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t’s a spooky time of year — let’s take a look at some seasonally-appropriate rubrics and remedies and try a few scary ways to remember the remedy.  Ghosts show up mainly in the following mind rubrics (from Murphy, Phatak, & Knerr, Boericke, Boger — all level 3 unless otherwise mentioned) and I chose to compare a few commonly found homeopathic remedies which popped up in the repertory:
Arsenicum album I think of Arsenicum album more of an anxious remedy, but it’s right there big and bold in Murphy’s large general fears and phobias rubric. Arsenicum album is afraid of being alone and dying alone (yet, they may be averse to company, too; in fact, they may desire company but fear them, at the same time). They may be afraid when going to sleep.
Belladonna is also a bold level 3 in Murphy’s general fears and phobias rubric. In particular, Belladonna is afraid of animals (real and imaginary); fears while in bed; of coughing; of death and, imaginary things, think: ghosts and monsters.
Camphora is not my first thought for scared remedies, but I trust Knerr, so let’s take a look. Camphora is afraid of the dark and being left alone, especially at night (Ars, Phos, Stram) and being in bed, alone, on going to sleep. They are afraid of their own thoughts. A hall of mirrors might be too much for this person. And, they might just have the poop scared out of them, literally (Ars, Puls). Visions of ghosts and spirits may show up in their sleep. ☠️ Halloween connection: Sensory horror. Oversensitivity to noise and light, startles easily, and a fear of ghosts and of being alone in the dark. The picture that shows up from the proving is a little like someone visiting a haunted house. Another thought is embalming and the morgue. Camphor has been used as a deodorizer for the sickroom. The remedy is known to be cold to the touch, like a corpse. Camphor is a classic remedy for collapse, sudden chill and the sense that the body is shutting down and for coldness in spots (as if a part has already died). Carbo vegetablis is another remedy I would think of more for anxiety, but it, too is big and bold in Murphy’s general fears and phobias rubric, including the fear of ghosts… and monsters.
Carbo veg isn’t the first remedy I would think of for fears, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good one to try, especially if they have some keynotes of Carb-v in general:
They may fear a little something might escape involuntarily while tooting or urinating (Phos). 🎃 The Halloween connection: Carbo-veg is made from rot and putrefaction and this connects to the digestive keynotes of foul gas, bloating and a feeling of inner decay. Another thought is the pumpkin with a candle in it — left to rot and the oxygen is all gone, the jack-o-lantern gasping for air. Chamomilla might be a reluctant trick or treater with their fear of people (Lyc), or approaching others (Ars, Stram)… or, having others approach them (Stram), too. They, too are afraid of imaginary things and night time and the wind (Ars, Lyc, Puls), but for Chamomilla, this fear of night might be heightened during pains, especially teething. Their fears may be overpowering to them (Bell, Carb-v, Puls). Chamomilla’s boldest fear rubrics are being touched and shaking with fear. 👻 Halloween connection: To remember Chamomilla, think of the screaming child — the child who is furious and inconsolable and wants to constantly be carried and who screams more when they are put down. The temper tantrum that occurs when the little trick-or-treater is having a meltdown. They are hyper sensitive to pain and the itchy costume as well as the whole night in general might be too much for them. Kali carb may have some sadness (Ars, Lyc) and tears (Ars) with their fear. Their fear of being alone may be ameliorated by holding mom’s hand (Lyc, Puls, Stram). They might want to be alone, but that’s too scary, but being with people is too much (Ars, Lyc, Stram)… that’s a scary vicious circle on Halloween night! Like Chamomilla, they don’t don’t want anyone near them for fear of being touched (Stram) or being struck by someone coming toward them (Bell, Stram). Birds, real and imagined; lying down in bed; monsters and they may dream of ghosts.
👻 Halloween connection: Think of the last of the pack of trick or treaters, alone in the dark, jumping at the slightest noise, imagining they’ve been jabbed or struck with something. They are chilly and can’t wait to get back to their warm home and eat their highly anticipated sweet treats. Lycopodium is a big, bold and underlined fearful remedy. They are afraid of being outside (agoraphobia) (Ars, Stram) and being alone but to make matters worse, they might want to be alone but they are also averse company (Ars, Stram). The Lycopodium child may want to hold mom’s hand (Puls, Stram). They may fear being away from home (Ars). They may be fearful in bed, but they may also wet the bed (but they might also be fearful of wetting the bed). They may fear bugs (Ars, Puls, Stram) and cats (Stram) and crowds, and public places (Phos, Puls) and monsters and the dark. Sadness or depression with their fear (Ars, Kali-c). Fearful after eating (Carb-v). Constant fear of everything (Ars, Phos, Puls, Stram). A few stranger fears of Lycopodium which may be troublesome on Halloween:
Phosphorus is one of our “scarediest” remedies. Once again, they are afraid of being alone… in the dark… at night. Ghosts and insects and monsters (Ars, Puls, Stram), rats and noises (Stram) are all overpowering, causing them to cry (Ars) and startle. If there is a thunderstorm on the way, watch out. And, watch out cuz there might be some diarrhea (Ars, Puls) with a Phosphorus fear. They have terrible dreams and they may jump when they are touched (Bell). Being in crowds, crossing the street, electricity and even their friends. Causeless fear, cemeteries, and waiting for something to come creeping out of the corner (are all shared with Stramonium). 👻 Halloween connection: White phosphorus glows green in the dark — one of the closest things science has to offer as a ghost — if one sees ghosts everywhere, that can lead one to being fearful all the time (Ars, Puls)… of everything. Phosphorus was what was on the match heads — think of lightning (Bell) and the startling response it can cause. Pulsatilla Ghosts are a big one for Pulsatilla with visions, fears and dreams of them. Puls also has a big fear of being alone but more specific to Pulsatilla is the fear of being abandoned or being left alone (Ars, Camph) or neglected (Ars). Yet, they may be afraid of people. Going to sleep (Ars, Phos), bugs, spiders (Stram) and snakes (Ars), too.
🎃 Halloween connection: October is considered a windy month in many places —as the fall winds usher in the new season — windy and unsettled, just like Pulsatilla. They are weeping and clinging and need their hand held as they make their way through the haunted house or through the neighborhood streets. Stramonium can be an angry remedy and their fear might alternate with rage (Bell). They are afraid of being alone, wanting to hold mom’s hand (Kali-c, Puls) and want light and company (Bell) and they are better from company (Ars, Bell). Stramonium is our biggest fear of the dark in this group of remedies. Halloween must be a tough day for someone in need of Stramonium. They have a fear of something creeping out from every corner (Phos). They are afraid of black/dark colors (Ars). And, don’t post them next to someone who is dressed as Big Bird — they have a fear of feathers, too. Bugs, flies, spiders, cats (Lyc), ghosts, monsters, wolves (Bell), graves and cemeteries (Phos). You might want to skip the hall of mirrors, lest he should see himself. Their fear of animals and dogs…especially black dogs (Bell)… goes further than our other remedies in that they fear being devoured by them (Bell). There is a fear of being attacked or bitten (Bell) and hallucinations of being pursued by ghosts. 😱 Halloween connection: Nightmares! They are terrorized in the dark and need some company and some light (but not direct light). Please remember there are many more important fearful remedies, these are just some common homeopathic remedies referencing ghosts and goblins, not fear in general. Heck, there are even many more ghost and goblin remedies, too!  Goblins Frans Vermeulen’s Synoptic Reference says the name of Cobaltum metallicum comes from the German word for goblin, Kobold. Miners would find a promising bit of ore and as soon as smelting began, it would vanish in a poisonous stench. The miners blamed the kobolds (goblins), but it turns out it was the toxic arsenic trioxide vapors, not the goblins that were the cause.  Witches My favorite witch is named Hazel — Hamamelis virginiana (aka, Witch Hazel). Back to Vermeulen for some information on Hamamelis, (this time from Prisma), who surmises the connection to witches comes from “the peculiar ‘magical’ seed dispersal of the plant: their expulsion takes place with such force that it suggests witchcraft.… Another explanation is the use of the twigs by the early settlers in Virginia [in about 1700] for water divining and for discovering precious metals.” He goes on to say that others dispute the origin of the name and posit that “it comes from the word ‘wych,’ which has nothing to do with witches but is related to Anglo-Saxon ‘wicken’, to bend, or Old English ‘wich,’ quick or loving, or possibly even to the modern word, ‘switch.’” Another witchy connection is with Stramonium (see above). Alphonse Teste says, “Thron-apple, vulgarly termed stinkweed and witch-herb, on account of the fantastic visions which these poor imbeciles procured with it, and which they believed to be real.” (See also, Anger & Fear for more on Stramonium.) Gibson tells us: “All down history the various species of Datura*** have been used as medicaments and intoxicants. The medieval witches’ salves consisted primarily of black henbane and thom-apple; the hallucinations they produced were considered to have been real even after the intoxication and mental derangement had worn off.” Apparently, Stramonium was part of the recipe to make people think they were flying. Are witches in the repertory, too? Yup. Again, from Murphy: Dreams of witches: Agaricus and Stramonium. Agaricus muscarius is a bit of a spooky remedy in itself, so let’s take a very quick look at it. Agaricus is made from the mushroom of fairy tales. Don’t let the jolly red cap fool you, though, cuz it’s poisonous.  I asked Venice AI to make me a fairy tale version of this mushroom, which really is just a cleaned up version of the actual mushroom. Roger Morrison tells of an Agaricus case where someone is preoccupied with morbid thoughts… thoughts about graveyards, coffins and they had “an element of spookiness about them.” A strange rubric: Mind, Insanity, general, madness - graveyards visits. (Agar-3, Bell/Stram-1). I had no idea Halloween was so rich in remedies! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *There is a lot of cross-over with these remedies. I did not cross reference every rubric — my purpose was to give an overview of each of these fearful remedies. **Most of these remedies are excellent for scared children, actually, especially Belladonna, Chamomilla, Lycopodium, Phosphorus and Pulsatilla. ***Datura is a group of highly poisonous, night-blooming plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Reference list
Boericke, W., 2002. New manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and repertory. B. Jain Publishers. Boger, C. M., 1905. Boenninghausen’s Characteristics Materia Medica & Repertory with Word Index. accessed through Radar Opus software. B. Jain Publishers. Gibson, D. M., Harling, M. and Kaplan, B., 2011. Studies of homoeopathic remedies. Kandern, Germany: Narayana Publishers. Knerr, C. B. and Hering, C., 1896. A Repertory of Hering’s Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica. accessed through Radar Opus software. Murphy, R., 2010. Homeopathic medical repertory : A modern alphabetical and practical repertory. New Deli: B. Jain. Phatak, S. R. and C Jeevanandam, 1963. A concise repertory of homoeopathic medicines : alphabetically arranged. accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi: B. Jain Pub. Teste, A., 1854. The homoeopathic Materia Medica. 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. Vermeulen, F., 2011. Synoptic reference. accessed through Radar Opus software. B Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd.
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 “So putrescent, so feculent, so foul.” These words, borrowed from Colleen Paeff’s The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Solution Problem (2021) really get to the heart of the matter. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of poop? The smell, of course! Poop and stink go hand in hand. (See Rooty Toot Toots for remedies which may help for stinky gas.) Why are poops stinky? Referring back to the first article in this series, dead bacteria, which makes up 30% of poop, is the cause of the smell. Mental Floss, citing Val Curtis from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says, “that we think poop stinks for our good. Our disgust towards certain sights and smells is a ‘behavioral immune system’… that evolved to keep us from coming into contact with infection and disease (Soniak 2013). So, how does homeopathy fit into stinky stools? Well, if you are a regular reader of Ruminating on Remedies, I’m hoping you are now catching on to the idea that after the 220+ years that homeopathy has been around, homeopathy pretty much has a remedy to address pretty much everything… even stinky stools. Most stools stink and that’s normal. However, sometimes there may be a particular odor that is new to a person. In these instances, that new poop smell may help guide one to a helpful remedy. There are a few homeopathic remedies which keep popping up for specifically stinky stools. In particular, Dioscorea, Colocynthis and Sulphur. Generally speaking, I try to keep the remedies mentioned in this blog to those that are readily available. Dioscorea and Colocynthis aren’t unusual remedies, but unlike Sulphur, they are definitely not found in my local stores which sell homeopathic remedies, nor are they always included in remedy kits, but they are well worth seeking out to have in your homeopathic remedy stash. Interestingly, in terms of gastrointestinal disorders, Dioscorea and Colocynthis are opposite each other in regard to colicky pains. Dioscorea has a tendency to stretch backwards to relieve abdominal pains whereas Colocynthis would bend forward to relieve those pains. As for smelly stools, Colocynthis, according to Schroyens, has stools which smell like:
Dioscorea, on the other hand, is mentioned in Murphy’s Repertory in 86 rubrics relating to stools but it is the only remedy listed in the only rubric for those acutely sensitive to the odor of stools to the point of fainting. (Dioscorea is also mentioned in a number of other repertories for offensive stools in general.) Sulphur is another remedy to consider for those oversensitive to stool odors. A Synoptic Key (Boger 2015) is an excellent get-to-the-point materia medica (the book also includes “a brief repertory” which also gets right to the point). Dr. Boger lists Stool, bad odor, including 3 really good stool remedies: Arsenicum album, Carbo-veg and Podophyllum. (That’s a heck of a lot easier than parsing through the 297 remedies listed in Schroyens under offensive stools. See what I mean -- he gets right to the point, kind of like a "start here" sort of repertory.) However, if the stools are offensive only in the morning, consider Graphites. If the stools smell like rotten cheese, try Bryonia or Hepar sulph. If the stools have a penetrating odor: Sulphur or Podophyllum. If the odor cannot be removed, even with washing: Sulphur. Putrid (meaning decaying or rotting smell) stools: there are lots of well indicated remedies here, but start with Podophyllum or Arsenicum album. If these putrid stools are found in the elderly, try Baptisia. If they smell putrid only at night, try Sulphur. Back to Boger for stools that smell like carrion (decaying flesh of dead animals): Carbo veg. Like rotten eggs? Chamomilla. Like sour milk? Tabacum. Sour, in general? Calc carb, Hepar sulph, Mercurius or Sulphur. For an odorless stool, look to Veratrum album. If you would like to keep your bathroom smelling decent for those visitors who have not yet discovered the wonders of homeopathy, try some Poo-Pourri.* They make products to spray into the toilet “before-you-go” and claim it “trap[s] bathroom odor under the water’s surface, so it never enters the air.” It works and it also makes for a funny present with names like: “Trap-a-Crap” and “Royal Flush” and “Heavy Doody” and they even come in seasonal scents. Now, I must admit that I am pooped. I have crapped out on the Doo-Doo Documents for now but there is more to be said on this topic and perhaps one day we shall revisit this extraordinarily important topic. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products. RESOURCES
Boger, C. M., 2015. Synoptic key of the materia medica : a treatise for homeopathic students. New Delhi: B. Jain. Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus software. Paeff, C., Carpenter, N. and Mcelderry, M. K., 2021. The great stink : how Joseph Bazalgette solved London’s poop pollution problem. New York: Margaret K. Mcelderry Books. Schroyens, F., 2012. Synthesis : repertorium homeopathicum syntheticum. Accessed through Radar Opus software. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers. Soniak, M., 2013. Why Does Poop Stink? [online]. www.mentalfloss.com. Available from: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/49033/why-does-poop-stink.  I may be a little late on the uptake with this one, but it’s still early days of summer and I’m sure this information may come in handy for someone.
Those crazy photos of the apocalyptic skies in New York in the last couple weeks reminded me of being in Minnesota a couple of years ago during some other Canadian fires. The smoke was thick and unpleasant. I stopped in a natural foods store and picked up some Nat Mur. I was looking for a 6x cell salt, but all they had was a 30c. Nat Mur might not be THE remedy to choose for each individual symptom of smoke inhalation, but it’s a big remedy that covers symptoms wide and far and it worked so beautifully that should I find myself in another smoky situation, Nat Mur 30c is what I am going to grab. Let’s take a look at what the repertories have to say about this remedy and smoke. Nat Mur is a remedy for the sore throats of smokers, particularly for a rawness in the throat from smoking. Burning eyes. Watering eyes with a cough. Aggravations from smoke inhalation. Toxicity following smoke inhalation. Nat mur is also a good headache remedy as well as nausea during a headache. Difficult breathing with a cough. Coughing with an irritation in the air passages. A couple of other remedies to consider… Euphrasia would be another excellent choice for the burning, stinging eyes. Carbo veg is the go-to remedy if it feels like there is not enough oxygen getting into the lungs. Next week I will be writing all about coughing, but just a quick mention here for Ipecac — for a nagging, gagging, choking cough. Ipecac is also very good for nausea during a cough, which breathing in smoky air can certainly cause. Here’s to clear blue skies. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Let’s take a look at toots — you know, gas… bottom burps… farts… stink bombs… fluffer-doodles. While there certainly can be some instances which may indicate a serious medical problem for which medical treatment should be sought*, for the sake of this article, we’re going to just stick to common, everyday gas.
If you go to a conventional medical practitioner for your gas problem, they will most likely offer you one of the following:
*According to Mayo Clinic, if you have chronic or unusual abdominal pain, severe heartburn, persistent vomiting or nausea, chronic diarrhea, bloody or black stool, weight loss and loss of appetite, severe bloating, constipation or difficulty emptying your bowels, seek medical attention. All of these conventional treatments may help now and again and in the moment, but, to my knowledge, they don’t help get rid of the underlying problem. Homeopathy, on the other hand, has many remedies for many kinds of toots. When I enter “flatulence” into my homeopathic software, Dr. Robin Murphy’s repertory comes back with 849 “different” rubrics. (I put different in quotes because there are overlaps, to be sure, but it’s a clear indication of how homeopathy differs from conventional medicine.) Remedies for specific complaints stemming from gas. How cool is that? Tailored toot remedies, you might say! What kinds of flatus are there? Here are just a few descriptions from Dr. Murphy:
One of the most beautiful aspects of homeopathy is that it can not only help in the moment by relieving symptoms, it can help to lessen the problem altogether. When you are using homeopathy, you should be looking for overall improvement: the problem should be less intense and less frequent. In short, you should be looking for the problem to be getting better in general, not just in the moment. For instance, if you suffer severe gas and bloating every evening, once you are taking the “right” remedy (there are many remedies which can help with many given symptoms), the amount of gas should be less and the abdominal pressure should be less and the rumbling should quieten. Soon, it won’t be happening every night, it will be every other night and then every few nights and then only once in a while. That’s what we’re looking for -- overall improvement in the complaint. So, what are some go-to remedies for common gas? My first thought when somebody is suffering from gas and bloating is Lycopodium. Homeopathic Lycopodium is a very highly indicated remedy for gas and bloating, especially when said toots are a result of eating offending foods. Where else might Lycopodium be helpful in gaseous complaints? Abdominal pain; back pain stemming from gas; flatulence in the elderly; wind accompanying stool; evening flatus, and, rumbling guts which improve when you are able to release some air. How about that “incarcerated flatus”? Trapped wind causing cramping pain might be Lycopodium, but it might also be Carbo vegetablis (which is actually made from charcoal). If all that trapped gas makes your belly so full it can be difficult to breathe, Carbo veg is probably gonna' be your new favorite remedy. Gas during diarrhea; offensive gas; so much trapped gas that the abdomen feels hard and maybe even tender. Those poor little babies, scrunching up their legs trying to get some relief? Mag phos would be my first thought. Toots which smell like spoiled eggs? Sulphur, or, even Arnica. Another good gas remedy is Nux vomica for flatulence from anxiety; flatulence after eating or even while eating and toots which accompany coughing. If you have a potent, musical bottom, give some homeopathic remedies a try. Your loved ones will thank you! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits
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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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