Ellen Madono wrote:
Hi Ellen,
Colchicum yes.
Descriptions of constitutional type is a very big subject, and as far as
I can tell it is not well researched in general yet. I have been making
quite a study of it in cats, and we have some very interesting
discussions on it on my vethom-friends list.
The constitutional type is the same in any species - at least as far as
the characteristics can take it - for example a Lyc constitution always
has a very long tail (cows, cats, dogs, etc) except in humans where it's
not a feature. But in all species Lyc has narrow hips and a long body,
including lizards - relative to other lizards. Phos has long legs and
flyaway fur/hair, Sulph has a broad chest and short neck, Calc-phos is
narrow everywhere, and so on.
The mind characteristics and generals are the ones however which
will help you to determine the constitutional type of an individual -
using the repertory. We need to properly document the physical aspects
still, but it's amazing how consistent they are. For example a cow
farmer on my vethom list notes that tests on Lyc cows have a specific
shape (she sent photos) looking like a tapered form suddenly cut off
level at the bottom. Lyc cats have that teat shape too.
Constitutional type is with us for life, so a cat is born with its
permanent constitutional type. In newborn kittens, Sep is small with
rounded tummy but is prepared to do fisticuffs with big brothers to get
the teat she wants. Phos arrives with lanky legs ready to climb over
others to get places, and Sil is usually tiny but persistent as all get
out in making sure of survival.
Predispositions are there by constitutional type: Phos gets
bronchitis or pneumonia more readily, Lachesis gets mastitis more
readily (as they produce milk for an army), Calc-phos easily gets
pyometras - and the lists are endless - according to the known repertory
predispositions (via provings) for that type.
However when ill, the correct remedy to use is whatever one
repertorizes out to the best match.
For example I had a Lachesis type cat - Lachesis constitutional type.
But when she had mastitis, her matching remedy was Phytolacca -
repertorized the usual way.
My Calc-phos cat who got pyometra, responded to pyrogenium.
My Pulsatilla cat who got poisoned by horse chestnut responded to Lyc.
And so on. When ill, the simillimum needs to be repertorized, not the
constitutional-type remedy.
When I have a very complex and critical case, that is when I find that
it helps to add the constitutional remedy as an intercurrent (assuming I
can repertorize it separately from the simillimum). This has made the
difference between success and failure in touch and go cases (which I
handle a lot) and I believe the constitutional remedy strengthens the
individual where they have constitutional weaknesses - and also enhances
the areas of strength. So it's like adding crutches to a broken leg. The
remedy to repair the break (simillimum) is the main deal to restore
health - but the crutches (constitutional remedy) provide good
background support while the simillimum works.
I also make us of constitutional type in animal breeding, so as to
select cats for example in my cat breeding, which complement each other
rather than duplicating weaknesses. So for example I would not
intentionally breed two Lyc types together - as it may emphasize the
narrow hips and thus tendency to hip dysplasia. Better to mix and match,
for example Sulphur (broad but shallow chest) and Pulsatilla (deep
chest) is a good combination. I have ten generations or more of breeding
data on this.
I actually started doing this before I realized that constitutional
types have physical traits. That is - I chose breeding pairs based on
dissimilar genes, physical conformation, health-related predispositions,
and temperament (namely heterozygocity as evidenced in the individual)
and emotional characteristics rather than on relatedness or
non-relatedness as predicted by pedigree as most breeders do. In a breed
with similar characteristics it is easy to do bad breeding with
unrelated cats whose type is too similar. (Breeding related cats with
very different characteristics - high heterozygocity - actually gives
healthier results.)
It's going to take a LOT more work and data to document constitutional
types fully - but it is worth doing - there's a lot to be gained by it.
And the repertories do give us enough to get the ball rolling. My own
cats for example are many different constitutional types - but they all
get along really well in a quite small house (including three stud boys
living together amicably) because I understand their constitutional
type, treat them accordingly (some special activity each daily, and
knowing what's important to whom) and then there are no arguments.
The differences within a cat breed - or cow breed or whatever - are
subtle but very clear when one gets used to looking for the proportions.
I suspect any remedy can be a constitutional-type.
It's a lot of work to study them all as constitutional types. It needs a
lot more data to do well. I do see that a few constitutional types will
seem to inherit more readily than others. For example when breeding with
a Lyc stud cat, he does produce a few Lyc type kittens. With so many
options, even one repeat of the parent constitutional type is perhaps
remarkable.
No. An individual is born a specific constitutional type and remains
that type. They may need all manner of other simillimums during their
lifetime for one reason or another - but nothing can change the
constitutional type per my observation. I find it interesting that
physical traits are also part of the constitutional type - and that also
is in line with the born-with-it observation.
[It would not surprise me if an individual is permanently a specific
constitutional type - including in any other lives or reincarnations or
other spiritual implementations. It's such a basic part of personality -
the essence of the individual - and after-death experiences/contacts
always suggest the individual is still the same personality -
constitutional type - as they were when alive in this realm.]
This hardly scratches the surface of this huge subject, but I hope it
gives an idea how I see 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."
