Dear VT, thanks for your comments.
I still take the position that as she did not come to me for this
'potential' depression then it wasn't for me to make a judgement about her
life. Maybe it was as you say but possibly it wasn't - maybe her life has
been simple, totally accepting of what comes her way and there is nothing
really wrong with that. It didn't seem to be any part of the diseased state,
and I would also say that if nasal polyps and a strange and nervous
agitation of feet and hands were the only result of a lifelong depression
then, to me, this doesn't make sense. This was not a case of depression.
She might have wanted some excitement in her life but got that from spy and
thriller novels and her cats - I really don't think we should be stamping it
in any other way. I nearly did that at the first case taking and, in many
ways, I am relieved that the first prescription of Nat Mur did nothing, if
it had done 'a bit' I might have persisted with it or, if I had called this
a case of depression I would never have got to Teucrium.
I also still say that sexual excitement is a keynote of Zinc phos (it is
there in the provings), regardless of age (and maybe even gender) and yes, I
am sure cultural differences make selecting a remedy more difficult and we
have to be very careful along these lines and so it is best to be open
minded, otherwise the simillimum can pass us by and once we have rejected a
remedy we are less likely to go back and consider it again.
When she talked about nursing her husband she seemed quite unemotional about
having to do that, yes, it was a drain but she was alright about this. I
questioned her about it, there was no emotion attached to this. She was
accepting of it - so why then go and induce this as part of the diseased
state when it isn't. We should try and keep things simple for ourselves. And
don't forget that Teucrium can be quite a sympathetic rx because it has "sad
stories effect her profoundly" - they don't like talking about sad things.
Likewise with the thunder and lightening - she is accepting of it. If she
had said, "I have to hide under the stairs etc etc" then I would have used
this. Nearly (!) everything was bland, which is why I called it a bland case
but gave it a question mark.
When you say there are critical elements of the case clearly not covered by
Teucrium I have to say I am not sure what you mean.
I have enjoyed the ensuing discussions immensely and thanks again.
best wishes, Joy
www.homeopathicmateriamedica.com
on 9/2/03 7:08 PM, V.T. Yekkirala at
vtyekkirala@hotmail.com wrote:
Hi Joy,
You wrote:
The way she answered you "my life is nearly over now, I don't think about
that now. I don't complain
about anything"... "she would liked to have worked but her husband wasn't
keen on this and she
didn't really know what she would have done";- all these amply show her
depression .
Now since the patient was in front of you and you noticed something like a
spark in her eyes
or a smile on her lips or the general conduct of her that went contrary to
what she said in so
many words, all that only shows the inherent pitfals in doing a paper case.
I re read the case
in the light of your comments and I am still unable to say there is no
depression in her case.
Now coming to the sexual excitement, we( in India) don't expect it for a
lady of her age, 80.
May be this only shows how our different backgrounds of culture and
nationality would affect
our outlook in valuing the symptoms. In all 3rd world countries, unable to
make both ends meet
a majority of women even in the reproductive age have little time to think
about sexual excitement.
Because of affluence and not having any thing better to do , age may not
count in your part of
the globe.( age doesn't wither, nor custom stale...). In fact if I probed
that aspect in a lady of
that age in India then my patient would conclude that it is I who needs to
be treated first for
mental health.
Since I made this suggestion of Zinc-p, I feel a few words on how I arrived
at it may not be out of place.
It is a well taken case and there are ample hints to work on it.One way is
to look out for the areas of maximum stress she went thro' in her life.
"had to nurse her husband for a long time as he was very ill with skin
cancer
and kidney problems, it took up all her energy and time but she seemed
totally unemotional about this"
So I felt certain that one of the remedies figured out in the rubric
Generals,nursing the sick from, stands a fair chance in addressing your
case.
Of the remedies listed there in, Zinc got my attention because it covers the
concomitant in a unrelated area. "(Restlessness of feet)
So which salt of Zinc to be considered is the next question.
One's reaction to the electrical changes in the atmosphere is another
important aspect.
Since she says, doesn't like thunder or lightning "but I just put up with
it"
Phos as the other constituent suggests it self.
Then I checked up in WINE < and zinc-phos is very much there in 2nd degree
!
A reading in Kent showed the general nature of the remedy matches.
Now coming to teucr, if I felt it is constitutionally indicated in a
patient, I would
give it in 1M or higher , and I would give it low 6c if there are no other
symptoms
excepting the pathology to work upon. Then we can be sure whether the
remedy worked at the deepest level or only at the pathological level . This
is
because when we decide on the remedy we need to see what elements of the
case are left uncovered by it and there are critical elements in your case
that are clearly
not covered by teucr. So please be wary of the disappearance of pathology in
such
conditions and be on the look out for long term followup.
Thanks for your case.
V.T.Yekkirala
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