Baryta carbonicum Anhang
[J.T. Kent]
Generalities: Baryta carbonica is an interesting study, because it is
fully proved and a constitutional remedy. Such remedies are always more interesting
than the short-acting, superficial ones. They take hold in deep-seated,
long-lasting, miasmatic troubles.
This remedy looks towards the development of the young. You will see in
the text commonly expressed under this medicine, "dwarfishness."
That does not always mean small in stature as it is spoken of in this
remedy. Dwarfishness in body and mind; mental dwarfishness, dwarfishness of
organs.
You realize what precocity means; young persons who are unusually
brilliant; well advanced mentally. We say they are beyond their years. They are
precocious.
Get this in mind first, and think what it means; and then in the Bar-c.
constitution, we have the very opposite state.
That is what we mean by dwarfishness. Children are late coming into
usefulness; or activity; late with their studies; late! learning to talk; late
learning
to read; late learning
to make the combinations that enter into life; late learning to take in
images, and form perceptions; to take on their activities; to do their work.
Late: We say sometimes that Calc. late in learning to walk, but Baryta
carb. is also late learning to walk, although it has an entirely different
cause.
To express it in a common, old-fashioned way, Bar-c. late learning how
to walk, even with pretty good limbs. Calc. has miserable, weakly limbs, flabby
muscles, poor bones, and hence he is late learning to walk.
"Late walking" is Calc.
"Late learning to walk" is Bar-c.
It competes also with Borx. and Nat-m.
All three have a peculiar kind of tardiness in the development of the
brain, so that they are late learning to do things; late in developing.
Bar-c. leads them all in this late coming into the activities and uses
of life.
You will have patients to treat, where this slow development manifests
itself in girls. 18 to 25 years of age, who do the things they did when they
were children, and say things as they said them when they were children.
"Childish manner of doing things, and childish behavior. Playing
with dolls and saying foolish things."
They have not come into womanhood/late in taking on the activities and
uses of the woman/lack the prudence of the woman/have not become circumspect,
and say things just as a boy or just as a little girl would say them. That is
the dwarfishness of the mind. To appreciate that late development, and to see
it in Bar-c. from all of its symptoms and peculiar features, leads to a strong
grasp of the remedy.
Some of this found in such remedies as Graph., Sulph. and Calc., but
nothing compared to this remedy. Seems to suspend the development that makes
the child into a man or a woman. It is not a small person that makes me think
of Bar-c., but the dwarfishness that is mental, and that is of organs.
Organs, as it were, become paralyzed, or one organ does not develop. It
stops, and the others go on. That would make me think of this remedy. A single
organ fails to mature, and the others go on; one-sidedness, a partiality of
development.
Lymphatic glands: The next grand feature of this remedy is its affinity
for the lymphatic glands all over the body. The glands all over enlarge and
indurate; the glands of the neck, the glands of the groin, the lymphatics in
the abdomen are all affected-knotty chains form in the neck.
With a few other things that we will put together shortly we will see in
this patient a peculiar figure. It has emaciation-gradual dwindling in persons
who have been fat, who have been well nourished.
It has an enlarged abdomen. It has been found suitable in marasmus,
children with enlarged glands, enlarged abdomen; emaciation of the tissues,
emaciated limbs and dwarfishness of mind, and you have there all the whole
Bar-c. marasmus.
Chilly; sensitive to cold; wants to be well wrapped. Marked weakness
with feeble pulse is a strong feature and he must lie down; he is worse standing
and sitting.
Weakness < after eating. Pains > from motion/in the open air.
Complaints < cold. The enlarged glands take on tenderness and congestion
from being exposed. The tonsils gradually increase.
Glands of the neck increase in size, and in hardness, from every cold
and from becoming chilled.
"Swelling and induration of glands. Inflammation of glands with
infiltration."
Infiltration belongs to the remedy. The glands become harder and harder.
Ulcers become indurated in their base. Open surfaces become indurated in their
walls.
When a child has almost any disease, measles, scarlet fever, mumps, or
even a bad cold, or a malarial attack, the development ceases and dwarfishness
results, a state in which he was not born, but a state that he has acquired,
arrest of development.
It brings on emaciation and dwindling of the whole body, except the
abdomen, which gradually enlarges. These are phases not to be overlooked in the
very beginning, because the symptoms only help to establish this basis and
these troubles and tissue changes come on as ultimates.
Another grand feature is the application of these things to more
advanced years. We say this is a childhood state, this is the state of youth
and arrested development.
Now it does not matter whether we
have this arrested development in youth, in childhood, or at the advanced age
of fifty. From some strange circumstance which we are not able to fathom we say
the individual is taking on the, appearance of old age.
Premature old age: Bar-c. cured lingering complaints that have resulted
from malaria, overwork, mental or physical, prolonged mental strain, when the
appearance of premature old age was a prominent feature. Old age creeps upon
him too soon. There is but little difference between childhood and old age, and
hence old age is called second childhood; but we always regret to see a man
under seventy becoming childish, and yet we do see many becoming simple and
childish. It does not mean merely imbecility, but childlike behavior.
Doing and saying things like a child. So in premature old age these
symptoms lead us to think of Bar-c.
Bar-c. cured fatty tumors, encysted tumors, lupus, outward growths of
tuberculous character, sarcoma; and it has mitigated the pains and sufferings
and has prolonged life in cancerous affections.
Mind: Mentally it is worthy of careful study, and
we will see cropping out in the mental symptoms all of the phases intermingled
with tissue changes.
The homeopathic physician does well when he trots the little Johnnies
and the little Susies on his knee and takes a good fair observation of their
ability, and of what they lack, and understands how to build up what is
lacking. Is not that in itself worth working for?
It requires all of the potencies that have ever been made to master
constitutions. Some will require medium potencies, some very low, some very
high. Let us not deprive our little ones of anything they need. Only so we look
forward to the highest use, to develop them into their fullest capacity.
There is an expression here in the text,
"Want of clear
consciousness."
Do we not see from what I have said, what that must mean in this remedy,
and that it is different in this remedy from what it is in a good many others?
And yet if you had read that symptom first you would not have appreciated
it.
"A want of clear
consciousness."
Especially in old age has that been useful. It is not that confusion of
mind that we know to be dizziness. But he is not clear in his intellect. We see
how this medicine takes hold of the intellect. It takes hold of his memory. It
begins with a feeble state, and it gradually travels toward imbecility.
Press it to its extreme and it has imbecility, and up to this we have
degrees all along the line from the very beginning, from a mere matter of
cloudiness in thoughts to imbecility.
Like Caust., fear of something going to happen. Full of imaginations;
imaginary cares and worries. Hatching up all sorts of complaints and grievances
that may happen.
A good deal like Ars. Children in a constant whining mood; always
whining. Running through the complaints will be the sufferings of the parts, or
the men symptoms.
"The more he thinks about the
complaint the worse it gets."
If he thinks about his troubles, his sufferings, they at once grow
worse. Premature old age and brain fag from prolonged mental work.
Head: Troublesome headaches.
"Pressure in the brain."
A feeling of looseness in the brain, “As if the brain fell from side to
side” “Rising and falling”. “As of motion in the brain” when moving the head or
from sudden jar.
“As if the brain moves to and fro to correspond to the motions of the
head when the head is turned from, side to side”.
"Pressing
headaches."
Headaches > in fresh air/in the open air; < heat. That is the
opposite of its general state. The Bar-c. general state < from cold; he is
sensitive to cold, and his complaints come on from becoming cold; but his
headaches > in cool air.
Often sensitive to the extremes of heat and cold. Hot weather will bring
on complaints. Hot weather will cause the blood to mount to the head, and
favors apoplectic conditions. It has many complaints of the head like unto the
stupor of apoplexy. It has some of the paralytic conditions analogous to the
complaints in old apoplectics,
and it has been very useful in re-establishing the supply and flow of
nerve force along the nerves.
Phos-ähnlich., and is an excellent remedy for old paralytic conditions
that have come from a rupture of a blood vessel, and therefore pressure upon
the nerve supply.
Headaches are congestive, pressive headaches; a feeling of pressure in
the brain.
These puny infants, such as we have described, have eruptions upon the
head; eczema upon the head; and those who are born for better things have the
eruption driven back by ointments and applications.
"Moist crusts upon the scalp."
"Dry eruptions upon the scalp. Falling off of the hair.
Baldness."
Head complaints and a dwarfish state of mind, an intellectual defect, as
results of suppressed eruptions.
Eyes: It is full of eye symptoms.
"Granular lids. Thickening of
the eyelids, thickening of all of the membranes and tissues about the eyes.
Opacity of the cornea."
Infiltration of the various coverings. It has cured cataract it has
cured various kinds of dim sightedness, but especially in those that things
look hazy,
"Looking as
through a fog or through smoke."
Ulceration of the cornea. Little white spots, causing defective vision .
"Lids agglutinated
in the morning." Styes.
"A sensation of weight in the upper lids."
A sensation of weight in the brow with headaches as if the forehead was
pressing down over the eyes.
Like Carb-v. Carb-a. and Nat-m. The patient will often grasp the whole
forehead with the hands, and say,
"I feel as if the
forehead was pressing down over the eyes."
Ears: Many noises in the ears, but especially
cracking and flapping when breathing, swallowing and chewing; better while
lying. It affects the right ear most. Rushing sounds in the ears when
breathing.
"Eruptions about
the ears. Glandular swellings and eruptions about the ears."
Inflammation of the parotid glands, with hardness.
First, it may be called swelling, but it is finally permanent
enlargement and induration, and it means a great growth sometimes.
Other glands about the neck are affected in association with the ear
troubles. Knots of lymphatic glands down the neck under the ear (Bar-m./Tub.).
Sometimes the sub-maxillary gland is affected, being enlarged and
indurated. Sometimes the tonsils enlarge and indurate. All these glands inflame
and become sensitive, and get a little larger, after any exposure to cold, and
from sudden changes of the weather, It is a wonderful medicine for the cure of
enlarged glands.
Tonsils: Clinically it is laid down in the books for suppuration of
these glands, but all my life I have failed to find it a good remedy for
suppuration. The inflammation is more likely to turn into an increased
infiltration.
It is laid down in the books here for suppuration of the tonsils, but
from long experience it is one of the last remedies I would think of for
suppuration of the tonsils. It may have done so, but it has not been my
observation that it runs that way, and I am very much in doubt about the great
value and high marking of that observation. But it certainly has infiltration
gradually increasing from becoming cold.
The enlarged tonsils will redden up and inflame and become painful, and
the acute inflammation and pain will subside, but the tonsils are a little
larger than with the last cold. In that way the tonsils keep growing. In
children these are often cut out.
There are instances in which I might admit it was necessary to cut them
off, when there is a wonderful superabundance, creating much disturbance in
swallowing and in speaking.
The enlargement of the tonsils alone is not a symptom upon which a
remedy can be selected, and it necessitates guessing a dozen times, and perhaps
not hitting at all.
That is the worst sort of practice, guessing at a remedy; yet there are
children having enlarged tonsils that appear to us without any symptom whatever
to select a remedy by.
The symptoms to prescribe on are such as represent the patient, not the
glands; not the changed tissue. We must always regret that the surgeon must
come in, for in cutting off anything it may be done to the constitutional
detriment of the patient.
Yet there are things that have to be done that we know are to the
constitutional detriment of the patient. We have to keep servants on their feet
to earn their living, and operations have to be performed upon them, because
they cannot lie up a year or two to be cured. The surgeon will always have a
place with us, but let us do our part as physicians first.
Eruptions upon the face. The face is sickly, often purple, red and
bloated, or lean and emaciated, looking old and withered. The infant looks like
a little old person, like the state we find in Nat-m. and Calc. With face
troubles, with teeth troubles, and especially with throat troubles, enlarged
glands under the jaw and down the neck.
Ear: diseases following scarlet fever. Enlargement
and induration of the parotids and of the submaxillary glands after scarlet
fever. Scarlet fever often stirs up much trouble in the economy, especially
when it has not been properly treated, when it has been treated by the
allopath, or by a nervous homoeopath.
A nervous homoeopath is one who does not wait for his own convictions to
be ultimated, does not wait for his remedy to work, and he gives another and
another, and by the time the scarlet fever runs its course the patient becomes
dreadfully sick, ends up with ear troubles, enlarged glands and sometimes
kidney affections.
When it runs into ear troubles and enlarged glands of the neck this is
one of the several remedies to be studied.
"Paralysis of the tongue in old people. Weakness of the tongue in
old people. Hardness of the tongue in old people."
Premature old age and giving out of muscles. There is a catarrhal state
in this remedy, an accumulation of mucus, in the nose, throat, larynx and
trachea. It is very suitable for old, people who have rattling in the trachea.
On every cold change of the weather, and on every exposure to the cold,
he gets an additional aggravation of the rattling. Rattling respiration. There
are a few remedies that have, in such high degree, this coarse rattling in the
chest of old people, that it is well to emphasize it.
Bar-c. is one of them. Seneg. Am-c. and Bar-m. should be compared. When
there is coarse rattling in the chest all the time in an old person, an
octogenarian, who is pretty comfortable in summer, but miserable all winter
from the coarse rattling in the chest, and there are no other symptoms, Am-m.
keeps him comfortable.
Throat: The sore throat in this remedy has numerous
symptoms.
"Inflammation of
cellular tissue of fauces and tonsils."
This remedy is one in general catarrhal symptoms of the throat.
Granulations of the throat, so that the pharynx looks shiny, studded with
coarse granules becoming inflamed with every cold spell, or from being chilled.
Every cold change inflames the tonsils, and in children they very soon enlarge.
Children with enlarged tonsils, and with enlarged glands in other places,
somewhat dwarfish intellectually, slow to learn, Bar-c. will cure the enlarged
tonsils.
But these, you see, are constitutional symptoms. You are not selecting
the remedy purely on enlarged tonsils.
"Inflammation of
the tonsils."
The inflammation not so violent as that which comes in Bell., it does
not come on in a night, it does not go on rapidly to suppuration; but it is a
very sore throat, has come on slowly after many days of exposure and there is
gradual growth and gradual development.
That is the character of the Bar-c. tonsillitis; while that of Bell.
comes on with great rapidity. Hepar is also rapid and goes on to suppuration.
There is a remedy for inflammation of the tonsils where the ear is involved and
is ameliorated by heat, that very few use, but it is of great value; it is
Chamomilla, and it is especially indicated if the patient is irritable.
Pain > by heat and comes on with great violence. It might be mistaken
for a Bell. inflammation, but Cham. cures it permanently.
"Sensation of plug
in the throat;" that is, the tonsils are so large they feel like a great
ball or great lump in the throat.
They change the character of the voice, cause difficulty.
"Much burning in
the throat. Inability to swallow anything but liquids."
This irritation keeps up a constant choking and spasmodic constriction
in the throat; contractions, and drawings, and crampings in the throat.
It also has a spasm in the oesophagus when swallowing, especially in old
nervous, or prematurely broken-down people.
"Spasm in the
oesophagus. Difficulty in swallowing."
The bolus of food goes down a little way, and then causes spasms, and he
gags and chokes. This gagging and choking with a little food is a very strong
feature in Kali-c. Graph. and Merc. This is also a strong feature of Bar-c.,
but much stronger in Merc.
The troubles of eating and drinking and appetite and stomach can all be run
together.
Stomach/abdomen: Weak digestion, all sorts of disorders and
disagreeable sensations in the stomach after eating. Sometimes gastralgia;
sometimes distension.
"Stomach aches
after eating."
Extreme weakness after eating. Abdomen hard and tense.
"Mesenteric glands
swollen and hard; with a big belly; abdominal muscles sore to touch."
It has cured, in the early stages, tabes mesenterica. It has cured the
enlarged abdomen of children, when there was emaciation of the limbs,
emaciation everywhere, knots of enlarged glands and a dwarfed intellect.
Bar-c. has an inveterate constipation.
"Difficult knotty
stools. Stool hard, and insufficient."
A lack of action in the rectum, and hemorrhoidal protrusion during stool
and urination.
Genitals male: Some strange features. This medicine takes
away all sexual desire and ability, leaving the genitals relaxed, and in a
state of impotency.
"Relaxed penis. Impotence.
Diminished sexual desire. Hypertrophied prostate. Atrophied testicles."
It cures old gleety discharge from the urethra. An old, painless,
whitish, gleety discharge that has been in existence a long time. It is an
offensive discharge and there is no inflammation.
"Numbness of the
genitals."
Genitals female: Many troubles. Sterility. Dwindling of the ovary.
Dwindling of the mammary glands, and yet the lymphatics become enlarged and
infiltrated.
A passive leucorrhoeal discharge, whitish, thick, persistent, often
copious, worse about a week before the menstrual period.
Larynx: With some a constitutional weakness takes
hold of the larynx; a paralytic weakness. Voice entirely lost.
"hoarseness and
huskiness."
Low, deep voice. Aphonia from constitutional weakness, and from
paralysis. Feeling in the larynx all the time as if inhaling smoke, or pitch,
or sulphur fumes, or dust.
With the hoarseness there is a chronic dry, hoarse, barking cough; not a
hard cough, but it comes every night. Suffocative cough of old people.
It says here, "impending
paralysis of the lungs."
Chest and cough: That is in keeping with the general nature of
the remedy. Chest full of mucus, but unable to expectorate it.
You observe from the effort made in the cough that there is a weakness
somewhere, a lack of power. It is not a strong effort.
"Night cough, with asthmatic
breathing."
Cough excited by irritation in the larynx and trachea. There is a cough
in Bar-c. where he coughs and coughs, and gets no relief until be lies on the
abdomen; and so long as he lies on the abdomen he is free from cough.
Palpitation from slight exertion when lying on the left side when thinking
about it, with anxiety and orgasm of blood, with strong pulsation in the head,
rapid pulse. Palpitation in chlorotic girls.
Tension in the muscles of the back. Swelling of the glands of the back
of the neck.
" Swelling of the
cervical glands. Fatty tumors upon the back."
A number of times a patient has said,
"Doctor, did you
intend to take away that fatty tumor I had on my back?
The chances are I did not know he had one. That is generally, the way such
things appear in the practice of the homoeopathic physician, for he does not
prescribe for the tumor, and the chances are
he thinks little about the tumor in his prescription; he gives the
constitutional medicine, and they often disappear after a while, and then the
patient thinks the doctor has done a wonderful thing.
He gets more glory and more credit for curing a wart than he does for
curing the patient. The doctor who prescribes correctly turns the vital state
into order. He cures the patient, and the patient, being in a state of order,
commences to repair his body, and the tissues go through a general house
cleaning and such things not needed are dispensed with; and the physician is
considered a wonderful man.
So this remedy cures tumors and warts. Warts upon the limbs, and upon
the back, and upon the hands.
The pains are of a gouty, rheumatic character, worse from becoming cold
and from cold weather. Paralytic weakness and trembling and numbness of the
feet.
Offensive perspiration of the feet which causes soreness of the soles,
ulcers on the feet, checked foot sweat. Trembling of the feet while standing
and tottering while walking. Tearing, drawing pains in lower limbs. Sudden
sharp pains in knees.
[Rajan Sankaran]
Belongs to the group IIA of the Periodic Table. The main feeling of
remedies from this group is one of dependence, and Baryta carbonica is the most
dependent of them all. Is totally
dependent on others, almost like a cripple or an imbecile. “Delusion that he
walks on his knees” and “Delusion that a beloved friend is sick and dying” show
the crippled, dependent feeling and his fear of losing this support.
There is a feeling of total incapacity to take on responsibilities or do
one’s own work. Anticipatory anxiety because of this feeling of incapacity.
Totally irresolute and depend completely on someone else to take decisions for
them. This can work both ways. Can be very independent, even supportive of
other people. Can be very responsible (family affairs): “Anxious about domestic
affairs”, “Cares about domestic affairs”, “Anxiety about friends at home”,
“Anxiety for others”. They can be extremely hard-working (industrious), very
organized, conscientious, and they take pains to make sure of everything
(carefulness). They consequently occupy quite responsible, dependable positions
in their work and society. Very methodical and reliable but lack imagination,
art and creativity. Occasionally however, even such coped up Baryta can have
bouts of irresolution and self-doubt. There is “Fear of strangers” which
extends to the fear of facing any new situation and anything that is out of the
routine, especially the kind of situation that forces them to make choices or
take decisions. They can be resistant to any changes in their lives, for
example they would try and avoid any changes in job or residence. They don’t
like being noticed or brought into prominence, and would hesitate to wear
anything that stands out (shining shoe). They are the last people to accept new
fashions and are quite conservative in their way of dressing, living, etc. They
avoid giving their views or opinions easily for fear of being criticized.
I have seen that Baryta carbonica patients like to confirm every single
detail during a consultation (where and how to take the medicine, what are the
food or other restrictions) to the last detail, often provoking irritation and
laughter from others. They are so dependent, it is childish. Phatak writes:
“Children are late coming into usefulness, to take on their responsibilities
and do their work”.
Very much afraid that he will lose (or something will happen to) those
on whom he is dependent, delusion that “A beloved friend is sick and dying”.
I have mentioned in “The Spirit of Homoeopathy” a case of a 35 year old
married woman who developed arthritic problems after the death of her
neighbour, on whom she was dependent, and who was the only one in the
neighbourhood who shared her mother-tongue. Due to this she lost the “crutch”
which the neighbour provided, and since she could not actualize her delusion,
that “Her legs are cut off” she developed a crippling arthritis which made her
lean on others for support.
This great dependency on others (socially and financially) brings it
close to Calc-sil., feels financially and socially dependent. Feels both
mentally (intellectually) and physically dependent like a disabled person.
Often will give a history of being extremely shy in childhood and being
unable to mix with others or make friends easily. They feel laughed at and
criticized. There are many fears which are often childish (“Fear in children”).
A small thing can make them extremely anxious: “Anxiety, trifles about”,
“Delusion, she thinks every noise is a cry of fire and she trembles”, “Starts
easily from noise and from fright”. In
many Baryta carbonica persons I have seen a kind of simplicity, naivety. They
are rather credulous.
Rubrics:
o Cares, domestic affairs, about.
o Childish.
o Strangers, presence of, aggravates.
o Delusion, as if beloved friend is sick and dying.
o Delusion, walks on his knees.
o Delusion, legs are cut off.
o Delusion, laughed at, mocked, being.
o Anxiety - about others/about
trifles
o Goes off alone and weeps as if she has no friends.
Physical symptoms:
o Chilly patient.
o Premature old age: hairfall, baldness, loss of memory, hypertension,
atherosclerosis at a young age.
o Desires: sweets.
o History of recurrent attacks of tonsillitis.
o May be emaciated.
[Phatak]
o Hearing hard in old people.
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum