Silicea terra Anhang
http://www.anthromed.org/UploadedDocuments/Significance%20of%20pharmaceutical%20methods%20illustrated%20in%20case%20of%20silicea.pdf
[Pedersen]
The significance of pharmaceutical methods illustrated in the case of silicea
Introduction
Pain management takes its orientation in the different expectations of
patients. These relate to the need to control symptoms, possibilities of
treating pain “causally ” and “transform” it,
the psyche (connection between pain and suffering, depression) and its
spiritual dimension. Integrative, multi-modal pain management therefore calls
for comprehensive insight into
the nature of pain.
The significance of pharmaceutical methods illustrated in the case of
silicea
It should be stressed that the manufacturing method plays an important
role also for non-homoeopathic medicines in anthroposophical medicine. The
methods used to produce herbal
or traditional medicines may be largely the same (e. g. maceration or
decoction) as in anthroposophical pharmacy. With some such preparations
(Crataegus, Hypericum) it is true, therefore,
that the differences lies not so much in the technology used but rather
in the specific aim and the way the process is run. We can only speak of an
“anthroposophical” medicine in the narrower
sense when the pharmaceutical process was chosen with reference to the
medicinal action to be achieved and in accord with anthroposophical insight
into nature and the human being.
A special position is held by the “compositions”, which are peculiar to
anthroposophical pharmacy and not identical with combinations or mixtures. A
composition is made by subjecting a number
of substances or semi-finished products to one or more pharmaceutical
processes together (temperature changes, mixing processes), thus arriving at a
new whole, the composition.
Binding agents play a particular role in producing compositions. These
are substances or also processes the only purpose of which is to bind other
constituents together.
The aim of this paper is to show the wide range of pharmaceutical
processes and not to describe or explain them. They have been described in
numerous publications (for selection)
Silica and Equisetum
If we consider that Rudolf Steiner spoke of silica as the major
constituent of horsetail (ref. 2, lecture of 21 April 1924 (3, 4)), it is
reasonable to take the two together.
For the sake of completeness let us say that horsetail accumulates those
large amounts of silica not in form of quartz but in an amorphous, aqueous
form, which is opal.
This is deposited in the outer epidermis in a wide variety of shapes,
some of the species or plant-part specific (granules or thorns). Horsetail also
contains unusually high amounts of sulphur compounds. Meier gives a review of
present knowledge on the silica and sulphur compounds in Equisetum. For the
sake of completeness we might add that the aerial parts (herbage) of the
“sterile”
(as distinct from generative)
shoot are generally used.
Table 1 lists the Weleda and WALA preparations of quartz and Equisetum.
The order in which these are considered has been chosen to make the different
groupings evident:
1) according to original substance (quartz or Equisetum) and
2) according to the pharmaceutical process used (exposure to different
temperatures in the solid state, cultivation, media for extraction with and
without connection with the silica principle).
Quartz
Quartz or rock crystal is the
most insoluble form of silica and after the feldspars the most common mineral
in the earth’s crust. Crystals may be up to 2.5 metres high (Switzerland).
Chemically it is crystallized anhydrous silica. Quartz occurs as crystals which
are colourless or transparent in many different colours. Pharmaceutical
processing consists in grinding and then trituration
(potentization) with lactose. In my opinion this step-by-step
trituration is definitely necessary to
open up a substance which has come to rest in an extreme form
in quartz, and move it towards process
quality, substance in a state of change. Dilutions, solutions for
injection and eye drops can also be made
from the triturations (from the 8x and 6x resp. onwards).
Non-potentized preparations are made for external use (ointments, gel,
oil), for here the aim is not for the active principle to be taken up into the
organism but to act via the sense organs. As to the
indication for quartz, see the
relevant section in ref. 6, and the
rationale for the use of natural substances in their final, stable state.
Opal
Opals are compact, generally nodular, milky, translucent stones with
glassy or waxy lustre. They may be white or show different colours due to
mineral additions. Chemically opal is amorphous silica
with a water content of normally 4 - 9%, which places it between the
quartz mineral and plants with opal deposits (see Equisetum). This
water-insoluble substance can be processed like quartz.
WALA offer solutions for injection (from the 8x onwards).
Silicea (precipitata)
Silicea is precipitated, amorphous, hydrous silica obtained by
“dissolving” (chemical conversion) of quartz melted down with alkalis and
precipitated by neutralization. Rock crystal was thus taken to
the next higher state of
aggregation (in to the process state, and then taken back into the solid state.
S. Hahnemann choose rockcrystal
processed by this method as the
basic substance for the homoeopathic
Silicea
Further processing is as for quartz. Ferrum with Quartz
(Kephalodoron®/Bidor)
According to a suggestion made by Rudolf Steiner, quartz is roasted (not
letting it melt). The crystalline form changes reversibly and the density decreases reversibly
This takes the quartz back to a process stage and so again exposed to
cosmic influences.
After this, the quartz (“=
silica”) and sulphur (“= sulphates”) are combined, as suggested by Rudolf
Steiner. “Apart from other binding agents of secondary important” ) the iron
process serves as a binding agents in this.
Weleda produces iron sulphate from siderite (iron carbonate) with
sulphuric acid (obtained by roasting ores containing sulphur). In numerous
stages quartz and iron sulphate are then made into a new
whole (a composition) with the aid of honey and wine as further binding
agents (method described in ref. 10). Rudolf Steiner called this an animalized
Equisetum process. The product (basic
substance or starting material) is not completely water-soluble, and further
processing such as potentization can therefore only be done in the solid state,
as for quartz. This most
important medicament is, however, given in substantial doses (0.2 - 150
mg of the basic substance per tablet or capsule). It is immediately obvious
that a simple mixture (combination) of
quartz, iron sulphate and honey would have no effect on migraine.
Equisetum would be equally ineffective, as Rudolf Steiner noted. It needs the
pharmaceutical process to create a new whole in which wecan perceive threefold
nature
(Sal, Mercury, Sulphur, or neurosensory and rhythmical system and
metabolism and limbs). Rudolf Steiner put it like this: “One has now animalized
the whole process in Equisetum arvense
and one gets a preparation where it really matters how it is produced.
For in the way the process is done,
ultimately resulting in the preparation, you see, as it were, that it is the
outcome of a process between silica, iron and sulphur”. In my view, the animalization lies in using iron, a substance characteristic of the animal and human worlds, as a binding
agent for the silica and sulphur compounds, which are characteristic Equisetum
constituents.
The process is the active principle. Understandably, a preparation which
has been created as a composition in the manufacturing process can be given in
substantial form, unlike quartz. For the indication for Ferrum cum quartz see
the relevant section in ref. 6, for the rationale of using new basic substances
created pharmaceutically section.
Solutio Siliceae comp.
Rudolf Steiner suggested making preparations on the model of medicinal plants in a number of lectures (2nd
lecture on 28 Oct. 1922). Solutio Siliceae comp. is one such composition of
minerals, with Equisetum
Notes
2) The term “silica” is an
umbrella term for chemical compounds of silicon and oxygen in a spectrum
ranging from water-soluble silica (H4SiO4) to hydrous opal and the solid,
water-insoluble anhydride of silica which is silicon dioxide (SiO2).
Coloured “quartzes” such as amethyst, onyx, cornelian and heliotrope
were and are also used as medicinal agents by Weleda - as well as a whole
number of complex silicates among the precious stones: beryl, topaz, emerald,
chrysolith, etc.
3) The method is still given in the GHP, with reference to S.
Hahnemann’s Chronic Diseases. It is listed under Acidum silicicum.
Siliceae comp. is one such composition of minerals, with Equisetum
arvense as the model. Quartz is melted down with potassium carbonate, which
results in potassium silicate. Further steps lead to a liquid basic substance
containing c. 10% of SiO2 (theoretically; it is, of course, no longer SiO2 but
potassium silicate). Liquid potencies from the 3x upwards are made with this
(dilutions, solutions for injection). The question is, of course, the ranking
value of potentization with a 3x; one might perhaps also use an 0.1 % solution instead. Concerning the indication
of Solutio Siliceae comp., see the relevant section in ref. 6, and for the
rationale section 2.4 in ref. 7.
Equisetum limosum Rubellite
The expressed juice of water horsetail herb, a plant tending to have
even higher levels of silica than field horsetail, is used to produce an
ethanolic mother tincture acc. to GHP/Eur P. (ref. 1, Method 1 a).
Rubellite, red tourmaline e, a gemstone containing silica, is ground and
then triturated with lactose to give the 4x, which is then potentized with
water and ethanol 15% to obtain the 6x. Two parts of the mother tincture
(equiv. to 1 part of the plant), 1 part of rubellite 6x and 7 parts of ethanol
15% are then potentized together. The product is called the 1x with ref. to
Equisetum it is a 1x in the terms of the
GHP). Liquid potencies are then made from it dilution, solution for
injection 30x). The process may be seen as combined potentization, even if the
relative quantities and declaration differ from those mentioned in the
Introduction. The preparation was originally suggested by Dr Leonhard Schenk
(Neurenberg, d. 7. Aug. 1954) in 1951.
His directions were to cut the shoots in the mornings, remove the fluid
which is in the stems, and place them in an aqueous Rubellite 6x solution.
Crumble the shoots in the evening, express, and potentize the extract to 30x. According to Weleda
manufacturing records, the method was abandoned in 1979 at the latest.
Cinis Equiseti
The ash is produced by combustion of dried horsetail herb. Equisetum is
very rich in minerals and the yield of ash is c. 10 - 20%, containing c. 50 -
70% of SiO2. The ash is largely insoluble and therefore processed like quartz.
Concerning the indication, see the relevant section in ref. 6, and the
rationale in section 4.7.3 in ref. 7.
Carbo equiseti
The charcoal is produced by heating dried field horsetail under exclusion
of air or with controlled aeration. The SiO2 content is, of course, slightly
less than for the ash, perhaps c. 10%. The charcoal is insoluble and processed
like quartz. For the indication see the relevant section in ref. 6, and the
rationale in section 4.7.2 in ref. 7.
Equisetum cum Sulfure tostum
Dried field horsetail is roasted with 1% of sulphur added. Toasting
removes water, aromatic compounds develop, and the beginnings of carbohydrate
degradation (dehydration causing browning). The product is largely insoluble,
and further processing is as for quartz.
For the indication see the relevant section in ref. 6, and the rationale
in section 4.7.1 in ref. 7.
Equisetum arvensis ex herba ferm 35b
Water and a little honey are added to the dried herb which is the
subjected to a ripening and fermentation process using exposure to warmth and
cold in rhythm.
The mixture is expressed and the solids are ashed. Part of the ash is
added to the expressed liquid. The mixture is stored for at least 6 month
before it is ready for use as mother tincture (1. Method 3
5 b). This processing method results in more intensive interaction
between aqueous extract and silica in the case of Equisetum. The mother
tincture is potentized using water and used to produce
solutions for injection and coated pilules (WALA).
Equisetum arvense Silicea cultum (maceration of fresh plant material)
Field horsetail is grown in soil which has been treated with a quartz
preparation. The plant (herb) is composted and the compost added to soil in
which further horsetail plants are grown. These are also composted, and only
plants given this compost are used. They are macerated (cold extraction) in 30%
of ethanol (GHP/ Eur.P. Method 3 c) (for use of alcohol, see ref. 12). The
silica content can-not be expected to be higher than in plants grown in the
normal way. This vegetabilization (in this case of quartz) can be considered
from different points of view; from that of quartz, it is transferred to the
plant medium in three stages (analogous to potentization). This explains
why no further potentization by the Weleda method is done.
The preparations (dilutions) are diluted ad succussed in stages, as per
GHP, and may therefore be declared to be the 3x or 2x (concentration of 0.1 or
1%).Equisetum arvense Silicea cultum Rh
The plant is grown as above. The mother tincture is made by the Rh
method after boiling the vegetable mass for one hour. Boiling releases more
silica than maceration. The GHP monograph (
Equisetum arvense Rh) therefore calls for the material to be boiled for
an hour for Rh mother tinctures (ref. 1, Method 21), in contrast to the general
method for producing mother tinctures.
Further processing is as for Equisetum arvense Silica cultum, but purely
aqueous (dilution 3x, ampoules 2x, 3x). For the indication see the relevant
section in ref. 6.
Equisetum arvense, ethanol. Decoctum (from dried herb)
The mother tincture is made by boiling the dried herbage of normally
grown plants for four hours in 30% ethanol. Boiling for four hours demonstrably
releases more silica than maceration
or boiling for just 30 min. which is the usual way. Boiling thus
releases the silica, which is why the
GHP (1) has been giving a 4-hour boiling period from 2003. The concentration in
the decoction is
c. 50 mg/kg, calculated as silicon, i. e. 0.005% of Si (14), or 0.01% of
SiO2. Further processing consists in potentization with dilute ethanol
(dilutions 1x to 30x), or the undiluted preparation is on offer
as a tincture (10%) for external application.
Equisetum arvense Rh
The mother tincture is made from normally grown plants (minced herb
boiled for one hour), using the Rh method. Boiling releases more silica than
maceration does. The mother tincture is potentized with water (dilutions,
ampoules). For the indication see the relevant section in ref. 6, and the
rationale of the Rh method in section 4.1.1.3
in ref. 7.
Equisetum arvense, glycerol extract
Normally grown plants are dried and extracted with two parts of glycerol
85%. The extract is used to make a 10% ointment.
As an extractant, glycerol is similar to mixtures of ethanol and water.
Quantitative comparison of charges has not been done, however.
Equisetum arvense; massage oils
Massage oils are made by extracting the dried horse-tail herb with
vegetable oil. The temperature, time and concentration may vary (ref. 1, Method
12d, f, f) and the method must therefore be declared (example: Equisetum
arvense H 10%, massage oil). With Method 12d (declaration: H 10%), extraction
is for 4 h at 60 - 70 ºC, with Method 12f (declaration W 10%) and 12 g
(declaration W 5%) 7 days at 37º C (W) in a ration of 1 : 10 and 1 : 20 resp.
Oil will exclusively extract lipophilic (sulphuric) compounds, only
small amounts of which are found in horse-tail. Silica is insoluble in oil and
so these preparations will at most have traces of SiO2. They are not
potentized.
Agate water
Agate water is water which occurs naturally in some intact catalinites
(agate geodes). Agate being a variety of quartz, agate water is a substance
which has been in contact with quartz for a long period
of time. Silica content is not determined. WALA offers solutions for
injection (from the 8x).
Equisetum arvense dist. (drops)
This special preparation was developed to bring out the sulphur process
in horsetail herb.
It is produced by steam distillation over an extended period, as for the
extraction of volatile oils. The product contains small amounts of some
volatile, i.e. sulphuric compounds,
some of which have been identified, is free from SiO2, and has a pungent
odour and taste.
Conclusion
It is evident from the above that almost all pharmaceutical processes
are available to physicians wanting to prescribe silica or Equisetum - warmth
in the fluid and the solid states, solubilizing quartz
through the plant (vegetabilization), a mineral composition based on
Equisetum arvense, “animalized” Equisetum process, and the Rh and the WALA
process (ref. 1, Method 35 b). Quartz
is solubilized in five different ways—by potentization e.g. Quartz 6x),
fusion with alkalis (Silicea, Solutio Siliceae comp.), roasting (Ferrum
Quartz), producing fertilizer in the laboratory (for vegetabilization) and by
producing opal through the plant, possibly followed by decoction (Equisetum
arvense ethanol. decoct.).
The existence of the two compositions Equisetum cum Sulfure tostum and
Equisetum limosum Rubellite is particularly fascinating, for they may be seen
as an enhancement of the sulphur and silica component respectively.
Almost all formulations are also available. External applications
contain the active principles in material amounts, whereas preparations for
internal and parenteral use are available in
concentrated and potentized form except in the case of insoluble ones
like quartz which are produced almost exclusively in potentized form.
Readers may have noticed that with three of the methods the process was
optimized to extract silica as completely as possible.
Again it is not a question of maximizing the concentration of an active
principle, the silica content being much lower than in preparations made from quartz, but rather of transferring
the plant’s characteristic constituents as vehicles for processes as fully as
possible to the preparation.
Many physicians may find it difficult to see the distinction in clinical
use between all the products listed, but in anthroposophical medicine it can be
claimed that such distinction is possible. The paper
also shows that possible differences in action cannot be explained by the
composition but only by the different pharmaceutical processes used.
More detailed descriptions of the pharmaceutical processes (e.g. ref.
13, 15–23) help one decide, though some are in need of revision.
Work on new descriptions is
ongoing. Brief ones were published in 2005 (
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum