Julia

We have an old and delightful dog. Scratch that. We have a dog whose age is unknown but suspected to be old and he is mostly delightful except when he leaves dollops on the floor. Which, appears to be happening less frequently now, I am relieved to say.

Rufus is a big dog, a Great Pyrenees/Mastiff mix. Due to a suspected hard life prior to his arrival with us, at 130 pounds, he's not as big as he might otherwise be. This big fellow likes to sleep under the table on the screen porch. This is also where we find most of the dollops. I suspect that they just kind of fall out when he's trying to get out from under there.

Here is how we have approached the problem: homeopathic Aloe socotrina 200, once daily to address the (suspected) involuntary stool. And, because in homeopathy, (as in life), it is important to remove any maintaining causes which may be contributing to a problem, we now slide the table to an angle at night to help him get out from under it easier but still giving him enough cover to feel safe.

The dollops were less frequent almost immediately and (touch wood) there haven't been any now for a couple of weeks after they had been there, waiting for us, every morning and sometimes multiple times a day, including when he had not been struggling to get out from under the table. 

Aloe socotrina, the common aloe plant, is a strong rectal homeopathic remedy. It can be helpful (in humans as well as big dogs and other creatures) with diarrhea, especially when there is a sense of urgency with rumbling and gurgling and the feeling of insecurity when passing gas and it is suggested when "every morning, on rising, has a hasty desire for stool" (Murphy 2006). 

At the risk of anthropomorphizing old Rufus … on the mental/emotional level, Aloe socotrina can present with ill humor, discontentment and (here's the truly human-like moment) "dissatisfied and angry about himself." We never shamed him, just cleaned it up and got on with the day, but he would sit and watch us with his head on his paws, looking, (dare I say it?), a little upset with himself.

It's a tricky business pretending to know what's in your dog's mind. There is, however, no pretending to know what's going on when the dollops have all but disappeared.

If you have a loved one experiencing these uncomfortable symptoms, contact classicallypractical.com to see if homeopathy can help.

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

An "insecure rectum" original post

#wellnessawaits

I will confess — there were a couple of surprises for me when I saw these pain remedies divvied out.

Which remedies popped up most often? Are there any connections to be made?

Let’s take a (sort of esoteric) look at these remedies and how they relate to pain. I find level 4 rubrics* give a nice (but not complete!) overview of a remedy, so I began searching Murphy level 4 pain rubrics for each remedy. (Occasionally, Murphy didn’t have anything for us so I then turned to Knerr and Boger.) When we branch out and include level 3 rubrics beyond general pain, we can get a better understanding of each remedy’s affinity.

I did not dig deep here, I eyeballed things. I wanted a quick look at where each remedy shines in terms of pain. Some remedies spoke immediately in level 4, others needed more info, so I added level 3s (from Murphy) and gave a very brief overview of where each remedy shows up (via multiple rubrics) in the body**. Note: if no level 3 rubrics are added, that means the remedy was already adequately summed up.

Note: when I began writing this article, I did not have Murphy’s Meta available to me in my RadarOpus software, but I added it halfway through. Rather than re-writing the entire thing, I have added and mentioned when I referred to Meta.

I had to keep reminding myself that this list began from a tally of the remedies mentioned most frequently in regard to TYPES of pain — pain quality, not pain in and of itself.

Read more

I was reading an article the other day about Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and antibiotics. According to this CNN story LINK, 47% of women were being prescribed a wrong antibiotic for their UTIs. Nearly half! This is bad on many levels, not the least of which is that the pathogens which cause the UTIs are becoming increasingly resistant to the commonly used antibiotics (Mattoo et al. 2021; Wawrysiuk et al. 2019).

UTIs are painful things. There often is burning pain. The urge to urinate that is not relieved by urinating — you have to go, you go and immediately feels like you have to go again. There may be blood in the urine. Cramping pain. They’re not fun and they are not uncommon. A 2011 WHO report “found UTIs contributed to over 8 million office visits and over 1 million hospitalizations” (LaMotte 2021).

As for antibiotics for UTIs in general, sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t work. Whether they work or not is irrelevant to what they do to your gut (Ianiro et al. 2016).

Some people, women most frequently, experience UTIs multiple times a year and know pretty much exactly what’s going on when they have these symptoms. For children (and their parents), the burning pain can be quite distressing.

Share

So, when do you know if it’s time to seek medical treatment? According to Dr. Troy Madsen (University of Utah 2018), if you’re an older man experiencing these troubles, that can be more problematic than if you’re a woman as these symptoms may signify prostate troubles.

When to seek medical treatment for a UTI (ER of Texas 2022):

• symptoms have progressed to the point of lethargy

• high fever

• shaking and chills

• severe nausea

• vomiting

• blood in the urine

  

So, what’s the answer to this painful condition that winds up with so many people presenting to the ER and taking (possibly) ill-prescribed antibiotics which may lead to antibiotic resistance?

Well, for run-of-the-mill UTIs, homeopathy, of course!

For the treatment of minor urinary tract infections, homeopathy can be a marvelous and fast answer to some relief.

A few well-indicated homeopathic remedies to address these uncomfortable symptoms, (for men, women, children and pets, too!):

• Cantharis

  • very frequent urge to urinate, almost constant

  • stinging/burning/cutting pains before, during and after urination

  • passing small quantities of dark urine

  • may be insatiably thirsty

• Staphysagria

  • pressure upon the bladder — feels as if it didn’t empty

  • burning pains in the urethra, especially between urination

  • frequent urging to urinate with either scanty or profuse watery urine

  • may be thirstless

• Apis

  • burning and stinging pains during urination

  • retention of urine

  • difficult or slow urination

  • may be very restless

Not only can homeopathy help the immediate symptoms, but using homeopathy has even been found to decrease the recurrence. Pannek (et al. 2018) found adjunctive homeopathic treatment led to a significant decrease in UTIs in patients with spinal cord injury.

If you suffer from frequent, recurring UTIs, I highly encourage you to work with a professional homeopath because there’s something else going on there that needs to be brought into the equation.

Stop the burning drip and get with the flow!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

​#wellnessawaits

Let’s see why these 12 11 remedies are included in this select little kit and why you may want to consider having some handy.

Note: this is a quick list to get you started — it is far from complete.

Aconite 200c

• Pains that come on suddenly and intensely; may follow shock.

• Sharp, shooting, stabbing pains; may be quite severe.

• Nerve/neuralgic pains, especially when they are accompanied by anxiety or restlessness.

• Burning pains, particularly in the face or extremities.

• Throbbing pains; headaches.

• Pains are worse from the cold and may improve with warmth.

• Sore throats, sudden colds and coughs.

• Mentally/Emotionally: marked restlessness and anxiety; with a fear of death or disaster.

• Particularly good when used as soon as possible when the symptoms arise.

Arnica 30 & 200

• Bruised and sore pain, especially after physical trauma or injury. Soft tissue injury.

• Muscle and joint pains and stiffness from overexertion or strain.

• Helpful following surgical or dental procedures.

• Headaches that feel bruised or sore; following head injury/concussion.

• Aggravation from touch or pressure.

• Restless and unable to find a comfortable position.

• Useful where the body or mind is in a state of shock due to a recent injury or traumatic event.

Bryonia 30c

• Sharp, stabbing pains — may be quite intense and are often localized.

• Worse with any movement or jarring; complete stillness is preferred.

• Joint pain, especially when movement makes it worse.

• Headaches that feel heavy and are worse from movement; may be described as “bursting.”

• Chest pain which is worse from deep breathing or coughing.

• Abdominal pain: sharp and worsens with movement. Constipation.

• May feel restless but only find relief when completely still.

• Dryness: dry, sore cough; dry mucous membranes.

• Irritability and thirst.

• Acute inflammatory conditions affecting the joints, lungs and abdomen.

Calc phos 6c

• Growing pains, especially during periods of rapid growth.

• Bone pains or soreness, particularly in cases of fractures or delayed healing.

• Neck and back pain; may be associated with weakness or poor posture.

• Joint pain may be worse in cold, damp weather and improve with warmth.

• Headaches resulting from mental exertion or stress — a dull ache.

• Abdominal discomfort or colic, especially in children

Calendula 30c

• Pain associated with cuts, scrapes and other wounds; abscesses or infected wounds.

• Burns or burning pains (including sunburns); burning sensations.

• Sore and tender skin: dermatitis, rashes, cuts, abrasions.

• Helpful to alleviate pain and promote healing after surgical procedures, especially in soft tissue.

• Joint pains which are worse movement and better with rest; sprained joints or muscles.

• Sensitive to touch or pressure.

Chamomila 30c

• Particularly effective for teething pains, characterized by irritability and discomfort.

• Colicky abdominal pain, often accompanied by cramping and restlessness.

• Intense headaches with irritability or anger. (See also, Caffeine Withdrawal.)

• Neuralgic/nerve-y pains that are sharp and shooting.

• Sore or tense muscles, especially after exertion.

• Mental/Emotional: often indicated when pain is exacerbated by emotions like anger or frustration. Sensitive to pain, feeling overwhelmed by even mild discomfort. May seek comfort from being held or cuddled, particularly in cases of teething or colic. Oversensitive to pain.

• Worse at night or during emotional distress. Better from warmth and warm applications.

Hypericum 30c

• Nerve pain: sharp, shooting, tingling or burning sensations. Nerve trauma.

  • Nerve-related pain following surgical procedures.

• Pain resulting from injuries to nerve-rich areas (fingers, toes, spine).

• Cuts or lacerations involving nerve endings.

• Headache with a neuralgic component.

• Shooting pains; may radiate from one area to another.

• Sensitivity to touch.

• Worse from movement.

• Mental/Emotional: emotional distress related to injuries or trauma.

Phosphorus 30c

• Burning pains, especially in the chest, stomach or extremities.

• Neuralgic/nerve pains: sharp and shooting, often with heightened sensitivity.

• Headaches: intense and throbbing; often described as bursting.

• Joint pains worse in the cold weather; improves with warmth.

• Crampy or colicky abdominal pain with digestive issues.

• Pain associated with bronchitis or pneumonia.

• Vascular trauma.

• Post-anesthesia effects.

• Often very sensitive to external stimuli, including touch, noise and light.

• Worse at night and during times of emotional stress.

• Thirsty for cold drinks which may temporarily relieve the burning sensations.

• There may be an emotional aspect to the pain: anxiety or fear accompanying physical symptoms.

Rhus tox 30c

• Stiffness and soreness in muscles and joints; worse after periods of rest. Muscle or tendon sprains.

• Rheumatic (deep aching or throbbing) pains, worse in cold, damp weather and better with movement and warmth.

• Burning sensations.

• Pains following overexertion or strain.

• Restlessness due to discomfort — feel they need to move to relieve the pain.

• Skin sensitivity or rashes; eczema.

• Worse at night or at rest.

Ruta 30c

• Bruised, sore and aching pains, especially after trauma or injury.

  • Injuries to bones and periosteum; sprains and dislocations.

• Useful for tendons and ligaments — often described as stiffness or strained; following injuries.

• Back pains which are worse from lying down or sitting but improves with movement.

• Eye strain — may lead to aching eyes and headaches.

• Deep pains in the bones; following injury or over-doing it.

• Sensations: strained and bruised, particularly in joints and tendons.

• Worse from cold and damp; better from warmth and rest.

• Good for mechanical injuries; overuse of muscles and tendons.

Symphytum 30c

• Deep, aching bone pains, particularly after fracture or injury. Injuries to bones, cartilage and periosteum.

  • NOTE: do not use Symphytum with suspected fracture until after imaging and the bone is properly set.

• Pain from injuries to bones and soft tissues. Joint pains often better with movement.

• Bruised or sore sensations.

• Pain following surgical procedures involving bones or joints.

• Nerve pain occurring in conjunction with bone injuries.

• Sensitive to touch — even the slightest touch can cause discomfort.

This kit suggests using the appropriate remedy every 15 minutes in acute situations. Reduce frequency repetition upon improvement.

I have a number of longer homeopathic pain remedy articles still in the works. Sit tight!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Share Ruminating on Remedies

Practicing homeopathy is a lot like doing a puzzle or decoding a mystery  — there is a lot of sleuthing to figure out the right remedy. In taking a classical homeopathic case, accurate details are the key — the more, the better!

Practical homeopathy is often much easier — the majority of the puzzle has been worked out already through tried and true symptom/remedy matches and often you just have to fill in the blanks, so to speak.

What both of these homeopathic methods have in common is the gathering of symptoms… which makes sense since homeopathy is a methodology based on symptoms, symptom gathering is very important!

So, though practical or clinical homeopathy has made figuring out the correct homeopathic remedy for a given situation much easier, (especially when it comes to the Banerji Protocols!), details are still very important.

For instance, headaches.

What’s in a headache? An awful lot, as it turns out. 

Headaches can be very difficult to treat because no two people experience the same headache pain. What one person calls a sinus headache is often very different to what another person calls a sinus headache. Sometimes people say they have sinus headaches and, yet, their sinuses don’t seem to be involved in the pain … at all. According to the Mayo Clinic, many people (up to 90%!) who claim to have sinus headaches may actually be suffering from migraines (Mayo Clinic 2018). I have come to understand that when someone tells me they suffer "sinus headaches," they just mean that it’s worse than their “normal” headache, or what they interpret to be a "normal" headache. 

Regardless of whether it’s a sinus headache or a migraine or a tension headache, getting the details on how a person experiences their headaches can be difficult. In the moment, the pain can be too great to be able to get much detail. After the fact, many people don’t even want to go there — to put themselves back into that pain — to remember what the details were. 

A while back I encountered a young man who asked if I had any headache medicine. He was looking for mainstream over-the-counter meds, but, I being a homeopath, began down the homeopathic road, instead.

He proceeded to tell me about his usual headaches that he has been experiencing for years, which he described as “sinus headaches.” So, I started to question the quality of the pains and the location of the pains, etc.

This was not a formal consultation, just a casual encounter. I tried a headache combo remedy for him, but nothing happened. Then, based on his description, I moved to the Banerji Protocol for “sinus headaches with acute pain,” Sanguinaria 200c mixed with Belladonna 3c, taken every 30 minutes (Banerji and Banerji 2013, p. 118). Well, that did something, but it did the wrong something and he soon began to feel nauseous.*

Then, I learned the all important missing piece to this particular headache puzzle. He had a few too many drinks the night before. It didn’t matter that he thought he was experiencing his “usual” headache pain because on top of that usual pain was sitting a few alcoholic drinks which likely had a causative effect. 

More importantly, homeopathically speaking, he left that detail out of the information he provided. If he had included that little nugget, my homeopathic questioning most likely would have stopped abruptly and I would have given him a dose of homeopathic Nux vomica.

The go-to remedy for one who has had “a few too many” is Nux vomica. According to Schroyens Synthesis repertory (2012), there are 102 remedies applicable to symptoms following intoxication, with Nux vomica (and one other) being the most highly indicated homeopathic remedy.

Why? Because Nux vomica is very highly indicated in the following headache symptoms, according to Murphy’s Repertory:

• A heavy sensation in the head, especially in the morning

• When your head feels as if you are intoxicated 

• A pulsing/throbbing sensation on the top of your head.

• As if your head is being squeezed

• Pain when shaking your head, particularly a sharp pain in the temples when shaking your head

• A headache that feels better by wrapping your head

• A headache with chills

• Pain in the eye with a headache that is felt in the back of your head 

• Headache during vomiting

Nux vomica is also one of the largest liver remedies in homeopathy and as the medical literature has taught us, the liver is involved to help you cope with ridding your body of the toxins from the alcohol (Jung and Namkoong 2014).

Homeopathic Nux vomica is very highly indicated in the following liver symptoms, again, according to Murphy: pain in the liver, atrophy of the liver, enlarged liver, a sensation of fullness in the liver; hepatitis infection, jaundice; congestion in the portal system. **If you are experiencing chronic liver issues, please work with a professional homeopath alongside your physician.

What other symptoms does homeopathic Nux vomica address which may be experienced after “tying one on?” — according to Phatak (2005):
​

• Stool issues: Diarrhea, constipation, (see also, The Eagle has Landed) or frequent stools

• Feeling better following bowel movement (after all, you're bound to feel better when you get that poison out of your system!)

• Abdominal pain

• Irritability and bad temper — little things irritate

• Aversion to food

• Lying in bed makes you feel better, but rolling over in bed makes you feel worse

• Moving makes everything feel worse — with an inclination to sit

• Offensive breath

• Bad taste in the mouth

• “Dull, beclouded, difficult comprehension, stupefied” — thinking is difficult.

• Sour burps

• Gas, and/or noisy guts

• Heartburn

• Feeling lethargic

• Noise makes everything feel worse

• An acute sense of smell 

• Feeling worse in the morning

• Trembling

• Dizziness

• Heart palpitations

• Vomiting — (better out than in!)

These keynote symptoms for Nux vomica sound to me like a pretty comprehensive list of symptoms which follow intoxication (Jung and Namkoong 2014; Mayo Clinic 2017).

Getting an accurate account of one’s symptoms is imperative to getting the best-matched homeopathic remedy. Without the details, well, it’s GIGO (TechTerms.com) — “garbage in, garbage out.”

On that note of garbage, I recommend you keep the garbage out of your body, too, but if you find yourself in this compromised position, Nux vomica may well help set things back in order.

Subscribe now

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits



* REMEMBER, when you take a remedy which is not well indicated, the homeopathic remedy can actually cause you to experience some of the symptoms the remedy is intended to treat.

"garbage in" original post

Reference list
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Jung, Y. and Namkoong, K., 2014. Chapter 7 - Alcohol: intoxication and poisoning – diagnosis and treatment [online]. ScienceDirect. 

Mayo Clinic, 2017. Hangovers - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Mayo Clinic, 2018. Sinus headaches - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software.

Phatak, S. R. and C Jeevanandam, 2005. A concise repertory of homoeopathic medicines : alphabetically arranged. New Delhi: B. Jain Pub.

Rozencwajg, J., 2010. Organotherapy Drainage & Detoxification. Emrys Publisher.

Schroyens, F., 2012. Synthesis : repertorium homeopathicum syntheticum. Accessed through Radar Opus software. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers.

TechTerms.com, n.d. GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) Definition [online]. techterms.com. 

Let’s sum up what we found (in alphabetical order):

Join me as I wander through some homeopathic remedy associations and look at a little bit of TCM and Ayurveda as well as some other helpful words to search in the repertory when looking into anger rubrics.

Read more

Julia

Summer goes by shockingly fast regardless of whether you travel or stay put; whether you’re busy or busy doing nothing. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone complain about “the long summer” like they do about the winter. It’s funny, the days are longer but the weeks are shorter. How does that work?

Where I live in New Mexico, school is already under way. While I suspect the return to the classroom will not be as alien and fraught as it was last year (see, Back to School in the Year 2021), I’m sure there are plenty of classrooms still filled with the jitters.
​
This year I have some added suggestions on remedies for the nervous students.
Flowers.
Flowers?
Yup. Bach Flower Remedies are perfect for anxious kids (and, their parents!)

Walnut supports change… Like, a new school year. Or, a change in the home: a new sibling, a new home — any change in circumstances. An excellent remedy for puberty (cuz we all know that's a big change!) Walnut helps them move forward and adapt to their new circumstances. Walnut is also helpful for any younger siblings who will be having to get used to not having their big brother/sister at home with them.

Mimulus is for fears that can be named. If the child is afraid of meeting the teacher or afraid of being away from home; worried about bullies or that they’re not going to be able to make friends; worried they’ll be laughed at or not know what to do. If they can put a name to what is worrying them, Mimulus can help them reach a state of calm neutrality and go forth with confidence and courage.

Share

Aspen if they can not name the fear. If they are suffering from nightmares or generalized anxiety without knowing why, Aspen can help bring a sense of calm.

Larch is for a lack of confidence. The student thinks they’re not good enough and they give up saying they can’t do it. Larch is particularly good before a test or before the big game.

Crab Apple is for those who feel there is something wrong with themselves. If your child is worried about starting school because they think they don’t fit in physically because they are too tall, too fat, too zitty… try some Crab Apple.

Chicory for a clingy child. It helps them be independent.

White Chestnut for when their worry or anxiety keeps them from sleeping. For those thoughts that keep repeating, White Chestnut helps to calm the mind and helps find focus.

Rescue Remedy is a mix of 5 different Bach Flowers and is particularly helpful during acute stress. If the student is crying and unable to calm themselves, for example.

What about Mom and Dad?

Walnut to help deal with this big change.
White Chestnut to help stop the repetitive thoughts.
Red chestnut for the worry they have for their kids.
Chicory when it’s hard to let go.

With Bach Flowers, you can choose one remedy at a time or a few (up to 7). Two drops can be taken directly from the bottle (please be advised that they contain alcohol unless the non-alcoholic version is being used -- All Bach remedies are available in alcohol free versions), or, the easiest way is to put 2 drops of the chosen remedy or remedies in a bottle of water and sip throughout the day. (For Rescue Remedy, use 4 drops.) Note: You can purchase a mixture of your chosen remedies from places like Rebecca's Herbal Apothecary* for less than the price of purchasing just 1 bottle on its own.)

Bach Flower Essences are safe and can be taken alongside medications with no interference (The Dr Edward Bach Centre 1995).

So, some Bach Flowers for you and your anxious student and maybe a nice little posy for the teacher to get the year off to a good start.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their stuff.

Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

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!)

1. A man who just had to be right

2. A man who was angry with the idea of missing his ball game

3. A man who was really angry about his estranged son and his anger colors his thoughts on the defendant.

4. A man who was openly angry about immigrants.

5. A timid man who would get annoyed at being ignored or talked over.

6. A man who was angry about being looked down upon due to his upbringing.

7. A man who would get angry when he felt older jurors were not being shown the respect he thought they deserved.

8. A man, the foreman, who was frustrated by the lack of order — he was trying to keep things proper and run an efficient meeting.

9. A man who was indignant about how he saw prejudice clouding judgement.

10. A man who was angry that others were not showing the proper respect to the justice system.

11. A man who was irritated at having to be inconvenienced.

12. The not very angry man, our protagonist, who was determined, rather than angry — he was frustrated by the rush to convict without giving it the attention the situation deserved.

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.

• Platina is known for its haughtiness and arrogance and a fear of losing control over themselves or their environment

• Lycopodium has a fear of failure and a strong desire to be seen as competent and knowledgeable — leading to the need to always be right.

  • Rubrics used:

    • Mind - CONFIDENT - excessive, self-esteem

    • Mind - SELF, general - self-sufficient, needs no help from others - overly confident

    • Mind - PRESUMPTUOUS

    • Mind - CONTRADICTIONS, general - intolerant, of

#2, the man who was angry about missing a ball game, Ignatia or Gelsemium.

• Ignatia is known for anger with anxiety and silent grief; it may alternate with cheerfulness or anger from bad news.

• Gelsemium is the anticipatory anxiety remedy. This man was anticipating his ball game and he was angry he couldn’t attend.

  • Rubrics chosen:

    • Mind - ANGER, general - refused, when things he wants are

    • Mind - ANGER, general - trifles, at

    • Mind - SELFISHNESS (Gels is not in this rubric)

    • MIND - Emotions effects - Anger, bad news, disappointment, vexation (Boericke)

    • Mind - ANGER, general - vexation, from

    • Mind - ANTICIPATION, general - ailments, from

    • Mind - DISAPPOINTMENTS, ailments from

The 3rd man was really angry with (at?) his estranged son. This one was trickier because there is most likely so much underneath this anger. For the sake of this discussion, however, I would be looking at Natrum muriaticum and Lycopodium (and in this situation, it’s even trickier because both remedies are included in some very important rubrics).

• Nat mur dwells on past unpleasant memories — how in the past is this estrangement, I don’t recall (or, they never said). They are easily provoked to anger and has a disinclination to mental work (like jury duty, I am assuming).

• We looked at one aspect of Lycopodium anger above, let’s look further. Lyc has complaints brought on by fear and fright, chagrin, anger, vexation, anxiety. Might this man have been fearful for/of his son or embarrassed that his son was keeping his distance from him?

  • Rubrics chosen:

    • Mind - ANGER, general - absent, persons while thinking of them, angry at

    • Mind - ANGER, general - grief, with silent

    • Mind - ESTRANGED, feels - family, from

    • Mind - ABANDONED, forsaken feelings - ailments, from being

    • Mind - DISCORDS, ailments from

Man #4 is an angry bigot. The top 2 remedies are Causticum and Lycopodium.

• Causticum — has (most of) the word “Cause” in it. These are people who get angry over an injustice.

• Lycopodium, Farrington (1935) tells us, is “irritable, malicious and intolerant of contradiction, and goes about seeking a quarrel. … He is restless, and full of anxiety and fears. At times he may be haughty and domineering…”

  • Rubrics chosen:

    • Mind - PREJUDICED, attitudes

    • Mind - INTOLERANCE

    • Mind - CRITICAL, censorious

    • Mind - INTOLERANCE - ailments, from

    • MIND - PREJUDICED - traditional prejudices

Our 5th man is timid and doesn’t take kindly to being talked over. Here comes Lycopodium again, as well as Staphysagria.

• Turning to Farokh Master (2017), Lycopodium has an “extreme lack of confidence in his own abilities… This arises from being verbally criticized by dominating parents.” (Was the 5th man dominated by his parents? We don’t have that answer.) Cowperthwaite (1909) adds: “morose, peevish, vehement, angry, timid. Easily aroused to anger.”

• Staphysagria is well known for its suppressed anger and I don’t think it’s hard to see how suppressed anger can lead to timidity. Master, this time from his book Suppressed Staphysagria (2003), says: “He gets angry when any injustice is done but does not retaliate due to timidity.”

  • Rubrics used:

    • Mind - TIMID

    • Mind - CONFIDENT - alternating, with - timidity (Staph)

    • Mind - TIMID - public, about appearing in, to talk (Lyc)

    • Mind - ANGER, general - ailments, from - suppressed, from

    • Mind - DOMINATION, by others, ailments from - history, of, a long

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.

• I am going to make the assumption that shame (See, also: Shame.) plays a role in this man’s anger. Staphysagria is a big shame remedy. Murphy (2003) says: Great indignation about the things done by others or by himself, grieves about the consequences. Humiliation, deep guilt and shame.… Very sensitive as to what others say…”

• Lycopodium shame, however, according to Jonathan Shore (1990): “Humiliation and shame, as opposed to indignation.… Indignation is a certain sort of anger, righteous anger. Mortification is anger with shame, humiliation.”

  • Rubrics chosen:

    • Mind - ANGER, general - ailments, from - suppressed, from

    • Mind - DOMINATION, by others, ailments from - history, of, a long

    • Mind - SHAME, ailments from

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.

• Colocynthis cannot tolerate injustice. Arndt (1904) tells us Colocynthis is “useful in troubles caused by anger or indignation.”

• As we learned above, Causticum believes strongly in justice. Master (2017): “Cannot tolerate injustice; very strong morals and an innate sense of what is right and wrong.”

  • Rubrics chosen:

    • MENS - SYMPATHETIC, compassionate - misfortune of others, greatly affected by (Mangialavore)

    • MENS - AILMENTS from - misfortune of others (Mangialavore)

    • R.R. - Mind; Anger, irascibility; injustice, from (Viva: Reliable Rep)

    • Mind - ANXIETY, general - others, for

    • Mind - INJUSTICE, general - injustice, cannot tolerate

#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.

• Aurum met can be angry with himself and his mistakes or about business matters; there may be some anxiety with the anger.

• Calc carb may have some anxiety with the anger or, just thinking about former stresses may bring on some anger.

  • Rubrics used:

    • Mind - CARES, full of

    • Mind - RESPONSIBILITY, general - ailments, from too much

    • Mind - CARES, full of - trifles, about

    • Mind - ANXIETY, general - business, about

    • Mind - BUSINESS, general - cares, worries about business

    • Mind - WORRIES, tendency, to - business, or work

    • Mind - ANGER, general - business, about

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.

• Nux vomica is an irritable sort who gets easily annoyed by lots of things. According to New England Journal of Homeopathy (1995), Nux vomica “gets very angry at injustice. She does not watch the news, because it depresses her.”

• Looking further at Ignatia from Shore (1990): “Except… you see she has this feeling for the children being teased… but it is not really like Causticum. It is not a question of injustice; it is a question of pain. … It is just sort of a passing thought, especially when she was talking about how she didn’t like it when other kids were being teased.”

  • Rubrics chosen:

    • Mind - CONTEMPTUOUS

    • MENS - ANGER, irascibility - tendency (Mangialavore)

    • MENS - ANGER, irascibility - tendency - contradiction, from (Mangialavore)

    • MENS - IRRITABILITY - injustice, from

    • Mind - INJUSTICE, general - injustice, cannot tolerate (Mangialavore)

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.

• Kali carb, from New England Journal of Homeopathy (1996): “As a result of their perfectionism and self-containment, Kali carbonicum individuals develop a deep Resentment [sic] of any person who appears to be breaking the rules without evidence of conscience or remorse. They are driven to be ‘good’ by their internal critic, while they judge and condemn anyone who does not conform to their idea of correctness. Eventually they are filled with resentment and display a chronic Irritability [sic].”… “If, however, their partner embarrasses them by breaking a rule of behavior they can become quite angry and are unable to recapture the view of their partner as a good person.”

• Vermeulen (2004) says Cuprum metallicum is “Very respectful of RULES; angry when others do not respect them.… He is a lover of leadership, rules and regulations.”

  • Rubrics used:

    • MENS - LAW, very respectful (Mangialavore)

    • Mind - DUTY - sense, of duty, too much

    • MENS - DUTY - great sense of

#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.

• Nux vomica is a big “business” and “work” and “anger”remedy, but it also has some selfishness, too. When we put together a man who is irritated at an inconvenience for his civic duty, perhaps some of these rubrics point us to Nux.

• Buck (1895) says Ipecac is “Angry for the smallest trifle.” Clarke (1902) reminds us: “Irritability, and disposition to be angry.”

  • Rubrics chosen:

    • Mind - SELFISHNESS

    • Mind - LAZINESS, behavior - business, when transacting

    • Mind - GLOOMY, morose - business, does not proceed fast, when

    • Mind - ANGER, general - business, about

    • Mind - MUTTERING, general - business, matters, about (Note: it has been too long to remember if this character muttered, but it felt right. Regardless, it’s an interesting rubric.)

Our final juror, our protagonist, was not actually angry but very determined and was frustrated by the rush to convict someone without giving it the attention the situation deserved. In this instance, there is nothing to be addressed, homeopathically speaking. However, here are a few rubrics that could be used in conjunction with this man:

• Mind, general; determination, general (Viva: Murphy Meta)

• Mind, general; determination, general; strong (Viva: Murphy Meta)

• Mind - OBSTINATE, stubborn, headstrong

• Mind; Dutiful (Viva: Reliable)

• Mind - JUSTICE, obsessed with

• Mind; Integrity, sensation of; concerned about his (Viva: Reliable)

• Mind - VEHEMENCE

There is one more character in this movie: the weather. It was hot and muggy with all the men sweltering with just one measly fan in the room.

• Mind - STUPEFACTION, mental - weather, during hot

• Generals - HOT, weather - agg.

• Generalities; Weakness, enervation; weather; hot (Viva: Reliable)

• Generalities; Weather; hot weather; ailments from (Viva: Reliable)

• Mind; Weather; sultry, agg (Viva: Reliable)

Since I have the information sitting in front of me, Antimonium crud and Lachesis are the predominant remedies from these hot weather rubrics.

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 list

Arndt, 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.

I learned when I updated my “Homeopathic Helpers 2026” article that the app “Lotus Smart Charts” has audio of various cough types and I just had an email for the recording of the webinar “The Top 60+ Cough Remedies” by Kim Elia which is now available for purchase.

So, with coughing on my mind, let’s take a look at this old post.

Julia

Before I started learning homeopathy, I thought a cough was a cough. Well, I guess I knew croup* had a different sound (a bark)… but I never thought about all the many different kinds of cough: wet coughs, dry coughs, productive coughs, croaking cough, hacking cough (I guess I had heard of that one, too), rattling coughs. Coughs that wake you from sleep, coughs that keep you from falling to sleep. Coughs that are worse when your standing; coughs that are worse when you’re lying down. Coughs that are worse from eating and coughs that are better from eating. Coughs that are better from drinking and coughs that are worse from drinking. Explosive coughs. Exhausting coughs. The list goes on! Robin Murphy's Repertory, version 3 lists 2,672 entries under "cough."

As usual in homeopathy, the closer you can match the specifics of the cough to the remedy, the more likely the remedy is to work its magic.

Dr. Saptarshi Banerjea does a nice job mimicking the various coughs in his 4-1/2 minute video (Banerjea 2017) and is well worth a listen to learn the difference between these cough sounds.

If you have a non-specific cough and are not sure where to start, Boiron’s Chestal Cold & Cough** nicely addresses a variety of coughs. Below is an incomplete overview of these remedies and the primary coughs they address. 

Dulcamera: particularly good for a cough made worse by damp, cold air and coughs worse following exertion. Coughs that leave you hoarse. A forcible, violent, hard cough.

Ferrum phos: Dry coughs. Coughs during fever. Coughs with a runny nose. Coughs with irritation in the chest or trachea (windpipe). Tickling coughs. Coughs with blood streaked expectoration (the coughing up of phlegm). 

Hydrastis canadensis: A cough which is better when lying down. A rattling cough. An incessant cough, day and night. Coughs with a bursting headache pain.

Kali bich: (“Bich” rhymes with “thick” and that’s a handy thing to remember with this remedy.) Back pain or pain in the sternum (breastbone) when coughing. A croupy* cough. A cough from eating. A hoarse cough (as opposed to hoarseness caused by coughing mentioned above, Dulcamera). A cough when you wake up in the morning. Cough with mucus in the chest or larynx (voice box) or a cough with pain in the larynx. Coughs which are better for expectoration.

Nux vomica: Coughs with pain in the abdomen or stomach (either during or following the cough); or, a painful cough, in general. Cough with breathing difficulty. Coughs made worse by cold air or by being cold. Coughs with catarrh (excessive mucus). A distressing cough. A dry cough during a fever (more specific than Ferrum phos’ cough during fever). Coughs occuring after midnight. A cough from eating (like Kali-bich above). An irritable cough. Paroxysmal (sudden, periodical) coughs, especially while still in bed in the morning. Coughs during teething. 

*Croup is an acute viral disease, usually occurring in children from 6 months to 5 years and marked by a resonant barking cough, (sounding like a seal), and varying degrees of respiratory distress (Venes and Clarence Wilbur Taber 2013).

Boiron's Chestal Cough and Cold is a good place to start. If you need further help kicking a cough, book an acute appointment and we'll see if we can get you some relief.

Subscribe now

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


** I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products. 

"cough cough" original post

REFERENCES

Allaert, F.-A., Villet, S., Vincent, S., and Sauve, L., 2018. Observational study on the dispensing of cough syrups to children with acute cough by community pharmacists in France. Minerva Pediatrics [online], 70 (2). 

Banerjea, Dr. S., 2017. Listen the Cough Sounds & Diagnose the Remedy (Part 1) [online]. www.youtube.com. 

Murphy, Robin, ​Repertory Version 3, accessed through RadarOpus 2.2.16. 

Venes, D. and Clarence Wilbur Taber, 2013. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. [22nd ed., ISBN: 9780803629776]. Philadelphia, Pa.: F.A. Davis.

Voß, H., Michalsen, A., and Brünjes, R., 2018. Efficacy and tolerability of a complex homeopathic drug in children suffering from dry cough-A double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Drug Research [online], 68 (08), 444–449.

Zanasi, A., Cazzato, S., Mazzolini, M., Ierna, C. M. S., Mastroroberto, M., Nardi, E., and Morselli-Labate, A. M., 2015. Does additional antimicrobial treatment have a better effect on URTI cough resolution than homeopathic symptomatic therapy alone? A real-life preliminary observational study in a pediatric population. Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine [online], 10 (1), 25. 

Zanasi, A., Mazzolini, M., Tursi, F., Morselli-Labate, A. M., Paccapelo, A., and Lecchi, M., 2014. Homeopathic medicine for acute cough in upper respiratory tract infections and acute bronchitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics [online], 27 (1), 102–108.

As I write this on my laptop, the image of the cover is actually bigger than the book itself. It appears this book is part of a series of little hardcovers (Sirius Hidden Knowledge*). ISBN: 978-1-3988-4465-0/$12.99

Emma Van Hinsbergh** (2024) wrote this very pleasing little book. It’s like those lovely little books that are on display in the bookstores around Mother’s Day or Christmas. A perfect little gift.

All the pages are illustrated with a gentle shade of green. The introduction says, “By using this book as a handy tool to delve more deeply into this fascinating healing system, you can learn how to improve your mind, body and soul. From getting a better night’s sleep to boosting your immune system, homeopathy can set you on the road to a healthier, happier life.”

Chapter 1: A Gentle Healing Tradition, explains the history and principles of homeopathy.

Chapter 2: Why Choose Homeopathy? The author explains how “homeopathy is often sought for chronic conditions, where conventional medicine might not help in providing long-term relief. It aims to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities, addressing the root cause of the imbalance and promoting overall well-being.” She lists a couple of pages of the benefits of using homeopathy (gentle, individualized, safe) and gives a little case study showing how homeopathy was “absolutely life changing” for one teenager.

Chapter 3: Your Health explains how homeopathic remedies are made, what to expect during a homeopathic consultation and ten helpful questions to ask a potential homeopath.

Chapter 4: Daily Healing begins by explaining how to use homeopathy at home, followed by materia medica of few remedies and remedies one might want to include in a homeopathic home kit and then a few remedies for some mental/emotional symptoms and rounds out the chapter with a very quick description of the top 50 homeopathic remedies.

Chapter 5: Be Your Own Homeopath tells you how to do just that — how to match the symptoms and choose the best remedy and potency. This is the bulk of the book — a mini (and pretty) homeopathic handbook. This chapter ends with a very short list of common conditions and possible remedies.

The acknowledgements page thanks the team at Homeopathy UK (“the UK’s leading charity for the promotion of homeopathy”) and lists a few websites to get you on your way to your next step in using homeopathy.

In short, this little book is an excellent gift for the homeocurious person in your life. The idea of homeopathy can be a hard sell for a lot of people. This book is a non-threatening (welcoming even!) introduction for homeopathy newbies.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

*ABOUT THE SERIES: Sirius Hidden Knowledge Series explores some of the most fascinating subjects in modern alternative thought and practice. Written by experts and renowned practitioners in their respective fields, this series brings the latest in developments in everything from spiritual development to alternative health. These delightful hardback editions are presented with gold embossed cover designs and gilded page edges.”

**Emma Van Hinsbergh is not a homeopath, according to the page cited above. She is a reporter/editor, specializing in health and wellbeing. Not that it matters, I’m just dotting is and crossing ts. In fact, this might be a selling point of the book - it is truly written for the absolute homeopathic greenhorn.

This post was originally written in 2022 and it stemmed out of the zeitgeist of the day.

The main purpose of the article is not about Covid, it is about shame.

Shame is such a horrible emotion and I think it needs a little more attention because nobody should have to live a life carrying this feeling around with them.

Julia

We turned the page into 2022 and suddenly the acknowledgment of the shame that has been foisted upon us for the past 2 years is everywhere.

As I am writing this, a news alert popped up on my phone: “Whoopi Goldberg stunned by testing positive for COVID: ‘I’ve done everything I was supposed to do.’” Earlier this week, a friend shared an article from American Thinker titled, “Shame as a Covid Strategy.” Later that same day, I logged onto Facebook and saw a post from the Autoimmune Protocol Diet talking about shame being at the root of disordered eating (here’s some recent research to go along with that thought — Nechita et al. 2021). Another article in the same day was talking about CNN’s editor-at-large Chris Cillizza saying, “But I do think societally we unknowingly turned having Covid into some sort of judgment on your character.”

We certainly have done exactly that and we don’t yet know what the ramifications are of such a mass, unjustified shaming. 

Did you know people are being put in special camps in Australia when they test positive for Covid, (Cave 2021), or have a friend who tested positive (Barkoukis 2021) or where they wait until they can prove they don’t test positive? (Dixon 2021). We, in the US, thankfully, still have the idea of innocent until proven guilty, but we no longer have healthy until proven sick.

Germs are gonna germ. Viruses are gonna virus. There is very little you can do to keep those germs and viruses from getting to you. (There are things you can do to keep those germs and viruses from taking hold of you, but that’s a whole other topic.) We don't segregate people because they may have other contagious diseases (unless they are being treated in a hospital). For the first time, to my knowledge, people are being blamed and shamed for getting cold and flu-like symptoms as a result of having contracted Covid. 

Once upon a time, if you were unable to attend a social gathering because you had the flu, the automatic reaction on the other side was sympathy. That automatic reaction is now full of aspersions. I find this very sad. 

Frederickson (2020) describes the difference between guilt and shame: guilt refers to a deed; shame to our being — “I am a bad boy” as opposed to “I did a bad thing”. He goes on to talk about shame being triggered in therapy sessions as a result of suffering “crippling shame over possessing universal, human desires or flaws.” This is most likely why shame has been such a useful tool to maneuver the population in regards to Covid — everybody has experienced shame and it is an easy ploy to manipulate behavior. Shame is ubiquitous. Show me someone who has never felt shame — I don’t think it’s possible to find someone who has never felt shame.

What exactly is shame? My then 3-year-old once said to me, "My body feels like it did something wrong." I think that's an excellent description of how shame feels. Technically, though, “shame” has two definitions as a noun in the Oxford Dictionary (Oxford University Press 2021): 1. A painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. 2. A regrettable or unfortunate situation or action. As a verb: make (someone) feel ashamed. 

Tell me, what, definitionally, could possibly be shameful about “catching Covid?” The shame and stigma and shunning that people have suffered over the last 2 years simply because they, or a family member, were diagnosed with or tested positive for Covid is simply shocking.

Cândea and Szentagotai-Tăta (2018) found that “external shame (perceived negative evaluations of others) seems to be more strongly associated with social anxiety symptoms than internal shame (negative self-evaluations)”.

Philosopher Jean Paul Sartes points out that a mild embarrassment in one can induce mortification in another (Lyons et al. 2018). If shame is not dealt with, it can have damaging consequences. Deep-seated shame plays an important role in many self-destructive ways. We saw above that it plays a role in eating disorders. Shame is also linked to psychotic experiences, particularly paranoia (Carden et al. 2020). 

It is not my intention to equate the societal Covid shaming to the deeper shame which some people carry with them. However, we don’t know how this newest layer of shame may affect the population. When society lays a blanket of shame over huge numbers of people (especially without true justification), many will likely be adversely affected by that shaming. Again, we simply don’t know what the ramifications of these last two years will be but a recent Telegraph article may tell us a little about what may be headed our way: "Number of children admitted to hospital for eating disorders surges 70% since pandemic." Is shame to blame for this increase? We don't yet have that answer but I wouldn't be surprised to see those dots connected at some point in time.

The Lancet’s Stories of Shame notes that doctors don’t talk much about shame (Lyons et al. 2018). Psychiatrist Aaron Lazare said, “it is shameful and humiliating to admit that one has been shamed and humiliated.” 

Doctors may not talk about shame, but homeopaths do. Homeopathy recognizes the destructive force that is deep-seated shame.

Referencing Murphy’s repertory shows us the rubric: Mind - SHAME, ailments from. Front and center in the 9 remedies listed is Staphysagria, in bold-type and underlined.

Homeopathic Staphysagria is made from a tincture of the seeds of the Delphinium plant, also known as Larkspur. 

We know Larkspur from Greek Mythology. Ajax the Great was unable to live with his shame, and in anger he fell upon his sword and the Larkspur flower sprang from his blood (Greek Legends and Myths; Theoi Greek Mythology).

C.M. Boger (2008) talks about the morbidly sensitive person who is easily offended in regard to one who could benefit from homeopathic Staphysagria. Which came first? Did that extreme sensitivity result from the shaming or was the sensitive person highly susceptible to the shaming? "Sheepish, sensitive, imagines insults.” The person who could benefit from Staphysagria is worse for emotions, chagrin, vexation, indignation and quarrels. Let’s be fair here. Who is actually better for these? True, but when differentiating homeopathic remedies this person would be markedly worse for experiencing these circumstances. There are plenty of people who can roll with some embarrassment or chagrin, but the person who would most likely benefit from homeopathic Staphysagria is not that person.

Staphysagria is also known as “a great germicide” and it has been used allopathically as well as homeopathically, to treat lice (Vicentini et al. 2018; Choudhuri 2016; Farrington 2018; Tyler 2003), a condition which most certainly can historically be considered “shameful”. 

Physically speaking, aside from treating lice, homeopathic Staphysagria is known to help with surgical wounds (Alecu et al. 2007). "Incised wounds, it is the best remedy … where there is a clean cut as after surgical operations" (Tyler 2003, p. 767). "Similarly, after surgery when the tissues have been 'lacerated' there is a great sense of violation … and Staphysagria is one of the first remedies to consider (Pitt 2015, p. 362). 

Tying back to shame is the connection of words which can "cut deep." Humiliation, insults, shameful attacks -- they all can cut deep and have great effect on a person and their well-being.

Don’t accept the responsibility of carrying somebody else’s shame because you, through no fault of your own, contracted a highly transmissible virus. Put that silly idea away!

However, if you or someone you know is dealing with deep-seated shame, humiliation or suppressed anger, please consult and work with a professional homeopath.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

"Shame on you" original post

Reference list

Alecu, A., Alecu, M., Marcus, G., Brezeanu, R., and Cojocaru, A., 2007. Effect of the homeopathic remedies Arnica Montana and Staphysagria on the time of healing surgical wounds. Cultura Homeopática, (20), 19–21.

Barkoukis, L., 2021. Australia Is Throwing People Who Don’t Even Have Covid-19 Into Internment Camps [online]. Townhall. 

Boger, C. M., Bradford, T. L., and Tiwari, Shashi Kant, 2008. Boenninghausen’s Characteristics Materia Medica & Repertory With Word Index With Corrected & Revised Abbrrevations & Word Index. accessed through Radar Opus software. B Jain Pub Pvt Ltd.

Buck, H., 1997. The Outline of Materia Medica and a Clinical Dictionary. accessed through Radar Opus software. B Jain Publishers.

Cândea, D.-M. and Szentagotai-Tăta, A., 2018. Shame-proneness, guilt-proneness and anxiety symptoms: A meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders [online], 58, 78–106. 

Carden, L. J., Saini, P., Seddon, C., Watkins, M., and Taylor, P. J., 2020. Shame and the psychosis continuum: A systematic review of the literature. Psychology and Psychotherapy [online], 93 (1), 160–186. 

Cave, D., 2021. Australia Is Betting on Remote Quarantine. Here’s What I Learned on the Inside. The New York Times [online], August 20, 2021. 

Choudhuri, N. M., 2016. A study on materia medica : an ideal text-book for homoeopathic students. accessed through Radar Opus software. Noida, U.P., India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.

Dixon, R., 2021. I finally made it home to Australia. Washington Post [online], May 22, 2021. 

Farrington, E. A., 2018. Lectures on Clinical Materia Medica in Family Order. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers, LTD.

Frederickson, J., 2020. Shame: The Disavowal of Our Shared Humanity. Psychiatry [online], 83 (1), 33–35. 

Greek Legends and Myths, n.d. Ajax the Great in Greek Mythology [online]. Greek Legends and Myths.

Lyons, B., Gibson, M., and Dolezal, L., 2018. Stories of shame. The Lancet [online], 391 (10130), 1568–1569. 

Marlee, S., 2022. CNN’s Chris Cillizza just discovering Covid shaming; Twitter reality-checks him hard · American Wire News [online]. American Wire News. 

Nechita, D., Bud, S., and David, D., 2021. Shame and eating disorders symptoms: A meta‐analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders [online], 54 (11), 1899–1945. 

O’Brien, T., 2022. Shaming as a COVID Strategy [online]. www.americanthinker.com.

Oxford University Press, 2021. Oxford Dictionary of English. 14.1.1.47 ed. Oxford University Press accessed through mobisystems.com app.

Pitt, R., 2015. Comparative materia medica : integrating new and old remedies. San Francisco, California: Lalibela Publishing.

Theoi Greek Mythology, n.d. PLANTS & FLOWERS OF GREEK MYTH 1 [online]. www.theoi.com. 

Tyler, M. L., 2003. Homœopathic drug pictures. New Delhi, India: Indian Books & Periodicals Publishers.

Vicentini, C. B., Manfredini, S., and Contini, C., 2018. Ancient treatment for lice: a source of suggestions for carriers of other infectious diseases? Le Infezioni in Medicina[online], 26 (2), 181–192. 
‌​

Further reading on shame:
​
Ellenbogen, S., Colin-Vezina, D., Sinha, V., Chabot, M., and Wells, S. J. R., 2018. Contrasting mental health correlates of physical and sexual abuse-related shame. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health [online], 30 (2), 87–97. 

McElvaney, R., Lateef, R., Collin-Vézina, D., Alaggia, R., and Simpson, M., 2021. Bringing Shame Out of the Shadows: Identifying Shame in Child Sexual Abuse Disclosure Processes and Implications for Psychotherapy. Journal of Interpersonal Violence [online], 088626052110374.

Seidler, Z. E., Rice, S. M., Kealy, D., Wilson, M. J., Oliffe, J. L., and Ogrodniczuk, J. S., 2021. Men’s Shame and Anger: Examining the Roles of Alexithymia and Psychological Distress. The Journal of Psychology [online], 1–11. 

Shaughnessy, M. J., 2017. Integrative Literature Review on Shame. Nursing Science Quarterly [online], 31 (1), 86–94. ​

Further reading on Covid death rates:

Berezow, A., 2020. COVID Infection Fatality Rates by Sex and Age [online]. American Council on Science and Health. ‌

Ioannidis, J. P. A., 2020. Infection fatality rate of COVID-19 inferred from seroprevalence data. Bulletin of the World Health Organization [online], 99 (1), 19–33F.‌

Mahase, E., 2020. Covid-19: death rate is 0.66% and increases with age, study estimates. BMJ [online], m1327.

Salzberger, B., Buder, F., Lampl, B., Ehrenstein, B., Hitzenbichler, F., Holzmann, T., Schmidt, B., and Hanses, F., 2020. Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2. Infection [online]. 

“The greatest triumph of a science is when it becomes the common property of the people and thus contributes to the common wealth.” — motto inscribed in The Homeopathic Domestic Physician

Learning to use homeopathy can be a little overwhelming and daunting. A little technology may make it a little easier.

I went through my old list and then I scrolled through the app store on my iPhone, iPad and Mac. A lot of the original apps are still around — a few of them have been nicely updated and a bunch of new stuff, too.

• New (to me) apps are preceded by *.

• Apps where I updated my thoughts are preceded by †.

• Apps that I enjoyed playing with are in blue.

• Apps that I really like are highlighted.

I did not click on any that were not in English.

There were so many new (to me, anyway) apps, that I divided them into categories.

• Desktop apps

• Phone apps

  • AI apps

  • General Homeopathy apps

  • Homeopathic Literature apps

  • Homeopathy for Pets

  • Professional Homeopathy apps

• Web-based apps

I alphabetized it this time.

If it appears on the iPad app, I have noted that. NOTE: I did not test the iPad app to see if it works properly on that device. I have simply made mention of the fact that it appears on the iPad App Store.

Note: There are a couple of apps which seem to be essentially the same, but I have to admit, I gave up trying to figure out that minutiae.

Desktop Apps (via the Apple app store)

*Beladonna [sic]: The Complete Companion for Professional Homeopaths. Using Kent’s repertory, it allows you to repertorize your symptoms and the possible remedies pop up on the right hand side of the screen.

• My initial thought for the home user is that it would be a good, handy place to keep your family records, but I didn’t dig deep enough to see if that would actually work.

• I did not purchase the app and when I clicked on the various options to do so, it gave an error message.

Phone apps

I was pleased to see the surprisingly large number of mobile apps on the iPhone if you search “Homeopathy” in the app store. (If they mention the app being available for Android, I have included that information.) I played around with a few of them so you don’t have to.

From here, they are divided into AI apps; General Homeopathy apps; Homeopathy-adjacent apps; Homeopathic Literature apps; Homeopathic Pharmacies; Homeopathy for Pets; Professional Homeopathy apps; and, Web-based apps.

AI apps

*Dr. Senan Homeopathy: Smarter Homeopathy Practice & Prescribing with Interactive AI.

• An account is required to move forward. I didn’t register.

• iPad

*Materia Medica AI does not require an account but there is an option to have one and I’m not sure if there would be a difference, or not. It asks you to “prepare your library” and download 111 mb of books. It says, “One-time download. Works fully offline after this.”

• I already have these books on my phone so I didn’t complete the process.

• iPad

*My Materia - Homeopathy looks like an AI chat bot. The first screen asks you to tell it what’s going on. If you want to save your conversations, you need to sign up. Then, as promised, comes the materia medica with an overview for each of the 619 remedies, followed by Symptoms & Indications for relevant bodily systems, modalities, remedy relationships and dose information.

• It appears to be free, but I didn’t sign up to find out.

• A lot of remedies I have never even heard of, in addition to common remedies.

• I played with the chat bot a little bit and it says it’s only able to work with acute conditions but I was impressed with the questions it asked. For the example I used, it provided only one remedy.

• There is a pleasant feel to this app.

• I liked using this app.

• iPad

*Your Master Homeopathy says: “Answer 30 carefully crafted questions to uncover which of 48 classical homeopathic constitutional remedies best matches your unique physical and emotional profile.” Sounds fun!

• Not all of the answers for each question covered what would be my response.

  • With that, I’m going to guess there are 4 “types” that pop up depending on which of the 4 answers you chose in the first part of the quiz. It gives you an overview of your “type” and lists a handful of remedies within “your family”.

At the end of the quiz, you can choose to email the results, retake the quiz or ask the AI Guide. The AI Guide didn’t respond when I pressed it. Turns out that’s where the money enters the equation. It says for $7.99 (one-time purchase, I think). In return for your money, you get: unlimited AI conversations; personalized remedy guidance; symptom and remedy explanations and constitutional type deep-dives. On the next page, it says it offers holistic guidance of diet, lifestyle and remedy suggestions and that it’s private and secure: “Your health information is never stored or shared.”

• It was a fun quiz, but in a few of the answers, I felt pushed in a direction that was not accurate to me. Having said that, the remedy it suggested for me is a remedy I have used to very good effect in the past, but I never would consider it “my constitutional” remedy.

• I didn’t purchase it, but I like the idea of a homeopathy-specific AI right there on my phone. (I have played with an on-line homeopathy AI and I really enjoyed it.)

• iPad

General Homeopathy Apps

*Boger: CM Boger’s repertories app

• “The app offers users the capacity to repertorise symptoms using jointly CM Boger’s 3 repertories: General Analysis (GA), Synoptic Key (SK) and Boger-Boenninghausen (BB).”

• $29.99

• I did not purchase the app, but I am tempted to play with it.

• iPad

*Cliniq Homeopathique opens with a disclaimer and then requires registration.

• I did not register.

• iPad

*Dr Moolchandani’s Homeopathy appears to be for registered patients.

• iPad

*Eureka Homeopathy Game requires a $1.99 premium 3-month subscription. I took the bait and learned that it auto-renews after 3 months, FYI. You then choose your avatar (I’m assuming they are all famous homeopaths but I did not recognize the first 2 options which were available at the basic level).

“Hot or Chilly” is the game. Remedy names pop up and you choose whether they are hot or chilly. You can play in Timer Mode or Life Mode and apparently can play multiplayer.

That’s it. Arcade-music is played, you’re presented with remedy names (a few I have never heard of) and then you choose if they are hot or chilly. If the game progresses beyond Hot or Chilly, there is no indication.

• Note to self: cancel my auto-renewal.

• If anybody moves through the levels and learns there is more to this game, let me know!

• iPad

*Hcura Pro requires registration.

• I have no reason for this, but I feel like it’s for established clients?

• iPad — once I saw it here, it looks absolutely for clients

*HealingArtist: Classical Homeopathic Analysis opens with a privacy policy that you have to opt in to use. On the next page, an ad for a local rug cleaning company shows in the middle of the screen and asks if the problem you are experiencing is a new issue or an old issue. Acute or chronic, it appears. To continue, you have to enter your personal details… which I did not do.

You can “Unlock Expanded Insight” which claims to give additional review layer for each case; richer remedy details and additional context; ad-free experience; view results without ad-based unlocks and support a small team building classical homeopathy tools.

Pricing: Yearly: $14.99. Monthly: $1.99. One-time payment: $34.99.

• I didn’t enter my information and I didn’t try it.

• iPad

†Healio Homeopathy (at the time of this writing 7/26) offers a monthly plan for $2.99/$6.99; a 3 month plan for $5.99/$14.99; and $11.99/$29.99 for the yearly plan.

For this trial run, I searched for “post-nasal catarrh” and what comes up is a long list of remedies with color coded buttons on the side of “low,” “medium,” and “high” to help you wade through them. Once you click on one of the listed remedies you then get more information on that remedy. The information provided comes from Kent and there is a lot of it. (Note: I did not purchase a subscription and it appears you just have to sit through a momentary ad to get to your information. It looks like you can have the “analysis” feature if you subscribe.)

• I found this app not quite as easy to use as some of the others but it provides a lot of information.

  • †It appears you can pay to avoid the ads, but even without paying, it’s just a short wait to get the nicely detailed materia medica highlights for the suggested remedies.

  • †They offer “analysis” when you upgrade to “Pro.”

  • †The repertory was pretty fun to play around with.

  • †I don’t recall so much information when I played around with it last time.

• iPad

*Homeo Guide: Homeopathy for all & Homeopathic Guide (I thought were one and the same, but now I’m not so sure. Apologies if I messed this up.) When this app opens, it goes immediately to an alphabetical list of remedies. Each remedy lists the substance from which it is derived (Example: Abrotanum. “Lemongrass. This remedy is recommended for regulating intestinal disorders (alternating diarrheas and constipations). It is especially recommended for treating infants.)”

• It provides guidelines in addition to the remedy suggestions. For example: Cough: Take 3 granules 3 times per day. It then proceeds to list “triggers” such as: While swallowing; Allergic cough; Productive cough; During menstruation, etc. Following this, it has “According to Symptoms.” Followed by “According to sensations” and “According to concomitant symptoms.”

• Quite a lot of information in here. I did notice some of the remedies listed would not be readily available for some home users.

• “Homeopathic Guide” looks promising, but when I click on the conditions, some of them seem to be correctly linked with what follows but others were not.

• iPad

*Homeo Mate: Your homeopathic reference library. This app looks very promising but it’s by subscription. Lifetime: $64.99 and Weekly: $2.99/week.

• It appears you can access the conditions in the “First Aid” section as well as the remedy names but you have to pay to see the further information about each remedy.

• You can “Browse by System” which again, shows the remedy names.

• It provides a few free results of remedy information: Ambra Grisea, Aconitum napellus and Allium cepa.

• It appears the “Remedies” section gives the “A” and “B” remedies for free and the rest of the alphabet is for Premium subscribers. However, I tried to return to the beginning of the alphabet and I was unable to do so.

• A “Notes” section also appears to be for Premium subscribers.

• iPad

*Homeo Treatment Guidelines — is actually STGH, listed below. “Access Latest Standard Treatment Guidelines in Homeopathy.”

• Registration is required.

• I have no idea what they have to offer.

• iPad

*Homeocare International requires registration. “Get Treated with Constitutional Homeopathy Treatment for 100 plus diseases at your fingertips using our App. First corporate Homeopathic clinics to use genetic constitutional treatment method. 15+ Million People Treated, 300+ Doctors, 50+ Clinics across South INDIA. Sign up Now! Online consultation. Homeopathy Treatment. Serving from 36+ years. Expert Homeopathy Doctors.”

• Only available for iPhone (it says).

• Digging deeper on line, it looks like it’s for current patients — booking appointments, uploading medical reports, making payments, etc.

• iPad

*Homeopathic Cure lists, for example: Children Diseases; Female and Male Diseases; Brain Diseases. It’s important to note that “diseases” may not be the most apt word — the first “brain disease” that pops up is “Anger,” followed by 3 short remedy descriptions.

When I clicked on “Neck, Shoulder” it gives postural/positional suggestions followed by “Neck- Stiff” and 5 suggested remedies followed by a few more specifics and their remedy suggestions.

“Other Diseases” is 46 pages beginning with “Frost Bait” [sic] and “Drowning” and what to pay attention to if you are caring for someone suffering from one of those.

• Not all the remedies listed are what I would think of first for some of the conditions, but who’s to say these aren’t better suggestions?

• I’ve never heard of “Sheetad Disease” but I now know they should be given daily Vitamin C. (I would have thought maybe Sheetad was referring to Scurvy, but that entry appears a few pages later. The internet was no help in trying to learn what Sheetad Disease is.🤷‍♀️

• iPad

†Homeopathic Helper is an app for Apple and Android phones ($14.99 at the time of writing, 2024). The app includes a free book which is a nice little introduction to homeopathy with some sample cases and dosage instructions.

• †I didn’t see this book this time.

• †I don’t recall paying for this app and this time around, I don’t see an option to pay anything.

Once you have registered an account, you can choose “conditions” or “remedies.” A few of the choices: allergic reactions, bladder infections, earache, impetigo, sciatica, shingles. Each condition has a brief overview followed by a handful of remedies which may be useful.

• †Perhaps I registered last time I did this and that’s why it worked this time, but I actually think I downloaded it anew. 🤔

When searching by “Remedy,” “Dosage Instructions” pops up first followed by the remedies. I clicked on Aethusa and was met with a pretty picture of the plant and a tap-able description of “Nausea & Vomiting” which takes me back to that condition. Aconite shows a list of 6 different conditions, for comparison’s sake.

• †It includes two free downloadable books: Think Outside the Lunchbox Cookbook and About Homeopathy and also has biographies of the two homeopaths behind the app: Jyl Steinback and Dr. Maryann Ivons.

• Overall, I would say it’s a very nice app and I like that the remedies listed reach just slightly beyond commonly available remedies.

• I found the selection of remedies provided for each condition I looked at to be helpful and clear.

• iPad

†Homeopathic Prescriber teaches how to take a case as well as an A-Z of symptoms. I was randomly clicking around and stumbled on the entry for “screaming children” with further differentiation of symptoms, like: night screaming; piteous crying; before urine passes — followed by the suggested remedy. They have a button for Video News which says the videos will change periodically. Today it showed only one video for Homeopathy for Depression and Anxiety.

• There is something intriguing about this app. I think I’ll be playing around with this one a little bit more.

  • † Nothing is listed in the Video News section now (2026)

*Homeopathic Treatment opens with an ad and then has icons for various conditions: Eyes Diseases, Ear Diseases, Brain Diseases.** I had to click on the Brain Diseases again… Anger is the first listed and it offers a little introduction: “When a person has to work against or mental tensions take birth in the mind because of any disease, he shows his tension through his way of speaking or behavior. It is called anger. The voice of an angry person is heavy and he speaks with irritation. A person suffers from bilious disorders, neural disorder or mental tension. Showing anger in normal conditions or while talking is kind of symptom of bilious disorder.” Not how I would describe anger, but I can’t disagree with what is written here. Five remedies with a little write up of each are offered to help with Anger.

**Astute readers will see a separate entry which includes “Brain Diseases.” I’m not certain the two apps are related, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn they are.

There is an alphabetical materia medica at the end (called “Homeopathic Medicines”). It’s quite small and some expected remedies are not present (Aconite, Nat mur are two that I looked for) but what is there, is useful.

• The interface is a little clunky and I’m assuming they will be adding more remedies at some point?

*Homeopathy at Home, is developed by Mary Greensmith (who, I believe, is the brains behind Homeopathy 247). The layout is very smooth and pleasing. Below each symptom/remedy suggestions section, there are tabs for Potency & Dose; Disclaimer; References; Chronic Prescribing; Understanding Your Symptoms and More Information (which directs you to the “Learning” tab for case studies, homeopathic courses, prescribing methodology and videos). The videos take you to Mary’s YouTube channel while remaining in the app. You can access the Homeopathy247 podcast from the app, too.

• I think I will be moving this to a more prominent place on my home screen. It’s a really nice app.

• $2.99. I did purchase it.

• iPad

†Homeopathy Clinical Tips (see also Homeopathy Tips below, from the same company) asks you to register, but it appears you can use it without doing so. This is not as user friendly as some of the others but it does offer some potency and dosing suggestions.

When clicking the “Useful Tips,” up pops many little pictures of information. For instance, “Examination Fear” says “Argentum nitricum 200c offers instant relief” and names the author of the suggestion, in this case, Dr. Foubister.

“Clinical Tips,” shows three remedies for “Abscess” and provides some more specifics when you click on it. It also offers potency and dosing and again lists the contributing authors.

“Clinical Tips” lists remedies, not alphabetized, some of which have a condition listed beneath and others do not.

There are buttons for “Organ” and “System.”

• This is kind of a fun little app to play around with but not as helpful as some of the others for new homeopathy users.

  • †Still fun to play around with — Looking at “Frozen Shoulder - Sanguinaria” under organs — it says “indicated in cases of frozen shoulder when there is severe pain in the right shoulder with restriction of movements.” It suggests a “30c, 4 hourly. Stop when better” and notes the information comes from Dr. Jawahar Shah.

  • †The Useful Tips are still fun.

  • †”Celebrity Comments” are interesting.

  • †I didn’t see “Examination Fear” this time, but did find “Examination Funk.”

  • †Not the user-friendliest interface, but I still like playing around with this app.

• iPad

†Homeopathy for Everyone, AKA HPE appears to be free and is a little different than the other listings in that they provide some combination remedy suggestions as well as potency and dosing guidance. Note: A number of the suggested remedies are unusual remedies. When you click on “whiplash” for example, it lists a remedy combo, suggests taking it 3 times a day for a maximum of a week and that’s that. It appears to be just that for every condition clicked.

• This app is interesting in that it provides combos and some out of the norm remedies.

  • † I got a chuckle out of a few of the entries. For example: Male diseases; Impotency; For overly sexual and now shagged out.

  • † Many out of the norm remedies.

*Homeopathy - HomeoMate — I think this is the same as “Homeo Guide reviewed above.

Homeopathy Tips seems to also be called “Visual Tips” (from the same company as Homeopathy Clinical Tips listed above) offers Visual Tips, divided into “Clinical Tips,” “Diet & Nutrition Tips,” “Health Tips,” “Amazing Facts” and “Celebrity Testimonials.”

The Clinical Tips are images for conditions, such as “Mountain Sickness” with remedy/dosing suggestions.

Diet and Nutrition Tips, like: “Chili,” for example, states “They stimulate the release of feel-good endorphins in the brain.”

Health Tips, like: “Learn to Relax” says, “unwind, take up a hobby and start socialising. This fights stress and depression.”

Amazing Facts, like: “If all muscles in your body worked together, you could lift more than 10 tons.”

Celebrity Testimonials come from everybody from John d. [sic] Rockefeller to Prince Charles to Pamela Anderson.

The “More” button connects you to Mind Technologies and other “Hompath Products” such as Hompath Firefly, Zomeo, MMLive, Miasms (among others).

• I suppose it’s fun to dig around in here for a bit, but I don’t see myself returning to it for reference.

• iPad

*Homeopathy UK — it appears I already had this app on my phone; it bugged out when I tried to use it the first time, but it booted up OK the second time. It lists the “10 Most Common Conditions” and then “Conditions.” Each Condition has a short description, followed by commonly used remedies with fairly detailed write ups of each, including “Key Rubrics.”

At the bottom of the page, it says, “Remedy Finder Content provided by The School of Homeopathy.” After having taken a few of their courses, I am a big fan of this school and would assume this app would have good, solid, reliable information.

There are buttons for: Donations; Advice (promising online chat coming soon); the History of Homeopathy; Clinic locations in the UK and finally, Success Stories.

• This one looks very good and will be moved into my frequently used app folder.

• iPad

*Homeopathy247, again, as above, is developed by Mary Greensmith. This app appears to be more aimed at those who are using the services of Homeopath247. The first screen gives you the option to “Search your Homeopath,” “Meet the Team,” and “Get Consultation.”

The “Learning” button takes you to a list of links for free books, such as: Homeopathy for Back Pain; Breaking Free from Anxiety and Manage Your Cholesterol and Find Better Health with Homeopathy… among others.

The Webinar button promises more webinars coming soon, but it’s empty today.

A button to the Homeopathy247 podcast, right in the app.

Links to homeopathy courses, such as: Natural Detoxing for Dogs and Natural Support and Balancing for Adrenal Fatigue… among others.

Link to Facebook Groups for Ask a Homeopath 247, Homeopathy for Allergy and Homeopathy for Kids & Teens… among others.

• There is a lot of information on this app!

• iPad

*Homeorep: Boenninghausen’s Method App

“Chapters and rubrics are editable, patient’s data synchronized via iCloud.”

“Homeorep is an advanced and flexible homeopathic software for the repertorisation of symptoms. It has been developed for the demanding homeopaths who need a tool capable of helping them solve the ever different clinical cases encountered in daily practice.”

• $29.99

• I didn’t purchase it, but I’m tempted.

†Lotus Smart Charts is a neat little app from Robin Murphy and Judith Toscano. Choose from Kids and Babies, First Aid, Furry Friends and Digestion. Once you choose your main category, you then choose the issue. For example, under First Aid, you can choose: Bleeding, Black Eye, Puncture wounds, etc. and when you click on your issue a couple of remedies pop up with a few differentiating features.

• This app has a nice interface and with the information coming from Drs Murphy and Toscano, you know the remedies suggested are pretty good places to start.

  • †This app has been updated — they have added: Pain, Coughs, Children, Women’s Health, Healthy Mind, Travel, Animals and Dosage.

    • †The new “cough” section has handy-dandy audios of the various types of cough. Very helpful.

• There is a button for “Classes” but nothing came up on my phone.

• “Study” brings you to some flash cards.

• “Lotus Hub” takes you to their resources: Books & Charts; Healthy Recipes; Contact Us & Disclaimer

  • †This was a really good app before and it’s even better now.

• iPad

*Materia Medica Live Lite shows a colorful (and loud) screen for a bit at the beginning, but appears to let you opt out of that for future visits. The Video page lists “Plants,” “Animals,” “Minerals” and “Nosode.”

Clicking on “Plants,” I am greeted with a list of 10 remedies. Clicking on the top one (China officinalis), shows an infographic overview of the remedy followed by “Fast Tips.” Most of the remedies have infographics but Cannabis sativa goes to a quirky video describing the mental/emotional symptoms.

• It’s not clear what the full app provides. There is a button to click but it didn’t feel promising.

• iPad

*Mindwell Homeopathy requires registration. No hint as to what the app offers.

• I did not register.

†MyHomeopath allows you to use a reduced version of the app for free, or, you can choose to subscribe for a low annual fee. The free version only offers “general,” “fever” and “head.” To use this app, choose your condition and then on the right hand side of the screen it has a check list where you can click the symptoms you are experiencing. Once you make your selections and click “remedies,” it provides a ranked choice of possible remedies. It also provides instructions for making a water dose.

• At least in the free version, it doesn’t appear to provide much information on the suggested remedies. You would need to refer elsewhere for that.

  • †Subscription price: €5.49/year

*Rescue Homeopathy has you choose “Google” or Apple” — then you have to create an account to move further.

• I did not create an account

• iPad

*Similia Home Prescriber is the phone app associated with the Similia website, which I really, really like. I’m excited to try this one!

The first screen has you agree to call for emergency help if you need it. Then, it asks if you have a kit. If you say yes, it gives you many kits from which to choose (Olloïs, Ainsworths, Helios, etc.) and then asks if you would like to filter the remedy suggestions to your kit. So cool!

Next, it asks you, “How do you feel today?” After typing your response, it says “you have one free search to try Similia. After this, you’ll need a subscription to continue.” Fair enough.

While waiting for the next question, it gives some homeopathic trivia. After answering the questions, it suggests a remedy with a “How to take this remedy” button, followed by the reasoning for the suggestion. A “Micro Materia Medica” is then offered.

Similia is a subscription based service. Because I was not able to log in to the Similia phone app with my Similia web password, I’m going to go out on a limb and say these are two different subscriptions (and, the pricing is different).

• I am a very big fan of Similia website — it’s an excellent repertory/materia medica option. This app has a similar feel and is very polished and clean. (For the record, if Similia were available as a one-time purchase, I would be a very frequent user, despite owning two other complete homeopathic software options. It has a fantastic interface - really nice to use.)

• I really like that you have the option to tailor the suggestions to the specific homeopathy kit you own.

• iPad

*STGH: Standard Treatment Guidelines in Homeopathy requires registration to continue.

• I did not create an account

*Symptomly: track symptoms & remedies

• A basic app to record what and how severe the symptoms are. There is room for notes.

• Then, choose the remedy taken, when it was taken, what the potency was.

• “Timeline” takes the symptoms and the remedies and puts them on the same page for easy viewing.

• “Settings” lets you enable and customize reminders for taking remedies.

• This app has so much potential, but it falls short. If there were a nice app which could be customized for multiple family members and have a little more flexibility, it would be amazing!

*Theory of Acutes, AKA TOA has a lot of information from the author, Dr. Prafull Vijayakar. Then, I really just sort of stumbled into using the app, though I wasn’t intending to at that moment. In other words, the interface could be improved.

I did not read all the opening pages from the author, nor have I read any of the author’s books. Had I done so, I may be more informed on the “Theory of Acutes.”

First page gives you 3 buttons from which to choose in regard to Activity levels since the acute disease began. The next page depends on your answer — you may be given remedies right off the bat or asked more questions. When you click through your symptoms and arrive at a possible remedy, it shows a triangle with keynotes of the remedy, followed by “Other Indications” and ends the page with a “Remedy Relationship Chart” — which I like.

It has a section for Patient Notes and for Personal Notes.

• I’m not certain I will be using this app much, but something about it intrigues me.

• iPad

*WelcomeCure Homeopathy requires an account to use.

• I did not create an account and was not able to see anything further.

• iPad

Homeopathic Literature apps

†Homeopathy Materia Medica is an app that lives on my phone and I do refer to it fairly often and I believe it is free (but it has been on my phone for a long time, so I’m not certain). This is a straightforward materia medica. Choose a letter, find your remedy and read up on it. It has a button where you can add your own notes. (I have never used this feature.) It also has videos of well known homeopaths discussing remedies. It is not a complete materia medica, but that would be asking a lot.

• This app is much more than adequate for a quick understanding of common remedies.

  • †I still use this app all the time.

• † I’m not sure if these were there before or if it’s new, but there are also:

  • Preface to Boericke’s 9th edition (1927)

  • study guides from Dunham and Hering

  • remedy abbreviations

  • there are buttons for “Masters” and “Subscribe” and “Contact” but nothing happens when I click on them.

  • the very last line lists: homeopathycourseonline.com but when I searched for that, nothing came up.

*Soul of Remedies appears to be Dr. Rajan Sankaran’s book in iPhone format.

• I tried out the read aloud aspect and it read out the wrong remedy and it broke up and glitched out very quickly.

• The written descriptions seem straightforward, but I did not compare it to the actual book.

• iPad

Homeopathic Pharmacies

†Boiron’s Medicine Finder appears to be free and when I searched “postnasal drip” only 1 remedy popped up. Of the few conditions I scrolled through, only 1 or 2 remedies ever popped up. There is a “shop” button that takes you to the Boiron website to purchase remedies. They have an electronic version of their “Easy Guide” and a button for their new products. It does, however have a handy dandy video for how to open a Boiron tube, something I found incredibly frustrating when I first used one (click here to read about my first time trying to get into the blasted tube!) Additionally, there is a link to the internet to watch Boiron videos on various remedies.

• I found this app very basic and not terribly helpful and it froze up on me a number of times.

  • † This time when playing with it, it was a smoother experience.

  • iPad

*Corrigo Homoeopathy for purchasing Corrigo homoeopathic combination remedies. Looks like it’s in India. It doesn’t appear they ship further afield. Has their blog posts on the app.

• Could be used to learn what remedies are useful for various conditions through the combinations listed.

• iPad

*Helios Homoeopathy is primarily for ordering remedies. Appears to be free.

• Easy to use interface.

• iPad

*SBL Homoeopathy — there is no indication they ship outside India.

Homeopathy-adjacent apps

Bach Flowers Remedies is another app that lives on my phone… providing a nice overview of each of the Bach Flower Essences. It also offers the “Quick Prescriber” where you can search by symptom. Click your symptom and the app provides the one or two essences appropriate for each symptom.

• A good way to get to know the Bach Flowers.

• iPad

†Biochemic Tissue Salts appears to be free and has a pretty in-depth overview of each of the 12 cell salts: what the substance is, preparation, physicochemical data, what a deficiency of the substance can cause, normal function in the body, general indications and then a nice, long list of symptoms and “particular indications.”

• This app lives on my phone and I have found it to be a great resource for cell salts. Though there is a lot of information to sift through.

  • †I think this app now goes by the name “Biochemic Salts.”

  • †The “Combinations” tab is very useful and I don’t remember seeing it before. It’s a mini repertory, really. Click “cough” and it lists five different cell salts and for which symptoms they would be useful.

• iPad

*Visual Tips might be linked to “Homeopathy Visual Tips” listed above? This one, however, is not limited to homeopathy. It has Diet and Nutrition Tips, Health Tips and Amazing Facts.

Homeopathy Pets apps

*Homeopathy for Dog Owners - $2.99.

• I didn’t purchase it, but it gets 3.7 stars, for whatever that’s worth.

• iPad

*Homeopet Natural Pet Care Information

• It has a cute interface but when I clicked on the little paw to enter, I got a spinny icon that never stopped.

• iPad

*Hompath Vet — $9.99

• I didn’t purchase it

• iPad

Professional Homeopathy Apps

*Complete Dynamics: listed as “professional homeopathy” and sells for $239.99. Further down the list, it shows the “amateur edition” for $22.99.

• I didn’t purchase it

• iPad

*Hompath FireFly Prime “is a Homeopathy Repertory Software, with 11 repertories including Q-Rep, Repertory of Mental Qualities by Jeremy Sherr, kent, Boericke, etc.”

“109 Homeopathic books from Allen, Rajan Sankaran, Farokh Master etc. Ideal app to manage your patients’ cases, Repertorise, Prescribe; anytime, anywhere.”

• Requires registration to use it.

• $74.99

• I didn’t purchase it

• iPad

*OpusGo is RadarOpus’ phone app. “The ultimate homeopathic app for professionals! Repertorize, browse References and save patient info in seconds.”

The purchase price comes with Kent’s Repertory and Lectures on Homeopathic Philosophy, Boericke’s Pocket Manual, Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine

You can purchase additional repertories, like: Schroyens Synthesis Adonis, Mangialavori’s Suggesta 2.0, Hering’s Guidine Symptoms [Vol. 1-10] and more.

When I played with it for a few minutes, it looks very promising. It has the ability to list and store patient details and consultations.

• †I am a big RadarOpus fan and I have purchased this app but I have not had the time to learn how to use this app yet.

• iPad

*Synergy Mini - though I use Synergy software on my computer (now known as VIVA), I have not signed up for the mobile version.

• Prices: 3 month plan: $29.99 and 1 year plan: $99.99.

• I think HomeoSwift is the same app (the icons are very similar), but I can’t be certain because I’m not signed up for either. The prices are the same as above. I don’t see any other information.

• iPad

*Synthesis

• I believe I paid for this app once upon a time. It works on my phone. I don’t love using it, but it’s there when I need it.

*Vithoulkas App requires an account to use and I decided to create one this time, perhaps, because George Vithoulkas is a homeopath I admire and I refer to his books very frequently. Once in, the Discover page offers the following choices: Clinical Cases; Scientific Papers; E-Learning Course; Webinars; Courses in Alonissos; Videos; UDiHoP (whatever that is) and General News.

I clicked on the Clinical Cases and was met with some cases much beyond a stubbed toe, like: “A case of a comminuted subcapital fracture of the humerus treated with classical homeopathy” and “Homeopathic treatment for prolonged postoperative coma.” Me thinks this app is not really aimed at home users.

The E-learning course offers a free trial and then explains the 2-year course.

The webinars offered are focused (naturally enough) on George Vithoulkas.

The videos: I clicked on “The Depth of Healing” and I see a description of it, but no video. Same thing happened when I clicked on “The Qualities of an Ideal Healer.”

I now know that UDiHoP is Union for Diplomate Homeopathic Physicians.

• Will I be using it? Probably not, unless I need to look up his case report on “Postoperative Bile Duct Fistula and Liver Abscess from Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Treated with Classical Homeopathy.”

• iPad

*Zomeo Homeopathy — $699.99

• I didn’t purchase it

• iPad

Web-based apps

Homeopathic Housecall has been around for a number of years. Based on Constantine Hering’s The Homeopathic Domestic Physician from 1835, Homeopathic Housecall brings this classic book into the modern world through an internet-based app.

The interface is pretty easy to navigate. You begin each case by searching by Complaints, Locations or Stressors. From there, the program leads you through a series of questions to help you find an appropriate homeopathic remedy. At the end of that, they give you a few remedies (and some basic information for each) for you to parse through to see what looks like the best fit.

Homeopathic Housecall is a subscription based service beginning at $65 per year for a 2-year annual subscription; $89 for a one year subscription; or, $11.99 per month. They also offer a 7-day free trial.

• I have used this a few times. I think it’s a good option for home users.

Vithoulkas Compass is web-based homeopathic software. As this article is primarily focusing on home users, their “An Occasional Prescriber” plan is €21/month and their student version of the same-named plan is €15/month.

• I have never tried this software, though they do offer a 7-day free trial.

There you have my 2 cents on a handful of available homeopathy technology. As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of apps out there and I just took a quick look at a few that were not prohibitively expensive.

I’m so excited about all these many options!

Whether you are new to homeopathy or have been playing with it for a while or even practice professionally… there is an app for you!

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

If you are aware of other apps, or, if you register and try out some of these, please share your experiences in the comments!

Leave a comment

Share Ruminating on Remedies

Julia

You can’t see them in this photo, but trust me, they’re there!

So there I was, basking in the purity of the White Sands. The day before was unbearably hot… all… day… long. I mean seriously hot. In fact, we were supposed to visit White Sands yesterday afternoon but the thought of said dunes in that heat was too much. We opted for an early morning visit the next day instead.

Excellent choice!

The sand, (well, the gypsum) felt amazingly cool as we climbed the first dune. I left the rest of the hiking of the dunes to the more intrepid among us and I wallowed in the marvel that is this amazing place.

I was lying on my back, hat over my face, loving every second of this and contemplating making a sand angel cuz it felt like the appropriate thing to do. My arms were stretched out to either side, just about ready to go and, “Ow!”

Share

I frantically brushed at my arm and as I looked to see what got me, a little red head was still attached to my bicep.

How could something so awful be hanging out in such a pure and marvelous landscape?

To be fair, shortly after arriving on the top of the dune, I looked down and saw a red ant. Then I saw many more red ants. I knew they were there and I should have paid heed. Alas. Live and learn.

Back to the red menace… I leapt up and got down the dune incredibly quickly. (Bounding down the dune was so much fun — if you go, forget the sled! They sell you a sled at the ranger station and then they buy it back from you for less than you paid. Sometimes you can find a perfectly good sled in the garbage, FYI.) I dug out my kit of 100 miniature vials of homeopathic remedies that always travels with me and immediately went for the Apis. 

I did a couple doses of Apis but the thing was still incredibly painful. I then switched to Ledum. Still really not any improvement. Then, I looked at the bite and saw a large welt developing, coupled with the intensely painful itching… Staphysagria.

That one brought some relief, both to my arm and to my mood. I then alternated between Staphysagria and Apis every few hours for the rest of the day.

This was on a Sunday. By Tuesday, it felt like it was getting worse. It was hot. It was itchy. It hurt. It felt like it was getting much bigger. Infection setting in?

I moved to Hyper/Ars: Hypericum mixed with Arsenicum album. This, too, was helpful. It contained the spread and it shrunk in size just a little bit, but then it began to spread again.

I tried a little Plantain ointment. That certainly didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t the answer. By Wednesday morning, I had decided to try a completely different route and I dug out my little canister of PRID Drawing Salve*. 

My one little bite was pretty big by now so I dabbed the sticky brown stuff on my arm and had to use 2 bandages to keep it from getting on everything.

PRID Drawing Salve has been around for over 50 years, and, as the package says, it is a “pain relief & irritant drawing salve” for splinters, thorns, ingrown hairs, insect bites, boils, minor cuts and scrapes.

What’s in it?

As I mentioned above, this stuff is sticky. Among its ingredients: beeswax and wood rosin (the internet tells me this is a natural resin from the sap of pine trees).

Homeopathically speaking, PRID contains low X potencies of Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Hepar sulph, Ichthammol, Silicea and Sulphur -- all excellent choices for infection. 

I have written previously about Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Hepar sulph, Silicea and Sulphur. (You can search for articles on these remedies on Ruminating on Remedies.)

While digging a little deeper into Echinacea, I have learned some interesting things from herbalist Matthew Wood (I highly recommend picking up Wood's Earthwise Herbal books). (Note: I accessed this through Radar Opus software and I don't see which of his many books correlates to this title.)

The Indians of the Great Plains used the western purple coneflower, Echinacea, "to treat snake bites, insect bites, septicemia and various kinds of poisonings" (Wood).

Dr. Robin Murphy notes that homeopathic Echinacea is a great remedy "when boils progress to the stage where they appear about to point then stop and do not suppurate. Echinacea helps in carbuncles with similar symptoms, a bluish-red color and intense pain" (Murphy n.d.). (I have to say, this sounds a little like where it felt my ant bite was going.)

Ichthammol (or, Ichthyolum), however, is a new remedy for me.

Dr. Robin Murphy tells us this is an “unproved” remedy**, (made from shale oil), which comes to us from old-school therapeutics as an external application which has been used for psoriasis, eczematous dermatitis, leg ulcers, seborrheic dermatitis and furuncles (Boyd 2010).

Like Echinacea, Ichthammol is said to be a powerful anti-septic.

When I removed those first 2 bandages a couple hours later, the swelling and redness had shrunk considerably. I did feel the need to apply the PRID two more times and then that was the end of that. I am now a day shy of 2 weeks from the time of this bite and I have no pain, but I do have a residual reddish mark. The other day I could see and feel 4 little white bumps so I think I suffered more than 1 nibble.

The downside of using a combination remedy is that it is impossible to know which remedy worked. Having said that, who cares? I am interested in positive results -- it really doesn't matter to me how I get there. Might it be more elegant to take a single dose of the appropriate homeopathic remedy. Sure! In this case, might the drawing part of this salve have played a role? Could be.

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this company or this person.

** Ichthammol is listed in Bradford’s Index of Homeopathic Provings (1898), so 🤷‍♀️.

Tummy bugs are in the news.

Apparently, there are a couple somethings going around: Cyclosporiasis and the dreaded Norovirus. I asked Grok how to tell the difference.

• Incubation

  • Cyclosporiasis (caused by a parasite), takes from 2 days to 2 weeks to kick in.

  • Norovirus (virus) kicks in quickly, about 12-48 hours.

• Typical duration

  • Cyclosporiasis: weeks to a month and can relapse

  • Norovirus: 1-3 days

• Main symptoms

  • Cyclosporiasis: Watery/explosive diarrhea, bloating, cramps, loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss; vomiting less prominent

  • Norovirus: Sudden vomiting (often prominent, especially in kids), watery diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain; fever/headache/body aches common

• Contagiousness

  • Cyclosporiasis: is not spread from person to person — it generally comes from contaminated food or water. Summer apparently plays a role because they say more people are eating fresh produce (FOX 5 Atlanta 2026).

  • Norovirus: highly contagious, spreading from person to person (via vomit, stool, surfaces and food).

• Conventional treatment

  • Cyclosporiasis: antibiotics for prolonged cases

  • Norovirus: supportive only — no antibiotics

Does homeopathy care whether it’s a parasite or a virus? Not really. Homeopathy treats the person using a homeopathic remedy based on the presenting symptoms.

With that in mind, here is an article from a couple of years ago about Norovirus listing some possible homeopathic remedies which could prove helpful regardless of causation.

Since Cyclosporiasis is more bottom oriented, you may want to check out The Doo Doo Documents 3: Diarrhea, too.

The other thing floating around out there is smoke from the forest fires.

Agy the Buffalo Herbalist (I have no affiliation, I just really like her stuff) has an excellent article on wildfire smoke and what herbs may be helpful.

The Buffalo Herbalist

What Wildfire Smoke Does to Your Body (and How to Support It)

We all see what’s happening right now, whether it’s through our TV screens or through the actual first-hand experience of stepping outside and breathing it in. The sky takes on that flat, weird hazy color, the sun turns a strange apocalyptic shade of orange, and within an hour your eyes are stinging, your nose won’t settle, and there’s a scratch at the back of your throat, but…

Read more

2 months ago · 16 likes · 3 comments · Agy | The Buffalo Herbalist

Smoky Skies, Burny Eyes offers a few homeopathic options which may help, too.

Take good care of yourself out there!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Share Ruminating on Remedies

This combination is a truly lovely thing. 🤩

And, it’s helpful for lots of musculoskeletal things, not just knees!

Julia

Is it just me or is everybody noticing the incredible number of new knees being handed out? I know 89 year olds getting new knees and I know people in their early 50s getting new knees. New knees are everywhere!

Don’t get me wrong — a new knee is an amazing feat. I know people with one new knee and I know people with two new knees. Everybody is pretty darned happy with their new knees, no matter how many they have received! They are not quite like what was portrayed in The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, but I’m told from those who have had the procedure that it is life changing stuff.

Share

I recently suggested a homeopathic combination remedy for somebody who is waiting for their new knee. She has about 2-1/2 months to wait for her surgery and she is in some significant pain. She’s pretty skeptical of homeopathy and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure she was going to try the remedy. 

She agreed to try it. I suggested taking it twice a day. I also mentioned that sometimes some sort of relief can be felt pretty darned quickly. I guarantee she had zero expectations of receiving any sort of benefit. She took her first dose of the remedy and she headed home. Shortly thereafter, I texted her because I forgot to tell her how to get the remedies out of the self-dispensing tube*. 

Well, she responded that her stiffness had gone down substantially and that she was actually freaking out a little bit. I wasn’t surprised, but she was! (This was less than an hour after putting the remedy in her mouth.)

What did I give her? I gave her a combination of Hypericum, Rhus tox and Symphytum.

If you are on track for a new knee, I’m not suggesting this combination remedy will halt that process, but I am suggesting your discomfort may be lessened while you wait. And, who knows, if you start homeopathy early enough in the process, perhaps a new knee can be avoided, or, at the very least, postponed.

Homeopathy is indeed the bee’s knees, as far as I’m concerned!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* These tubes can be very frustrating. The first time I tried it, I actually ended up using something sharp to widen "the stupid little hole” while I was cursing the entire experience. I guess I was in too much pain to read the instructions on the tube. 

To save you the annoyance, here is the trick:

With the lid on the tube, turn the tube upside down and twist the lid. The pellets will fall into the lid. When the desired number of pellets have dropped, remove the lid and pour the pellets directly into your mouth from the lid. Voila!

Remember, the homeopathic medicine is applied on the outside of the pellet, therefore it is best not to handle them -- the remedy acts best when it is allowed to dissolve directly into the mucosal lining under the tongue. 

From Boiron: "Can I touch homeopathic pellets or tablets with my fingers or hands? We do not recommend touching the pellets and tablets with your fingers or hands. Introducing any moisture to the pellets or tablets will begin the dispensing of the medicine, and any oils on your skin may coat them and hinder absorption once the medicine is in your mouth."

Share Ruminating on Remedies

Back again with the final installment: R-U. Once again, we’re going to revisit each description and include the top couple of remedies for each type of pain (according to Murphy — both 3rd edition from Radar Opus and Meta from Synergy Viva*).

For each of the top remedies, I have included the remedy grade (#) as well as some more detailed writing from some of my favorite homeopathic authors (and a couple of new-to-me authors, too) to flesh out the meaning.

Following that, I have included any interesting, single-remedy, strong (3/4) or particularly interesting rubrics which I find. Note: if no (#) is listed after the rubric, it’s a 3.

Now for the caveats:

• Some of these descriptors did not have general pain remedies — they are pretty much dependent on location for good remedy suggestions in Murphy. When this occurred, I dug around just a little for more general remedies, but I have not given them the same amount of attention — I just listed them.

• I tried hard to keep everything “general” and veer away from specifics, but I did break this rule when I thought the writing or the rubric helped to explain the thinking behind the remedy choice.

• Not all remedies have interesting single-remedy rubrics.

• ***Publication Dates (see footnotes)

This is Pain #2/4. (Part 2 is broken up into 4 parts to get through the alphabet of pain descriptors.) What else is coming in this series?

1. Pain #1 - Types of Pain — an explanation of the pain descriptions used in homeopathy. A lovely list to keep handy!

2. Pain #2/1-4 : Where to start — Homeopathic remedies for each of the pain types (A-C); 2/2 (D-G); 2/3 (J-P); 2/4 (R-U)

3. Pain #3 — Chronic Pain — how best to address this oh-so-common situation homeopathically

4. Pain #4 — When Arnica fails…

5. Pain #5 — Combination remedies for pain

Read more

Julia

I am currently enrolled in a nutrition class and I am loving it. But, I have spent a lot of time lately wondering why am I only now learning this stuff? I mean, I have picked up pieces here and there over the decades because I have had an interest in it, but I was never formally taught nutrition. My kids were never taught nutrition in school. (Well, the basic food groups and the food pyramid (yikes!), but not much else.)

Back when I did the anatomy and physiology course, I thought the same thing. Why did I never learn this stuff? It is my opinion that this should be a mandatory class (just like reading and math) beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout school, ending in some level of proficiency of yourself to be necessary to graduate from high school and not just offered as an elective for high school students who think they may want to be a doctor one day.

I was a child of the 70s and I don’t recall much being taught beyond the basics. In 4^th grade, I remember having to chew some foul red pill (what was in that stuff?) so the visiting district nurse could see how well we brush our teeth. (Which you then had to dry brush off — nobody ever got it all off. I did, however, learn from a holistic dental hygienist a few years ago that dry brushing is the best way to get your teeth clean.) In 5^th grade, they separated the boys from the girls to tell us about puberty and what to expect. There was a random health class in junior high and high school but I really just remember learning about how drugs and alcohol might affect you. There was a biology class in 10^th grade and we dissected a couple of things but we mainly learned about plants.

My children, all schooled in this new millennium, didn’t learn much more. I remember “the heart bag” that came home with them in 2^nd grade where they played around with the stethoscope for a day (to be fair, I’m sure there was more to that unit than that), but overall, there was not much education about the most important thing in one’s life… their body and their health.

How much better would life be if people had an understanding of how their body works and how various food items and basic nutrition plays a part in keeping us running?

Proficiency of yourself is really what it is all about. With the exception of one’s own mother, nobody cares more about you than you*. The doctor you’re visiting may take an interest in you during your 15 minute appointment, but then what? You leave the office and you’re on your own. You may leave with a prescription of some sort (often because you are not giving yourself the attention you deserve). Have you looked up that medicine? Do you know the effects of that drug? Have you read the ingredients on the tooth paste tube? Do you know what blood tests have been ordered and what the results mean?

How amazing would it be if we all learned… forget about the boring name (anatomy & physiology; A&P), it’s really a course all about you. It’s as close as one can get to having a handbook about you. I’m talking about the nitty gritty of what makes us run (or, if you take the Pathology and Disease classes, what has gone wrong).

Answer honestly:

• What does your spleen do?

• Is cholesterol made in your body or is it provided to the body?

• What is the difference between a tendon and a ligament?

• What are amino acids and what part do they play in our bodies?

• How does your body utilize protein? Fat? Carbs? What happens when you have too much of one of these macro nutrients?

• Hormones are a whole other thing: how many hormones are there (so far discovered, anyway)? What affects our hormones? What do our hormones regulate in our body. (Hint: sex hormones are just the tip of the iceberg.)

• What is the importance of blood sugar?

Shouldn’t we know this automatically? Shouldn’t we have a thorough understanding of our body parts? Shouldn’t we know how various foods affect our various bodily systems? Shouldn’t we be able to have some basic understanding of what the blood test that our doctors have ordered for us means?

I would venture to guess that most people reading this right now don’t have the stomach to even begin learning this stuff at such a late age. That is my point! If we were taught it from the beginning in school, we would all already know it!

There is my rant rumination for the day. Carry on.

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

*If you don’t already, I highly recommend you start keeping a health file for you and every member of your family. What brought you to the dr? What did the dr recommend? What testing was done? What were the results? If you began a new drug, are you writing down changes you notice?

I’m a big fan of independence… autonomy, sovereignty, freedom, liberty — all the things in all the ways.

It’s difficult to distinguish which freedom is more important than another because they are all pretty gosh darned important. One freedom that doesn’t get enough airtime (in my opinion) is health freedom — the freedom to choose medical treatments… or, not, as the case may be. If you, too, are interested in health freedom, check out National Health Freedom Coalition.

One beautiful way to exercise health independence is to learn about a handful of homeopathic remedies. Just a little homeopathic knowledge can go an awfully long way to keeping you and your family happy, healthy and well.

For the record, I am a big proponent of getting things checked out by a physician. I like to dot my i’s and cross my t’s. Doing so, however, is becoming increasingly difficult. I recently had a non-emergency issue for which I perhaps would have liked to have seen a physician. I did an on-line consult with a nurse and was instructed to call the physician’s office to make an appointment — she said that she would put in the notes that she recommended I do so in hopes of expediting an appointment. I called. They saw the note and I was told the nearest appointment was 6 months out. Never mind. I took care of it homeopathically.

Over the counter meds are easy, but they are not without risks. There are beautiful homeopathic remedies which can fill this gap. (See Painkillers and The Road Less Traveled.)

Antibiotics can lose their oomph after a while. (See here, here and here for a few articles.) There are absolutely times where antibiotics are absolutely needed. There are many more times when antibiotics are used injudiciously (see here and here). Homeopathy is an excellent alternative for non-urgent situations, e.g., ear infections.

Emergency Room/Urgent Care wait times vary greatly, but unless you are in dire straits, who has 4-8 hours to wait to see a doctor (maybe, but more likely not actually a doctor) for common conditions like sore throats*? (See also, Tis the season for… Sore Throats.)

A few years ago, UK homeopaths (Alliance of Registered Homeopaths; Homeopathy International (HINT); Society of Homeopaths; and, The People’s Health Alliance) put out a really nice PDF called, “The 35: Homeopathy’s answer to the 35 conditions no longer routinely prescribed for in primary care.” These are what they call “minor conditions considered to be self-limiting and so do not need treatment as they will heal or be cured of their own accord.” Well, they may heal on their own in due time, but that doesn’t mean that time is spent comfortably! This is where homeopathy can help.

A few of the conditions listed in “The 35” which, generally speaking, could benefit from some sort of treatment include:

• Back pain & Strain (Rhymes with Box; Summer Fun #4: Sprains, Strains & Bicycle Falls; Painkillers; Relief)

• Burns & Scalds (Kitchen Quickies: Burns; Tis the Season for… Burns?; Summer Fun #1: Sun)

• Colds & Nasal Congestion (Calming the Cold; Decongestants)

• Cystitis (When it hurts to go…)

• Dermatitis (See also, Ringworm)

• Diarrhea (Traveler’s Diarrhea; The Doo-Doo Documents 3: Diarrhea)

• Headaches & Migraine (Headaches & Cell Salts; The Road Less Traveled)

• Indigestion & Heartburn (Just going for a Pepcid; Too Much)

• Toothache, Teething & Tooth decay (It’s Never Too Late, 3: Oral Health; A Dental Quickie: The dentists are on it!; Why the Hek/c; Brace Face; Guest Post: Straight from the dentist’s mouth)

Plenty of people have spent many hours in an urgent care waiting for some sort of treatment to get some level of relief for these conditions. Having a little kit of homeopathic remedies at their disposal could save lots of people lots of time, frustration and pain. (See: Quickie: Kits for a very easy way to get started.)

What do you do with these little tubes you have accumulated? Well, I have a bunch of answers for that, too.

There are plenty of excellent books for homeopathic home use. Here is a very short list:

• The Homeopath in Your Hand

• Homeopathy at Home

• Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook

There are apps out there to help us use homeopathy. (Here is a link to Homeopathy Helpers which I wrote in 2024… and most likely needs a little update. I’ll get there one day!)

This is the year! is chockablock full of helpful tips to get underway with using homeopathic remedies.

Recently, I updated my Substack home page with a “New to Homeopathy? Start here…” section. This can help fill in some of the “now what do I do” blanks when you’re getting started in your homeopathic journey.

It’s not just people who need some independent health care. Our pets can benefit from some homeopathic remedies, too. (See also, Homeopathy to the rescue for…)

Take Independence Day to the next level, and learn how to treat your family and friends (and pets!) minor inconveniences. You won’t regret it.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

*Most sore throats are not a problem. The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends seeking medical attention when: the pain is severe or lasts more than a few days; if the sore throat is accompanied by swollen glands that cause difficulty breathing or prevent the person from swallowing fluids; in children in particular, if there is presence of excessive salivation, inability to swallow liquids, difficulty speaking, irritability or the inability to move the neck.

Reference list

Alliance of Registered Homeopaths, n.d. Home Page [online]. Alliance of Registered Homeopaths.

Cleveland Clinic, 2023. Antibiotic Resistance [online]. Cleveland Clinic.

Homeopathy International, 2018. Home - Homeopathy International [online]. Homeopathy International - Delivering excellence in Homeopathy.

Hyun, D., 2017. Why Doctors Prescribe Antibiotics—Even When They Shouldn’t [online]. Pew.org.

Mayo Clinic, 2022. Antibiotics: Are You Misusing Them? [online]. Mayo Clinic.

National Health Freedom Coalition, n.d. Home [online]. National Health Freedom Coalition.

NIH Library of Medicine, 2017. Do antibiotics help fight common colds? [online]. Nih.gov.

Queen, J., Zhang, J. and Sears, C. L., 2020. Oral antibiotic use and chronic disease: long-term health impact beyond antimicrobial resistance and Clostridioides difficile. Gut Microbes [online], 11 (4), 1–12.

Society of Homeopaths, 2026. Homeopathic treatment of a genetic case with a twist [online]. Society of Homeopaths.

The People’s Health Alliance, 2023. Home [online]. The People’s Health Alliance.

Share Ruminating on Remedies

Happy 4th!

Julia

I don’t know many people or animals who like things that go boom in the night but some of us 2 and 4 legged creatures get a little out of sorts when they happen.

Where I live, the night time booming started a few days ago — pre 4^th of July excitement, I guess.

If you or your pet are troubled by the fireworks, here are a couple of ideas to try.

Share

Aconite, rhymes with fright, can help calm the nerves.

Bach Rescue Remedy. (See: A Remedy to the Rescue for more information.)

Borax for when the disturbance comes from the suddenness of the noise — a startled sensation.

Coffea for painful sensitiveness. The noises seem to penetrate into you… disturbing sleep.

Ignatia — fears and phobias triggered by noise. (See also: PTSD.)

Phosphorus — is a very fearful remedy in general, including fears stemming from noise.

What else can help? Back when we still had our dog, Rufus, I would put him in an air conditioned room with all the doors and windows closed, with a nice playlist on at a pretty decent volume to help drown out the booms. I added both Bach Rescue Remedy and Ignatia in his water dish. I chose Ignatia because this poor fellow came to us in a pretty traumatized and fearful state.

I hope you have a safe, exciting, fun and joyous 4^th Of July weekend and are able to enjoy the booms!

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Share Ruminating on Remedies

Back again with J-P. Once again, we’re going to revisit each description and include the top couple of remedies for each type of pain (according to Murphy — both 3rd edition from Radar Opus and Meta from Synergy Viva*).

For each of the top remedies, I have included the remedy grade (#) as well as some more detailed writing from some of my favorite homeopathic authors (and a couple of new-to-me authors, too) to flesh out the meaning.

Following that, I have included any interesting, single-remedy, strong (3/4) or interesting, rubrics which I find. Note: if no (#) is listed after the rubric, it’s a 3.

Now for the caveats:

• Some of these descriptors did not have general pain remedies — they are pretty much dependent on location for good remedy suggestions in Murphy. When this occurred, I dug around just a little for more general remedies, but I have not given them the same amount of attention — I just listed them.

• I tried hard to keep everything “general” and veer away from specifics, but I did break this rule when I thought the writing or the rubric helped to explain the thinking behind the remedy choice.

• Not all remedies have interesting single-remedy rubrics.

• ***Publication Dates (see footnotes)

This is Pain #2/3. (Part 2 is broken up into 4 parts to get through the alphabet of pain descriptors.) What else is coming in this series?

1. Pain #1 - Types of Pain — an explanation of the pain descriptions used in homeopathy. A lovely list to keep handy!

2. Pain #2/1-4 : Where to start — Homeopathic remedies for each of the pain types (A-C); 2/2 (D-G); 2/3 (J-P); 2/4 (R-U)

3. Pain #3 — Chronic Pain — how best to address this oh-so-common situation homeopathically

4. Pain #4 — When Arnica fails…

5. Pain #5 — Combination remedies for pain

Read more