 It doesn’t matter what you call it: Studying. Revising. Cramming. “It” is overloading your brain with information. One may be forgiven for thinking school is out for summer, but that is not the case for everyone. One person reached out the other day, saying they and their friends are sharing some problems:
Let’s look at these problematic symptoms. What is causing the inability to focus? Is it distraction? Is it burnout? (These people did just finish law school. I should think the desire to keep at the books right as summer hits could be pretty difficult!) What is getting in the way of feeling well-rested? Is there insomnia? Is all the legalese swirling through your mind when you’re trying to sleep? Is the candle being burned at both ends? Are nutrition needs being met? What is the stress that is being managed? I’ll go in reverse order this time — are nutrition needs being met? This is so hugely important! Is the stress a direct result of not getting sufficient sleep? Is there a hyper-focus on learning the law, thereby causing a lapse in attention to the rest of the details of your life resulting in new levels of stress? I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s a little bit of everything. Let’s think about this in terms of the repertory. Another way of saying needing to stay focused is being distracted. Dr. Murphy ranks Phosphorus at the top of this list (in terms of remedies which are readily available). I really hate to do this to you when you are already wiped out from studying, but you’ll have to read through these short descriptions to find the best-suited remedy to your specific symptoms! Phosphorus Carroll Dunham’s Lectures on Materia Medica (1878): Phosphorus - Sensorium - Weakness of memory, indisposition (moderate) to exertion; difficulty in collecting and concentrating thoughts; weak feeling in the head, aggravated by thinking and by loud noise, music or hard stepping; these things produce throbbing in the head, a feeling of confusion, dullness and distraction, but especially of weakness in the head. Frans Vermeulen (2015) says it a little more simply: Phosphorus is “easily distracted.” Clarke (1902): “Headache as if too full of blood from intense study.” Douglass (1903): Cannot study nor keep his mind on any particular subject long at a time. Disinclination to study or converse. Gibson (1987): “Is full of fears… of study (owing to mental exhaustion)…” RELEVANT RUBRICS:
Phosphoric acid Douglas Borland says in Digestive Drugs (1940): The mental picture is that of those who are just dead tired. They feel generally indefinite, do not want to talk, cannot concentrate, their thoughts wander away from the subject. Any mental effort is liable to produce an acute headache with a sensation of extreme pressure on the top of the head. On any effort at all these patients are liable to feel giddy. Gibson (1987) adds: The mind is confused, and any effort to concentrate brings on a dizzy feeling. There is great sensitivity, notably to music and also to odours. The subject is easily startled. May complain of various odd sensations such as widespread formication*; may be afflicted with homesickness. Leeser (1935) goes a little further: Poor comprehension and concentration, poor memory, indifference, dullness, inability to perform mental work, lack of ideas, moreover, depression, apathy, dissatisfaction with one’s self, aversion to speaking, in particular homesickness, indicate the psychic state in phosphoric acid. But nervous excitation with sleeplessness and sensitivity to all noises is also observed… a brief sleep may often remove the fatigue and be sufficient to refresh…
Picric acid Blackwood (1906) says: This remedy is indicated in restoring the wasted and worn-out systems of those who are suffering from the effects of close application to study or business and become anaemic and neurasthenic** and asthenic**. Clarke (1902): a patient of mine, previously a good sleeper, to lie awake a long time at nights, exhaustion after the day's studies, fatigue even from a short walk, twitchings of muscles when asleep or awake; hysterical state, loss of will power; constant headache, irregular menses. Any attempt to study = burning along spine; with great weakness of back and legs; soreness of muscles and joints. agg. By study or slightest mental exertion. Inability to keep eyes open when studying. Gibson (1987): The chief characteristic is extreme muscular weakness, accompanied by a compelling desire to lie down and a complete absence of anxiety. Is utterly exhausted; can neither think nor study. Darting pains may be felt in various sites, possibly involving bones.
Then, of course, we have our good old Nux vomica, and, I think this would be my first stop. We know Nux is helpful when things are too much: too much studying; too much not enough sleep; too much snacking while studying. Farrington (1955): "Lesson twenty-five - Nux vomica - General characteristics - Ailments from ANGER; grief; EXCESSIVE MENTAL LABOR; SEDENTARY HABITS; LOSS OF SLEEP; DEBAUCHERY; SEXUAL EXCESSES; ALCOHOL; COFFEE; NARCOTICS; TOBACCO; GETTING CHILLED; suppression of sweat or HAEMORRHOIDS. HYPERSENSITIVENESS; IRRITABILITY; …IMPATIENCE; MALICIOUSNESS; IMPETUOUSNESS; hurry; sadness; …weeping; timidity; dullness; CONFUSION; DIFFICULT CONCENTRATION; weakness of memory; INDOLENCE; IMBECILITY; delirium; INSANITY; MANIA; HYSTERIA; INCREASED SEXUAL DESIRE; debility; trembling." Those are some strong words in there. Suffice it to say, that would be an extreme picture of a Nux vomica state. Gunavante (1998) always sums things up succinctly: “Concentration difficult while studying.” Now, let’s look at a few applicable rubrics for Nux vomica:
SUMMING UP THE REMEDIES (I know your attention span is already shot, so I’ll keep this brief): Phosphorus may be a good place to start if:
Phosphoric acid may be a good place to start if:
Picric acid may be a good place to start if:
Nux vomica may be a good place to start if:
Are these the only remedies? Nope. Far from it. But, I know you’re tired, so I tried to keep it simple. Good luck on your exams! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Formication: the feeling that bugs are crawling on your skin **Neurasthenia: an ill-defined medical condition characterized by lassitude, fatigue, headache, and irritability, associated chiefly with emotional disturbance (Oxford University Press 2021). **Ashtenia: abnormal physical weakness or lack of energy (Oxford University Press 2021). Reference list
Blackwood, A. L., 1906. A Manual of Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacology. accessed through Radar Opus software. Boericke & Tafel. Borland, D., 1940. Digestive Drugs. accessed through Radar Opus software. Choudhuri, N. M., 1916. A study on materia medica and repertory. accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi: B. Jain. Clarke, J. H., 1902. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. accessed through Radar Opus software. Douglass, M. E., 1903. Pearls of Homoeopathy. accessed through Radar Opus software. Farrington, H., 1955. Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing : a study course for graduate physician. accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi: B. Jain. Gibson, D. M., 1987. Studies of homoeopathic remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Kandern, Germany: Narayana Publishers. Gunavante, S. M., 1998. The ‘genius’ of Homoeopathic Remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Leeser, O., 1935. Textbook of homeopathic materia medica : inorganic medicinal substances. accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi: Jain. Oxford University Press, 2021. Oxford Dictionary of English. 14.1.1.47 ed. Oxford University Press accessed through mobisystems.com app. Vermeulen, F., 2015. Concordant reference : complete classic materia medica : 1284 remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Glasgow: Saltire Books.
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 Pooping is under appreciated. We all do it. Some of us appreciate it. Some of us find it a nuisance. Some of us struggle with it daily. Some of us find it funny. Some of us find it disgusting (there may be some scientific evidence for this one (Curtis et al. 2011). Some of us find it embarrassing. Some of us find it unseemly and certainly not a topic for polite discussion. If you find yourself in that last category, I hope to change your mind starting today and continuing over the next couple of weeks because poop is so amazingly important! Don’t believe me? Try not having a poop for a few days and see how you feel! Not surprisingly, finding a good homeopathic remedy for an individual can be helped along with some fecal details. It’s one of those little tidbits that really can relay a lot of useful information. Also not surprising, lots of people have poop issues but they never bring it up until after the fact. (After the fact: "My constipation is better after that remedy" after never having mentioned the problem.) Even if a homeopath asks directly about pooping, it is not uncommon for the answer to be along the lines of, “all good there” — implying "move on". (If you find yourself in a homeopathic consult, put whatever squeamish embarrassed-ness you may have aside and fling those poop facts out there!) If you’re not in the habit of taking a peek after you poop, I suggest you re-evaluate that decision. If you don’t look, who else is going to … until it’s too late and you find yourself at the doctor’s office leaving a stool sample to find out what is going wrong? Keeping an eye on your deposits can help you keep an eye on your health. Back to how important poop is… Poop takes waste from our bodies — preventing the build up of toxins and maintaining a healthy gut. Poop can have an effect on our psychological wellbeing. Poop reflects our physical health. The color, consistency and frequency of poop can indicate an underlying health issue such as digestive problems, infections, or nutrient deficiencies. Stool samples are used to diagnose infections, detect bacteria, viruses or parasites and also to screen for medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer. So, that’s a lot of poopy talk, but what is this poop we are actually talking about, anyway? According to Taber’s Medical Dictionary, feces is bodily waste such as food residue, bacteria, epithelium, and mucus, discharged from the bowels. People poop generally once or twice daily (1.2 times a day on average), totaling about 1.8 oz to a whopping 28 oz for the average adult and between 2.6 oz and 13 oz per day for children (Rose et al. 2015). For reference: a tennis ball weighs about 2 oz. A can of soda weighs about 12 ounces. On the high end of this scale, 28 oz equates to 1.75 pounds which is approaching the weight of a typical pineapple sold in grocery stores (Measuring Stuff 2022). 😳 Where does all this stuff come from? Poop is (generally) made up of 75% water and 25% solid matter. 30% of that solid matter consists of dead bacteria; about 30% indigestible food matter such as cellulose; 10-20% is cholesterol and other fats; 10-20% is inorganic substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; and 2-3% is protein (Britannica 2019). (Short hand: 10 parts water, 1 part bacteria (dead and alive), 1 part indigestible fiber and 1 part mixture of fat, protein, dead cells, mucus (Richman and Sheth 2007). With all the basics out of the way, let’s get back to homeopathy. In preparing for this mini-series on poop, I was browsing through my little assortment of poop books. (What? Don’t you have one of those?!) Judging by my quick look on the internet, my poop book collection is woefully slim … there are poop log books which claim to help you improve your gut health; poop coloring books; books about how to poop in the woods; an absolute ton of books for kids about pooping; and, a surprisingly large number of bathroom guest books 😳. (I guess that’s one way to encourage people to talk about this heretofore forbidden topic.) To get us in the poop mood, however, I am going to be relying on What’s your Poo Telling You? By John Richmond and Anish Sheth, M.D. The very first page of the introduction talks about “the feeling of unbridled elation that results from unleashing the perfect poo. Although difficult to achieve, this Poo-phoria lends a feeling of ecstasy, even invincibility, that some have likened to the perfect buzz.” Cheerfulness after a stool is a symptom in a few homeopathic remedies, but Natrum sulphuricum is the most highly indicated. (Paradoxically, anxiety, confusion or weakness following a stool may also indicate Nat sulph. Men who may benefit from Nat sulph also may have an increased desire for sex during stool. In short, if there are residual emotions following a stool, Nat sulph may be worth considering.) * If you experience ANY of these physical symptoms, or, if you have recently had a change in bowel habits, be sure to seek professional medical advice. In particular, pain, blood, excessive mucus, especially if they are ongoing, should be evaluated professionally. What other intestinal indicators may lead you to Nat sulph?
What if having a poop leaves you little irritated instead of cheerful? In that case, I would look to Nitric acid. What other intestinal indicators may lead you to Nitric acid?
If you find yourself in a state of tranquil serenity following a stool, that may lead you to Borax. Borax is a smaller stool-related remedy, but other indications may be:
Note: A small amount of mucus on the stool is usually not a cause for concern. Mucus lines your intestines to keep your colon running smoothly, among other tasks. However, if there is excessive mucus in or on the stool it may be a sign of an underlying condition such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, food poisoning, bowel obstruction or blockage, cancer of the rectum or colon. If you have excessive mucus or even a small amount of mucus which is on-going, seek professional medical advice, especially if it is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloody stools, fever or weight loss (Mayo Clinic). Check out this article for more information. It’s important to remember in these situations that cheerfulness, irritation or tranquility after a stool is not something pathologic — it’s not a problem and it doesn’t need to be addressed. These symptoms may just be useful in leading you to an overall remedy for an individual (or, an animal). However, some other stool related symptoms may be calling for attention and the post-evacuation mood might help you get to the best remedy. Back to our book to round out this opening article on emotions and poop… Number 3, as What Your Poo Telling You calls it … AKA diarrhea. I will be writing a longer article on diarrhea shortly, but today, going with the emotions involved with pooping, I will just mention a few remedies where mental/emotional symptoms are the leading indicator of a remedy for diarrhea. When diarrhea is triggered by emotions, the first remedies to consider are Argentum nitricum and Gelsemium. I have written about Argentum nitricum a few times before (see: What Goes Up; Feel the Fear; My Little Bag of Wellness). Gelsemium is an absolute go-to remedy for anticipatory anxiety (see: Back to School; The Big Goodbye). Gelsemium is bold type and underlined for ailments from anxiety. Nervous tummy sending you running to the toilet? Gelsemium. Another emotional diarrhea symptom for Gelsemium is diarrhea from bad news. Arsenicum album could be considered here, too, especially if there is any burning pain associated with it. (I see a new article in the making, comparing Arg-nit, Gels and Ars. Sit tight. I’ll get to it one day.) If it is diarrhea after anger, Colocynthis is the remedy to grab for ailments from anger. Homeopathic Colocynthis pains are almost always better by pressure and by warmth -- bending double or a hot water bottle helps the abdominal pains associated with the diarrhea. (I see where you're going with that thought and yes, it can be very helpful for menstrual cramps.) Diarrhea following chagrin or humiliation: Staphysagria. Diarrhea following grief? Phosphoric acid is another remedy for diarrhea after anticipation, but it is an even bigger grief remedy… weakness and sorrow and depression, mental exhaustion. Diarrhea after mental exertion? There’s a 3 way tie between Arg-nit, Nux vomica and Picric acid (see: Taxing Remedies for more info on Pic ac). How about the other side of things, like excitement? Aconite, Argentum nit, Arsenicum album or Gelsemium. If that excitement is coupled with fear, then stick with Aconite. Sudden diarrhea following joy? Coffea cruda (see: Silence, Please!) One last emotion to talk about in regard to poop and that is fear. Touched on a couple of lines above, Aconite is the place to start for all things fear. There can certainly be a bit of crossover with anxiety, but fear, to me, is a result of a threat or impending danger and anxiety is a response to an anticipated or expected danger. However, a fear of losing control of one's bowels is a genuine fear, especially if one is already experiencing some goings-on in that area. Homeopathic Aloe is the remedy for an insecure rectum. Involuntary stool, with or without flatus. Involuntary stool following urination. Tune in next week for the second installment of the Doo-Doo Documents: The Bristol Stool Scale. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list and poop-related books:
Britannica, 2019. Feces | biology | Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica [online]. Choi, B., 2024. Fun Poop Facts Kids Should Know • Human Body Learning [online]. Human Body Learning. Cohen, M., 2023. Mucus in Stool: Is It Normal & What Does It Mean? [online]. The IBS & Gut Health Clinic. Curtis, V., de Barra, M. and Aunger, R., 2011. Disgust as an adaptive system for disease avoidance behaviour. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences [online], 366 (1563), 389–401. Enders, G., 2015. Gut : the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ. Greystone Books. Holzwarth, W. and Erlbruch, W., 2007. The story of the little mole who knew it was none of his business. London: Pavilion. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Mucus in stool: A concern? [online]. Mayo Clinic. Measuring Stuff, 2022. Things Around The House That Weigh 2 Pounds – Measuring Stuff [online]. Measuringstuff.com. Richman, J. and Sheth, A., 2007. What’s your poo telling you? San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books. Rose, C., Parker, A., Jefferson, B. and Cartmell, E., 2015. The Characterization of Feces and Urine: A Review of the Literature to Inform Advanced Treatment Technology. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology [online], 45 (17), 1827–1879. Tarō Gomi, 2020. Everyone poops. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. The Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, n.d. The Scoop on Poop [online]. Gastrointestinal Society. Venes, D. and Clarence Wilbur Taber, 2013. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. [22nd ed., ISBN: 9780803629776]. Philadelphia, Pa.: F.A. Davis. |
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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