Topical remedy application Sunburn question

[Roger Barr]

>>By whom in what situation please?
By Hahnemann in almost any situation.

As to applying a homeopathic remedy topically:
Organon Aphorism 194 (a)
It is not useful, either in acute local diseases of recent origin or in local affections that have already a long time, to rub in or apply externally to the spot an external remedy, even though it be the specific and, when used internally, salutary by reason of its homoeopathicity, even although it should be at the same time administered internally; for the acute topical affections (e.g. , inflammations of individual parts, erysipelas, ..etc), which have not been caused by external injury of proportionate violence, but by dynamic or internal causes, yield most surely to internal remedies homoeopathically adapted to the perceptible state of the health present in the exterior and interior, selected from the general store of proved medicines, (1) and generally without any other aid; but if these diseases do not yield to them completely, and if there still remain in the affected spot and in the whole state, notwithstanding good regimen, a relic of disease which the vital force is not competent to restore to the normal state, then the acute disease was (as not infrequently happens) a product of psora which had hitherto remained latent in the interior, but has now burst forth and is on the point of developing into a palpable chronic disease.
And the following, tho not quite on the subject, since he is refering to chronic miasmatic conditions, shows, I think his preference for not applying remedies topically:
Organon Aphorism 198 (a)
The mere topical employment of medicines, that are powerful for cure when given internally, to the local symptoms of chronic miasmatic diseases is for the same reason quite inadmissible; for if the local affection of the chronic disease be only removed locally and in a one-sided manner, the internal treatment indispensable for the complete restoration of the health remains in dubious obscurity; the chief symptom (the local affection) is gone, and there remain only the other, less distinguishable symptoms, which are less constant and less persistent than the local affection, and frequently not sufficiently peculiar and too slightly characteristic to display after that, a picture of the disease in clear and peculiar outlines.
In this one footnote he gives some support to topical application:
"But in some kinds of not very extensive facial cancers arsenic has long been employed externa=lly, sometimes with apparently good effect. This corrosive metallic oxyde laid on in substance sets up a severe local inflammation, whereby the ulcerated surface is destroyed. If the organism possesses much vital power it often quickly repairs the destroyed part by a good cicatrix. If now the internal general dyscrasia which lies at the root of the facial ulcer is cured at the same time by the internal administration of the appropriate homoeopathic medicine (for otherwise the patient will remain ill and ailing in some other way there ensues perfect cure of the entire disease, as in this case the arsenic gave the needful help to the local symptom.(*)"

[Roger Barr]

>>I've seen so many cases where the topicla plus mouth remedy togetgehr
have done the work better and faster than moth alone.<<<
Unfortunately giving a remedy to a client is not a repeatable experiment.
It is a one-time unique event.
Roger

[Ellen Madono]

Very helpful quote. The example shows that H used his logical mind
and also was very interested in observation. He was not dogmatic.
Best,
Ellen

[Irene de Villiers]

On Jun 17, 2009, at 8:31 PM,
wrote:
I disagree - because our answer refers to surface symptoms of chronic
disease - NOT to a sunburn as here, and which has nothing to do with
chronic or anything else internal

Namaste,
Irene

--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

[Ellen Madono]

Hi Irene,
I am not sure that I understand you. You said, our answer (what
answer) has to do with surface symptoms of the chronic. I must have
missed something.
Ellen

[Shannon Nelson]

Hi Ellen,

Irene referred to the difference between e.g. eczema or other *chronic*
skin conditions, where the skin symptom is a surface expression of
chronic disease, versus situation of a burn, which is simply an
*injury* to the skin, and not reflective of inner disease. (If the
burn is severe enough to impact the deeper state, then those effects
should also be covered by the chosen remedy.)
Shannon

[Tanya Marquette]

but the dynamic different. getting a cut on the finger is superficial.
if it gets infected then you need to go a different route.

the sunburn issue is deeper from the point of view of nutrition
which can impact skin sensitivity; ie, vit d3 deficiency. but that
is also a mechanical problem generally which can be corrected
by eating better and supplementing. that is different, i think,
than a condition in which the biochemistry of the body has an
inate deficiency. then that opens up the possibility of different
solutions.

tanya

[Irene de Villiers]

Dear Ellen,

I possibly made the mistake of not quoting enough of the email I was
answering, to retain context.
Someone said it was inappropriate to use topical remedy - and quoted
passages concerning chronic disease and long-term issues from the
Organon as the reason not to use topical remedies (on the sunburn.)

I merely pointed out that a sunburn was in neither of those
categories, so the quoted passages did not apply,
and that topical is indeed appropriatre for it.

Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

[Ellen Madono]

Thanks Shannon. I understand. Irene's idea that if it is acute then
topical is fine is a good one.

I still have a question. A burn opens up the karatin layer of the
skin. So topical makes some sense. But if there is no opening of the
skin does it make sense? An ulcer ok, but not a sprained ankle with
an arnica ointment? I've never tried it probably because it doesn't
make sense.

Best,
Ellen

[Irene de Villiers]

Yes Ellen it does.
The skin is not a barrier to remedy entry, any more that it is to
other *energy* entry (like an electric shock - also energy, though
not so healing! Also heat energy will not be kept out by skin. ANY
energy is not held back by skin or bone or any other tissues.)
Yup, works like magic. This is what converted my older son to
homeopathy. He was doing one of those special hikes in South Africa
where there is a hut at the end of each long day of hiking, with lots
of bunks. You have to reserve your bunk for each hut each night,
weeks ahead. If you are not there, tough cookies. So when he sprained
an ankle badly, he limped/hopped/walking-sticked into the hut and
used the arnica cream. He was five days' hike from "anywhere" at the
time. The rest of his pals were not so sure they could carry him
either over the rough terrain - he's 6 foot 6 and no "lightie". But
he became a convert as his foot was fine to hike next day. (His
friends were also amazed.)
I hope it does now:-)

Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."