Comperative Materia Medica

The tree remedies Chamomilla, Aconite and Belladonna display similar characteristics, each in their unique way. The following comparative Materia Madica will compare and contrast these remedies through the exploration of three common rubrics representing the three different modalities found in Repertorium Homeopaticum Syntheticum by Dr. Frederic Schroyens:
Mental, mind, irritability (p. 1456)
Generals, pain, sore (p. 1651)
Physical, chilliness (p. 1467)

Chamomilla
(Cham)

Common name: Daisy
Family: Astaracae
Plant: Compositae. A member of the daisy family which grows in sandy regions.
Plant used: Whole plant in flower. The juice of the whole plat freshly expressed and mixed with equal parts of alcohol.
Proved: By Hahnemann
(Mahtur, p.313)

A highly emotional, temperamental and over-sensitive remedy. It depresses the vital force but excites the nervous system to a state of great irritability and hypersensitivity. An important children’s remedy.

Mental – Mind – Irritability (3)
The Chamomilla state is one of morbid sensitivity. It is said to be the ugliest remedy in the whole of the Materia Medica; one of anger and irritability. The child either becomes very demanding, wants to be carried “The child can only be quiet when carried on the arms” or becomes very uncooperative and refuses to take the medicine – “mood somewhat exited, uneasy”(Allen; p. 90).

F. T. Allen in his Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica, describes the Chamomilla patients as patients with “ Exited, irritable temper”, Since taking his drug, the great irritability of disposition has very much diminished, even to the point of being blunted: ”Ill – humored and irritable, the whole day”. The pains sometimes made them very peevish:

“Peevishness; he seeks a cause for being peevish at everything”. Child becomes very impatient “Everything seems to go to slowly” with piteous moanings because he cannot have what he wants. Everything that another does is wrong, no one does anything to please him. Repeated attacks of anxiety during the day “Very anxious; everything that he undertakes is very unsatisfactory; he is irresolute, with flushes of heat in the face, and cool sweat in the palms and dilated pupils” (p. 90-91).

Samuel Hahnemman in his provings Materia Medica Pura, describes the same symptoms and says that the child is sensitive to every impression, to their surroundings, to people and especially to pain. Pain is unbearable and drives them to despair and grate irritability. Other moods causing irritable moods are sleeplessness with frequent violent yawning: “When seated by day he feels like to go to sleep, but when he lies own he cannot sleep, but remains awake. Nocturnal sleeplessness, accompanied by attacks of anxiety, visions and fantastic pictures hover before him. Weeping and howling in sleep” (p.394, 395) and restlessness: “The child wants this things and the other and when given anything he refuses it or knocks it away from him”(p. 397).

Generals – Pain – sore (2)
One of the leading remedies for pain. Chamomilla is exceedingly sensitive to pain.

Hahnemann – “Unsuitable for those who bear pain calmly”. Pain is unbearable. It drives them to distraction. It is often worse at night accompanied by thirst and sweat, especially about the scalp. Numbness often associated with pain and with the affected parts: “Across the upper part of the chest a sgueezing pain with tightness and irritation to cough. Drawing pain in the back, in the sacrum, especially at night (p.390,391). Cramps in the calves, crackings in the joints, especially of the lower limbs, and pains in them, as if bruised” (p.393).

Allen also describes in great detail the pain with all aggravations. “After eating – headache in forehead, nausea, repletion of stomach, pressure in stomach chill all over. When eating – tootache, drawing pain in teeth. Motion – pains in shoulders, sensation in legs, weakness, jumping stitches”. Patinets are hot in face and thirsty. One check hot and red, the other pale and cool. (p. 126,127)

Physical – chilliness (2)
Despite the fact that Chamomilla patients are hot in the face and body their hands and feet are cold and associated with sweat.

Allen didn’t forget to mention that Chamomilla is “sensitive to open air, as she would take cold easily” (p.124). Chillness occurs about 4 o’clock, on lying down, after eating and is associated with shivering in back. He is saying that there is constant alternations of heat and coldness in various parts of the body: “At one time the hands were cold, at another warm; at one time the lover leg, at another the thigh was cold, at another warm; at one time the forehead was cold and the cheeks hot, etc”(p.126).

Hahnemann sees Chamomilla being shivering at cold air. “He has shivering on certain parts, in the face, on the arms, with or without external coldness” (p. 396). Another quote from the proving carried by Hahnemann indicates “cold limbs, with burning heat of the face, burning heat in the eyes, and burning breath”(p.396). He mentions that the remedy is characteristic of fever which is associated with chill. “The lightly covered parts are burning hot, the uncovered parts almost cold” (p. 397).

Modalities
Worse – Damp, cold weather. Night. Before midnight. Wind. Anger. Open air. Drafts. Heat. Coffee.
Better – From being carried. Warm wet weather (though warmth < teeth)
(Allen, p. 12)

Common name: Monkshood, Wolfs – bane
Family: Ranunculaceae
Plant: Found in the mountain forests of France, Switzerland, Germany
Plant used: Herb, Root, Seed.
Proved: by Hahnemann
(Mathur, p.7)

Aconite, in comparing with Chamomilla and Belladona, is short acting remedy.
Vigorous, robust, individuals whose high vitality allows sudden violent reaction to negative influences.

Mental – Mind – Irritability (2)
The mind of Aconitum is, like Chamomilla, also irritable “The slightest noise is intolerable to him, is extremely disposed to be cross” (Hahnemann,p. 46) associated with grate oversensitivity and restlessness especially at night “He can not lie on the right side nor on the back; he turns in bed from one side to other with pain”(Allen, p.38). The Aconitum patient will have nightmares with long dreams causing him to awake. There is grate possibility of sleepwalking.

One of the main keynotes which makes Aconitum different to Chamomilla and later to Belladonna is sleepiness during the day (because of nightmares during the night) and after the meal “Great sleepiness in the afternoon; the eyes close involuntarily; he wakes, however, readily, at the least noise, but always falls asleep again;” (Allen, p.38). Other important keynotes according to Hahnemann are “fear of dead and fear of some misfortune happening to him” (p. 46). He also has indifference to loved ones and weak memory (p. 28)

Generals – Pain – sore (2)
Because of the sore pain “Tensive, aching pain in the lumbar vertebrae, of as if from a bruise: at the same time pain in abdomen as from flatulent colic”

The face of Aconitum will be flushed with a look of anguish and restlessness of mind and body. This disquiet of the patient cannot be allayed – Rossy, chubby, babies. There is suddenness of complaints with rapid disappearance. Like a storm. Sudden onset.
The intensity of complaints is of a violent nature. High fever. Shock. Headache “a throbbing in the left side of the forehead, whilst strong beats occur in the right side by fits”. (Hahmenamm, p.38, 39)

The patient will be intolerant of warmth –throws of the bed clothes and will have extreme thirst for large amount of cold water – feverish symptoms. (Allen, p.43)

Physicals – Chilliness (3)
First remedy in inflammatory fevers. The chilliness in this remedy picture is “Extreme chilliness nearly all day”. Compare to Chamomilla they are cold over whole body with blueness of the fingers and toes. They lay quiet, but freezing and shivering, and wished to be covered with many clothes – which they threw later anyway. (Allen, p.39)

Causation for this remedy is becoming chilled while sweating because Aconitum patient is highly sensitive to cold “she is chilly and shivers”. What is also interesting to mention, to finish the picture for this remedy, is that even that the patient is cold, he is worse for warm room (or warm covering) and better in open air (open window, uncovering) and he has desire for large amount of cold water. (Hahnemann, p. 43)

Modalities
Worse - Cold dry wind/air. Air conditioning. Warm room or warm covering. Lying on the affected side. Music. Noise. Touch. Light. Tabacco smoke. Evening and night. Intensely hot weather in summer.
Better – Open air. Uncovering.
(Allen, p. 42, 43)

Common name: Deadly night shade
Family: Solanacaeae
Plant: Perennial plant common in Europe and Asia
Part used: The juice is extracted from the entire plant at the commencement of flowering and them mixed with equal part by weight with alcohol
Proved: by Hahnemann
(Mathur, p. 180)

As well as Chamomilla, Belladonna is another Children’s remedy. It is often used as an acute remedy and can be indicated constitutionally. Belladonna has very similar picture to Scarlet fever.

Mental – Mind – Irritability (3)
In Belladonna there is at state of excitement, violence and acuteness of all senses. Mental symptoms often come on in intense fevers and produce a very active, violent, excited, irritable, nervous state. “A child will cry out in sleep or rouses suddenly as if from a fearful dream, trembling and looking wildly about” (Hahnemann, p. 204).

Belladonna’s irritability is in many ways very similar to Chamomilla. As described by Allen, Belladona, like Chamomilla, has extreme irritability of temper “The merest trifle provokes and irritates him; he is dissatisfied with everything, exceedingly irritable and sensitive humor, with inclination to utter abusive language and to strike”. The symptoms are very similar but Allan’s description bring about one specific distinction: there is strong mental confusion “so he knew not whether he was dreaming of awake” associated with delusions, hallucinations and delirium. Copmpare to Aconite where the patient is thirsty, Bellanonna will not like to drink anything. (p.74, 75)

Generals – pain – sore (3)
A long list of pain symptoms is given by both authors. There is also suddenness and violence of symptoms as for Aconite but Belladonna’s patient will be also pulling own hair. Violent heat of affected parts “parts affected burn like fire”. Redness, Inflammation, throat is scarlet red. Inflamed parts swell rapidly or there is a sensation that the part will burst. There is spasm and twitching with headache “as if a stone were pressing the forehead”. (Hahnemman, p. 207)

One distinguishing features of Belladonna is that the patient’s face will be pale, not like I case of Chamomilla with one cheek red ant the other pale, or in case of Aconite with hot and dry skin. Other feature is that he will like warmth and bed rest. (Hahnemann p. 209)

Physicals – chilliness (2)
The chilliness in this remedy is similar to Aconite but Belladona will have strong desire for light and will be worse for uncovering. “ Fever: Chilliness running all over the body – four hours afterwards hot feeling and heat, especially of the face” (Hahnemann p.247).

Modalities
Worse – Jarring. 3pm and after midnight. Noise, drafts, cold, sudden weather changes. Cutting the hair. Uncovering.
Better – Warmth and bed rest. Forenoon. Pressure. Head high.

In summary, despite that all tree remedies Chamomilla, Aconite and Belladonna, share many characteristics, each of them have an original picture and thus is used for different and specific symptoms. “Ugly” Chamomilla is highly emotional, temperamental and over – sensitive remedy. “Thirsry”Aconite will be indicated mainly for functional disturbances and “Run away” Belladonna for patients presenting similar symptoms to Scarlet fiver.

References

Schroyens, F. 1995. Repertorium Homeopaticum Syntheticum, edition 5.2, Homeopatic Book Publishers, London.

Hahnemann, S. Materia Medica Pura, volume I, translated form German by Dungeon. B Jain Publishers, New Delhi.

Allen, T. F. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica, volume VII, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.

Mathur, K. N. Dr. 1987. Systematic Materia Medica, second revision, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.