 “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.
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 Homeopathy has been continuously in use since its founding by Samuel Hahnmann in the late 1700s. Just think about that. This safe, gentle, inexpensive and very powerful medicine has been used all around the world for 225 years and in many circles, this amazing modality is virtually unknown. Perhaps some of its obscurity lies in the fact that the term “homeopathy” contains the word “home.” In my opinion, this linguistic trickery plays a significant role in the confusion surrounding homeopathy. People assume “homeopathy” is the same thing as a home remedy. Nope. Not the same. Not even close. “Hom” from Greek homoeos, meaning “one and the same.” As in…Homophone: same pronunciation, different meaning. Homonym: same spelling, different meaning. Homogenous: of the same kind, alike. Homeomorphism: an instance of topological equivalence. Homocentric: having the same center. Not home*, as in home-based or home-made. Perhaps we should switch to the British spelling, homoeopathy. That may help clear up this little problem. Homoeopathy broken down is Homoeo: “the same” and pathy: “suffering." Various pathys… Hydropathy: the treatment of illness through the use of water. Naturopathy: a system of medicine that avoids drugs and surgery and relies on natural remedies. Osteopathy: a system of medicine traditionally based on manual therapeutic techniques aimed at restoring physical function through the body’s ability to heal itself. Homoeopathy is based on the premise of “like cures like.” If nausea is your ailment, a remedy based on a substance which causes nausea in its crude form is the cure. Tobacco when consumed raw causes nausea, vomiting and malaise (Hulzebos et al. 1998 and Trapé-Cardoso et al. 2003). Homoeopathic tobacco known as Tabacum, is one homoeopathic answer to nausea, vomiting and malaise. Another easy example of like cures like is Allium cepa, red onion. When you chop an onion, what happens? Your eyes burn and water and your nose runs. Thus, Allium cepa is one homoeopathic answer to colds and allergies when you experience these symptoms. The counterpart to homoeopathy is allopathy. Greek allos, “other” and pathy, “suffering.” Allopathy: treatment of disease by remedies that produce effects opposite to the symptoms. If fever is your ailment, an antipyretic (anti, “against” and pyretic, “feverish”) is the allopathic answer. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, beta blockers, proton pump inhibitors. The point of this article is not to knock home remedies. There is a lot to be said for gargling with salt water for a sore throat; eating probiotic yogurt for tummy issues; sipping homemade chicken soup for a cold. These are all amazingly helpful ways to address symptoms. However, they are NOT homoeopathic medicines. Homoeopathy works with your body, not against it. Homoeopathy treats the person, not the disease. Homoeopathy uses the symptoms your body provides as a guide to find the correct homoeopathic remedy to gently stimulate your body. Homoeopathy does not force the symptoms away by using something to stop or block a symptom (anti-medications as listed above); homoeopathy uses similar medicines or remedies to nudge your symptoms a little further in the same direction that it is already headed in order to stimulate your immune system to kick in and correct itself. As Dr. Robin Murphy said recently in one of his last lectures, (and, I paraphrase), “The body knows how to repair itself. Homoeopathy is the vital force repair man.” Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *If you’re interested, here’s a link to in an in-depth discussion of the etymology of the word “home” by the author of Word Origins and How We Know Them. Reference list
Etymonline.com, 2021. homophone | Etymology, origin and meaning of homophone by etymonline [online]. www.etymonline.com. European Committee for Homeopathy, n.d. Benefits of Homeopathy [online]. The European Committee for Homeopathy. Hulzebos, C. V., Walhof, C., and de Vries, T. W., 1998. Accidental ingestion of cigarettes by children. Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde [online], 142 (47), 2569–2571. Liberman, A., 2015. Our habitat: the etymology of “home” [online]. OUPblog. Trapé-Cardoso, M., Bracker, A., Grey, M., Kaliszewski, M., Oncken, C., Ohannessian, C., Barrera, L. V., and Gould, B., 2003. Shade Tobacco and Green Tobacco Sickness in Connecticut. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine [online], 45 (6), 656–661. Venes, D., 2017. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.  “Seasickness: at first you are so sick you are afraid you will die, and then you are so sick you are afraid you won’t die.” – Mark Twain (For the purposes of this article, I will use “seasick” as a general term for all motion sickness.) Boats. Planes. Cars. Ohhhhh. There isn’t a word for what travel sickness feels like. Many authors have made valiant efforts at describing the feeling of seasickness, but having experienced it myself, I’m not convinced they have nailed it. Diana Gabaldon’s Jamie Fraser when crossing the ocean “thought then of nothing but death, and that with a fervor of longing.” Spike Milligan, the British-Irish actor, comedian and writer suggested, “A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree” (Anon. 2021). (According to this website, many authors have expressed the same sentiment in similar ways.) The Motion Sickness Guru** (Anon. 2021) has some unusual recommendations to cure seasickness, including taking a bit of earth or mud with you and to sit on it during the voyage. (Even if this one worked, it sounds a little messy.) I have better suggestion, with no mess of any sort. Homeopathy! The World Traveller’s Manual (Lessell and Greenwood 1993, p. 39) talks about beginning treatment two days before traveling for maximum efficacy. Their prescription is a mixture of a few remedies and I’m sure it works well. The authors state their focus with this protocol is on prevention of established seasickness. But, the Banerjis, as usual, have simplified things with their protocol. Tabacum 200c, one dose every hour before starting a journey; three doses to be taken (Banerji and Banerji 2013, p. 122). By beginning the remedy prior to travel, the Banerji's goal is also to stop the seasickness before it starts, but if those initial doses weren't sufficient, take the remedy again. Homeopathic Tabacum makes so much sense! Just think about all those cartoons and old TV shows where we would see someone take their first drag of a cigarette and they would turn green and double over with nausea — it’s like seasickness on land! "Nausea, giddiness, deathly sinking, vomiting, icy coldness and sweat … prostration of the entire muscular system" — those are the first symptoms mentioned in Murphy’s Materia Medica (2006, p. 1896) under homeopathic uses for Tabacum. Is Tabacum the only homeopathic remedy for travel sickness? Nope. For starters, as mentioned above, The World Traveller’s Manual suggests using a combination of remedies: Cocculus indicus 30c and Petroleum 6c as well as Tabacum 6c. Are these remedies only useful for nausea as a result of travel sickness? Nope. Nausea of any kind, from any cause. Run of the mill nausea, morning sickness, nausea as a result of anxiety, nausea as a result of vertigo … even nausea caused from smoking tobacco! What’s the difference between these remedies? All three of these remedies are strongly indicated in seasickness with nausea, but Tabacum is a little more indicated. Tabacum is more highly indicated when: - Seasick with nausea - During vertigo* - During vertigo with noises in ear - SEVERE motion sickness and nausea - Empty, weak, “goneness” sensation in the stomach - With horrible anxiety - With vomiting - During pregnancy - With cold sweats* - constant desire to swallow saliva Cocculus indicus: is more highly indicated when: - Seasickness is better closing the eyes - Sensitive hearing, or noises make it worse - During a headache - During vertigo* - During labor - From sleeplessness (think jet lag and how horrible that makes you feel!) - Air travel* - From the smell of food - Looking at moving objects makes it worse - Riding in a car* - Sitting up in bed - While smoking - During a cough - Great salivation* - for those who get seasick while swimming* Petroleum is more highly indicated for nausea when: - Air travel* - Riding in a car* - Accumulation of saliva in the mouth* - With increased appetite - Eating helps - With cold sweat* - Constant nausea - While standing - During stool - Sudden nausea - for those who get seasick while swimming* * (If the same symptom is mentioned under multiple remedies, that symptom is equally indicated in both remedies.) As you can see, there is a good deal of crossover between these remedies. If one doesn't work for you, try the next one. Ugh. Just thinking about all this makes me feel a little queasy. The next time you are planning an ocean voyage (or a plane trip or car trip if you’re sensitive to them), be sure to slip a tube of homeopathic Tabacum 200c in your bag and in your mouth a couple of hours before your travel begins. It will likely make your trip much more pleasant. **This website does have some homeopathic suggestions, too, I was happy to see! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits REFERENCE LIST
Anon., 2021. A Sure Cure for Seasickness Is To Sit Under a Tree – Quote Investigator [online]. Quote Investigator. Anon., 2021. Motion Sickness Trivia - Outlandish cures, quotes, barf bag fun... [online]. www.motion-sickness-guru.com. Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Gabaldon, D., 2002. Voyager. New York, New York: Bantam Dell A Division Of Random House, Inc. Lessell, C. B. and Greenwood, L., 1993. The world travellers’ manual to homoeopathy. Essex: Saffron Walden. Murphy, R., 2006. Nature’s materia medica : 1,400 homeopathic and herbal remedies. 3rd ed. Blackburg, Va.: Lotus Health Institute, November. Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Kandern, Germany: Narayana Verlag. |
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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