Archives: Remedies

This homoeopathic remedy is prepared from the saliva of a rabid dog.
It is a very important anticonvulsiv e medicine, especially in treating
the laryngeal spasm ( constriction of the throat ). Its onset of
convulsions is related to hypersens itivity to light and water. The
patient goes into severe convulsions at the sight of bright light, shining
objects or upon seeing water. Even though the convulsions and fear
are related to seeing water, the pa tient cannot sip water even if he
closes his eyes out of fear. The sa liva of the patient is like sticky
threads as in Coccus Cacti and Kali Bichrome. Though in
Hydrocotyle, the saliva may or may not be sticky and thready. A Hydrophobinum patient has difficulty in swallowing things. He
keeps on attempting to swallow even without eating or drinking
anything. The froth forms at the mouth and the patient keeps on
spitting continuously. This medicine is also useful in the treatment of sex-related diseases.
In women, it is especially useful in the treatment of pain and
discomfort related to th e prolapse of the uterus . Due to extreme
hypersensitivity, the sound or even the thought of running water can
aggravate the symptoms. A slight draft of air can also aggravate the
symptoms. Antidote: Hydrocyanic Acid
Potency: 30 to 200

This is an acid that develops in bitter almonds and cattle fodder due to
extreme drought and it produces extremely dangerous convulsions.
Even the slightest taste of Hydr ocyanic Acid can cause severe
intestinal colic. If tasted a little carelessly, it can cause severe
laryngeal spasm (constriction of the throat), causing suffocation and
immediate death. Since the amount of Hydrocyanic Acid found in the
bitter almonds is very little, the consumption of almonds may not even
cause colic in the abdomen or sp asm of the larynx, although some
possibility still remains. It is present in the fodder in a relatively large
amount, so the cattle fed on this kind of fodder will definitely contract
severe abdominal colic, and sometimes it is impossible to save them.
In such situations Colchicum 200 is the best remedy to treat the
abdominal colic. Most physicians have restricted the use of Hydrocyanic Acid to severe
abdominal distension and severe coli c, although it is extremely useful
in the treatment of asthma, ep ilepsy and whooping cough . All
these three conditions may be asso ciated with constriction of the
throat muscles. If a patient of asthma or whooping cough becomes
unconscious due to the constriction of the upper respiratory passage,
the patient can be saved from seri ous possible complications with the
immediate use of Hydrocyanic Acid, otherwise due to the constriction
of the air passages, the oxygen suppl y to the brain would be depleted,
which sometimes results in permanent brain damage. Sometimes
severe constriction of th e throat may cause immediate death. In this
condition, Hydrocyanic Acid is th e top most remedy. When given
along with Hydrophobinum 200, it happens to work much better than
the inhalers used in the allopathic system of medicine. Moreover,
possible side effects of the inhalers are also avoided. It is extremely useful in the treatment of hysterical fits and epileptic
seizures in women. There is a cond ition called Catalepsy, in which
there is impediment of the blood flow to the brain and flushing of the
face, after which the pati ent either loses consciousness or his memory
is lost. The memory can sometimes sl owly recover or be lost forever.
Hydrocyanic Acid is very useful for the treatment of this condition. Some patients develop cramps in the abdomen after taking food and
others before taking the food. Hydroc yanic Acid is indicated in those
patients who feel a colicky type of pain on an empty stomach, or a
marked weakness and sinking se nsation over the stomach, or
experience a rumbling sound in the abdomen after taking food. Their
heart beats very fast, their pulse is weak and irregular, their hands and
feet become cold, their jaws beco me tightly closed during a severe
convulsion, they froth at the mouth, th eir lips turn blue, and there is a
feeling of tightness and pain over the chest. All these symptoms
require to be treated with Hydrocyanic acid, in particular. Antidotes: Ammonium, Camphor, Opium
Potency: 30 to 200

Hydrocotyle is very effective against leprosy and it can also cure
several other skin diseases . Leprosy progresses very slowly. The
disease does not spread immediately but it slowly flourishes in the
blood. Only after long close contact, the disease can transfer from the
patient to another person. On notic ing early signs of leprosy of the
skin, the patient should be immediat ely treated with Hydrocotyle.
Once the disease has well advanced and the affected areas have
become riddled with deep sores and ulcers, it is too late for
Hydrocotyle to work. I have used Hydrocotyle to treat many patients
and by the grace of God, I have al ways found it very effective.
Sometimes, the disease was fully eradicated, while at other times, the
disease was rendered very mild. Lupus is another skin disease, which along with leprosy is thought to
be incurable. Lupus appears in seve ral different forms. In addition to
the formation of blisters or sores and itching, in Lupus the skin starts
to become tense and then shrinks. There is a lot of pain and anguish.
Hydrocotyle is very useful against this disease also. Hydrocotyle has
been found to be effective agains t the common itch without formation
of swellings on the skin or the appearance of pimples and wounds.
Similarly, another drug, Dolichos, is also very effective for the
treatment of a dry, obstinate type of itch. If the skin becomes thick and scaly like that of a fish, this is the
symptom of Psoriasis. These symp toms should not be confused with
leprosy. Instead the patient should be treated for Psoria sis. Psoriasis
requires a lengthy, careful treatment w ith very deep ac ting medicines.
There is another skin disease sim ilar to Lupus, in which fish-like
scales start to appear, when the patient should be given Psorinum 1000
or Arsenic 1000. The basic difference between Psorinum and Arsenic
is that in Psorinum, the discharges have a strong bad smell. If an
offensive smell comes from the mo uth, armpits and feet , without
any obvious underlying disease, for this problem Rhus Glabra in
potency 6X is very effective. I have also used it in homoeopathic
potency 6 and found it quite useful. Hydrocotyle is very useful in Psoriasis also. If the Psoriasis is more
prominent on the palms of the hands a nd the soles of the feet, for that
also, Hydrocotyle should be used. Even if the itching on the palms of
the hands and soles of the feet is no t due to Psoriasis, Hydrocotyle is
still useful against this type of itch. Another extremely dange rous disease is the cancer of the cervix of
the uterus. The detailed account is given under Helonias and Carbo
Animalis. According to cancer expert s, there is no cure for this. The
disease can recur even after the su rgical removal of the uterus.
Hydrocotyle is extremely useful in alleviating the pain due to this
cancer but it does not offer complete cure. However, if there is a
formation of ulcers, redness or inflammation at the mouth of the
uterus (cervix), one should not forget Hydrocotyle. Potency: 30 to 200

The medicine Hydrastis is prepared from the roots of orange tree. It is
very important in the treatment of liver diseases. It is also related to
the skin and inner linings (mucous membranes). Amongst its
superficial symptoms, skin ulcers are very conspicuous. When these
ulcers change into cancer, and do not respond to a ny other treatment,
Hydrastis must not be forgotten. By the grace of God, Hydrastis is
known to control these dangerous kinds of ulcers growing out of hand. Hydrastis is very effective against the deep-seated cancerous
masses and chronic ulcers of the eye . Honey is the best form of
local treatment for these chronic ulce rs. The local application of pure
honey two to three times a day will in itially increase the exudation of
the fluid, following which the ulcers start to heal. Recent research has
shown that cancerous wounds that do not respond to any other
medicines are cured with local application of honey. Being deeply related to the liver diseases , Hydrastis affects the
appetite. A very peculiar symptom is that there is a feeling of strong
craving and weakness while hungry, even though there is intense
dislike for food. However, there is no associated nausea. These
symptoms are also found in some other diseases, though in slightly
different form. The cold in a patient of Hydrastis is associated with constant
presence of sticky yellow thick exudates in the nose, which then
dries up . On picking the nose, the ch ildren develop sores, from
which blood may ooze. Hydrastis is the best remedy for these kinds
of sores in the nose. The symptoms of Hydrastis are relieved with
rest. When the ailment aggravates, the face shows signs of jaundice.
It becomes yellowish. The eyelids swell and sores develop on them
(Blephritis). Thick offensive smelling material forms in the ears
causing deafness. While the patient with symptoms of nasal catarrh stays inside the
room, the nose stops running but the discomfort increases when in the
open again. Due to the extreme dislike for food a Hydrastis patient
has to live on milk, which he zealous ly drinks and can also digest
easily. The patient suffers from stiffness and cramping of the
muscles. Hydrastis is also useful in the treatment of chronic piles. There is a
lot of wind in the stomach. The urine is scanty but offensive . The
leucorrhoeal discharge in women also smells foul. There is itching
in the trachea (windpipe) causing cough. In Hydrastis, like
Phosphorus, even a gentle laugh provokes severe coughing. In a patient of Hydrastis, apart from the aching of the body and the
legs, there is increasing weakness, which improves on slow
movement. In this regard, it resembles Rhus Tox. Although, in
Hydrastis rest gives general relie f to the patient however, gentle
walking relieves his aches. The feet of such a patient swell. The
swelling or oedema due to liver di sorder usually affects the face and
the abdomen before involving the feet. Hydrastis is in general a very eff ective remedy for the old, frail and
those who get tired easily. The patient remains depressed . He
believes he is going to die soon. In fact, he desires to be dead. He is
both lazy and cowardly. The pain over the forehead is a prominent
symptom, which is often due to co nstipation. There is pain over the
head and in the muscles of the neck. A streak of eczema forms along
the hairline over the forehead. The patient remains constipated. There is pain over the lower part
of the abdomen, which becomes worse after defaecation. The
stomach aches. Digestion becomes poor. The taste in the mouth is
bitter and the tongue becomes whitish. In women, there is a tendency
towards the formation of lumps in the breasts, and if these lumps
persist for a long time, they can tr ansform into cancer. After the
periods finish the discharge incr eases, leading to the formation of
ulcers over the cervix associated with severe itching. Hydrastis is also useful in smallpox. It ameliorates its symptoms,
shortens its duration and minimizes the potential bad aftereffects. Antidote: Sulphur
Potency: 30 to 200.

This remedy is prepared from a tree called Seven Barks. It is related
to the diseases of the kidney , though it is not very commonly used.
One of its most prominent symptoms is the presence of excessive
amounts of salts in the urine and the formation of sediments, which
settle in the form of a thick white layer. Besides this, the patient may
start passing blood in th e urine (haematuria), sm all stones or crystals,
which injure the urethra and caus e severe burning pain. For these
symptoms, Hydrangea is very useful . Passing reddish coloured urine,
a burning sensation, and the presence of gravel in the urine, are also
found in Lycopodium. Hydrangea is al so very useful in the treatment
of senile enlargement of the prostate. If the prostatic enlargement is
non cancerous and there is evidence of deposit of salts in the urine,
one must use Hydrangea. Potency: up to 30.

This remedy is useful against leprosy as soon as it is felt that the skin
has become thick and contracted. Thus, it is also useful against
Lupus. In Hura, the skin becomes te nse and drawn. Besides, Hura
and Hydrocotyle, Madura is also us eful against diseases like leprosy
and Lupus. In Hura, the patient feels as if he has splinters under the
fingers as a result of the disease whereas actually, there is nothing
under the fingers. In it there is itching over the bony prominences.
The neck becomes stiff and the back aches. Although, homoeopaths
use it in potency 6, it is my experience that whatever is effective in
potency 6 must be more effective in potency 30 and 200, rather more
so. It is possible that the physic ian may have found it effective in
potency 6 only, because there are some diseases in which a particular
potency is most ideal. Therefore, one should try it and then note down
what dose is most effective against a particular disease. Camphor and
Opium annul the effect of Hura. Potency: 6 and 30 up to 200

Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum 373
HEPAR SULPHURIS
CALCAREUM Hepar Sulph is another name for Calcium Sulphide. Dr. Hahnemann
prepared it from the shells of the oysters (a sea animal) and performed
different types of experiments on it. It is a compound of Calcarea
Carb and Sulphur, possessing some of the characteristics of both of its
components. However, most of its symptoms are different from both
Calcarea Carb and Sulphur. In th e olden days, Calcium Sulphide was
used externally for the treatment of itching, joint pains, gout and the
swellings associated with tuberculosis . It was also considered to be
useful against asthma and tuberculosis of the lungs. Hepar Sulph is a common remedy of dail y use. It is deeply related to
Silicea. Wherever Silicea becomes ineffective, Hepar Sulph may be
found useful. It is also very effective against common contagious
diseases. In case Silicea is unsafe to be given, Hepar Sulph may be
used as a substitute without any fear . Hepar Sulph is often used in
between the usage of Mercury and Silicea. To avoid serious untoward
symptoms, it is not proper to use Silicea by itself after the treatment
with Mercury. It is imperative to give Hepar Sulph after treatment
with Mercury and before starting treatment with Silicea. Similarly, if
it becomes necessary to give Merc ury after treatment with Silicea,
Hepar Sulph must be used in between to avoid the danger of
incompatibility between Silicea and Mercury. Hepar Sulph is of great use for throat conditions . If the phlegm
sticks in the throat and it is di fficult to expel despite coughing, Hepar
Sulph will be found very effective. The patient of Hepar Sulph
coughs a lot, especially in the morning. The cough aggravates in the
cold and is mostly painful. In Hepar Sulph the patient feels as if something is stuck in the
throat, which despite effort, cannot be e xpelled. If, in fact, there is
something stuck in the throat, it will come out easily with Silicea since
Silicea is known to expel foreign bodies lodged in the body. In Hepar
Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum 374
Sulph, there is nothing sticking in the throat, it is just an
uncomfortable feeling. A patient of Hepar Sulph is extraordinarily sensitive and reactive to
his surroundings. Every kind of pain is felt magnified. He is short-
tempered and angry by nature. Even though he may be a gentle
person, during the disease he becomes very impulsive, so much so that
he may even kill his close friend. So far, I have not known such a
patient myself. This description mentioned in literatures may apply to
mental patients but seems like an un believable exaggeration in regard
to ordinary patients. The swelling and hardening of the glands is known in relation to
many remedies and also in Hepar Sulph. If the hardening and
swelling of the glands becomes pers istent, it is treated with various
remedies according to the circum stances. Once the glands start
suppurating (pus formation) then Hepar Sulph should be used without
any further delay. Calcarea Sulph is also very useful. Some children have the habit of biting their nails . This results in
tearing of the pulp of the fingers causing discomfort. The slightest
touch produces severe pain. The child chews the pulp and then tears it
apart. This habit then becomes firmly established. Besides Natrum
Mur, Hepar Sulph is also very useful in treating this condition. Sometimes, pus forms around the nail (paronychia). The nail
becomes loose and is uprooted. Th e new nail replaces it. Here, the
drug of choice is Hepar Sulph. If a nail becomes dark and begins to
deform, then Psorinum should be tried first. If it happens to be
ineffective, other remedies should be sought. Nail deformities are also
found in Antimonium Crude. If warts ulcerate and start bleeding,
Hepar Sulph will be useful. If they happen to crack open and fungate
like cauliflower, then the best treatment is Nitric Acid. The skin of Hepar Sulph children looks dirty and may not look clean
in spite of the child having taken a shower. With Hepar Sulph, the
skin becomes neat and clean. At the same time the dirty appearance
of the face disappears. If during a cold, the phlegm sticks inside the nose or throat, causing
sneezing, Hepar Sulph should be administered. Sneezing due to
Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum 375
feeling cold is another symptom of Hepar Sulph. If a person starts
sneezing on entering a heated room during winter, Pulsatilla is the
appropriate treatment fo r this condition. If th e sneezing occurs on
moving from a hot area into a cold area, then one should think of
Sabadilla, Silicea, Natrum Mur and Hepar Sulph. The onset of severe
sneezing while sleeping with the hands or feet exposed in the cold is a
characteristic symptom of Hepar Sulph. A patient of Hepar Sulph
cannot tolerate even the slightest draft of cold air. Noise is also
unbearable for such a patient. Hepar Sulph may also be useful for treating ear problems , like
Chamomilla, Pulsatilla, Belladonna and Allium Cepa, which are more
commonly used. Hepar Sulph is also related to the eye ache . If the eye becomes
intensely red due to the cold th en Euphrasia will be found more
useful. However, Hepar Sulph is very useful in the common eye
conditions associated with a lot of watering and stickiness. Belladonna, Arsenic, Hepar Sulph and Ipecac are useful in the
treatment of day-to-day coughs. Please remember the distinction
between Ipecac and Hepar Sulph. Th e phlegm in the case of Ipecac is
relatively soft and can be expectorated easily. If the phlegm is thick
and sticky, then Hepar Sulph, Kali Bichrome or Coccus will be more
useful. Hepar Sulph is a deep acting remedy. In the case of sudden and
severe attack of an illness, the patient would benefit with high potency
of Hepar Sulph. The high potency can even be repeated again and
again without any possible harm. To curtail the severity of the
disease, Hepar Sulph 1000 can be given twice a day. Once the disease
comes under control, it becomes necessary to use the doses in
intervals. One should learn to use the homoeopathic medicines in
different potencies from one’s own experience. One gradually learns
the exact potency to be used with experience. If the disease becomes
prolonged and chronic, one should not expect immediate cure with
one dose of high potency. For the satisfactory treatment of chronic
illnesses, the body has to make deep adjustments, which can never
happen instantaneously. In particular , if the defensive system of the
body of the patient has already weakened tremendously, with the
Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum 376
resistance being very low, a ho moeopathic remedy given in high
potency may produce serious adverse effects or may even prove fatal. Since Hepar Sulph contains Sulphur, it has some similarities with
Sulphur. Sulphur has the capability of curing the old scars of
tuberculosis in the lungs. If the bacteria form tiny little lesions in the
lungs (miliary Tuberculosis), Sulphur helps to destroy them. One
should not give Silicea in this condition. Sulphur attenuates the
tuberculous bacteria, which then b ecome expectorated with cough. It
is important to know that one should never administer Sulphur in high
potency unless and until one is sure that there are no enlarged glands
near the arteries in th e lungs. Tuberculosis pa tients, who have such
lumps in the lungs, may bleed from ruptured blood vessels in the
lungs as a reaction to Sulphur or Silicea, given in high potency. In
this kind of patient Sulphur works as potently as Silicea. The better
way to treat these patients is that fi rst of all, Sulphur should be given
in moderate potency for some period and then the patient should be
put on Calcarea Carb. Calcarea Carb helps to make protective shells
around the tuberculous lesions, lik e the shell around the egg. The
bacteria become imprisoned in these protective shells. Hepar Sulph is very useful for the treatment of tuberculosis of the
lungs, intestines or anywhere else in the body . Hepar Sulph will be
found effective irrespective of the site of the tuberculous infection. Hepar Sulph has elements of Sulphur and Calcarea both. The element
of Sulphur is more dominant. So, it shares a similarity to Silicea, like
Sulphur. Hepar Sulph is effective against al l sorts of skin wounds. They may
have started to discharge pus and bleed, or have become putrid with
new boils forming around them, or have become like a non-relenting
abscesses that do not heal. Hepar Sulph is effective against all of
them. But Hepar Sulph and Nitric Ac id are similar in the way that the
small wounds or sores may develop individually or in the form of
clusters, which spread out from one side. Both Hepar Sulph and
Nitric Acid can be used for the treatment of ulcers in the intestines .
Mercury is similar to both remedies in the treatment of the intestinal
ulcers. Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum 377
Hepar Sulph is useful in the treatment of warts that do not heal. The
skin starts to itch and pimples form over the body. Scales and thick
scabs also form resembling eczema. If these scabs form behind the
ears and around the neck, and they discharge a gum-like sticky
exudate, this can be treated with Graphites. For scabs that do not
respond to any other medicine, one should not forget to try Hepar
Sulph. Antidotes: Belladonna, Chamomilla, Silicea
Potency: 30 to 1000 or sometimes up to CM.

Helonias is a very important dr ug specifically li nked to women’s
diseases. It has a str ong association with the cancer of the cervix of
the uterus . Carbo Animalis can also be a useful medicine for the
treatment of this cancer if its symptoms related to other parts of the
body are also present. However, He lonias has a direct association
with cancer of the uterus. It de finitely produces some results.
Prompt treatment with Helonias on the appearance of the swelling and
redness of the cervix uteri will be ve ry effective. If the patient is not
fully cured with Helonias, the tr eatment should be followed by Carbo
Animalis. Hopefully, by the grace of God, with the combination of
these two drugs, the patient will be fully cured. After a woman has miscarried, her uterus sags down . She feels
pressure on the front as well as the back. On walking, the discomfort
increases, and the uterus tilts from its place to the left or to the right.
In these conditions, Helonias makes the muscles strong and thus
would revert the uterus to its original position. The symptom of deflection of the uterus from its normal position has
reminded me that it may be of use to correct the position of a foetus in
the uterus, which happens to be mal-positioned. I hope it would be
beneficial. In case the baby is upside down (breech position),
Pulsatilla 30 or 200 is very effectiv e. In poor countries, facilities for
immediate surgery are not availa ble, women with this kind of
pregnancy (foetal mal-position) suffer a lot, and some even die. In
those areas, it becomes imperativ e for a homoeopath to remember
well the medicines that may be of use on such occasions, such as
Pulsatilla, Caulophylum and Helonias . In addition, Gelsemium, Kali
Carb and Arnica are very useful at the time of childbirth. They
prevent against the possible comp lications of delivery such as
puerperal fever. If during or af ter delivery uterine infection has set
in causing high fever, then Sul phur and Pyrogenium 200 should be
given together three times a day till the fever subsides, and then once a
day for a few days. This happens to be the best treatment in this kind
of situation. Helonias is very effective against diabetes also. In women who suffer
from diabetes along with the diseases of the uterus, Helonias can be
effective against both. The treatment should be continued for at least
one month. If the diabetes seems to be coming under control Helonias
alone may be enough, otherwise some other remedies should be
looked for to treat the diabetes. Another symptom of Helonias is that the periods are too frequent or
may cease for many months. The patient gets fits of severe depression
and becomes very lazy. Severe kind of leucorrhoea associated with
itchiness sets in. Helonias is also linked to the kidneys. They become congested with
blood. There is a feeling of severe burning, which may also be felt
externally on both sides over the skin (kidney areas). The patient can
clearly outline the course of the pain with his finger. Such patients
may also pass albumin in the urine. If this happens during pregnancy,
then Helonias must be considered. The Helonias patient feels better if her attention is kept diverted from
her illness. Movement aggravates the symptoms. Potency: 30 to 200.

Helleborus Niger is prepared from a flowering plant called Snow
Rose. It is prepared by grinding the roots of the plant. The most important characteristic of a Helleborus Niger patient is that
of becoming disorientated and being out of his mind. This results in
a lack of coordination of the f unctions of the body. Moreover, the
inflammation of the membranes of th e brain and the spinal cord (the
meninges) leads to the dysfunction of the nervous system and then
insanity. Helleborus Niger is that medicine which, by the grace of
God, relieves all these symptoms a nd restores the person to mental
health once again. In the diseas es of Helleborus Niger there is no
voluntary control over the functioning of the limbs and the muscles,
and their response to the message from the brain is delayed. The mind
is clear and active, but the musc les do not respond properly in time
because the basic nervous system has been affected. When something
is said to a patient he does not react to it at all. It becomes necessary
to jolt him in order to make him aware. His thoughts are scattered and
he needs to be reminded again and again to make him do something or
he will simply do nothing. The patient exhibits a strange type of
drowsiness and insensitivity, which may lead to unconsciousness. Sometimes, the Helleborus Niger patient starts viewing Satan and
evil spirits . He becomes fearful of having committed an
unforgiveable sin. Such scary ideas are also noticed in Aurum,
Lachesis and Stramonium. Several remedies may be used in the treatment of hydrocephalus,
which means an increase in the size of the head due to build up of
pressure inside the skull (secondary to excessive accumulation of
cerbro-spinal fluid) . The most effective, of course, is Silicea.
Helleborus is also useful in treati ng this condition. When the head of
the child becomes enlarged and the eyes apparently sink, the child
may suddenly make dreadful screams. This symptom is distinctively
present in Apis. In Apis, the headache is of a stinging nature. Apis
would make the child feel better in this kind of pain associated with
hydrocephalus, but Apis is rela tively slow acting medicine. In
contrast, Silicea is a fast-acting me dicine. Helleborus Niger is very
effective in the treatment of exce ssive production of cerebrospinal
fluid and thus decreases the buil d-up of pressure in the skull
(intracranial pressure). Even if it may not cure, it would certainly
benefit to some extent. In the kind of epilepsy (petit ma l) where the patient does not lose
consciousness and his eyes remain open , Helleborus is very useful.
After the fit is over, the patient feels extremely weak and drowsy. In a patient of Helleborus, the headache moves from inside out,
causing pressure on the eyes and forehead. The eyeballs move
upwards and squint. The patient is very sensitive to light. The head
feels heavy and hot deep down. Th e patient groans with pain.
Despite being hungry, he cannot eat or drink anything. There is a
sensation of burning in the oesophagus, gas in the stomach and
rumbling over the stomach area. There is a feeling of pressure over
the stomach. The stomach hurts on walking and coughing. General
weakness is a prominent feature of He lleborus, which may result in
paralysis. Helleborus is very effective in relieving the pressure inside the
urinary bladder, which results in th e inability of the child to pass
urine. The urine is dark coloure d. Helleborus is also famous for the
treatment of continuous uncontrolle d movements in the arm and leg
on one side of the body (chorea and athetosis). The thumb becomes
tightly contracted into the palm. Blisters form between the fingers of
the hand and toes of the feet. All these symptoms need to be treated
immediately with Helleborus. The relationship of Helleborus to hydrocephalus has already been
described. The screaming of the ch ildren during sleep resembles that
of Apis. However, in the Apis patient, there are no involuntary
movements affecting one side of th e body. In a patient of Helleborus,
there is soft pitting oedema of the skin with the formation of blue
spots. Hair loss on the scalp and breaking of the nails is also amongst
the symptoms of Helleborus Niger. Antidotes: Camphor, Cincona (China)
Potency: 30 to 1000

Mount Hekla is a volcanic mountain. The medicine prepared from the
lava of this mountain is called Hekla Lava. I do not know of any other
kind of lava used for the preparat ion of a homoeopathic medicine.
The contents of all the lavae ar e probably identical, however, the
effects of lava may differ from area to area. Therefore, the lava of
other volcanoes should also be experimented upon. Hekla Lava mainly affects the bones, especially the bones of the face
and the jaw. However, it has an effect on the other bones of the body
as well. Hekla Lava can be of useful in the treatment of tooth decay
associated with a lot of pain and which refuses to respond to any other
treatment. Sometimes, the jaw becomes very swollen and may apparently exhibit
all general signs of Hekla Lava , yet does not benefit from the
treatment with Hekla Lava. In th at condition, the mo st important and
effective treatment is Sulphur. Sulphur is found to be very effective
against certain dangerous conditions th at the doctors have labelled as
incurable. For example cancer of the jawbone that has advanced
significantly and causes severe discomfort, affecting the ears. Once, a
woman was in severe pain due to the cancer of the jaw. One side of
the face was extremely swollen causing pressure over the eyes. She
used to scream due to the severity of pain. She remained in one of the
best hospitals for a long period, but the doctors found no effective
treatment for her disease. Ultimately, she was discharged from the
hospital with the pronouncement that her disease was incurable. I
gave her one dose of Sulphur CM, wh ich decreased the severity of the
pain and within two weeks, there was marked decrease in the size of
the swelling of the face. After th is, I treated her with one dose of
Silicea CM. With this the process of recovery, which had previously
slowed down, was restored. Sometime later, I gave her another dose
of Sulphur CM. The disease comple tely disappeared. Several years
have passed since the treatment of this patient and until today, she is
completely healthy. My reason for mentioning this in relation to
Hekla Lava is that she had apparently all the symptoms of Hekla Lava
but did not benefit at all with Hekla Lava. This shows that Hekla
Lava may be effective against othe r diseases of the bone but is
definitely ineffective against the cancer of the bones. Hekla Lava must be a really good remedy but personally, I do not
have experience of its effectiveness. However, some homoeopaths
adore it. The specific symptom of Hekla Lava is stated to be the pain in the
jawbones. There is considerable sw elling around the jaws and the
jawbones become thickened and enlarged. Regarding the treatment of the deep -seated bone diseas es, in addition
to Sulphur, I have found Calcarea Ca rb to be much more effective
than Hekla Lava. I have used Calc area Carb in the treatment of bone
cancer that had been hi stologically proved. Within a few months of
the treatment with high potency Calcarea Carb, the disease was
overcome significantly. Such pa tients should doubtless be treated
carefully, over a long period. On e should not just rely on using
Calcarea Carb, some other adjuvant treatments will also be required
keeping in view the overall symptoms of the patient. Thus, the focus
of the treatment would obviously be Calcarea Carb, however, several
other medicines may also prove to be very useful. Calcarea Carb is particularly very useful in the treatment of bone
diseases due to a lack of calcium (osteopenia). Sulphur is also
effective. Calcarea Carb is chr onic of Sulphur. Generally, Calcarea
Carb is more effective in the diseases of the bones of the lower legs
than Sulphur. Calcarea Carb is also effective against the cysts of the
hands. In my practice, I have not been able to use Hekla Lava much, possibly
due to the fact that I was not fu lly conversant with its signs and
symptoms. I do not mean to discourage other homoeopaths from
using it. I would advise them to go over the writings of other doctors
about Hekla Lava and then use it on their patients in different
potencies. It is just possible that they may successfully use it for the
treatment of many more diseases, in spite of my failure to use it much. Some doctors have found Hekla Lava very useful in the treatment of
teething problems of children. I do not have much experience of that
myself. Instead, I have found the following prescription effective,
without any doubt, in teething problems: Kali Phos + Ferrum Phos + Silicea + Calcarea Phos + Calcarea Fluor Additionally, the above prescriptio n has been found very effective
against certain kinds of bone cancer and the diseases of the covering
membrane of bones (periosteum). In the homoeopathic literature, the conditions which can be effectively
treated with Hekla Lava are: the thickening of the skull bone behind
the ears, the thickening of the outer surface of the bone, ulcers on the
nasal bones, neuralgic pains over the face resulting from the extraction
of the teeth or the caries, and n eck glands which have somewhat
receded after initial enlargement. The symptoms of Hekla Lava
aggravate in humid weather. Antidotes: Camphor, China
Potency: 30 or above.