[Pierre Schmidt]

A warning on Lycopodium!

Reprinted from: The Art of Casetaking by Pierre Schmidt – Courtesy B. Jain Publishing ISBN 978-81-319-02448

Today, I shall discuss the art of interrogation but first I shall mention one or two points about homoeopathic treatment. [Pierre Schmidt] The remedy you select may be of mineral or vegetable or animal origin or a nosode. If you are considering a mineral remedy, before giving a mineral remedy, please try to begin the treatment of your case always with a vegetable remedy.

There is only one exception to this rule and that is Lycopodium. It is a vegetable remedy but please generally avoid beginning the treatment of a case with Lycopodium. With Lycopodium it is the experience of the old homoeopaths – it is so deep in action, like Sulphur and Calcarea, comprising the 3 big remedies of our materia medica – that when you begin with such a remedy you create a turmoil and you may have sometimes an aggravation that you do not wish, so sharp.

And so, you have to be cautious not to begin with Lycopodium unless it is absolutely indicated. I make also an exception there, because all remedies in the materia medica have two phases – an acute phase and a chronic phase. We have an acute Sulphur, an acute Lycopodium, an acute Arsenic and so on. Sometimes, even a deep acting remedy may be indicated for a short while in an inflammation or something of that kind but it has to be prescribed carefully.

I remember a friend in Lyons who made two mistakes. In the first case, the patient was a lady doctor who had a very high temperature. It was 43° C. She had at the same time a crisis of acute cholecystitis and pneumonia, and she was delirious and in a very bad state.

She had received all kinds of remedies and at last the doctor had given her Lycopodium. In the acute phase with cholecystitis and lung trouble it is such a risk. At the moment when the patient is trying to help herself, to give the remedy so deep in action is dangerous, of course.

The result was very quick — the delirium became worse, she could not recognise any one, and she was in such a bad state with high fever, trembling and sometimes with

semi-convulsions that a priest was called in to give her benediction before she died.

And at this time we were asked to see the lady. I go every month to Lyons which is some 200 miles from Geneva, to deliver lectures to 40 to 42 physicians there and this

was one of my students in Lyons. So I said the only thing to do now is to antidote the Lycopodium.

Of course, Lycopodium was her own drug but especially because it has an action on the liver, you know, it aggravated the case. She had terrible pains, she was shrieking, she was in a really bad state. Now she was extremely agitated, she was very red in the face, she did not know what she was saying.

And with this high fever, she was also very thirsty. So I thought the best thing is to give Aconite 10,000 first and then wait and see what we can do. Then she began to recover a little consciousness, she began to pray and she said to us: “Now I wish to pray with you” and she was always speaking of praying.

So with this high fever, this agitation, this praying, it was typically Stramonium. So we gave a 10,000 of Stramonium two days after the Aconite and this moved us a little towards a better situation. But, when we came to see her after the Stramonium, she still had a very high fever because of the lung condition.

It seems that the pain in the liver was a little better but she was extremely nervous and stood up with a 42° C fever to tell us : “Oh, I do not know why you are coming.

I am extremely well. I have nothing, no trouble. I am cured. I thank you very much. You are very kind. But there is no need to come now,” and so on, but she did not realise that she was so sick.

This is typical indication, as you know, of Arnica. So we gave her Arnica 10,000. She rallied very beautifully and started bringing out some Lycopodium symptoms, probably she had had too much of Lycopodium.

But by and by we could see she was better and after about two weeks she was again on her feet, cured. And now it is three years she is quite well. She was very pleased.

It had been a mistake to give her Lycopodium at that moment.

In the second case, the son of this physician, who had given the Lycopodium had a sore throat, which began on the right side and went to the left, with a very dry mouth.

He was very thirsty with a very bloated stomach and he was asking for water all the time.

He was, I do not know why, having irritation in the throat. The throat had one or two little white patches, and was very red with no ulceration, but he had terrible pain on swallowing. He could not swallow. There were some indications for Lycopodium and so his father gave him Lycopodium.

But in such situations, you should rarely begin treatment with Lycopodium. Please generally begin with something else. You can give Aconite, you can give Bryonia, Belladonna, Pulsatilla, any remedy in the vegetable kingdom except Lycopodium.

So, he was growing worse, not better, and day after day the fever went up, he was not able to swallow a little even and he was emaciating. The father was anxious, the mother was worried and they were not at all pleased. So, I came and I looked at the case and I must say frankly that by taking the symptoms carefully I found it was a plain case of Lycopodium. Now what to do?

We waited three days and were watching the case. [Pierre Schmidt] I thought of many things to do. I thought I would do what Hahnemann did for the rest of his life. There is a way to give a remedy which is less harmful and less reaction-making — that is by inhalation.

So, we gave Lycopodium but not the 200th which had been given already but one inhalation of the 10,000th because he had had it already lower. So I gave him just one nice whiff, one little inhalation. But now, how do you apply the inhaling method?

Hahnemann said, take one single globule of poppy seed size in a clean new bottle, not a washed bottle in which something else had been kept but a new fresh bottle that has never known any remedy, which is absolutely virginal. In this you put some drops of the potency in alcohol, and you hold this under the nose — one good inspiration there and you stop.

You must realise that you are actually inundating the system with the medicinal energy. You are putting this on a surface of 81 square metres which is the total lung surface. In the evening the fever went down and the next day the boy was completely cured. His fever had been going on for 4 days, you know, and now in a very short time he was cured. This is an exception of an acute Lycopodium case. So I tell you, habitually, pay attention to Lycopodium and do not give it very easily.

[Valerie Lovelace]

Lycopodium tug-of-war

The author discusses some common mental themes of Lycopodium.

With a glance at the Materia Medica of the Mind, one can see that this remedy appears to be under quite a lot of pressure. Caught in the middle of the Calc. - Lycopodium -Sulphur triad, Lycopodium will be at tug-of-war between Calcarea and Sulphur, torn between the need for stability and protection on the one hand, and the need for self-image, self-confidence, and recognition on the other – to be recognized as an achiever, as someone important or worthy (Sankaran). It is interesting to note that Lycopodium (also called Vegetable Sulphur) likes and may even crave oysters, but gets sick upon eating them as they “seem poison“ (Kent). This is synonymous with its aggravation regarding anything that concerns lack of power or lack of confidence (such as Calcarea). This remedy is described as being in “constant struggle“ and in “constant tension between strengths and weaknesses, image and reality“ (Coulter). It is nearly poetic that Lycopodium may present with one foot cold and the other warm, normal or even hot, further emphasizing that this remedy represents a skirmish between the traits and symptoms of Calcarea (chilly and cold) and Sulphur (hot and fiery). Lycopodium is “intellectual with self-distrust“ (Tyler), whereas Sulphur is intellectual with overt trust of self, and Calcarea suffers with the intellect; Lycopodium has a keen intellect (Sulphur) but weak muscular power (Calcarea). Although Lycopodium is quite capable, there is a fear of failure and a lack of confidence to the degree that this type will fret and worry over completing a task (such as a public speech), only to pull through it without a problem (but never gain the confidence for the next time!).

Lycopodium may not readily demonstrate its lack of confidence since by adulthood it has generally covered this over with a type of puffed-up bravado or false presence of authority or supremacy; the type is described as arrogant, inclined to “tall talk“, and has a decided love of power (this suggests that Lycopodium is at first lacking in confidence and is more cowardly, and then develops into “love of power“). It is not surprising to find that Lycopodium types will be equally “puffed up“ with flatulence, suffering from a great amount of gas and “ weakness of digestion“ (Phatak) and is known as “one of the most flatulent“ remedies – truly a remedy that is ‘full of wind.’

In fact, it is asserted that 95% of Lycopodium types will have gastro-intestinal disturbances. Lycopodium will tend to criticize, dominate and even verbally abuse in order to elevate himself over others and may even seek out and surround himself with persons of lesser will in order to make himself ‘bigger’ or ‘taller’ – yet he will be subdued and cowardly when in the company of those with greater authority or status. This is not unlike the tiny plant that was once a great tree, only now is dwarfed by nearly all the plants around it, yet still “standing tall“ over more diminutive flora. If Lycopodium marries, it will likely be to someone far more mild and yielding, or perhaps even chronically ill or weak in order that his will always prevail (Sankaran). Lycopodium is described as “Nice outside, tyrant at home“ (Morrison).

Lycopodium dreads being alone, yet does not do well in company – one would find this type perfectly happy at home in a room by himself with people in the next room over (Tyler). He is averse to company, conversation, being in a crowd, or is anxious in these circumstances, suggesting that the rubric “Company, desire for, aggravated when alone“ is really less about desiring company and much more about not wanting to be alone, or having a dread or fear of being alone. The symptoms of ‘cowardice’ and being ‘easily frightened’ support this idea, as does the rubric “desire to be carried“ (indicating a kind of need for support in the case of Lycopodium). In fact, just as the yellow powder of this remedy was once used to prevent pills from sticking together, Lycopodium wants nothing stuck to it – it wants to be dependent but wants no one to depend on him; it wants company, but does not want to interact; it fears and shuns responsibility and does not want to make a commitment in relationship (“flies from his children“).

Just as the yellow powder flashes brightly when thrown into a fire, the type will often explode into rage and fury under pressure or when “faced with fire“ (is inclined to be contradictory, yet hates being contradicted; “cannot bear to be corrected or found fault with or opposed“) and may “erupt into brilliant talk or blazing wrath“ (Gibson).

Like the plant, Lycopodium types have the ability to adapt to many different environments without becoming affected by them (Coulter) and is described as having a “persevering manner“. This type refuses to engage – unable to admit being wrong or in defeat, it will simply walk away from a struggle without comment and can be depicted by others as obstinate or “pig-headed.“ The type may also be very difficult to recognize (Tyler) and those needing the remedy may not demonstrate any of the symptoms of provings (Morrison), and in fact the main guidance to the remedy is said to be a “physical mediocrity associated with mental alertness and emotional diffidence“ (Gibson) coupled with liver complaints and flatulence. Lycopodium has affects of all three miasms and being at a crossroads of sorts between the Animal Kingdom (Calcarea) and

the Mineral Kingdom (Sulphur), this little member of the Plant Kingdom is inert and unassuming unless in potent form and remains inert “until the spores are crushed“ (Boericke).

The ailments of the Lycopodium type will come on slowly and gradually, over a length of time. There may be jaundice, chronic hepatitis, and other ailments of the liver

(the remedy is symbolically “yellow“ in cowardice and will tend to “yellow“ physical ailments (liver and urinary tract) as well as “yellow“ mental ailments, such as claustrophobia, agoraphobia, and other expressions of great fear or anxiety (nightmares, ghosts, death, people, etc). He may have a yellowish or pale face with gray or blue under the eyes, and might present with yellow or brown spots on the skin (liver spots).

If it is not enough that Lycopodium is under these extreme struggles during the day, there seems no rest at night as indicated by the many rubrics dealing with waking, being in bed, mornings (is “ugly“ on waking), and night, and there seems to be great potential for sleep-talking and sleep-walking. One finds in the repertory a presence of restlessness and nervousness, with anxiety (Kent):

• Loathing of life, on waking; in the morning.

• Unconsciousness while talking; somnambulism; bed, aversion to.

• Unconscious, periodical; while standing.

• Restlessness, nervousness; in the morning; in the evening, in bed. At night; after midnight; driving out of bed; tossing about in bed.

• Fear on waking from a dream; fear while walking; Confusion of mind on walking, on waking; frightened easily on waking; Weary of life in the morning in bed; Quarrelsome, disputes with absent persons on waking.

• Anxiety, in the morning, on waking, in the afternoon, in the forenoon, in the evening, in bed, at night, on waking, before midnight, in bed, with fear, about salvation, on going to sleep, during sleep, while walking in open air.

Sleep will tend towards dreams, nightmares, and a sense of being suffocated or suppressed, or somehow held back. Lycopodium wakes from sleep “cross, ugly, and depressed.“ Lycopodium can be quite grateful and moved to tears under circumstances of being thanked or appreciated and can be quite sensitive (which can be countered with haughty insolence and a contemptuous attitude.). This type is also imaginative, and once finally committed will remain committed out of a sense of duty or responsibility; Lycopodium may also be “noticeably conscientious and orderly“ as well as intellectually active (and finds relief in action) and could demonstrate quite a fondness for sugar and sweets (Gibson).

Some of the mentals exhibited (again, these may be deeply hidden and difficult to see in a patient):

Cowardice; Frightened Easily; Confidence, want of self – opposed by defiance, love of power, presumptuous; Haughty; Insolent.

Cheerfulness; Liveliness, mirth, hilarity; playful; laughing; thoughtful – opposed by repulsive mood, rage, fury; Suspicious, Contemptuous; Censorious, critical; avarice.

Cheerful, gay, happy – opposed by abusive, anger, irascibility: with silent grief, from contradiction; violent, vehement.

Sympathetic – opposed by malicious-

Irresolution – opposed by dictatorial.

It is little wonder with the stress and tension of trying to dominate (love of power) as opposed to being dominated (cowardice) and such aggravated sleep, Lycopodium may eventually decline to having difficulty with concentration and focus (also contrasted by clarity and the ability to be productive.). There may be mistakes in writing, omitting of words or letters, difficulty with names. There is a “fear of the future“ and a “fear of being able to reach his destination,“ emphasizing Lycopodium’s lack of confidence and anxiety as an impact on his desires to achieve or be recognized.

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