Nosodes, Homeopathy and Autism
[Deborah Olenev]
There have been some questions about homeopathy and nosodes
in the Homeopathy for Special Needs group and I would like to share some of my
thoughts on this topic with you. I will go into detail about two of the most
commonly used nosodes in homeopathy below: Carcinosin and Medorrhinum.
H. discovered nosodes and their power in very
much the same way I did. Nosodes are remedies derived
from disease substances. For many years he prescribed constitutional remedies,
such as
Lyc. Sulph. Calc. and so forth, but in certain cases
the remedies failed to work, despite his belief that they were well chosen. I
had the same experience.
Then he tried to figure out how come this was happening. After 12 years
of studying disease, he wrote a book called Chronic Diseases, in which he
explains his theory of miasms.
Miasms are enormous genetic
predispositions to disease, which we have all inherited. He believed that the
presence of these miasmatic taints was standing in
the way of the constitutional remedies working as well as they could, and
recommended using nosodes intercurrently
during constitutional treatment.
His understanding was that there were three principal miasms:
Psora (originates from suppressing an itch); On its
own produces no structural changes in the body. The nosode
for the psoric miasm is Psorinum. The Psoric miasm is the largest of the miasms,
and everybody on earth partakes of this miasm. The
principal remedies are: Lycopodium, Sulphur and Calcarea carbonica.
the Sycotic (comes from suppressed gonorrhea. The outward manifestation of this miasm is the wart); The nosode,
which is at the heart of the Sycotic miasm is Medorrhinum. Medorrhinum is characterized by overgrowth of tissue, and
excesses in everything. This miasm needs to be
present in order for a person to have cancer. Lower down in the article, I talk
extensively about this nosode. Medorrhinum
is definitely a remedy to be considered for autism, and a frequently indicated
remedy in general.
the Syphlitic miasm
(comes from suppressed syphilis. The outward manifestation would be ulcers).
The main nosode is Syphilinum.
This remedy is not as prevalent in society as the others I have mentioned. It
is, however, the most destructive. It also needs to be present for cancer,
which is what we call a tri-miasmatic disease,
meaning that Psora, Sycosis
and Syphilis are present in people who have this disease. Seasonal allergies
are also considered tri-miasmatic conditions. This
remedy could also be considered for autism. Remedies in this miasm that are well-known for autism are: Bufo, Baryta carbonica,
Alumina, Mercurius, Tuberculinum,
Syphilinum and Sulphur. As you can see there are many
remedies that are in more than one miasm. For example
Tuberculinum is both tubercular and syphilitic, and
Sulphur is both syphilitic and psoric.
The Tubercular miasm is a cross between the Psoric miasm and the Syphilitic miasm, and the nosode at the
heart of the Tubercular miasm is Tuberculinum.
Tuberculosis was quite prevalent in the last several centuries. People who need
Tuberculinum have a love of travel, and often suffer
from diseases of the lungs. I associate this remedy with the age of
exploration, when explorers set off to look for uncharted territory and new
worlds. Tuberculinum, Phosphorous, Baryta phosphorica, Calcarea phosphorica and Zincum metallicum are remedies of
the Tubercular miasm that definitely should be
thought of for autism. There is a very good book called “The Homeopathic
Treatment of Children,” by Paul Herscu, and I use him
as a reference for some of the symptoms I have listed below when I describe the
nosodes. He has excellent chapters there on some of
the remedies I am discussing here, particularly Tuberculinum.
He considers this one of the main remedies for autistic children, and I can
confirm this from my own experience.
Carcinosin is the main remedy of the Cancer miasm. Hahnemann did not call cancer a miasm.
Rajan Sankaran, an Indian
homeopath, recently identified ten miasms, whereas
Hahnemann thought there were only three, and he believed the others were
combinations of these. Other remedies in the cancer miasm
that could be thought of for autism are Tarentula, Agaricus and Baryta carbonica and Bufo. Some of these
may be listed under other miasms as well. Agaricus is a remedy that definitely should be thought of
for Autism. Tarentula is not listed for autism, but
is listed for hyperactivity.
I will elaborate more on two of the principle nosodes
used in homeopathy below.
Carcinosinum
During this eleven years I have prescribed nosodes
many hundreds of times, and I have come to understand them and their uses. The
first nosode that I really became familiar with was Carcinosin, and I have written a few articles about this
remedy, which you can find in my website. I will quote from an article I wrote
in a newsletter about five years ago.
Carcinosin is a remedy that homeopaths see
often indicated nowadays, and I consider it to be the most frequently indicated
nosode for our age. Nosodes
are remedies that come from disease substances. This particular nosode comes from breast cancer. (and others, Quelle: remedia at)
My feeling is that people develop Carcinosin
symptoms and characteristics as an adaptation to modern life. This remedy
resembles and has points of contact with so many remedies. It is like Grand
Central Station in New York City, a place where so many paths cross and link.
We are taught to think of Carcinosin if there are
symptoms for more than one remedy in the case, and if there are glaring
inconsistencies in what looks like a solid case for a remedy.
For example: if everything looks like its pointing in the direction of Natrum muriaticum, but the person
loves consolation and has a desire to travel, I could prescribe Carcinosin instead, because these characteristics do not
belong to Natrum muriaticum,
but are a part of Carcinosin.
Carcinosin also embodies many of the ideals of
modern society, such as perfectionism and fastidiousness. Workers who pay close
attention to detail are highly valued. Doing the right thing at all times is
the ideal we are taught to emulate. It is interesting how one sees this come
out in very small children to an exaggerated degree. So much can be said about
this remedy, but in the interest of space, I will list the most prominent
symptoms.
Mind:
Addictive tendency (coffee, cigarette, chocolate, etc.)
Ailments from nightwatching (or caring for the
sick)
Ailments from suppressed anger
Ambition
Anxiety about health (of oneself and loved ones)
Anxiety about time
Deep depression; suicidal depression; depression with a family history
of cancer
Desire for consolation
Desire to travel
Early sexual activity or drug use
Fastidious or perfectionistic
Fear - of abandonment/cancer/AIDS/germs/crowds/dogs/animals, also love
of animals/emotional pain/failure/heights/medicine/narrow spaces
(claustrophobia)
Feeling like I am not good enough
Feeling like there is something I have done to cause my health problems
History of (sexual) abuse
History of anorexia or bulimia
History of domination by others
Long history of unhappiness
Love of dance/reading (medical books)/thunderstorms +/o. fear of them
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Over responsible, strong sense of duty, loyalty
Prolonged unhappiness due to other people’s influence
Self-pity
Shyness from childhood
Sympathetic
General symptoms
> by the seashore (love of the ocean)
> from exertion (exercise)
Characteristic low time is 14 – 15 h.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (after influenza)
Chronic insomnia (sleep problems in children)
Eczema of children and adults
Love of the sun
Many brown spots, moles, or cherry angiomas
(little red spots) on the body
Food preferences
Desires: Berries, butter, chocolate, eggs, fruit (or aversion to fruit),
ice cream, potatoes, soup, smoked meats (hot dogs, beef jerky, salami)
I have observed the health problems of children of all ages where there is
a family history of cancer, and usually these are the children with the most
health and behavioral problems. Usually present will
be eczema almost from birth, early ear infections, asthma, hayfever,
many allergies, and sleep problems of all sorts. There can also be a history of
bad reactions to vaccines. The books describe
a cafe au lait complexion, and blue color to the whites of the eyes. Children who need Carcinosin often have many fears, and one of the deepest
fears is of abandonment.
I have often observed extreme clinginess and separation anxiety in
children with a family history of cancer. They can be jealous of siblings, and
want the parents’ undivided attention, because of
the fear of death and abandonment. These are the children who have to
follow the parents into the bathroom, or will stand wailing at the door.
Another characteristic of these children is eating problems–often there
will be a very narrow range of foods that they will eat. For example, hamburger
only the way McDonald’s cooks it. Feeding these kids can be a torture for the
family. They absolutely refuse to taste anything new.
Temper tantrums are a constant reality, as are frequent illnesses. As
soon as the child gets over one illness a new one starts. The child also may
not develop immunity to a disease that she has had, so she may get chicken pox
twice. A history of whooping cough despite vaccination is often also present. A
history of frequent high fevers is another clue to this remedy.
Anorexia and bulimia, as well as a feeling that I am not good enough
often starts as the child enters the teen years. The youngster wants to be the
perfect child (to win the love of the parents). Often with the encouragement of
society and the parents, they way overextend themselves. So we have kids who
get straight A’s, are never late to school, who take gymnastics or ballet or
karate four days a week, plus drama class, and volunteer on weekends to wash
pets at the local pet store. They never have any down time, and don’t know what
it is to relax. They are tormented by anxiety, by the need to perform, the need
to produce, the need to prove themselves.
Often they burn out–sometimes it can be by the time they hit the 2nd
grade. Some can hold on until the freshman year of college or later, but at
some point a breakdown of health can be in the cards.
Other things one often sees is a long history of unhappiness. This can
be from any cause and it can start from early childhood. Often the individual
will claim to be unhappy not from anything that they have done, but from what
other people have done to them. There will frequently be a history of
domination by a parent, or an abusive sibling. Often a history of sexual abuse,
or alcohol in the family is also present, which creates suppressed anger and
humiliation.
In cancer families there will also often be a history of early
responsibility. I warn parents to guard their children from this as much as
they can, because this is a big predisposing cause for cancer.
The children are not allowed to be children and are forced to grow up
too quickly. The stress of that responsibility at such a young age can put on a
cancer layer.
I have used the term cancer families several times and I want to clarify
what I mean by this. I have read that in only 10% of cancers is there a family
history of cancer, so why is cancer so pervasive and why do cancer
characteristics show up in children where there is no family history of cancer.
I believe the reason for this is that all our actions, thoughts, deeds,
conditioning and behavior has an impact on our genes
and alters them constantly.
It is absolutely remarkable when I see babies under two years of age who
have an obsession with time and watches and this has been in families where
there is no family history of cancer. As much as possible I encourage the
parents of children to try to reduce the impact of time awareness on their
children. I encourage them to keep clocks and watches to a minimum in the
house, and to avoid telling the child we are going to be late. I helped two
children with eczema based on this symptom of obsession with time.
The next big symptom is perfectionism and fastidiousness. One of the big
dangers here is that it takes enormous expenditures of time and energy and
resources to create and maintain this perfection. It depletes the vital force.
Secondly, the focus of attention moves from the interior life to the exterior
world. The healthier way is to maintain a sharp focus inside and a soft focus
outside. I tell people that as they get healthier inside, they will naturally
(or they should train themselves to) become more relaxed about the exterior
environment, and to develop a higher tolerance for disorder.
One thing I have noticed is that having all these cancer characteristics
does not necessarily mean that the individual will suffer from ill health. I
have seen many elderly people who have been relatively healthy all their lives,
despite all these cancer characteristics. By the same token I have seen many
children where there is no family history of cancer, who suffer ill health
almost from the first breath they take. Life and health are truly a mystery. I
believe that inherent vital energy has an influence.
I would like to share some of my theories with you about how cancer
characteristics manifest in ill health at different stages of life. I believe
that the manifestations are different, but the disease, which is essentially of
a spiritual nature is really one. A time line would look like this:
Babies - severe colic, separation anxiety, insomnia, eating disorders, eczema,
frequent ear infections, high fevers, fearfulness.
Toddler years - and up - temper tantrums, eating disorders, separation
anxiety, ear infections, asthma, frequent colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, fevers,
hyperactivity, learning disabilities, fears.
Teen years - anorexia, bulimia, early sexual behavior,
early drug use, addictive tendency kicks in, anxiety, over-responsibility.
Adult years - full range of disease manifestations.
I believe in a cause and effect relationship when it comes to cancer,
but we have to know what to look for as cause. I have listed many symptoms that
show the predisposition to cancer. Society’s conditioning and many of the
beliefs and values that we hold dear may be a contributing cause of cancer. The
values that we are taught to cherish can lead to ill health when taken to
extremes. We learn from our mothers and grandmothers to worry and be anxious
about family members. We are taught loyalty at all costs. Orderliness,
cleanliness and promptness are held up as high ideals. Are these values really
good for our health? Are naturalness, spontaneity, simplicity, and ease of
living sacrificed to these ideals? I hope that this article will stimulate
thinking and self-examination.
A very important remedy to consider for Autism. It is also a magnificent
remedy for hormonal problems, and affects the generative organs very strongly.
It is one of the best remedies for severe menstrual cramps and other problems
connected with the menstrual cycle. It is the first remedy we consider in
homeopathy for recurrent urinary tract infections. The remedy also affects the musculo-skeletal and nervous systems very profoundly. Some
of the mental symptoms of Medorrhinum are:
Either extreme extroversion, or extreme introversion.
Extreme shifts in mood, from very sweet to rages and tantrums.
The word Extreme is the hallmark of Medorrhinum.
Early experimentation with drugs and alcohol.
Early sexual experiences.
Hyperactivity
High energy at night (night people).
Difficult concentration.
Dyslexia. Makes mistakes in speaking and writing. Memory problems.
Aggressive behavior, such as fighting and
hitting.
Enjoys watching scary or violent movies.
Love of animals and cruelty to animals.
Self-mutilating behaviors.
Risk taking behaviors.
Some of Medorrhinum’s fear are:
Of someone following behind them.
A fear of being exposed/being alone in the dark/of ghosts/of large
bodies of water/animals.
Medorrhinum has many symptoms associated with
food and eating, such as:
craving for oranges or citrus fruits and juices, a craving for
carbonated drinks or sodas, and desire for unripe fruit.
craving or aversion to eggplant
a desire for ice and or chewing on ice
craving for ice cream
aversion for vegetables or very finicky eating.
a tendency to skip meals (breakfast)
eating very late in the day
There are often clues to Medorrhinum in the
physical appearance, though there may also be nothing distinguishing:
tendency to have many warts, moles, skin tags, lipomas
and vitligo
red rash of the buttocks
unusually died hair, tattoos and multiple peircings.
Overtly sexual dress/the Goth look
Sleeping in the knee chest position.
Uncovering the feet at night.
Medorrhinums are often night people. They may
become hyperactive at night, or have very irregular sleep patterns, such as
frequently staying up all night. There is often an inability to maintain
a balanced eating, sleep or work schedule.
A love of dance, partying and the night life is also frequently seen. Medorrhinum is often needed for the teenage rebel, who
disobeys his or her parents, has difficulty in school, and perhaps gets
involved with marijuana and other drug use. The addictive tendency is very
high. Medorrhinum children often feel boredom in
school, and suffer from learning difficulties.
Medorrhinum is one of the most commonly used
remedies for children with behavioral problems, and
sleeping and eating disorders Aggressive tendencies can be very high, and a
cruel streak can
also be present, which often appears as cruelty to animals, though they
can also love animals. These are usually very high maintenance children, with
frequent illnesses and poor health from infancy.
There can be a confusion about the sexual orientation, and Medorrhinums are often gay or bisexual. They can have a
very high sex drive, or go to the opposite extreme and be celibate for years.
People who need Medorrhinum often have a love
of the ocean, and can feel better at the seaside. Cities along the coast, such
as Santa Cruz and Capitola are often populated with them.
Medorrhinum should be thought of for people who
take things to extremes, this can be extremely positive or extremely negative.
It is as commonly seen in the extreme extrovert as in the extreme introvert.
You can have one child in the family who is an extreme extrovert and wants to
be partying all the time, and have nothing to do with the family; and the other
child can be an extreme introvert who refuses to go out and has no friends
outside of the family. This remedy can help bring balance to both children, who
are displaying different aspects of Medorrhinum.
From my experience a majority of the people who need the remedy Carcinosin, also need Medorrhinum,
and usually symptoms for both remedies exist simultaneously in the case. It is
often difficult to know which remedy to begin with. In the case of teenagers I
often prefer to begin with Medorrhinum, to protect
against a full-blown Medorrhinum picture coming out
once the Carcinosin layer has been removed.
Medorrhinum is a massive remedy, which is
possibly needed by a large percentage of mankind. When syphilis and gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics or other means in
allopathic medicine,
the genetic taint is not eradicted from the
system, and it causes alterations in the genes, which are passed on to the
offspring. Homeopathy offers a means of preventing this unfortunate scenario,
which has generation-wide consequences.
CONCLUSION
My belief when treating children, or anyone for that matter, is that the
child’s symptoms are an expression of some substance in nature, which plays
itself out through his or her being. My job, as the homeopath, is to watch,
observe and study the child so that I can pick up clues as to what that
substance is. The child cannot disguise what he needs. He is screaming for it
in every action that he takes, in his mental state, in his physical symptoms
and in the way he eats. There is no one who is abandoned by nature and left
without something that will have a remedial effect. Even people who have
serious deformities and mental impairments can benefit hugely from homeopathy.
Vorwort/Suchen. Zeichen/Abkürzungen. Impressum.