 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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 No matter what you want to call it … (if you’re squeamish, just know we’re talking about diarrhea and skip forward to the next paragraph). If toilet humor is your thing, here we go: Number 3, Chocolate Thunder, Poo Stew, Rectum Rapids, Turd Tea, Emergency Evacuation, The Squirts, Brown Bomb, Liquid Lunch, Poop Soup … I’ll stop now. (If you would like a few more unseemly names, see Travelers’ Diarrhea.) Don’t worry, I won’t continue with the graphic descriptions. What follows is a long list of situations where one might experience diarrhea and the most highly indicated remedies for each. Once again, if you are experiencing diarrhea beyond an acute bout, please seek professional medical advice. Before embarking on my long list of unfortunate bottom-related circumstances, let me share one of my first amazing homeopathic "wowee!" moments. We were traveling and my then young teenage son was very sick in the night with suspected food poisoning. I was hemming and hawing, trying to remember what I had learned about remedies. I went with Veratrum album and within minutes everything stopped. I mean, everything completely stopped. He slept the rest of the night and woke up fine and dandy. “Better out than in” is what we say around here! As a result of this experience, I keep a little vial of Veratrum album in my little travel kit that accompanies me every time I leave the house with my suitcase. Veratrum album is my go-to homeopathic remedy for if things are coming out of both ends. What else may point to the use of this remedy? The diarrhea (or vomiting) may be violent, voluminous and relentless. Collapse following diarrhea (not the only well indicated remedy in this rubric, but a good place to start). The person may be cold: cold limbs, generally chilly, and/or clammy. Diarrhea with perspiration. Diarrhea after eating fruit; diarrhea after eating cucumbers (technically a fruit, after all). Diarrhea during menses. Diarrhea which is made worse by movement/motion (Bryonia is another one to think of for this symptom). And, here’s one more unusual concomitant symptom for Veratrum album: hiccups during diarrhea. Isn’t that just what you need in that situation?! Children & Diarrhea: If you have an infant with diarrhea, administer Podophyllum on the way to see the doctor — dehydration can set in quickly. Diarrhea while cutting teeth: Chamomilla. Chamomilla is such an excellent remedy for children, in general, and it doesn’t let us down in this situation, either (but these symptoms are not confined to children. With everything homeopathy, if the symptoms match, the remedy would be effective for man, woman, child or animal.) Diarrhea with abdominal pain. Diarrhea: following anger; after taking a cold; after eating and, specifically after eating rhubarb. Emotional diarrhea or from excitement. During hot weather. Painless diarrhea. And, here is a rubric unique to Chamomilla (but hopefully you wouldn’t find this in a child!): diarrhea after smoking. The Elderly & Diarrhea: Like children, the elderly, too, have some remedies with great affinity to their age. In this particular situation, I would lean toward China officinalis. China is so good for enfeebled people, as can often be found in the later years. In particular, China is useful for weak digestion; dyspepsia/indigestion; flatulence; chronic belching. Dysentery, in simple terms, involves frequent bowel movements with blood and mucus in the stool, often accompanied by cramps and pain. Give some China while on the way to see a doctor. Please seek medical assistance if you are experiencing these symptoms. If diarrhea and constipation alternate in older individuals, consider Antimonium crud. On to the general list… If experiencing abdominal pain, and it feels like diarrhea is imminent, Aloe would be my first recommendation. There may be accompanying weakness. Diarrhea after eating and in particular, diarrhea following the slightest dietary indiscretion. Walking makes it worse. Lots of toots during the diarrhea. There are a few rubrics where Aloe and Sulphur “tie” when it comes to diarrhea: burning pain in the rectum; being driven out of bed in the morning, needing the toilet desperately (Sulphur has the specific times of 5-6 am); painless diarrhea; standing makes it worse. Where Sulphur “wins out” over Aloe: diarrhea after beer and nighttime diarrhea, especially after midnight. If the diarrhea alternates with another symptom, such as:
Diarrhea and emotions:
Feeling wiped out after all that wiping? China is a good place to start. If the weakness is particularly pronounced, also consider Phosphoric acid. If the act of wiping actually causes pain: Graphites. Diarrhea during pregnancy: Phosphorus Diarrhea during menopause: Lachesis Diarrhea following an injury: Arnica If it’s coming out as from a hydrant: Podophyllum If it has a really noxious smell: Baptisia Diarrhea following the consumption of:
If you find your appetite increases with diarrhea: Petroleum. Cold hands with diarrhea: Phosphorus Cold feet: Lycopodium Cold limbs: Arsenicum album, Camphora and Veratrum album Positionally speaking: If lying down make it worse: Dioscorea If lying down makes it better: Bryonia (though it may be worse lying on your side) Sitting upright makes it worse: Bryonia Time of day: If it starts after you have risen from bed and moving around: Bryonia or Nat sulph After midnight: Arsenicum album or Sulphur If the diarrhea causes sleeplessness: Phosphorus I changed my mind. I will use one more dysphemism: the sharts, also commonly referred to as “gambled and lost” (Flanagan 2010). If you are having diarrhea during rectal flatus, there are a number of well indicated remedies, but I would start with Aloe — the remedy for an insecure rectum (click that link to read the previous article with the same name.) What would cause an “insecure rectum?” Let’s go back to Giulia Enders’ Gut for this explanation. Apparently we have a pair of “sophisticated” sphincters which Enders takes a few pages to explain and I am going to try and shrink it down to the bare essentials using her words, (but the full explanation is certainly worth a read). “The outer muscle is a faithful servant of our consciousness. When our brain deems it an unsuitable time to go to the toilet, the external sphincter obeys and stays closed with all its might. … Our internal sphincter is a no-nonsense little guy. His motto is, ‘If it’s gotta come out, it’s gotta come out!’ … The external sphincter, on the other hand, has to deal with the vagaries of the outside world and its many options.” Suffice it to say, we need these two sphincters to communicate well. A few more remedies for involuntary stool (not necessarily diarrhea):
As you can see, homeopathy can be invaluable when it comes to diarrhea — there is a homeopathic remedy for almost any situation! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits References:
Enders, G., 2015. Gut : the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ. Greystone Books. Flanagan, D., 2010. Everybody poops 410 pounds a year : an illustrated bathroom companion for grown-ups. Berkeley, Ca: Ulysses Press. Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus software. As summer winds down, the cicadas seem to be winding up. Boy, they have been noisy this year! When they take a break, the silence makes me realize that living with something like tinnitus must be very trying, indeed! Tinnitus (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2018), the perception of outside noise when no actual external stimulus is causing the sound, affects 15-20% of people of all ages but it is especially common in older adults. Sometimes there is an underlying cause that can be addressed to fix the tinnitus, but usually, treatments to make the tinnitus less noticeable are used (things like hearing aids, sound generators). Common causes are hearing loss, ear infection or ear canal blockage, head or neck injuries and medications (Mayo Clinic 2018). Like so many chronic conditions, we are told there is no cure. Half the people who experience tinnitus do not have measurable hearing loss. A small percentage of people suffering from tinnitus experience serious debility in their daily lives (Prutsman 2023). Homeopathically speaking, there are some remedies that can help though it’s not usually a quick fix, so be prepared to be patient. There are a lot of rubrics and remedies associated with hearing noises in the ears — some of them quite specific as to the sound (for example, hearing bagpipes in the distance — Nat carb) or, specific circumstances or specific times of day when the noises occur. A few remedies pop up more often than others: Petroleum, Lycopodium, and China officinalis, in particular. There is a theme amongst these remedies of sensitive hearing, hyperacusis, which is a common complaint of tinnitus sufferers (Hebert et al. 2013). It never ceases to amaze me how homeopathy figured this stuff out a hundred plus years before the research was done! Petroleum is associated with chronic eustachian catarrh, (mucus or gunk in laymen’s terms). Conversely, there may be a dryness or a disagreeable feeling of dryness in the ears. There may be itching deep inside the ear or, diminished hearing in general. There could be an over-sensitiveness of not only hearing, but also of touch and smell, too. Impaired hearing with noises in the ears; impaired hearing in old people or, progressive hearing impairment. The sounds which may be heard for which Petroleum may be of benefit: bells; humming; constant roaring or rushing water; cracking; whizzing or the sound of wind. Lycopodium may help when there is a swelling of the ear with discharge. Perhaps, a sensation as if hot blood has rushed into the ears. Impaired hearing with discharge from the ear. Sensitive to noises and sounds, particularly music. The noises which may be helped with Lycopodium are: roaring, humming, whizzing and rushing. China officinalis is for a great over-sensitiveness of the nervous system — all sights, smells, hearing and taste are too strong. The external ear may be sensitive to touch. Impaired hearing with constant noises in the ears, possibly with a headache. The noises which may be helped by China officinalis are humming; ringing, especially with an accompanying headache; roaring; ticking as of a distant watch; buzzing; noises as if hearing singing. Back to the bagpipes of Natrum carbonicum… this remedy isn’t as prominent as the remedies listed above, but there are some interesting things associated with it. There may be a stopped sensation with diminished hearing. Sensitive hearing, particularly to music - they can’t bear it or, the rumpling of paper. Bubbling noises or as if a bubble is bursting; sounds seem to come from the left side when they really come from the right; and, the illusion of hearing singing. And, though they can’t stand hearing music, they have the delusion they are hearing music — that must be frustratingly awful! A list of a few noise rubrics and some corresponding remedies:
Book a focused consultation and see if we can take the focus off those noises for you. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
Cleveland Clinic, n.d. Tinnitus: Causes, Treatment & Prevention [online]. Cleveland Clinic. Hebert, S., Fournier, P. and Norena, A., 2013. The Auditory Sensitivity is Increased in Tinnitus Ears. Journal of Neuroscience [online], 33 (6), 2356–2364. Mayo Clinic, 2018. Tinnitus - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2018. Tinnitus [online]. NIDCD. Prutsman, Dr. J., 2023. Tinnitus [online]. Sound Relief Tinnitus & Hearing Center. |
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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