feel so inclined, Amazon also sells some remedies. However, proceed with caution as they sell some brands which are unknown to me and I have heard some not great things from some of the “off-brand” remedies they have on offer. This is a short list of the pharmacies and distributors I know to be of good quality. I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I’m sure there are more, but this should be a good start. So, not quite as easy as picking up a remedy while you’re buying your groceries, but with a little planning, you won’t be disappointed with purchasing remedies on-line. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * As I was finishing up this article, I received an email from Boiron letting practitioners know where their clients can continue to purchase Boiron single remedies. Here is the image shown at the bottom of that email: 
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 I’ve been hearing that ringworm is going around. Is it true? I must confess, it’s getting pretty hard to tell what is true these days when you’re looking at the news. Regardless of all that nonsense, it’s important to be pro-active and know what to do if whatever is going around is coming your way. With that, let’s talk about ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal rash, named because of the ring that encircles the rash — no worms are involved. It is related to athlete’s foot and jock itch and it’s important to remember that fungal infections are likely to be contagious. They can spread through contact with the infected skin of others (including animals) or objects like towels, bedding or clothing. What to look for, according to Mayo Clinic:
“Ringworm may cause bald patches and consistent scratching leads to oozing and blistering” (Alton and Alton 2021). Sounds kind of miserable. How can homeopathy help? My first homeopathic stop would be from the Drs. Banerji who recommend the following protocol:
Now, let’s look at these remedies individually and see why they might help. Graphites is a big skin remedy. In this instance, it can be helpful for moist, crusty eruptions and has thick borders. Blisters which itch and ooze. Skin that comes off in scales or flakes. It is well indicated for eruptions which burn or itch as well as “smarting” — they just hurt. Itching skin, with the need to scratch it until it is raw. It’s also helpful for spots of falling hair (bald patches). Kali sulph is the primary cell salt which is indicated in ringworm, according to Natural Healing with Cell Salts ((Weintraub 1999). I’ll just let George W. Carey, MD sum up the skin conditions noted in his book, The Biochemic System of Medicine (1896): “All sores on the skin, when exuding a thin, yellow, watery matter, sometimes with dryness and desquamation of the surrounding skin. Skin scales freely on a sticky base… This salt also greatly aids desquamation in eruptive diseases and assists in the formation of new skin.” [author’s emphasis, not mine] Coffea cruda, a homeopathic remedy made from raw coffee, helps to keep one’s mind off of things. In my mind, I have somehow squashed the squirrel from Hoodwinked with the dog from Up to represent this remedy. The squirrel becomes hyper-focused when he has coffee and Dug the Dog’s attention leaves whenever there is the mention of a squirrel. So, my mind justifies this craziness in this way… when your mind is hyper-focused on the itching (think: squirrel from Hoodwinked) take the Coffea cruda remedy and it can remove the attention of the itching to the “squirrel” over there (think: Dug the Dog). In other words, the remedy removes the hyper focus and allows your mind to go elsewhere. Here’s to being prepared for the real stuff as well as the (possibly) over-hyped stuff. May we one day be able to easily decipher truth from fiction again. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
Alton, J. and Alton, A., 2021. The survival medicine handbook : the essential guide for when help is NOT on the way : a Doom and Bloom guide. United States? Doom And Bloom Llc. George Washington Carey, 1896. The Biochemic System of Medicine. F. August Luyties. Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : symptoms and natural solutions. New York: Simon & Schuster. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Ringworm (body) - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. Morrison, R., 1998. Desktop companion to physical pathology. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Publ. Prasanta Banerji and Pratip Banerji, 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub.  Tis the season for… Sore Throats. Sore throat complaints are keeping me busy this month! Some have the dreaded Covid, some have the flu, some may have strep throat and some people just have a sore throat. What to do about this pharyngitis? (Pharynx is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity and “itis” for inflammation.) Well, at the first sign of feeling unwell, I like the Banerji protocol of Aconite 200c mixed with Bryonia 30c. Taking this right away can often nip things in the bud and send the yucks away before they can settle in. Another option for those who are quick on the draw is Ferrum phos 6x. This, too, can often turn things around in short order. Once the yucks have made themselves at home and one is definitively feeling unwell, let’s look at a few homeopathic remedies which may help. (Note: There are many remedies which can be helpful for sore throats, these are just a few of my favorites.) See also: Calming the Cold; Some Flu Remedies to Consider and Tis the season for the crud. Baptisia Extremely painful, dark red throat, where swallowing liquids is the only option and even that is very difficult, despite being thirsty; tiny bites of food gags them. They may have swollen glands and/or bad breath. Belladonna The sore throat appears suddenly and generally hurts more on the right side with burning or throbbing pain. The throat and the tip of the tongue may be red. Pain is worse from turning the head, touching the throat and swallowing, especially liquids. Face will often be red and hot but the hands and feet tend to be cold. Gelsemium Burning and rough sore throat with pain that extends from the throat to the ear. May feel like there’s a painful lump in the throat that cannot be swallowed. Pain in the sternocleidomastoid — the long muscles on either side of your neck. Paralysis of the vocal cords. Swallowing solid foods is difficult. Hepar sulph Homeopathic Hepar is known for a sticking sensation in the throat, like a splinter or a bone. Pain extends to the ear on yawning and swallowing. May hawk up thick, yellow, sticky mucus. Wrapping up the external throat feels good. Cold drinks or becoming cold makes them feel worse but warmth in general and warm drinks can help. There may be a pulsation felt in the throat and they may feel worse in the evening and at night. Very sensitive to the pain and sensitive to everything else, too, actually and they may be irritable and impatient. Lachesis A purple throat, often on the left side (or starts on the left and moves to the right) and feels worse when swallowing liquids — even saliva is difficult — empty swallowing makes the throat hurt even worse (though they may have a constant desire to swallow). Swallowing solids may be easier. May have a disturbing constricting sensation, causing them to loosen clothes around the throat. Ear pain with sore throat. There may be a sensation of breadcrumbs or a painful sensation of a lump or plug which is not relieved by swallowing. They may choke easily, especially on falling to sleep and may have a suffocative feeling. Often feel worse on waking. Lycopodium Often on the right side with a dryness in the throat and they may not be very thirsty. A stitching pain on swallowing which is better with warm drinks and worse with cold drinks. Choking on swallowing. They may feel like there is a lump or a plug in the throat. They are chilly but they also want fresh air but are worse becoming cold or eating/drinking cold things. May have digestive issues at the same time as the sore throat. Mercurius sol Lots of saliva and a raw, rough and burning feeling in the throat. Lots of slime gets stuck in the throat and there may be drooling while sleeping. Swollen glands. A bad or metallic taste in the mouth and may have bad breath. The throat may be copper colored. Throat pain on coughing. The throat may be worse at night and they may also experience night sweats. Finding the right temperature is often difficult. Rhus tox Body aches and restlessness may accompany the sore throat. The tip of the tongue may be red. The throat becomes irritated and the voice becomes hoarse and is often worse from talking. The pain is worse from swallowing at first, but improves with more swallowing. Warmth is helpful and moving around may help, too — feeling worse when they are resting. Like the swallowing, they may feel worse when first moving around but better as they keep moving. When to see a doctor? According to the Mayo Clinic, see a doctor if:
TONSILLITIS A few quick notes relating to tonsillitis. (Note on type: Most highly indicated, highly indicated and indicated.) Again, there are many homeopathic remedies for tonsillitis and I am just focusing on the throat remedies already mentioned. Tonsillitis, in general — in order of importance: Belladonna, Ferrum phos and Mercurius. Hepar & Lachesis. Baptisia and Lycopodium. Tonsillitis with pus: Hepar, Mercurius. Belladonna, Lycopodium, Lachesis Hardness of hearing with tonsillitis: Hepar, Lycopodium and Mercurius Chronic, recurring tonsillitis: Hepar, Lachesis and Lycopodium Painless tonsillitis: Baptisia Burning pain in tonsils: Belladonna and Mercurius Purple tonsils: Hepar and Lachesis Bright red tonsils: Belladonna and Ferrum phos Dark red tonsils: Baptisia and Lachesis Tonsillitis in children: Ferr-phos, Lachesis, Lycopodium and Mercury Sharp pain in tonsils: Belladonna, Lachesis, Lycopodium and Mercury Tearing pain in tonsils: Belladonna Throbbing pain in tonsils: Belladonna STREP THROAT Strep throat is another possibility and can lead to long term problems in rare cases. Unlike most sore throats, strep is caused by bacteria. Strep A is big in the news this year, especially in the UK, but there are other strains of strep which can cause throat problems, too (A, C & G are the primary throat culprits). I never messed around with strep throats when my kids were little because I know two people who suffered terribly as a result of untreated strep. “Untreated strep throat can cause an autoimmune reaction in which the body attacks its own tissues and may lead to rheumatic fever, chorea and kidney damage” (Berkow et al. 1995). How can you tell the difference between a sore throat and Strep throat? Ultimately, for a full diagnosis of strep throat, you need to see a doctor and get a throat culture. According the the Merck Manual and the Mayo Clinic, strep throat symptoms typically appear suddenly and include:
In very young children (under 4), the only symptom may be a runny nose. (When my kids were little, I learned that strep infections in littles may present with only stomach problems, so keep that in mind.) “People with strep throat generally get better in 2 weeks, even without treatment. … antibiotics can shorten the duration of symptoms in young children and prevent serious complications such as rheumatic fever” (Berkow et al. 1995). (Note: There are homeopathic remedies which can be helpful in strep throat, but that is beyond the scope of this article.) If you are suffering from a sore throat, try one of these homeopathic remedies so you can get back to some painless Fa La La-ing before the festive season is behind us. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
Berkow, R., Beers, M. and Fletcher, A., 1995. The Merck Manual Home Edition. Merck Research Laboratories. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Strep throat - symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic.
 Practicing homeopathy is a lot like doing a puzzle or decoding a mystery — there is a lot of sleuthing to figure out the right remedy. In taking a classical homeopathic case, accurate details are the key — the more, the better!
Practical homeopathy is often much easier — the majority of the puzzle has been worked out already through tried and true symptom/remedy matches and often you just have to fill in the blanks, so to speak. What both of these homeopathic methods have in common is the gathering of symptoms… which makes sense since homeopathy is a methodology based on symptoms, symptom gathering is very important! So, though practical or clinical homeopathy has made figuring out the correct homeopathic remedy for a given situation much easier, (especially when it comes to the Banerji Protocols!), details are still very important. For instance, headaches. What’s in a headache? An awful lot, as it turns out. Headaches can be very difficult to treat because no two people experience the same headache pain. What one person calls a sinus headache is often very different to what another person calls a sinus headache. Sometimes people say they have sinus headaches and, yet, their sinuses don’t seem to be involved in the pain … at all. According to the Mayo Clinic, many people (up to 90%!) who claim to have sinus headaches may actually be suffering from migraines (Mayo Clinic 2018). I have come to understand that when someone tells me they suffer "sinus headaches", they just mean that it’s worse than their “normal” headache, or what they interpret to be a "normal" headache. Regardless of whether it’s a sinus headache or a migraine or a tension headache, getting the details on how a person experiences their headaches can be difficult. In the moment, the pain can be too great to be able to get much detail. After the fact, many people don’t even want to go there — to put themselves back into that pain — to remember what the details were. A while back, I encountered a young man who asked if I had any headache medicine. He was looking for mainstream over-the-counter meds, but, I being a homeopath, began down the homeopathic road, instead. He proceeded to tell me about his usual headaches that he has been experiencing for years, which he described as “sinus headaches.” So, I started to question the quality of the pains and the location of the pains, etc. This was not a formal consultation, just a casual encounter. I tried a headache combo remedy for him, but nothing happened. Then, based on his description, I moved to the Banerji Protocol for “sinus headaches with acute pain,” Sanguinaria 200c mixed with Belladonna 3c, taken every 30 minutes (Banerji and Banerji 2013, p. 118). Well, that did something, but it did the wrong something and he soon began to feel nauseous.* Then, I learned the all important missing piece to this particular headache puzzle. He had a few too many drinks the night before. It didn’t matter that he thought he was experiencing his “usual” headache pain because on top of that usual pain was sitting a few alcoholic drinks which likely had a causative effect. More importantly, homeopathically speaking, he left that detail out of the information he provided. If he had included that little nugget, my homeopathic questioning most likely would have stopped abruptly and I would have given him a dose of homeopathic Nux vomica. The go-to remedy for one who has had “a few too many” is Nux vomica. According to Schroyens Synthesis repertory (2012), there are 102 remedies applicable to symptoms following intoxication, with Nux vomica (and one other) being the most highly indicated homeopathic remedy. Why? Because Nux vomica is very highly indicated in the following headache symptoms, according to Murphy’s Repertory:
Nux vomica is also one of the largest liver remedies in homeopathy and as the medical literature has taught us, the liver is involved to help you cope with ridding your body of the toxins from the alcohol (Jung and Namkoong 2014). Homeopathic Nux vomica is very highly indicated in the following liver symptoms, again, according to Murphy: pain in the liver, atrophy of the liver, enlarged liver, a sensation of fullness in the liver; hepatitis infection, jaundice; congestion in the portal system. **If you are experiencing chronic liver issues, please work with a professional homeopath alongside your physician. What other symptoms does homeopathic Nux vomica address which may be experienced after “tying one on?” — according to Phatak (2005):
These keynote symptoms for Nux vomica sound to me like a pretty comprehensive list of symptoms which follow intoxication (Jung and Namkoong 2014; Mayo Clinic 2017). Getting an accurate account of one’s symptoms is imperative to getting the best-matched homeopathic remedy. Without the details, well, it’s GIGO (TechTerms.com) — “garbage in, garbage out.” On that note of garbage, I recommend you keep the garbage out of your body, too, but if you find yourself in this compromised position, Nux vomica may well help set things back in order. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * REMEMBER, when you take a remedy which is not well indicated, the homeopathic remedy can actually cause you to experience some of the symptoms the remedy is intended to treat. Reference list Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Jung, Y. and Namkoong, K., 2014. Chapter 7 - Alcohol: intoxication and poisoning – diagnosis and treatment [online]. ScienceDirect. Mayo Clinic, 2017. Hangovers - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Sinus headaches - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software. Phatak, S. R. and C Jeevanandam, 2005. A concise repertory of homoeopathic medicines : alphabetically arranged. New Delhi: B. Jain Pub. Rozencwajg, J., 2010. Organotherapy Drainage & Detoxification. Emrys Publisher. Schroyens, F., 2012. Synthesis : repertorium homeopathicum syntheticum. Accessed through Radar Opus software. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers. TechTerms.com, n.d. GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) Definition [online]. techterms.com.  Dystopian fiction used to be one of my favorite genres… until 2020 happened and we found ourselves living in an actual dystopia! A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to return to normal and re-visit this type of fiction. One Second After by William R. Forstchen came to me via an enthusiastic recommendation and it turned out to be a well-written, plausible scenario of the after effects of an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) being dropped on the United States. The result? All electronics ceased functioning: no phones, no running water, no refrigeration, no cars. Supply lines stopped. Stores looted and emptied in the first days. Medical help was dependent on the knowledge of the local doctors, nurses and veterinarians and whatever supplies they happened to have on hand. You know what was missing in this scenario? Somebody with some homeopathic knowledge! Homeopathy is an essential skill to have if you are living off the grid, whether by choice … or through a fictional EMP being dropped. The main character got a life-threatening infection after cutting his hand. A number of remedies come to mind for a really bad infection*: Calendula (Parente et al. 2012; Givol et al. 2019; Preethi and Kuttan 2009), Gunpowder (Casey 2011) or, the Banerji protocol of Hypericum 200c mixed with Arsenicum album 200c (Banerji and Banerji 2013). *This article is based on a fictional situation. If you find yourself in any of these situations in real life, seek medical attention immediately! His daughter had Type 1 diabetes (NOT a good thing to have when the supply lines are cut and there is no more insulin to be found) and though homeopathy may help control some of the symptoms, it isn’t going to do much to help that situation. There are certainly medical conditions for which pharmaceutical drugs are absolutely necessary to keep people alive. But, this dystopian novel made me think about all the people dependent on pharmaceutical meds for non-life-threatening conditions. You don’t want to be dependent on these things when this fictional EMP is dropped (or even if there is a breakdown of the supply chain)! The coming to grips with their new reality? Ignatia could certainly help with that. It is so good at addressing emotional shocks and for those suffering ill effects from hearing bad news or from fright and "disorders of the mind, particularly if actuated by grief, sadness, hopelessness, hysterical variableness, fantastic illusions" (Murphy 2006, p. 973). The diarrhea that spread through town? Arsenicum album (Rafferty and Kayne 1994), Veratrum album (Banerji and Banerji 2013) or Camphor (Banerji and Banerji 2013; Leary 1997; Perko 2005). [An interesting read on the use of homeopathy in cholera epidemics.] The psychiatric patients in town who no longer had their meds… Homeopathy has a good track record for helping mental and emotional conditions of all sorts and certainly could have helped to keep some of these conditions at bay, but these are better suited to an individualized classical homeopathic remedy. (Johannes 2010) Another beautiful aspect of homeopathy is it doesn’t require much of a supply chain. It is completely possible to make your own homeopathic remedies as long as you have either the raw materials or the homeopathic remedy itself. If you have blank pellets, you can create more pellets as needed, or, you can make essentially limitless liquid remedies from a couple of pellets and treat the whole town at once! What else could these people have used? A good First Aid Kit** and the knowledge of how to use it. When your local hospitals and clinics are no longer of any use to you, a medium-sized accident can leave you in a world of hurt. Remember, in this fictional account, there was no electricity, no internet, no phones to help you figure out how to use your first aid kit. It does you no good to have something downloaded on your now defunct tablet; you need to have good, old fashioned books to guide you, like US Army First Aid Manual or Herbal medic : a green beret’s guide to emergency medical preparedness and natural first aid. I know some people find these catastrophic topics disturbing. I like the problem solving that comes along with reading these kinds of books; to think about the worst case scenario and figure out ways to tackle the problems — being prepared (in my mind, at least) brings me a sense of calm. I’m happy to have this genre back in my life. I wonder what the next dystopian scenario coming my way will be? Regardless of what it is, I bet homeopathy would be a useful skill to have! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits ** I have no affiliation with this company or any products listed here, I just like their products. REFERENCES
Anon., 2020. Instructions For Turning Pills Into Liquid Remedies [online]. Homeopathy Plus. Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Camerlink, I., Ellinger, L., Bakker, E. J., and Lantinga, E. A., 2010. Homeopathy as replacement to antibiotics in the case of Escherichia coli diarrhoea in neonatal piglets. Homeopathy [online], 99 (1), 57–62. Casey, S., 2011. Gunpowder! Little-Known Remedy Packs a Wallop Against Wounds - Shirley Casey [online]. Hpathy. Coyte, J., 2021. Homeopathic potency briefly explained [online]. CLASSICALLYPRACTICAL.COM. Givol, O., Kornhaber, R., Visentin, D., Cleary, M., Haik, J., and Harats, M., 2019. A systematic review of Calendula officinalis extract for wound healing. Wound Repair and Regeneration [online], 27 (5), 548–561. Jacobs, J., Jiménez, L. M., Gloyd, S. S., Gale, J. L., and Crothers, D., 1994. Treatment of acute childhood diarrhea with homeopathic medicine: a randomized clinical trial in Nicaragua. Pediatrics [online], 93 (5), 719–725. Johannes, C. K., 2010. Homeopathy and Mental Health Care. The Netherlands: Homeolinks Publishers. Leary, B., 1997. The homoepathic management of cholera in the nineteenty century with special reference to the epidemic in London, 1854. Medizin, Gesellschaft, Und Geschichte: Jahrbuch Des Instituts Fur Geschichte Der Medizin Der Robert Bosch Stiftung [online], 16, 125–144. Murphy, R., 2006. Nature’s materia medica : 1,400 homeopathic and herbal remedies. Blackburg, Va.: Lotus Health Institute, November. Parente, L. M. L., Lino Júnior, R. de S., Tresvenzol, L. M. F., Vinaud, M. C., de Paula, J. R., and Paulo, N. M., 2012. Wound Healing and Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Animal Models of Calendula officinalis L. Growing in Brazil [online]. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Perko, S. J., 2005. The homeopathic treatment of influenza : surviving influenza epidemics and pandemics past, present and future with homeopathy. San Antonio, Tx: Benchmark Homeopathic Publications. Preethi, K. C. and Kuttan, R., 2009. Wound healing activity of flower extract of Calendula offlcinalis. Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology[online], 20 (1). Rafferty, A. and Kayne, S., 1994. The use of Arsenicum album 30c to complement conventional treatment of neonatal diarrhoea (“scours”) in calves. British Homeopathic Journal [online], 83 (04), 202–204. FIRST AID BOOKS Coffman, S., 2021. Herbal medic : a green beret’s guide to emergency medical preparedness and natural first aid. North Adams, Ma: Storey Publishing. Pareek, R. S. and Pareek, A., 2012. Homeopathy for Acutes and Emergencies. Kandern, Germany: Narayana Publishers. Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Schmukler, A. V., 2006. Homeopathy : an A to Z home handbook. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications. United States. Department Of The Army, 2009. U.S. Army first aid manual. New York: Skyhorse Pub. Wiseman, J. and Britain., G., 2014. SAS survival handbook : the ultimate guide to surviving anywhere. New York: William Morrow, An Imprint Of Harpercollins Publishers.  I first learned about the homeopathic remedy Ammonium carbonicum when I was just beginning my adventure into the world of homeopathy. It was taught to me as part of a Banerji Protocol for menopausal symptoms: Brainfog, moodiness & irritability and abnormal menstrual bleeding. I next stumbled upon Ammonium carbonicum when I had flu-like symptoms. I remember the headache very well. It was like I had eaten ice cream too fast except time was not helping the pain to go away. I was thumbing through a book that had been sitting on the shelf, waiting for this very moment to prove its usefulness. The Homeopathic Treatment of Influenza: Surviving Influenza Pandemics Past, Present and Future with Homeopathy by Sandra J. Perko. This book has since earned a prized location on my bookshelf. Headache Symptoms: Am-c (Ammonium carbonicum): Headache with fever. Headache centered in the forehead at the root of the nose. Headache with nausea. Better with pressure and in a warm room (Perko, 2005, p. 211). This description was by far the closest listed for my headache that day, though the words alone didn’t fully describe the pain I was experiencing. When I learned that Ammonium carbonicum is a homeopathic remedy made from smelling salts, that’s when the penny really dropped. If you have ever had a good whiff of ammonia, you know where that odor concentrates — right at the root of the nose — right where an ice cream headache settles in. I took one dose of homeopathic Ammonium carbonicum 200c and I was on my way back to engaging with the world. Perko’s book is formatted in such a way that even if it is you who is trying to figure out the best remedy for yourself when you’re feeling rotten, it is totally do-able. Following interesting information about influenzas throughout history (which you can marvel at later, when you’re feeling better), page 138 jumps right in with Predominating Symptoms: “Fever Predominates: High Temperature - Severe Sweating” and lists 54 short descriptions of homeopathic remedies and the types of fever symptoms they address. There are not chapters, per se, but headings: Fever, Perspiration, Chill, Respiratory symptoms, Catarrhal (mucus) symptoms, Cough, Throat, Larynx, Tongue & Mouth symptoms, Nasal, Sneezing, Eyes, Musculoskeletal, Headache & Face symptoms, and Vertigo. Each subheading is followed by dozens of 2-4 line entries of clear symptomatic descriptions of each homeopathic remedy. Following the Predominating Symptoms is the “Influenza Differential Reference” listing the previously mentioned remedies and how they each relate to the flu. Unlike most Materia Medicas, this one first lists “Influenza Keynotes” and then provides a paragraph from noted homeopaths (current and historic) and their thoughts on the homeopathic remedy in regard to its connection to influenza. The end of the book closes out with a section on “Complications of Influenza” and homeopathic remedies which may help and a special Bird Flu section. You may now be wondering how menopausal symptoms relate to a remedy for an ice cream headache. Good question. Most homeopathic remedies relate to all/most parts of the body in their individual ways.* Let’s look at Ammonium carbonicum on a very surface level and think back to the old movies and novels where we would see women of a certain age taking a little whiff of their smelling salts. We learn in Tasca’s article, (2012) Women and Hysteria in the History of Mental Health that “During the Victorian Age (1837-1901) most women carried a bottle of smelling salts in their handbag: they were inclined to swoon when their emotions were aroused, and it was believed, that, as postulated by Hipocrates [sic], the wandering womb disliked the pungent odor and would return to its place, allowing the woman to recover her consciousness.” I posit that it wasn’t the “wandering womb” that was causing the problems and nor were her problems to be considered "hysteria," but various menopausal symptoms were in play and that the smelling salts were helping to address. Menopausal Syndrome, Banerji Protocol: Menopausal symptoms, in general, including brain fog, moodiness & irritability as well as heavy menstrual bleeding: Ammonium carbonicum 200, once every 10 days. Note: this is one part of the protocol and other remedies would be employed to address further menopausal symptoms. If you are experiencing a difficult time as a result of peri-menopause, menopause or post-menopause, book an acute appointment now * Keep an eye out for an upcoming article on homeopathic “provings” which will bring a little clarity on how we know how homeopathic remedies affect individuals. You can sign up to have the latest articles delivered to your email here. Banerji, P. and Banerji, P. (2013). The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Tasca, C. (2012). Women And Hysteria In The History Of Mental Health. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, [online] 8(1), pp.110–119.  Perko, S.J. (2005).
The homeopathic treatment of influenza : surviving influenza epidemics and pandemics past, present and future with homeopathy. San Antonio, Tx: Benchmark Homeopathic Publications. |
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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