Milk Remedies

Materia
Medica Clinica
Milk Remedies
Massimo Mangialavori, MD

in collaboration with
Krista Heron ND, John Sobraske MA
Betty Wood MD
Table of Contents

Foreword
Author's Preface
Guide to Mangialavori's Materia Medica Clinica
Milk Remedies

THE REMEDIES

Lac caninum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Themes & Symptom Patterns
Organization of Personality
Differential Diagnosis
Case of Matilde
Case of Manlio
Summary

Lac felinum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Ugo
Case of Licia
Summary

Lac vaccinum defloratum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Laura
Case of Beatrice
Summary

Lac equinum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Giorgio
Case of Susanna
Summary

Lac delphinum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Gioia
Case of Elisabetta
Summary

Lac caprinum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Ivan
Case of Rebecca
Summary

Lac glama
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Agata
Case of Adolfo
Summary

Lac asinum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Modesto
Case of Giordana
Summary

Lac ovis
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Luigi
Case of Lauretta
Summary

Lac suis
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Marcello
Case of Bruna
Summary

Lac lupinum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Elide
Case of Edoardo
Summary

Lac leoninum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Augusto
Case of Viviana
Summary

Lac humanum
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Tatiana
Case of Marcello
Summary

Lac loxodonta africana
Natural History
Common Ailments
Case of Luciano
Case of Ottavio
Summary

THE APPENDIX

Glossary
Repertory of Milk Themes
Repertory of Common Ailments
Repertory Additions
Summaries
Bibliography

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Remaining in a Safe Environment: The Sea Remedies

Unreliable Basic Support: Silica-like & Magnesium-like

Knowledge, Seduction and Forsakenness

Identifying with Society

Identity and Individualism

Precious and Base Metals – An Alchemical View

Self Destructiveness: Acute and Chronic Attitude to Injuring the Self: The Acids
and Similar in Homeopathic Medicine

Bitten in the Soul: Experiences with Spider Remedies in Homeopathic Medicine

Some Cactaceae in Homeopathic Medicine: Absolute Self Sufficient: Cactus
grandiflorus, Cereus bonplandii, cereus serpentinus, Opuntia alba spina, Opuntia
vulgaris, Agave americana and more

Solanaceae: Nightmare between Light and Dark

Insecurity: A Homeopathic Perspective

Homeopathy for Anger and Mortification

The False Self and the False Image: Seminoble Metals and Other Remedies

Praxis Method of Complexity: The Search for Coherence in Clinical Phenomena
Volume I: Methodology

Praxis Method of Complexity: The Search for Coherence in Clinical Phenomena
Volume II: Case Studies of the Homeopathic Drug Family, Part I

DEDICATION – JOHN ROOS, MD

I remember John Roos from many years ago when we met at my first seminar in
Massachusetts: his smile, his unusual gait, his quiet yet consistent presence, his
clear attention to the topic at hand, and his invariably precise comments.
I got to know him better over time, where we

spoke informally about our lives and
homeopathy. Our relationship matured, like a
good wine, over time. I learned to appreciate his
seriousness, his methodical manner, and his rich
inner world—a mostly private realm that was not
easy for him to share.

His esteem was a great gift, as was the comprehensive collection of notes that he
had gleaned from all my seminars over nearly twenty years. Truly the most
treasured present was his request to be in close contact as he completed his
journey in this world. Almost every week of his final year, we met by
teleconference. Despite the inherent limits in this form of communication, John
was able to convey so much.

I felt honored that he would share such intimate, unknown parts of himself with
me in his last days. It is privilege to accompany a dear person to the end. For
those of us who are doctors and teachers, sometimes one becomes dear later in
the life path, which also means that the shared time was likely too short. And yet
if there is suffering, the path can feel too long—especially if that suffering
doesn’t leave space to joyfully discover what matters most in our lives. John had
this space and knowledge. He had escaped death once and wanted to continue
living with this heightened sense of meaning. But on this second round, as a
doctor himself, he knew where the path was leading.

It was a great gift to meet him, to know him, and to take occasional walks along
beautiful garden paths during our seminar breaks—and to speak with him one
last time as he walked through his forest in the days before his final farewell.

Grazie, John
FOREWORD

In the introductory chapters to this beautifully written book, Massimo
Mangialavori and his collaborators Krista Heron, John Sobraske and Betty
Wood outline the structure and methodology they have adopted to present their
material. They state that complexity theory informs their work, a form that being
associative and emergent (coming into existence), rather than causal and linear,
suits this presentation in particular, and indeed, homeopathic thinking in general;
it fits like a glove fits a hand.
Categorizations do not follow taxonomy or DNA

mapping, but rather associative pathways that
are much more complex, based upon a lifetime’s
homeopathic experience.

I would like to write a few words about Massimo. His name translates as
‘massive work eater’, and it is true, Massimo Mangialavori has never shirked
work, or shied away from commitment and deep thinking. Both his volume of
output and his relentless striving for excellence attest to this.
He has also never backed down from pursuing

highest ideals, staying true to himself, his
friends, colleagues, patients and students at all
times.

This book is undoubtedly a master-work. There are many golden nuggets in it!
The clinical approach to homeopathic understanding is fundamental, for, as
Massimo discusses and explores, it is only through remedy usage that the genius
of a medicine is fully revealed. A proving gives us symptoms and rubrics from
which repertorisations may follow, and a signature gives us an overall intuition
about the nature of the remedy, but only repeated clinical usage can highlight a
remedy’s healing genius, then providing the prescriber with the most reliable
guidance for its employment. To do this, cases that have remained unswerving
(that is to say, have returned to their remedy upon relapse over a sustained
period of time) are cited.

Reading Massimo’s cases is never arduous. He chronicles carefully, so that the
patient’s soul is revealed. Furthermore, this is achieved in an apparently charmed
manner. Indeed, charm is intrinsic to the entire process, is central to both the
witnessing of the patient and the uncovering of what is salient. What do I mean
by this? I mean Massimo has the grace to be there with the patient in a manner
that does not intrude with his agenda, but that flows with associations that arise
from the case-giver and are attended to with compassion by him, the witness.
This is an art that is portrayed in every case given in this book.

From the presented case material and the evidence of the outcome, it becomes
clear what the remedy (through the patient) is teaching us. A distinctive remedy
voice becomes apparent that is described in depth and detail. In the case of Milk
remedies, they reach us though our heart, because they are particularly resonant.
Milk is our primary nutrition, and through suckling the breast, our bond with
mother and indeed, our species is transmitted. It is the receptive, civilizing
influence that sets the individual within the wider context. Herein lies a
possibility for primary conflict, should lactation be disrupted, of pitting self
against society. This is not only true for Lac humanum, but also, more or less,
for all Milk remedies. They are a family of remedies within which we can easily
find states corollary to our own. Through studying them to the depth that this

book presents us with, we gain not only new understanding of individual
medicines, but also a deeper insight into ourselves.

Misha Norland July, 2015
AUTHOR’S PREFACE
All remedies, and the substances they are made from, have a special magic—
animals no less than plants, minerals, fungi and the others. Animals have a
particular charm as the beings to whom we bear the closest relation and whom
we accompany on this amazing planet. I have always had a passionate love for
wildlife. I remember many travels with my dear friend David Warkentin where
we would keep an eye out to spot these beautiful creatures within their natural
habitat.

Among the mammals, our closest relatives, is the common element of mammary
glands, of milk. By nature’s design, it is the first food of every infant mammal.
Different for every animal, but similar in its composition and purpose, whether
predator, prey or domesticated, milk ensures the growth of the newly born in the
first stage of development. Along with its biochemical nutrition, milk facilitates
a bond between mother and child, and provides continuity with the nurturance
which occurred in the womb. And like delivery, it sets the stage for a second
powerful transitional detachment: weaning.

In my earlier work, Praxis, I attempted to explain my Method of Complexity and
to provide an, demonstrated through the example of the Drugs and to
demonstrate through the example of the Drugs, how a homeopathic family could
be composed of members belonging to different taxonomic groups. The Drug
family, for example, includes animals (Bufo), minerals (Hydrogenum), plants
(Coca, Cannabis) and fungi (Agaricus, Psilocybe), as well as organic and plant-
derived chemicals (Aether, Opium). By comparison, the Milks are more similar
taxonomically, though there is still a wide range inclusive of wild and
domesticated; sea-and land-dwelling; prey and predator. The rationale for
membership in a homeopathic family is never taxonomic proximity, but the
similarity of homeopathic themes as demonstrated through cured cases.

In this work, one will likely find areas that are familiar as well as unfamiliar—as
they were for me in the process of discovery.
In well-known remedies, there is affirmation of
orthodoxy and some surprising heresy, and other
elements that fall somewhere in between. The
chapters are presented in the order that the Milk
remedies unfolded for me, beginning with the
well-known and advancing to the newly proven,
building on existing themes and symptom
patterns. Two cases are provided for each
remedy, which give readers the possibility to
explore and develop their own thoughts about
themes.

Last but not least, before closing this brief introduction I feel obliged to thank
and acknowledge those who assisted me with this project. First there is the core
team made up of my dear friends Krista Heron, John Sobraske, and Betty Wood.
Let me say a few words about each of these special individuals, without whose
help this book would never have come to be.

Krista Heron has a wonderful knowledge of materia medica and extensive
clinical experience. She has a gentle and precise way about her, and throughout
our process, has been able to provide extremely helpful feedback and
constructive criticism. She has provided general editorial review. Her passion for
natural history made her the obvious choice to contribute this section of the
materia medica.

John Sobraske took an early interest in the idea of writing this materia medica
and was a key catalyst in helping get this project launched. He provided
guidance to the team and helped develop the format. He serves as the primary
writer for the materia medica sections and chief editor.
He also contributed the guide to my materia

medica at the beginning of this book.

Betty Wood has been a constant support in all my endeavors in North America.
With the New England Homeopathic Academy (NEHA), she was the one who
first brought me to the U.S. to share my ideas. She has also helped me launch
and maintain my webinar series entitled Essential Elements. For this project, she
has provided crucial organization and support, especially in helping to bring this
book to publication. She has provided general editorial review, helped translate
cases from Italian to English, and written the differential diagnosis sections. She
is the little sister that I always wanted and was fortunate to meet so far from
home—so close now to my heart.

Thank you to these three for their sincere affection, incredible patience and
dedication, and their passion to make others aware of my research. While
accumulating this clinical data has taken decades, in this particular project, my
role has been mostly limited to providing a lecture and answering questions. For
the rest, I have relied on my indispensable colleagues to transform my second-
language prose into comprehensible, well-organized English.

This experience has been very fulfilling, particularly having these close
colleagues truly understand my ideas well enough to convey them to others.
Additionally, they were able to offer valuable insights to help me further refine
my thinking.

Three others were very involved at different stages of this project. These include
Shawn Mehu, Joanne May, and with loving memory, John Roos. Shawn devoted
many hours to transcribing and editing clinical cases. Without her substantial
contribution, it would have been more difficult to include cases in this work.
Joanne May provided reviews and insights that

helped us come to our present course, including
her input on the sequence of our format. John
Roos emphasized the need for transcribing the
lectures verbatim and, with Carol Folk as our
transcriptionist, this became an essential part of
our process.

Richard Hruby, Dot Wojakowski, and Ted Butchart also made some
contributions. Sybil Ihrig deserves special thanks for providing the index.

Thank you to NEHA, which has provided essential support to my English-
speaking projects. I have had the good fortune to present seminars in Boston for
the past twenty-five years and to sponsor my web-based series, including our
ongoing materia medica and clinical supervision groups.

Finally, a special thanks to all those who allowed me to gather and tell their
stories. For patients needing a Milk remedy, permission did not come easily. I
have tremendous gratitude to them for nevertheless allowing me to share their
private world with the world at large.

I hope that our dear readers will find this information helpful to their patients
and practices. And I look forward to whatever future clinical insights they gain
that can further strengthen our understanding of these remedies.

Massimo Mangialavori
GUIDE TO MANGIALAVORI’S MATERIA MEDICA
CLINICA
Those who are new to the work of Massimo Mangialavori may find it helpful to
read this guide. To better understand the remedy and how to apply this
information in practice, a basic knowledge of his approach is recommended. For
more in-depth study, the reader is directed to Praxis, which more fully explains
his methodology.
Introduction
The term ‘Method of Complexity’ is inspired by complexity theory, a scientific
approach that attempts to find order within the seeming chaos of complex
phenomena like climate, ocean currents or bird migration. It seeks to trace how
the elements of a system interact with each other as a complex whole, in other
words, to see how all the pieces fit together. Complexity theory is system-based,
associative and emergent, rather than linear, causal and mechanistic.

Homeopathy, informed by complexity theory, considers how symptoms are
associated as themes, and how all the different themes fit within a cohesive
whole.
Format of the Materia Medica
Each chapter begins with a brief natural history about the substance from which
the remedy is made. This is followed by a list of maladies that Mangialavori has
consistently seen in practice and for which his patients have commonly sought
treatment. These are described using general and traditional expressions in
preference to more modern academic terminology. The former are more in
keeping with homeopathy’s focus on phenomenological and subjective
observations of symptoms, compared to the more objective, reductive
categorizations typical of allopathic medicine.

The two main sections come next: ‘Themes and Symptom Patterns’ and
‘Organization of Personality’. After these come ‘Differential Diagnosis’ and two
cured cases with follow-ups. The chapter ends with a table that summarizes the
common ailments, motifs, fundamental and characteristic themes, and coherent
groups of symptoms for a particular remedy.

Grammatical Conventions
For clarity and economy of style, the remedy is generally described using the
singular rather than plural pronoun. In English, this requires a gender
designation. For ease of reading, each remedy is described using either the
masculine or feminine pronoun throughout. This is not meant to imply that a
particular remedy is more likely to be male or female; it could always be either.
To maintain a balance in this materia medica, approximately half the members
of each homeopathic family are designated as male, and the other half, female.

The use of the singular pronoun is not meant to suggest that the remedy has a
singular presentation or that a patient would normally manifest all of the
elements described. The only aspects that a patient would necessarily exhibit are
the motifs and fundamental themes. To emphasize this difference, these two
sections regularly employ the plural pronoun.

In sections that discuss sexual partners, romantic relationships and marriages,
gender-neutral terms such as spouse and partner are preferred. At the same time,
when attempting to distinguish two parties, it is easier to avoid confusion by
using contrasting male and female pronouns. This is not meant to imply that
romance or marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Additionally, Mangialavori often uses the term father image or mother image to
describe masculine and paternal or feminine and maternal qualities traditionally
associated with the corresponding gender. In reality, these traits can be found in
either sex. Thus a woman might provide the father image to a child, and a man,
the mother image.
Part I: Themes and Symptom
Patterns
Core themes are the most important information about a remedy, so these are
presented first, in detail, along with symptom patterns. There are three kinds of
core themes: motifs, fundamental themes, and characteristic themes.

Motifs represent very broad themes such as ‘abandonment’ or ‘grief’ that apply
to the human condition in general. As such, they could potentially pertain to
almost every remedy. In the materia medica, only the most relevant motifs for
that particular remedy are listed, with the added criterion that they tend to be
quite noticeable in the patient during the initial intake.

Fundamental Themes are the most important themes and represent the core
structure and strategy of the patient. They are nearly always present in a case and
persist over time, whether the patient is compensated or decompensated.
Fundamental themes are often shared by many if not all the members of a
homeopathic family.

Characteristic Themes are the next most important type of theme. These are not
as foundational or essential as fundamental themes, and may or may not be
present in a case. They may be shared by several or all members of the
homeopathic family, though far less frequently than in the case of fundamental
themes.

Often, a characteristic theme consists of two opposite elements within a polarity.
In most cases, the first element is seen only when compensated, and the second,
only when decompensated. Drug remedies, for example, tend to feel omnipotent
until they decompensate, and then they feel nullipotent. This type of polarity is
identified by a single slash: omnipotence / nullipotence.

The second, less frequent type of polarity involves an ongoing tension between
two elements. Milk remedies, for example, simultaneously struggle with being
dependent and independent. This kind of polarity is identified by a double slash:
dependence // independence.

A third presentation, rarely encountered, expresses a spectrum or continuum
rather than a dynamic between two opposites. Milk remedies, for example, can
produce symmetrical and asymmetrical alternation of symptoms. Many Milks
have pains that are symmetrical and move back and forth between the right and
left sides or the superior and inferior zones of the body. On the other hand, Lac
humanum tends to congregate symptoms in the head, and these alternate with
relatively fewer symptoms in the rest of the body. This pattern is asymmetrical
for two reasons: the head and the body are disproportionate in terms of area
(small and large) and in terms of symptom expression (many and few). Because
the patterns of symmetry and asymmetry are closely related and constitute a
spectrum, the rubric contains both elements and is identified by a hyphen:
symmetry-asymmetry.

Finally, some characteristic themes are best described as a simple combination
of related elements. Calcarea carbonica, for instance, has a characteristic theme
of rigidity & concreteness. These terms are additive and do not indicate a
polarity or spectrum.

The traditional literature tends to be more symptom-based than thematic. Thus
some patience may be required to become comfortable with this approach. It is
important to take time to understand the theme and its place within the overall
system of the patient or remedy. Otherwise the complex concept tends to be
reduced and flattened into a mere rubric, which defeats the purpose of creating a
theme in the first place.

Some headings provide little clue as to their complex meaning; others are more
discernible. Consider the four fundamental themes of the Milk remedies.
‘Familial Identity’ and ‘Instinctual Integration’ are not clear without further
elaboration, while ‘Irresolution’ and ‘Abandonment’ are easier to comprehend
superficially, though more information is required to convey their particular
meaning.

The same applies to characteristic themes. In the Milk, the following are
relatively easy to identify: easier to identify: remedies that are easier to identify
include: competition; communication ineffective; fragility; aggression
suppressed; dryness; and duty. Other headings require more explanation:
avoidance; emptiness / fullness; ineluctable; and oblativity.

Coherent Groups of Symptoms represent a collection of symptoms that may
appear in different parts of the corpus (defined as the subjective experience of
the body) and the body (the objective physical form), but nevertheless share
common attributes, such as type of pain, manner of expression, or modality. An
example would be various symptoms of stitching in Agaricus. This
categorization describes a more straightforward concept that is not as richly
elaborated as a theme.

Within this section, the first coherent group of symptoms listed refers to the most
common form of pain or suffering experienced by this remedy when in a
compensated state. The second coherent symptom group follows, providing the
most common form of suffering in a decompensated state. These two types of
pain are related in terms of a progression from one to the other.

In many cases, the relationship between the first and second coherent groups of
symptoms is natural and discernible, like when a Middle English word is
different from, but bears obvious similarity to, its contemporary cousin. In other
cases, though a relationship does exist between the two, it is not immediately
discernible and requires some explanation.

This shift from one type of pain to another is based on the system partially
decompensating such that the pain can no longer be contained in the usual way.
In this situation, the system may apply a different kind of adaptive response if
able to do so, based on how rigid its functioning and how limited its capacity.

Going from compensation to decompensation, the pain may intensify along a
gradient from bad to worse, such as burning to searing. Or the pain may cross a
threshold where the nature of the second pain changes, such as burning to burnt.
The pain may shift in polarity, for example, from hot to cold.

In some cases, the organic or physiological reasons for the pain may stay
relatively constant, but the corpus experiences the pain more intensely. Consider
Calcarea carbonica where moderate decompensation may bring little objective
change, but subjectively the pain seems much stronger than before. Even in cases
where an objective organic change does contribute to intensified pain, this is
nevertheless mediated by the corpus.

Another possibility is that the response to the first pain shapes and defines the
nature of the second pain. When Rubus idaeus, for example, can no longer
manage burning pains, she begins to clench, and then her most common form of
suffering is clenching pains.

In terms of hierarchical organization, within each of the four subsections—
motifs, fundamental themes, characteristic themes, and coherent groups of
symptoms—the most important ones come first, even if they are graded lower
than what follows.

Gradation is based on a three-point scale. According to this system, a grade of 2
means that this element is markedly important in comparison to other remedies
within the homeopathic family, while a grade of 3 means that this element is
markedly important in comparison to all remedies.

It is crucial in this approach that theme headings not be stripped of their
complexity and treated as simple rubrics or keynotes. The heading must be
connected, in the mind of the reader, with the concepts specific to that remedy
theme or pattern, inclusive of its associative meanings. Otherwise the complexity
falls away and one is left with a paratactic listing that has little value.
Part II: Organization of Personality
This section primarily addresses the structure and strategies of the remedy, its
patterns of relationship, and how it presents at different stages of life.
Dreams include discussion of common themes and conflicts in the individual’s
dream life. These are typically interpreted in a psychoanalytic way. Equally
important is whether and how dreams are reported, since this indicates the
individual’s ability to look inwardly and share openly.

Structure refers to the innate resources, challenges and preferences based on
genetics. By analogy, a turtle has a shell, a blowfish has poisonous spikes, and a
giraffe has a long neck. In terms of patients and remedies, some may have more
or less stamina and rigidity. Their style of emotion may be more effusive or
suppressed, their thinking more logical or analogical.

Strategy refers to how one uses these innate resources to cope with life. An
individual may develop a highly adaptive, effective strategy that optimizes her
abilities and compensates for her deficiencies, or a maladaptive one that leads
more quickly to decompensation.

Of course, the resources in one’s possession affect the strategy that one selects.
A turtle can’t fly and a pigeon lacks a protective shell. Every being tends to
choose a strategy that suits their design.

Thus structure influences strategy and strategy influences structure. The
organism is a dynamic system where various forces—environmental and internal
—put pressure on the system to develop in a certain way. And while there is
plasticity early in life, once a pattern becomes established, it tends to harden and
become embedded within the structure. The posture that can lead to scoliosis can
more easily be corrected in childhood than after adolescence.

Corpus is defined as the interface between body and mind. When a pain reaction
is induced by an external stimulus, the body registers a physiological response.
This is interpreted and mediated by the corpus, which then delivers a sensation
of pain to the mind. In other words, the actual physical body is objective whereas
the corpus is the subjective dimension of the body. As Merleau-Ponty suggests,
the body always belongs to someone.

Consider a Bovista patient with a typically weak constitution and defensive
sensitivity against intrusion from the outside world into his internal experience.
Such a patient may experience the mere prick of a thorn as if it were a sword
deeply penetrating his flesh. In other words, the corpus may amplify his pain to
match a perception of catastrophic intrusion. In the case of a well-compensated
Arnica, on the other hand, the corpus may diminish the sensation of pain in
alignment with the strategy of pretending to be invulnerable and untouchable.

Vulnerabilities refer to the areas where a person is sensitive and susceptible to
injury—mentally, emotionally, or physically. These weak points, when
triggered, can quickly lead to decompensation.

Regarding strategies, each individual can be said to have three types:
compensation, decompensation and restoration.
Compensation is the strategy used by the system to optimize function by
capitalizing on strengths and abilities, while managing to work around, rather
than work through, core difficulties and deficiencies.

Decompensation is the strategy used to replace the compensation strategy when
this is no longer working well and function has begun to decline. In most cases,
the treatment approach when decompensated is to restore the patient back to a
compensated. On the other hand, sometimes decompensation can be the low
point that leads one to an awakening and an invitation to change.

Restoration is the healing strategy used to partially resolve core issues, move
past previous limits, and enhance functioning. In other words, it represents an
improved adaptation to life, better than what was achieved through the previous
compensation strategy. To the extent that difficulties and deficiencies are
worked through, there is less of a need to compensate in the first place.

Complications refer to the paradoxes and vicious circles that inevitably result
from a compensation strategy, namely because the person is working around
rather than working through their core challenges. This can take a toll over time,
and if not adequately addressed, tends to provoke eventual decompensation.

An example of a complication is how Coffea, Cacao and other Xanthines try to
cope with their low feelings of self-worth. Rather than addressing and resolving
the issue directly, they tend to avoid and compensate for these uncomfortable
feelings by excessively focusing on work. As their feelings intensify and
threaten to push their way into consciousness, these remedies work even harder,
until finally their system burns out. At this point, without the ability to work
because their system is too fatigued, their sense of self-worth further
deteriorates.

Family of Origin explores likely possibilities for how the family was organized,
the child was raised, and what formative influence the family provided. Nuclear
family describes the type of family that one is likely to form as an adult.

Relationship Patterns describes friendships, non-spousal romantic connections,
and relationships with bosses, colleagues and employees. In all of these, the
discussion explores how the remedy engages, develops, maintains and repairs, as
well as avoids, injures, or even destroys, relationships.

Developmental Profile provides a picture of the remedy at different points across
the lifespan: childhood and adolescence, adulthood, and the elder years. In some
remedies, a contrast is made between those who are able to maintain a good
compensation vs. those who are not.

Treatment Issues refers to common interaction patterns that arise in the
therapeutic relationship, potential traps for patient and practitioner alike, and the
recommended posture for achieving a good outcome.
This section compares and contrasts the remedy in question to others that share
similar features, whether or not they belong to the same homeopathic family.
Remedies that appear similar superficially, even if their true structure is quite
different, are also discussed. In many cases, remedies discussed in this section
have been mistakenly given as a first prescription before finding the simillimum.

The primary goal of this section is to carefully elucidate the subtle distinctions in
essential themes and overall system organization, rather than to focus on a mere
list of symptoms as is common in the differentials section of many traditional
materia medicas.
Cured Cases
Cured cases are provided alongside the materia medica to give a better sense of
how these patients present. Two cases allow for a range in age, gender, and
circumstance. These detailed vignettes illustrate how to elicit helpful information
from the patient. Though the cases have been edited and shortened, they still
remain fairly long because the Method of Complexity requires a thorough case-
taking in order to derive and elucidate themes.

The follow-ups are extensive as well for several reasons. First, this method
requires rigorous follow-up to demonstrate unequivocally that the remedy has
acted to produce a cure and that this state has been maintained or improved for a
period of at least three years. Most of these patients have been in treatment for a
longer period of approximately five, ten or fifteen years.

Second, more extensive follow-ups demonstrate the challenges inherent in
managing a case, even when the simillimum has been prescribed.

Third, with good treatment, patients often improve in their ability to reveal
intimate thoughts and feelings. This information is included as it provides a
glimpse into the deeper domains of the remedy.

The first names of patients have been changed and surnames not included in
order to protect their identity. In most cases, no other details were altered related
to privacy concerns. Explicit permission was obtained from each individual or
family (in the case of a minor) to publish these cases.

In each of these cases, the original verbatim Italian has been translated and
edited to make it more readable and comprehensible. In translation, the goal has
been to approximate the flow and expression of a native English speaker while
remaining true to the content of the original Italian. In certain cases, when no
adequate English equivalent could be determined, a term or phrase in Italian is
provided with translation.

Where the patient emphasized certain words by tone of voice in the consultation,
these have been italicized. The commentary is also italicized to distinguish it
from the words of the patient. When these two are closely interwoven, brackets
are added to distinguish between commentary and the patient’s emphatic speech.

The sign ‘§’ is used to indicate where Mangialavori asked a question of the
patient. If the patient is a child, and a mother or father participates in the
consultation, a different sign is used when he speaks to those individuals: ‘∂’ for
mother, and ‘^’ for father. Also the spouse will have a different sign: ‘^’ for
male; ‘∂’ for female. The actual question is included only when this is needed to
make the meaning clear; otherwise it is excluded so as not to interrupt the flow.
Appendix
Within the appendix there is a complete summary of themes by remedy, a
thematic repertory, repertory additions, and a glossary.

The Thematic Repertory provides a listing of all motifs, fundamental and
characteristic themes, and coherent groups of symptoms. Remedies that share
each of these are recorded along with their respective grade.

Repertory Additions are listed for each individual remedy. These are drawn from
Mangialavori’s rigorous repertory, which is based solely on cured cases. He
regularly makes additions to this repertory as new information becomes
available through his ongoing clinical work. In the future he hopes to create a
more integrated repertory where more context and specificity can be provided to
each listed symptom and the relevant section within the original case can be
quickly sourced.

His additions are graded according to the following criteria:
First grade: symptom must be important in the case and clearly cured. This must
have occurred in at least two or three cases. The symptoms need not have been
expressed spontaneously by the patient.

Second grade: similar to first grade except that it must have occurred in a
minimum of three patients and have been expressed spontaneously by the
patient.

Third grade: similar to second grade except it must have occurred in nearly all
the cases observed. The symptoms must have been expressed clearly and
spontaneously.

The Glossary provides additional information for terms used in this materia
medica that may not be self-evident. Some of these are related to the Method of
Complexity. Some are rarely encountered medical or psychological terms
describing symptoms or conditions. Many are thematic concepts that have
specific meanings. These include some Latin and Italian words, some newly
coined terms, and some English words not utilized in the usual way.
Homeopathic Families
Each new volume of materia medica is based on a homeopathic family. In the
Method of Complexity, a homeopathic family is a group of remedies that share
similar structures, strategies and themes. In other words, these remedies closely
resemble each other in their core aspects and so may easily be confused with
when analyzing a case.

A benefit of this approach is that once the family is identified, the next step is
simply to choose the most appropriate member of the group. Moreover, if the
first remedy doesn’t work, but the basis for the prescription was sound, the
correct choice is likely to be another member of the same group.

The family approach makes it easier to select less-known remedies with
confidence by associating them with well-known remedies whose core elements
they share. In fact, many keynotes for well-known remedies are actually
keynotes for the homeopathic family of which that remedy is a member. For
example, Camphora’s tendency to feel cold while wanting the covers off is
typical for the entire Drug family.

A homeopathic family may be comprised of remedies from different taxonomic
groups because the basis for their inclusion is homeopathic similarity, in terms
of structure, strategy, themes and symptoms, not whether they meet similar
biological, phylogenetic or chemical criteria. In some cases, all the members of a
homeopathic family happen to be taxonomically related. Even so, their
biological or chemical proximity is not the rationale for their homeopathic
association.

To prove the point, Solanaceae like Belladonna, Stramonium and Hyoscyamus
should be grouped together with some non-Solanaceae such as Lyssinum and
Gallicum acidum; meanwhile, they should not be grouped with other Solanaceae
like Capsicum, Lycopersicum and Tabacum.

Likewise, in the Ranunculaceae, for example, there is some commonality
between Pulsatilla and Actea spicata, both being overly sweet personalities.
Cimicifuga, however, is closer to Lachesis, while Adonis is closer to Aurum.

Various remedies derived from a horse might be referred to as a ‘horse remedy’
implying a homeopathic as well as taxonomic relationship. Looking at four such
remedies—Lac equinum, Castor equi, Hippomanes and Hippozaeninum—there
are some similarities. For example, Lac equinum, Castor equi and Hippomanes
can all fulfill a secretary-like role, though they do so in markedly different ways.
Lac equinum wants to be like a squire-apprentice to a mentor-knight who
provides an idealized father image. Castor equi can be a submissive, inhibited
Silica-like secretary, whereas Hippomanes is quite seductive and flirtatious.
Taking into account other themes and features of these remedies, there are not
enough shared elements to justify their inclusion within the same homeopathic
family.

A family may have subsets and may itself be the subset of a larger group.
Remedies like Crotalus horridus and Crotalus cascavella, for example, have
more in common with each other than with other Snake remedies. Meanwhile
Snakes can bear close comparison to other Reptile remedies. Heloderma, for
example, qualifies as a member of the Snake family. This family also contains
remedies that are not taxonomically related, such as Melilotus officinalis and
Zincum phosphoricum.

Some remedies belong to two families simultaneously, such as Doryphora,
which has qualities of both Insects and Belladonna-like Nightshades. Similarly
Calcarea muriatica, for example, has one axis of relationship to the Calcareas
and another to the Halogens.
Provings and Cured Cases
Both provings and cured cases are essential, time-honored methods used to
collect reliable information about the remedy. In the best circumstance, both of
these are available to help create a more complete and accurate picture of the
remedy.

In the absence of cured cases, provings provide an important first step to discern
the potential application of a new remedy. Once the remedy has been
successfully prescribed sufficient to collect several cured cases, this information
becomes primary, and the proving data, though still significant, becomes
secondary and complementary.

Compared to provings, cured cases provide more important and reliable
information about the remedy. A well-taken cured case provides a view from the
inside about how the patient experiences life.

Most provers by comparison cannot enter into that other world as deeply as a
patient cured by a constitutional remedy. Even sensitive provers are only visitors
in this realm whereas the patient is a native resident.

When taking a case, the homeopath is like an anthropologist, attempting to
understand, observe and record this other culture from a proximal view, and to
convey it as directly as possible in the patient’s own words.

Good proving supervisors attempt to do the same, though too often proving
comments are decontextualized, parsed and tallied, so that they can be
incorporated into the repertory. Even when an insightful comment is preserved
intact, only a sentence or two is usually included. Additional associations and
context provided by the prover, which might be essential to truly understand the
meaning, are generally excluded.

In this case, certain questions naturally arise. Is it echoed by other provers? If
not, is this prover simply more sensitive to the remedy? Is the comment more
related to the system of the prover or of the remedy?

In general, without the complement of multiple cured cases, it is difficult to
know which symptoms in a proving are important and which are not. It’s also
difficult to situate the symptom within the phase of the remedy: compensation
and decompensation; childhood, adulthood and old age; acute and chronic
treatment.

Provings represent a certain range of symptoms, but not others. It’s as if the
spectrum of colors only included green and blue, or a film consisted of various
frames but no moving picture.

The proving of Belladonna, for example, highlights inflammation of ear, nose
and throat, which guides its use in childhood acutes, but is not very helpful in
adult constitutional treatment. The psychological symptoms from the proving
suggest moments of extreme decompensation seldom seen in practice.

Most proving symptoms illustrate the early decompensation phase of the
remedy. If one were to make a bell curve of proving symptoms along the
continuum from compensation to decompensation, the top of the curve would
usually coincide with the start of decompensation.

The provings of both Coca and Agaricus, for example, describe typical bipolar
patients maintaining a precarious equilibrium just as they begin to
decompensate. They probably would not present this way in the homeopathic
clinic, since they would likely seek treatment only after their condition had
devolved into a severe mania or profound depression.

Provings have a more difficult time describing what happens before and after
this moment of early decompensation. And where such gaps exist, one cannot
accurately fill them in by extrapolating and inferring the rest.

The symptoms presented by a compensated patient are not merely an attenuated
version of what one sees in decompensation; in fact, they may be the polar
opposite. Depiction of the early phase of compensation is critically important; it
helps to reveal what drove an individual to adopt that particular remedy strategy
in the first place. It answers the question, “How and why did he become a
Phosphorus?”

On the other side of the bell curve, severe decompensation cannot be inferred
from the beginning stages of decompensation; it’s not necessarily just an
intensification of what came before. Provings often cannot illuminate this
portion of the spectrum because provers are not poisoned to the point of injury.
A proving of Phosphorus, for example, may point in the direction of liver
disturbance but (thankfully) does not lead to actual cirrhosis.

Finally, many homeopathic provings were actually done by using or ingesting
the raw substance rather than a homeopathic preparation of the substance. When
both the raw substance and the remedy have been proven, there is generally
much common ground. Even so, the remedy version gives a better picture for
guiding eventual use of the remedy.
Case-taking
The goal of a well-taken case is to elicit the genuine, spontaneous expression of
the patient about his subjective world. To do this, the homeopath aims to create a
nonjudgmental, open space for the interaction between homeopath and patient.
Within this space, the two parties co-create and mutually participate in a
therapeutic field. Awareness of this field and one’s own involvement in this
synergistic interface is perhaps the most critical element of the treatment.

In the session with a patient, the homeopath needs to be curious without
becoming intrusive, and caring without becoming enmeshed. She must also
adjust herself to the specific needs of each patient, for example, respecting the
defenses of someone who is more private. She may need to be more humble for
a patient who is competitive, or more powerful for a patient who views humility
as weakness.

To some degree, homeopathy is as much about forming a relationship as finding
the right remedy. In fact, it may not be possible to get the needed information for
a correct prescription without adequate rapport.

This can be more difficult with certain patients, especially those who are
extremely avoidant, mistrusting or blaming. Some declare that they have
improved when this is not the case, just to please the practitioner. Others deny
improvement when it’s obvious progress has occurred—as a defense or as a
means to antagonize. Patients may refuse to share critical information, they may
stop taking the remedy, or start taking something else; and they may come in and
out of treatment.

All of this requires that the homeopath develop herself as a person and a
professional to meet these challenges. This includes learning to be open,
nonjudgmental, non-defensive, empathetic, patient, compassionate and
persistent. To this end, it may be helpful to get homeopathic treatment, to engage
in spiritual practices, and participate in psychotherapy. In general, it’s a good
idea to extend one’s range as a human being so that one can more genuinely and
flexibly relate to the varieties of people who come into the consultation room.

If patients perceive that a practitioner is narrow in terms of outlook or
experience, it tends to erode trust and damage rapport. This makes it more
difficult for the patient to share vulnerable information needed for a good
prescription. It also means that the therapeutic relationship may not be strong
enough for the patient to feel comfortable remaining in treatment.

The over-reliance on preformed categories like fears, the weather, and food
preferences, or on medical terms and pathology, can interrupt flow, emphasize
objective facts over subjective experience, and shift primary control from the
patient to the practitioner. While such information can be helpful, it is best to let
it emerge through presence and engagement rather than interrogation.

Cases are best recorded verbatim so that they are not colored by one’s own
preconceptions. Often the actual words of the patient provide invaluable clues to
who and how they are. This also affords one the opportunity to read the case
afresh and make new and accurate insights that may have been previously
missed.
Case Analysis
Optimally, case-taking affords a view of the patient that is broad and deep.
When it comes to case analysis, it is helpful to know about all areas of the
person and how they interconnect. These include, but are not limited to, physical
symptoms and pathology, psychology and areas such as early development,
relationship patterns, personality structure, defensive strategy, insecurities,
interests, hobbies, vocations and vulnerabilities, among others.

From this range of information, one can develop and compare themes, identify
the structure and strategy of the patient, and discern the common ways that the
corpus experiences and expresses suffering. When the core organization of a
patient converges with that of a remedy, this is the basis for a prescription.
When there is good convergence but the remedy does not work well enough, the
issue may be potency or dosage or the need for a different remedy, perhaps from
the same homeopathic family.

In the analytical process, themes are not always readily identifiable. In this
instance, the homeopath must keep looking for possible associations between the
elements until a theme begins to emerge. As one maps the various themes, their
interrelationship can be described as well as their hierarchy, both of which help
to reveal the overall organization of the patient system.

Repertorization may be helpful, though it generally plays a subordinate role,
prompting further exploration rather than determining the remedy choice. The
repertorization is conducted with an emphasis on combining symptoms to
approximate themes, or using rubrics that have special relevance to core issues
in the patient. Both are weighted according to the relative importance of the
symptom or theme to the overall picture of the patient.

Case analysis does not generally involve much focus on strange, rare and
peculiar symptoms. The issue is not to determine whether a symptom is rare but
whether it is relevant. If so, then it may be helpful to the analysis—more so if it
is strongly related to an important theme.

Analyzing cases according to the Method of Complexity is challenging initially
because it is theme-based, and most traditional sources of information do not
readily provide this kind of information. Once themes have been adequately
articulated, however, it becomes relatively easy to adapt other information to the
existing framework, as opposed to getting lost in a sea of data. In the case of
less-known remedies, the framework, partially borrowed from well-known
remedies, can fill in the missing gaps.
The Problem of the Repertory
One of the chief challenges in the current practice of homeopathic medicine is
overemphasis on the repertory for study of remedies and case analysis. The
primary problem is how the repertory is constructed: parsing elements of a
remedy into small, disjointed fragments, denuded of context. Distributing these
fragments to different sections of the repertory further separates the symptom
from its context, including its natural relationship to other symptoms.

The repertory was originally designed to prompt further investigation into other
remedies, not to become an end in itself. It was not created to become a
reductive calculus for number and degree of symptoms, though many use it that
way.

The repertory works best as an adjunct to materia medica and case studies, not as
their replacement. So too, materia medica needs to maintain depth, context and
coherence, and not devolve into a mere repertory-like listing of symptoms.

Imagine taking the symbol of a star in a hundred different poems, and codifying
its various meanings. Even so, no matter how much data one could extract, it
would fail to provide the meaning of the metaphor in context. The only way to
glean this is to read the poem itself. In a similar way, the repertory provides
much useful data, but not what is essential: the nuanced meaning of the
individual expression in context.

Other challenges posed by the repertory include listing remedies where they
don’t belong and giving them the wrong grade. In the first case, the traditional
literature is full of many occasional symptoms that do not reflect core issues of
the remedy. Listing these symptoms in a spirit of ‘every symptom from a
proving or case is useful’ just creates clutter and confuses rather than clarifies.

Sometimes the rubric is too literal and doesn’t capture the contextual meaning.
Consider an adult patient needing Allium sativum who likes to play with trains or
engage in other similar past-times. The rubric should not be ‘plays with trains’
which is flat and provides no contextual meaning. The issue is not the train per
se, but the fact that an adult is engaged in a child-like activity. Given this
context, the more appropriate rubric would be ‘childish’ or ‘nostalgia’.

Sometimes the rubric is too basic and doesn’t capture the nuance of the symptom
under consideration. Symptoms produced by the corpus through the medium of
the body represent a kind of artistic expression. They are meaning laden and help
elucidate qualities of the underlying system. When these subtleties are erased
through oversimplification and flattening of the particular into the generic—for
ease of categorization and comparison—the symptomatic expression is deprived
of its essential meaning.

Another difficulty is that remedies are often graded incorrectly. Some high-grade
symptoms were simply copied from book to book, and in the process
accidentally gained a reputation for being important. Meanwhile, many
symptoms with a lower grade, often from less-known remedies, should be
graded much higher. Until this issue is resolved, it may be more accurate to
ignore symptom grades altogether.
Polycrests
The term polycrest is derived from the Greek polu- ‘many’ and kharaosos ‘use’.
It has a mythical quality: the panacea, the healing agent that cures all ills. From
the Method of Complexity perspective, some remedies may have a slightly wider
application, like Arnica for bruises. But in most cases, the specific picture of
every remedy, when used constitutionally, has a relatively narrow bandwidth; it
applies to a specific personality and strategy and is not so useful for individuals
who fall outside of these parameters. This raises the question, “Do polycrests
even exist?” According to this approach, the answer would be a qualified “No.”

Those remedies traditionally considered to be polycrests are overrepresented in
the repertory. In many larger repertories, Sulphur can exceed 15,000 listed
symptoms. Remedies like Natrum muriaticum and Calcarea carbonica are not
far behind. A mid-level polycrest like Bryonia still has over 8,000 symptoms,
and a lesser polycrest like Ambra grisea, nearly 3,500. Meanwhile smaller
remedies like Crataegus have barely more than 100 symptoms.

To some, the number of symptoms in polycrests is proof of their potency. And
the fact that polycrests are so prominent in every repertorization suggests they
can cure every ill. By the same token, less-known remedies, because they are not
prominent in most repertorizations, may be deemed less effective and too narrow
in their field of action. From this perspective, polycrests are like queens on the
chessboard, and less-known remedies, mere pawns.

For these reasons, some homeopaths limit themselves to polycrests exclusively,
using no more than 50 to 100 remedies for all of their prescribing, as if this
could adequately cover the full spectrum of what people present. This small
number of options can cause a homeopath to force an analysis, as if jamming a
square peg into a round hole. In so doing, an inappropriate weight is given to
incidental symptoms in order to justify a prescription.

When the remedy has too many rubrics, a blanket of fog surrounds it, potentially
obfuscating its true actions, even if the remedy is well known and well-
elaborated. It is interesting how Mangialavori’s interpretations of polycrest
remedies tend to be narrower and more specific than what is usually presented.

According to the Method of Complexity, the goal is to reasonably know a wide
range of remedies well. Prescribing only well-known traditional remedies is like
using a pie server to scrape paint or a pipe wrench to pull out a nail. The right
tool is needed for the job. For this reason, there needs to be a reasonably
extensive toolbox to manage the variety of human experience.
Types of Symptoms
According to the Method of Complexity, symptoms can be categorized as
occasional, recurrent or structural. Occasional symptoms are incidental and do
not reflect core concerns of the patient or remedy. Often they come and go
spontaneously during acute illnesses, like the various symptoms associated with
a particular cold or flu. Though they have no core relevance, they are often
added to the repertory anyway.

The following Opium symptoms are all occasional, even though they are
inaccurately listed as third degree symptoms.
Asthmatic attack, ailments during a. ***
Cheerfulness, gaiety, happiness, chill during. ***
Delirium, chill during. ***
Dreams, amorous. ***
Extremities, twitching, convulsions during. ***
Fear, diarrhea from. ***
Heated, becoming agg. in bed. ***
Stool Watery. ***

These are mixed in with keynotes of Opium (also listed as third degree) that are
important for understanding the remedy.
Analgesia. ***
Catalepsy, fright after. ***
Coldness. ***

Meanwhile other important symptoms of Opium are only listed as first degree.

Delusions, imaginations, flying, he or she is. *
Delusions, imaginations, heaven is in. *
Delusions, imaginations, light, incorporeal, immaterial, he is. *
Extremities enlargement, sensation of. *
Fancies, power, increased of. *
Indifference, apathy; agreeable things to. *
Motion, motions, lost or diminished power of. *
Theorizing, gigantic. *

The listing of occasional symptoms leads to remedies being included in rubrics
where they don’t belong. In Mind, hysteria (third degree), for example, one can
find remedies that are not hysterical (Aurum metallicum, Magnesium
muriaticum, Silica) mixed in with remedies that are (Asafoetida, Moschus or
Valeriana.) Unfortunately, most of the symptoms in the repertory are occasional
and more likely to hinder rather than help an analysis.

Recurrent symptoms tend to be historical. Their persistence confirms their
importance. Examples of recurrent symptoms include the typical catarrhal or
digestive headaches experienced by the Milk remedies or the characteristic
suffocation and tightness in the Snakes.

The same symptoms or the same type of symptoms may reappear (often with the
same modalities). It is crucial not to be overly focused on the exact symptom or
the repetition and coherency might be missed. Additionally, the frequency and
severity in recurrence can help in measuring patient progress over time.

Structural symptoms are related to the remedy’s structure and strategy and its
fundamental themes. They arise naturally and directly from the system, with all
its inherent strengths and weaknesses, as it exerts itself to maintain
compensation. Such symptoms are largely permanent unless modified by good
long-term treatment and/or a significant shift in one’s life.

The following structural symptoms reflect Lac caninum’s structure, adaptive
strategy, and fundamental themes.

Antagonism with herself
Anxiety about his family
Aversion to herself
Contemptuous of self
Delusions, imaginations, is despised
Dreams, journey, had to walk alone
Irresolution, indecision
Liar, believes all she says is a lie
Yielding disposition
Emptiness, hollow sensation
Emptiness, weak feeling, faintness, goneness, hungry feeling, eating, not amel.
by

The following are structural symptoms of Tarentula hispanica.

Abusive, insulting
Busy, fruitlessly
Delusions, imaginations, is going to be attacked
Destructiveness, cunning
Eating, refuses
Feigning sick
Mania, madness, abuses everyone
Symptoms in Context
Symptoms must be understood within their frame of reference. Weeping in
Pulsatilla might represent regressive manipulation; in Arnica, progress in
accepting one’s innate vulnerability. A high fever for Silica might demonstrate
an ongoing immune problem; for Carcinosinum, an improved inflammatory
reaction.

For Bryonia or Calcarea fluorica, working harder may support their
compensation, helping them to achieve more income and independence. For
Coffea cruda or Nux vomica, working harder might move them closer to
decompensation and burnout. For Manganum and Piper methysticum, on the
other hand, it could be reparative and help bring them out of depression.

Finally, the inherent vulnerabilities of a remedy tend to be more stressed at
particular points of the life arc. It is more common to see tonsillitis or otitis in a
child, and enlargement of the prostate or beginning dementia in an older patient.
Oppositional symptoms tend to peak in adolescence, and feelings of failure, at
midlife. Calcarea’s insecurities related to dependency come more to the fore in
childhood. Lachesis’ need to have a sexual and potent image is seriously
threatened during the change of life. Arsenicum’s severe mistrust of others is
most activated in old age when she must rely on strangers to come into her home
and take care of her.
Conclusion
The term ‘complex’ in Method of Complexity is not meant to suggest that this
approach is inordinately difficult or complicated. It does require some work to
elaborate essential themes and construct a holistic view of the remedy system.
Once this is accomplished however, it becomes relatively easy to understand
how the remedy functions and how it is similar and different from other
remedies. Classification into homeopathic families also makes analysis easier by
narrowing the field to the most likely candidates.

Imagine the trope of a jigsaw puzzle with a picture of a Dutch landscape: a field
of orange and red tulips under a blue sky. One can view the micro (one puzzle
piece connects to another), the medio (orange tulips go together, as do the red,
and the blue sky), and the macro (the overall puzzle configuration and border).
By analogy, symptoms (micro) can be joined to each other, built up into themes
(medio), and connected into an entire organization (macro). It proceeds by one
simple step at a time. Meanwhile, the homeopath keeps an eye on all of it—the
small to the large and the large to the small—putting the pieces together until the
puzzle is completed, in other words, until the patient and the simillimum are
revealed.
MILK REMEDIES

Milk is a substance that is unique to mammals.
It is a complex mixture of nutrients; fats, protein,

antibodies, and lactose are just a few of the
ingredients that comprise this liquid. Milk
provides an easily digested food for newborns
and the very young that helps them grow until
they are mature enough to digest and eat the
foods that will comprise their diets for the rest of
their lives.

The composition of milk varies according to the species. It is largely composed
of fat globules, protein, sugars, essential fatty acids, vitamins and water. Milk
composition changes during the stage of lactation, even by time of day. Samples
taken from various animals show a wide range of values for constituents, with
the proportion of fat and protein generally increasing over time.

The period of lactation varies by species. In general, (though not in every case),
the more phylogenetically developed the animal, the fewer the number of
newborns per pregnancy, the longer the period of nursing, the larger the head at
birth. This reduces the possible number of offspring that can be birthed safely as
well as prevents full maturation inside the womb. These newborn enter the world
with greater dependence, in contrast to some prey animals that are born ready to
stand, and almost run, on delivery.

Prey and predator animals have other diverging characteristics, such as eye
placement. Predators have eyes in the front of their heads (consider tigers, sharks
and bears), as do some omnivores like humans and chimpanzees. Prey have eyes
on the sides of their heads (deer, rabbits, sheep) allowing them to keep watch for
predators. And then they don’t need to look too far for their food, as they graze
on the grasses just below their feet.

The human consumption of animal milk seems to have followed the
domestication of animals during the Neolithic period.
However, hunter-gatherers did not consume milk

as a regular part of their diet.
In some areas milk did not become integrated

into the popular diet until 500
years ago. There is still controversy as to the

appropriateness of milk consumption beyond the
weaning years. There is concern that the rise in
obesity and diabetes correlates with the
increased dominance of milk in modern diets.

Milk has a symbolic relationship with the moon, which in many cultures, is
associated with the feminine. Both milk and the moon are white, and the part of
the body that provides milk, the breast, resembles the moon. As a feminine
symbol, the moon connotes emotion, and the cycling of the moon, constant
change. Meanwhile, the Milk remedies are among the most emotional, labile and
changeable remedies of the homeopathic Materia Medica.

The first homeopathic remedy created from milk was Lac caninum. This was a
known
remedy in traditional medicine, used to treat

burns, diphtheria and severe ulcers in the throat.
A few other milks were proven later and were
listed in Henry Clay Allen’s, The Materia
Medica of the Nosodes, including three forms of
cow’s milk—Lac vaccinum (whole milk), Lac
vaccinum defloratum (skim milk) and Lac
vaccinum flos (cream) —as well as Lac felinum.
In recent years, many new remedies have been
added, including numerous domesticated
animals as well as zoo-kept wild animals such as
wolf and lion, and sea mammals like dolphins.
Common Themes
Family
Identity
For
Milk remedies, the idea of family often looms as

Milk remedies, the idea of family often looms as
a large entity that extends across generations. It

can seem all-important and inescapable in a way
that provides security but is also suffocating.
These remedies are deeply identified with their
family on many levels and usually struggle with
how to cultivate a sense of self in order to
become an independent adult.
Abandonment and Separation
Milk remedies tend to have severe problems with grief such that even minor
losses can provoke very strong reactions. With a few exceptions, Milks usually
fear any significant separation from their family. Though they may have been
truly loved by their family, they fear that they would be rejected and abandoned
if they were not to fulfill what they perceive to be their familial obligations.
Instinctual Integration
Milks tend to struggle with integrating instinctive power and pleasure. Some
suppress their anger because it’s not acceptable to their family, though a few can
be oppositional, often in a more indirect and passive way. Even in these
remedies, there is difficulty learning how to be angry in a way that is healthy,
vigorous, assertive, and productive. Milk remedies may also struggle with
pleasure, with taking the time to explore who they are and what they like, and
giving themselves permission to pursue this.
Opposition
For
a number of Milk remedies, most notably Lac

suis, Lac caprinum, Lac glama and Lac asinum,
there can be opposition and defiance. In general,
remedies in this homeopathic family do not
generally know how to stand on their own two
feet. Like adolescents, they may offer some
protest as a way to seem like a strong individual
who knows their own mind.
Irresolution
Milks tend to have incredible difficulty making decisions large and small.
Sometimes they simply follow the family’s lead. A few lock themselves into
opinions to appear strongly decisive so that they don’t seem weak. But this
rigidity is brittle, a false strength. Underneath, they don’t tend to know their
genuine thoughts and feelings about things.
Independence / Dependence
Milks often struggle to hide how immature and dependent they are from
themselves and other people. To this end, they may pretend to be more
autonomous than they really are. Or they may pick strategies to make themselves
independent or prove that they are self-sufficient already. These strategies mimic
what children tend to do sometimes in order to seem more grown-up. A
pervasive challenge here is that Milks don’t feel a sense of permission to become
their own person, and they feel too dependent to venture very far in this
direction.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
The
struggle between doing what the family wants

and becoming one’s own person may be
reflected in the corpus and body. Milks tend to
feel as though one part of them belongs to family
and the other to self. This issue of two different
parts or sides occurs also in the physical body
where symptoms are often symmetrical, within
one area (right or left, upper or lower), and then
move to the opposite area.
Recurrent
Symptoms
Milk remedies tend to have cyclical symptoms that recur frequently, perhaps
according to season, climate, time of day, or certain situational conditions.
In a similar way, Milk remedies circle around

the same basic developmental problems
repeatedly, wanting to change them, but
seemingly unable to accomplish this. Meanwhile
the family pattern that supports and constricts
them seems immovable and unchanging.
Difficult Digestion
These remedies are susceptible to pancreatic insufficiency and may have
problems with digestion. This can affect their food choices, their appetite and
their relationship to food, which can potentially result in developing an eating
disorder.
Digestive
Headaches
Mammals have a larger encephalization quotient than other animals, which may
have some impact on head-related symptoms in Milk remedies.
On the other hand, it is not necessarily the case

that mammals with smaller brains, in proportion
to body mass, have fewer headaches. The issue
may be that ingestion of milk affects the sinuses
because it is mucus forming, which in turn
contributes to headaches. Milk is a common
trigger for headaches, along with caffeine,
alcohol, chocolate, and other substances. In Milk
remedies, headaches are quite common and seem
to be bear some relation to poor digestion.
Oblativity
Many Milk remedies appear to be
service-oriented. Some like Lac delphinum

genuinely take care of others. Others perform
their good deeds out of a sense of duty or
because they are slavishly submissive or have
ulterior motives.
Painful Withdrawal
Milks tend to feel obliged to do as their family (in the broadest sense of this
term) requires, which may include providing a lot of support and assistance. In
some cases, it’s as though they need pain to have permission to withdraw from
the world and from the demands that seem to be put upon them. Often it is
within this space that they feel some sense of self. Headaches are a somatic
expression of this need, and
specifically require a quiet, solitary area to rest.

THE
REMEDIES
LAC CANINUM

CANIS LUPUS FAMILIARIS

Canis lupus familiaris, or the domestic dog, is a member of the Canidae family
and a subspecies of the wolf or Canis lupus. DNA evidence suggests that the dog
split from the wolf lineage approximately 100,000 years ago, with
archaeological remains demonstrating morphological differences at least 14,000
years ago. One theory is that the dog was bred in Asia from wolves and these
disseminated throughout the rest of the world as people traded and traveled.
Another theory suggests that there is not one unique ancestor but that different
breeds of dogs came from different kinds of wolves and foxes such as the arctic
fox, Ethiopian wolf, and the South American maned wolf.

What is remarkable is the extraordinary diversity and rapid plasticity of the dog,
ranging in size and color into hundreds of breeds.

Dogs also share similarities with humans making them attractive companions.
They are social, trainable and playful. The loyalty they display as pack animals
is perceived as love and friendship by humans, and the dog views its human
guardian as a member of its pack.

The dog has a polyvalent symbolism, with loyalty, watchfulness, safety and
reliability being hallmark characteristics. In addition, the dog is known for
attachment, pure friendship, fairness, kindness, compassion and understanding,
as well as an ability to forgive and forget.

The dog is also symbolically linked to death. In some ancient cultures the dog is
the guardian of the gates of Hades, as well as a psychopompos, serving to guide
the dead to the afterlife. Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, is represented
with the head of a dog or jackal. Garm is a monstrous dog that guards the
underworld in Norse mythology.

Dog’s milk has been used medicinally for several millennia. Dioscorides,
Rhasis, Pliny, Sammonicus and Sextus discuss its varied uses: affections of the
ear and eye such as otitis and photophobia, as well as gynecological uses such as
ulceration of the os and removal of the fetus. It was also used as an antidote to
poison.

The original dog that was milked in the production and proving of this remedy
was a Rottweiler. Since that time, different breeds have been used to make the
remedy, without apparent concern that these may evidence different qualities.
COMMON AILMENTS
Adenoma, prostate / Aphthous ulcers / Arthritis, juvenile Back pain, cervical,
lumbar Bruxism Bulimia Conjunctivitis / Constipation, chronic / Cystitis,
recurrent / Diabetes, gestational / Diabetes, senile / Dysmenorrhea / Enuresis
Food intolerance, milk Gout / Headache, frontal and digestive / Hearing loss,
early Herniation, inguinal Herniation, lumbar disc / Hyperemesis gravidarum /
Hyperprolactinemia / Incontinence, urinary, female / Insomnia / Mastodynia /
Ménière's disease / Myopia / Nausea / Neuralgia, trigeminal / Osteoarthritis, hip
Panic Pharyngitis, chronic / Photophobia / Pituitary insufficiency, human growth
hormone Polyps, vocal cords Ptyalism of pregnancy / Reflux esophagitis /
Sinusitis Spasm, masseter muscle Vaginitis, recurrent Varices, lower limbs
Vertigo
THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Lac caninum tends to fear that their family will abandon them unless they
conform to the family’s demands. Whether or not this is objectively true, Lac
caninum perceives this threat to be real and it generates anguish. This remedy is
over-identified with the idea of their family, feeling dominated and suffocated by
them, as if they can’t escape their influence.
Dependent
While all Milks are dependent to some degree on their family, this aspect is
especially pronounced in Lac caninum, and easily observable in the very first
intake. A complicating factor is that they can feel extraordinarily dependent on
and obligated to two different families at the same time—their original family
and their nuclear family, where they are the spouse and/or parent. In situations
where there is conflict, and they cannot adequately serve both, Lac caninum can
become extremely stressed and confused about what to do.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
To Lac caninum, and many other Milks, ‘family’ seems like a giant entity, a
huge monolithic structure that extends back across time, across generations. On
the one hand, they tend to feel great pride and admiration for their family, their
history, and all that’s been accomplished by them. They also feel gratitude to the
family for simply being alive, for having been given permission to exist, as well
as for the ongoing support that they have received over time. In response, Lac
caninum feels a tremendous debt to them that must be repaid.

On the other hand, these strong ties can make it difficult to differentiate oneself
from the stream and flow of family. The family influence simply feels too strong
and too limiting to escape, though Lac caninum may not be consciously aware of
this. They typically feel as though they must adapt and submit to whatever the
family wants, like a small insignificant cog in a much bigger machine. Humbly
taking their submissive role in the family, they become completely identified
with the family’s needs and expectations—some of which seem overwhelming
—and cut off from their own individual needs, wants and desires. Because they
constantly dread conflict or disapproval, for fear it will lead to rejection, if such
an impulse does come into consciousness, they suppress it.

Lac caninum may dream about the ghosts of family members who have passed
away. These dreams may suggest the enduring quality of the family even across
the boundary of generations and death. Ghosts in general tend to represent
something that was unresolved in life that does not allow one to pass over. As
such, these images can represent projections of problematic parts of Lac
caninum as they are unable to differentiate from the family and individuate.
These dreams might also point to the pain and regret related to squelching who
they are.
Abandonment
Lac caninum tends to be deeply enmeshed with their family and fears any
potential abandonment from them; they may be too insecure to manage on their
own. In general, they believe that they must please others and avoid conflict or
their family might abandon them. If such a loss were to occur, they would be
doubly devastated by the inability to give back to their family. In general, they
feel a burden to repay all that was done for them, and would feel awful guilt if
unable to do so.

Any loss can be especially difficult for them. If a family member dies or goes
away, they often suffer terribly for a very long time, all the while having no idea
what to do with themselves. As a result, they are not only overwhelmed about
the loss itself, but by the fact that they have such a poor ability to cope with it. In
other words, it reminds them how truly deficient they are. And it may seem to
them as if they are always losing someone.
Integration of Instincts
Lac caninum may feel hindered in expressing their own needs, assertiveness and
anger. They may actively suppress this part of who they are because they don’t
have a strong sense of self, and basically subjugate themselves in service to their
family. This can lead to anger and frustration, but they’re too afraid to let it out
for fear it will injure the other person or permanently damage essential
relationships.

In their mind, indulging the most minute personal need could have the same
effect. A possible break in relationship might, in turn, prevent repayment of the
all-important debt to their family, which could inspire tremendous guilt. For
these reasons, they don’t dare express who they really are, that would be far too
risky. Additionally, they often feel that their desires are innately wrong, bad,
dirty, disgusting.

Lac caninum is often afraid of injuring others. They may hesitate to ride a bike
or drive a car lest they accidentally run somebody over. They might be
concerned about walking around the house for fear of stepping on their child’s
foot, or hesitate to use a knife, as they might not see what they’re doing. Such
fears may be an expression of suppressed aggression. Somatically, all this
constriction may affect their vision, making them myopic, which also gives them
an excuse not to ride a bike or drive a car.

They may have an ambivalent feeling about animals. They can be mesmerized
watching a snake on a footpath or on their TV, as if this creature resonates with
some hidden instinctual force inside them. On the other hand, because they are
so uncomfortable with their instinctive side, any symbol of this can cause alarm.
So the appearance of a snake can also create fear about hidden forces, i.e., their
instincts, creeping through the nooks and crannies of their defensive structure
and escaping into their conscious life.

Finally, all this suppression may be too much to hold back, and a burst of rage
finally punches through. Usually they are more verbally than physically angry;
their bark is worse than their bite. Sometimes this anger is directed at a
supernatural force, like Mother Nature or God, and they may privately curse, as
if this being is somehow responsible for the problems occurring within their
family situation.
Irresolution
In most cases, it’s extremely difficult for Lac caninum to make up their mind
because they usually don’t know who they are. Even if they could figure out
what they wanted, this might conflict with what they think their family prefers.
In general, they fear change, but also find the status quo insufferable, so they just
stay stuck, unable to move one way or the other.

Even the most basic decisions can be difficult for Lac caninum. When choosing
a pair of shoes, they’re typically more concerned about whether others will like
them, and don’t have any idea what their own preferences are.

Lac caninum can feel stuck about how they manage their emotions. They have
such a bad image of themselves that they tend to stay away from their feelings in
general. And when feelings do arise, they’re not sure what to share; they don’t
want to bore or annoy other people so they restrain how they engage their
feelings and share their emotions. They just feel blocked at times.

The Lac caninum child, even if bright, might appear slow and may struggle with
disabilities that affect their communication. Sometimes when they talk, they
stammer, as if undecided about what words to choose. This indecision can
manifest in their body as well. When elderly, they may have tenesmus, with a
strong and sometimes painful urge to urinate or defecate, yet are too blocked to
go.

Lac caninum generally has a static temperament and dislikes change. This can
make them ambivalent about treatment. Though generally submissive to the
doctor, they can become resistant to deeper treatment that attempts to change
their way of functioning. Any alteration from the norm, even a positive one, may
be too overwhelming to manage.
CHARACTERISTIC THEMES
Dependence // Independence (3)
Lac caninum is one of the most dependent of all the Milks. He tends to be
closely tied to the maternal image in his life and feels that he must morph
himself to be whatever the family requires: ‘I am what you want me to be’. He
feels that he cannot possibly survive in life without the support and structure of
his original family. When decompensated, he may feel emotionally blackmailed
as if the family were saying, “Serve us in the way we require or we’ll withdraw
support.” Some of these issues are represented by his problem with clothes. If he
happens to wear clothes that he feels aren’t his style, he can have symptoms of
being constricted and uncomfortable. This could lead the homeopath to consider
a Snake remedy, but the real issue is not about being choked, but about feeling
as if one’s identity were suffocated. Additionally, he has dreams of being
pressured toward the floor, to the ground, by a sense of gravity and weight, not
allowing him to rise up and stand on his own feet. This weight is not limited to
one area, for example, the perineum as in Sepia, but is felt throughout the entire
body.
Obligatory Oblativity (2)

Lac caninum feels that he has no choice but to be oblative in precisely the way
that others, especially his family, need him to be. Thus he tends to become very
obsequious to those within his family circle. (It is interesting to note that breast
symptoms are more common for this remedy than other Milks.) It’s as if Lac
caninum must consume his body, his blood, to make milk, constantly giving to
others at tremendous cost to himself.
Submission
Lac caninum is one of the most adaptable and submissive remedies of the
materia medica. He makes himself completely submissive to his family,
especially his parents, yielding to their power and authority and dutifully
attending to their every need. He may vigilantly attune to others’ desires, trying
to anticipate what they want before it is even expressed, like a surgeon’s
assistant with the required tool in hand before it is requested, or a caretaker who,
without a word, knows when to run a bath for his employer. Being so obsequious
to others impedes his ability to evolve into a differentiated individual.
Immaturity
As with other themes, Lac caninum can express immaturity throughout his entire
system—mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically. He tends to be
relatively young and delayed emotionally; overly dependent on his family and
later on his spouse; and generally unable to stand on his own two feet. Physical
immaturity might also be expressed by late hormonal development.
Painful Withdrawal
Lac caninum’s system can produce different symptoms that require him to
withdraw from the world into his own space. Most typically, he gets headaches,
which he uses to retire from company into the dark and silence. Though he needs
this to feel better physically, it also provides a temporary break from serving
others and is one of the few ways that he can partially connect to himself.

Lac caninum may sustain a variety of small injuries, like falling on the floor and
getting bruised. It is difficult to say whether he does this intentionally or
subconsciously. Either way, these injuries provide another reason to withdraw.
At the same time, they may be how he punishes himself for having an instinctive
urge. He fears that such impulses make him less compliant and could create
friction with his family. If his family was vegetarian, for example, and he had a
desire to eat sausage, he might ‘accidentally’ bite his tongue for even having this
thought. In these situations, he seeks refuge more out of shame than a need for
repose.
Swelling
Lac caninum, like other Milks, tends to feel strong swelling in the head.
Meanwhile there can be an uncomfortable sense that different parts or regions of
the body function differently. In terms of swelling, this difference is often felt
between the upper and lower parts of the body. If the swelling in the head is
much more than that in the belly, Lac caninum may have an ambivalent desire
for the belly to feel an equal level of pain and congestion to balance the two.
Passive Congestion
Lac caninum has a tendency to retain too much liquid, leading to a heavy,
congested feeling, particularly in the lower part of his body. Subjectively, he
feels as though there is a blockage impeding flow, just as he feels blocked with
his family and with his work. He describes his pains as inescapable, as
something he must simply submit to (like his family).
Difficult Discharge
Lac caninum finds it difficult to discharge. He can have the sensation that
something is blocked inside and not moving easily to the outside. It may be
associated with dryness and inadequate flow of fluids, generating pain when
pushing something out. His discharges often leave a little smell or leave a light
spot as if he were making a mild, timid attempt to mark his territory.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain appears in one half of the body—either right or left, or upper or lower—and
then moves to the other half. There can be many kinds of pain or symptoms,
including headaches, skin eruptions and pain in the testes or ovaries. What is
specific to Lac caninum is that the symptom is generally stronger on one side
than the other (and usually stronger on the side where it starts). Thus there may
be head pain starting on the right, moving to the left, then returning to the right
where it is most painful. Or in PMS, the left breast hurts terribly and then the
right breast begins to hurt, though less than on the other side.
COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

Congestive Pain (3)
Lac caninum has a tone that is more vagal than sympathetic. Along with this, he
can have a feeling of being cold and flabby, with low blood pressure. All this
leads to a state of passive congestion that is typical for Milk remedies. These
congestions take place all over the body, especially the head, chest (lungs or
breasts), and stomach. There is often a feeling that something is blocked, leading
to fullness and eventually to painful congestion. This can be a somatic
representation of how his family seems to block the flow of his life and energy.
That the congestion is passive is also significant, since Lac caninum is such a
passive person himself. The pains seem to come toward him and he must simply
endure them; there is no other choice. Even so, these pains have a positive aspect
in that they allow him to withdraw and enjoy some peace and quiet by himself.
Recurrent Pain (3)

Lac caninum believes that his suffering is unavoidable; it’s the price he must pay
in life. On a somatic level, this belief manifests as recurrent pains that cannot be
avoided—because they keep returning, with slight alterations—and so must
simply be endured. A similar pattern occurs in other Milks, though to a lesser
degree. Symbolically, this pattern is lunar because it is mutable and cyclical,
whereas a solar pattern is immutable and fixed. In some cultures, there is an
association between the moon and the wolf—and by extension, his close
domesticated relative, the dog.
Digestive Headache
Most Lac caninum cases present with a digestive headache. Subjectively, it
seems to emanate from deep within his system, traveling to the head and settling
in the frontal region. From there, it may extend to other parts of the head or
body, including down the spine to the coccyx or the feet. The location of the
pain is often symmetrical, starting on one side of the head and moving to the
other, or moving from the upper to the lower part of the body. The sensation is
an expansion that won’t stop and therefore becomes increasingly, painfully
compressed when it meets a physical barrier.
Difficult Digestion
Digestive complaints are common and may start with weaning, as if the infant
wanted to keep breastfeeding forever. His system is slow to mature and
assimilate a variety of foods and changes in feeding patterns. With time, Lac
caninum never seems to graduate to an adult relationship with food, preferring to
avoid complex cuisine for simpler fare that is easier to digest. Lac caninum lacks
a sophisticated palate and generally derives little enjoyment from the experience
of eating.
Hyperphagia
Lac caninum often channels his unexpressed aggression into food. He overeats
and then feels guilty about it—either of which can make his stomach upset. He
tries to keep his gluttony secret. When decompensated, he seeks more savory
food (but is still unsatisfied), and has a tendency toward bulimia.
Hyperosmia
Lac caninum can have unusually keen senses, particularly sight and smell. When
compensated, Lac caninum may complain about smelling bad environmental
odors that seem to attach themselves to his body. As he becomes more
decompensated, he may believe himself to be the cause of these horrendous
odors. Feeling terribly guilty about this, he may become obsessive-compulsive
about cleaning and washing.
Photophobia
Lac caninum is sensitive to light. This often comes into play with other
symptoms such as headache. Photophobia may reflect his desire to withdraw into
darkness, and quiet so that he can be alone and undisturbed.
Vertigo
Lac caninum can have vertigo associated with different pathologies such as
headaches, Ménière's, cervical rigidity and spasm, stomach complaints with
nausea, etc. But if the other complaint resolves, the vertigo often remains or
reappears. This symptom can be functional in that it allows him to withdraw. He
may like the sensation: feeling detached as if his head were floating away. On a
somatic level, vertigo can reflect his inability to be strong and grounded, and to
stand on his own two feet.
Symmetrical Eruption
Lac caninum can have a variety of skin eruptions with a symmetrical
presentation. Usually there are two types: eruptions that are typically painful for
the general population, like herpes, but rather painless for Lac caninum and vice
versa.
Milk
Lac caninum may crave milk and other simple dairy items such as ricotta and
mozzarella cheese, rather than more complex, strongly flavored, aged cheeses
like Parmesan. He may consume these foods to excess even though he has
trouble digesting them. With reduced consumption, his symptoms tend to
improve.
ORGANIZATION OF PERSONALITY
DREAMS
Lac caninum often dreams about family members, present or deceased, some of
whom appear as ghosts. These dreams can represent how enmeshed he is with
his family. Many dreams highlight how inadequate he feels about himself.
Lac caninum has many dreams about animals, particularly worms, snakes,
insects and other (symbolically) dirty creatures that invade his most intimate
spaces, like his bathroom, bedroom, and bed. The phylogenetic distance of these
animals from humans reveals that these elements of instinct and shadow are
poorly integrated and far removed from consciousness. They get very close to
him in a way that is aggressive, terrifying and unavoidable, as well as
fascinating, compelling, and perhaps sexual.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS
Lac caninum has a weak constitution mentally, emotionally and physically, and
he is not able to organize himself in a mature and independent way. Like other
Milks, he has an emotional temperament, but tends to clamp down on his
emotional expression for fear that he won’t be appropriate or will somehow
cause injury to someone else.

He can be quite intelligent, using this to be responsible, adaptive and pleasing to
others, as well as to avoid potential conflicts. He can accomplish a lot if he
commits himself to an ideal of service and stays well-connected to his family
structure. However, if there are problems within the family that cause him to not
feel supported, his system becomes much weaker.

Like all Milks, Lac caninum has a tendency to be sensitive and excitable, but, his
corpus, more than the others, reacts efficiently to dampen this down. This
tendency to suppress while everything keeps piling up underneath can make him
heavy and congested. He has what might be called a ‘silent corpus’: there is
much going on inside, but he is not in touch with it, and very little of this is
expressed. As a result, Lac caninum may produce a variety of somatic
complaints related to congestion such as mastitis, constipation and retention of
fluids. But this level of suppression can also predispose to more serious illnesses
such as cancer.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac caninum can be deeply impacted by loss, particularly losses associated with
family members, such as when children leave home. Any loss seems to get stuck
in his system, and so it seems impossible to ever address or resolve his grief and
move forward.

Important life choices are overwhelming since he seems incapable of making a
decision. This vulnerability may be translated to his body where he becomes stiff
and unable to physically respond to a choice.

Lac caninum can be extremely uncomfortable with his instinctive desires and
aggressive impulses. He tends to suffocate both and submissively defer to what
other people need. In general, to show aggression is much more complicated and
problematic for Lac caninum compared to the other Milks. Being blocked from
expressing this part of himself can lead to decompensation and the development
of diseases, like rheumatism, that block the body from natural movement.

Additional points of decompensation can occur when his needs are too severely
suppressed; his autonomy must be asserted, e.g., in adolescence, launching into
adulthood, or during a crisis; too many demands are made that he cannot uphold;
a relationship fails; a family member dies; or he faces a situational change, e.g.,
moving to a new school as a child or a new job as an adult.
COMPENSATION
Lac caninum does not believe that he can manage on his own. He is enmeshed
with his family and relies on them heavily for support. He acts subservient to
them, suppressing his own needs and desires in order to support them in
whatever ways they specify. By serving them, he believes that he will remain in
their good graces, continue to receive their support and avoid potential
abandonment. Rather than attempting to develop and mature into adulthood, he
maintains a child-like state of dependency on his family. He can remain well-
compensated so long as he can receive his family’s support; his situation doesn’t
change too much or too often, and he can continue to fulfill his self-prescribed
role of obsequious service to others.
COMPLICATIONS
As with other Milks, Lac caninum is between a rock and a hard place. He feels
caged and suffocated by his family but is too afraid to wean himself from their
support and become his own person. The more he reaches for support, the more
dependent he becomes.

Lac caninum mistakenly believes that his family could abandon him if he were
to displease them. This fear unnecessarily locks him into a permanent
dependency, preventing him from gaining the maturity and self-reliance that
would help him to become his own person and overcome such fears.

Different from some other Milks, Lac caninum may try to satisfy an ever-
growing number of people. This can create more internal conflict since he keeps
displacing his own needs, and in a sense, humiliating himself, while taking on
relationships that invade him and press down on him. Meanwhile, as things get
worse, he must work even harder to adapt, to keep his discomfort hidden, and act
as if everything is perfectly fine.

Instinctive anger is designed to help him stand up for himself. When he
suppresses this anger so as not to disturb others, he deprives himself of the very
tool that could help him overcome the need to be dependent and subservient in
the first place.
DECOMPENSATION
When his strategy begins to break down, he can feel depressed, full of anguish
and lost. He may seek for guidance: “Tell me what to do. I did whatever possible
to make you happy and now I don’t know what else to do.” His pathologies of
blocking and passive congestion may increase, and his system may gravitate
toward a severe, long-lasting pathology. This is an expression of his pain, but
also a means to gain sympathy, attention and care. As with less severe
symptoms, major decompensation also gives him the opportunity to withdraw.
On the other hand, if he is not adequately cared for, he can feel forsaken and
alone.
RESTORATION
With treatment, Lac caninum can learn to express his needs and become his own
person. This means allowing himself to become more assertive without having to
feel guilty about it or fear that he is risking his relationship. He can start to have
honest discussions with his partner, declaring what is important to him, and have
this be understood rather than rejected. This represents a tremendous
accomplishment for Lac caninum.

Besides helping him to stand up for himself, instinctive aggression can be used
in a positive way to help him become more interesting, lively, solid and real.
Meanwhile, he can establish healthier connections within his extended family
without needing to be so subservient. He can also let go of the expectation that
his children need to be dependent and subservient too.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
The original family typically provides much love, care and affection, and a solid
structure to lean on. They tend to stress education, politeness and nonviolence,
which can influence Lac caninum to become conflict-avoidant and compliant. In
part because of all that he receives from them, Lac caninum feels that he must
play an oblative role. The feeling is that the family is investing in him with the
expectation that he will repay this someday with interest.
Nuclear Family
In the nuclear family, Lac caninum is usually loyal, devoted, highly responsible,
overly giving and extremely affectionate. He tends to create a family system that
is enmeshed and codependent. He may impose his presence, like a parentin-law
who insinuates themself into the lives of their grown children, perhaps moving
into one of their bedrooms or buying the house next door. He may eventually
develop an illness that obliges them to take him in and provide care.
RELATIONSHIP PATTERNS
Lac caninum often looks for a strong partner whom he is subservient to and
constantly tries to please. But because he has not developed a self, there is no
self for this partner to interact with. He is so conflict avoidant and subservient
that it is difficult to generate any heat or spice in the relationship, and eventually
the partner may seek some romantic excitement elsewhere.

In most relationships, he comes across as steady, conservative and boring.
Because he lacks passion and personality, he may struggle to find people who
want to be in relationship with him. In some cases, he does so by soliciting their
pity and compassion.
DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILE
Child & Adolescent
As a child, Lac caninum tends to be kind, obedient, yielding and eager to please.
Compared to other children, he can be overly dependent though this is not
always obviously apparent (given that all children are dependent). Because he
lacks inner strength and a sense of self, developmental steps can be extremely
difficult for him.

As a teen, he’s not usually rebellious but remains consistently obedient. His
schoolmates may find him too compliant and somewhat boring. Meanwhile,
adapting to his new sexual body and feelings can be quite problematic.
Adult
Despite having worked diligently to achieve a good life, by adulthood, years of
neglecting his own needs can take their toll. Though life ‘should be good’, he’s
becoming more melancholic, not sleeping well or struggling with illness. His
spouse may betray him; his children, defying his values, may support the
political opposition. Despite all this, he seldom voices his dissatisfaction, which
can drive the depression even deeper into his system.
Elder
As an elder, he becomes increasingly submissive. He may pity himself for not
being taken care of the same way he did for others before him. At this age Lac
caninum’s manner and mood may become heavy, making him burdensome to
others. He frequently complains about his suffering in order to solicit
compassion and support.
TREATMENT ISSUES
On the first visit, if well-compensated, Lac caninum can seem open and
communicative, relating what he thinks the homeopath wants to hear. As the
homeopath goes deeper, she may sense that he is covering up certain things. It
may take many sessions for him to access these protected areas, either because
he feels ashamed or he simply doesn’t know how to explore his own feelings.
Some of this information is available in his dreams or the metaphorical images
he uses when he talks.

In most cases, Lac caninum wants to seduce the doctor into a close, long-term
therapeutic relationship. He needs to feel special and favored, or fears that the
relationship won’t work. As a ‘good patient’, he may say the treatment is going
better than it really is. On the other hand, he may keep generating symptoms so
that there’s a reason to keep seeing the doctor. In either case, this can be
confusing for the doctor. Generally speaking, he is comfortable with having his
symptoms treated, but may be afraid of deeper level change. He may be willing
to grow so long as he doesn’t have to alter his pattern of dependency.
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
Lac caninum was the first Milk remedy to be proven and has the largest number
of symptoms of Milk remedies in our literature. For these reasons, it is the most
well-known and well-studied Milk remedy and inadvertently serves as the
paradigm for all the other Milks in our materia medica. This does not mean that
it is the most representative remedy of this homeopathic family. What this means
is when Milk themes and symptoms appear in a case, the patient is often
prescribed this remedy. Preferably, these indicators guide one to the Milk family,
where the precise differential could then be made.

While the fundamental themes between this and other Milk remedies are similar,
what is specific to Lac caninum is an extremely yielding, submissive attitude and
an oblativity that feels obligatory. Physical symptoms are similar to other Milks
with headaches, sinusitis and vomiting. What is different is that Lac caninum’s
suffering seems so unresolvable and recurrent, hence inescapable, whether the
periodicity is daily, weekly, monthly or another interval. While some other Milk
remedies such as Lac vaccinum defloratum or Lac asinum also have periodicity,
it is quite marked in the case of this remedy.

At first glance the Calcarea salts, especially Calcarea carbonica, may be
somewhat difficult to distinguish from Lac caninum. Both are very dependent,
submissive, and irresolute. They share many symptoms of physical pathology
such as headaches, breast pathology, and symptoms of passive congestion. They
have similar relationships with milk and food. However, there are some
essential differences. The Calcareas, unlike most of the Milks, don’t struggle to
develop their own identity or to become independent. These remedies are
materially dependent on another person, most likely a partner, to feel secure in
life, whereas Milk remedies are emotionally dependent upon their original
family, and the idea of family in its broadest sense, for their security. Different
from Calcareas, Lac caninum feels immense gratitude and strong ties to his
family, and is careful not to rock the boat lest he displease them and hurt their
feelings, or worse, be rejected and abandoned.

A fairly decompensated case of Lac caninum can be compared to Calcarea
bromatum, Calcarea silicata or Calcarea fluoricum. In these particular Calcarea
remedies, the strong dependence on another, more powerful person can seem
like servitude. They might allow this individual to take extreme advantage of
them to the point that they become debased, doing whatever they must not to be
alone. A similar subjugation can occur for a decompensated Lac caninum who
strives, in a very plastic way, to be whatever the other person wants him to be.

Considering the theme of compulsory oblativity, we can compare Lac caninum
with Rhus toxicodendron and some of the Rosaceae, especially Prunus. Lac
caninum is oblative because he is so dependent on and enmeshed with his
family. Rhus toxicodendron’s service, in the form of practical help, is directed
more to a group or community, and specifically those who comply with the
idealized standards of that community. Break the rules or question convention,
and that service is no longer merited. Neither Lac caninum nor Prunus impose
their ideals on those they serve. Prunus, like Lac caninum, directs her care
primarily toward family members, though Prunus will also provide extensive
help to friends. Both prefer to serve others rather than seek pleasure for
themselves or attend to their own needs. Whereas Prunus wants to exemplify a
personal idealized standard of altruism, Lac caninum simply wants to gain
approval and maintain a secure place in the family.

Lac caninum is one of the most irresolute remedies in our materia medica. Other
remedies that struggle so severely with this issue include some of the Carbon
remedies, especially Carbo vegetabilis, as well as Carcinosinum, Onosmodium
and Lepidium bonariense. Lac caninum’s irresolution stems from an
undeveloped sense of self and an over-identification with his family, whereas the
Carbons do not generally have a strong family connection. Their indecision is
more related to their weakness and fatigue, as if they don’t have the strength and
stamina to participate fully in life and proactively make decisions; they would
rather simply withdraw. Further reflective of this tendency to be passive and
non-participatory, when forced to make a decision, Carbons have an easier time
to say what they don’t like than what they do.

Carcinosinum comes from a loving and protective family she feels obligated to
please by being smart and successful. She does the same with numerous
relationships outside of her family, attempting to meet the expectations of those
who love and esteem her. Her irresolution stems in part from the fact that all
these expectations are not in alignment and may conflict with one another.
Similar to Lac caninum there is a tension between learning to become her own
person and please herself and pleasing others—but while Lac caninum has only
his own family to please, Carcinosinum feels she must meet the expectations of
many others and has greater assertiveness and drive toward individuation.

Onosmodium’s irresolution comes from making mountains out of molehills. He
hesitates on decisions about easy tasks, believing they may take much more
effort than he can muster. For this reason, when he does engage to possibly do
something, he constantly over-prepares. Even in everyday physical movements,
he may lift his leg much higher than necessary to clear an obstacle, or
approaches picking up his cell phone like he is curling a 5-lb. weight.

Lepidium, in contrast to Carcinosinum and Lac caninum, does not usually have
strong support from her family. She tries to care for others according to her own
unmet needs. “I suffered because my family did not recognize or support me. I
will do my best so that others do not have to suffer as I did.” The irresolution of
Lepidium stems from the conflict that doing so much for others causes her own
needs to go unmet again. “I never have time for myself because I am always
helping my friends.”

Other remedies to consider include Cocculus, Candida albicans and Saccharum
album. Each of these can, like Lac caninum, be very oblative in a plastic,
obsequious way. Like Lac caninum, Cocculus is oblative in order to guarantee
her place in the family, in this case, an idealized, loving family that she never
wants to leave. Candida albicans is a peacekeeper who masochistically inhibits
her own anger to keep harmony in the home (often leading to skin somatization).
Saccharum album has a similar difficulty coping with suppressed anger and
aggression, preferring to act sweet—with no hint of discord—even when there is
good reason to be upset. Like Lac caninum, she struggles with issues of loss.
While all these remedies are hyper-adaptable, Lac caninum is especially so,
attempting to become what the other person expects him to be.

CASE OF MATILDE
Matilde is 28 years old and has a striking appearance, in large part owing to her
expressive eyes and face. Despite her strong myopia and thick glasses, her eyes
are extremely communicative. They inspire tenderness, special attention and a
feeling of protectiveness toward her.

She is soberly dressed and tries as well as she can to hide her abundant bosom.
She designs ceramic tiles while attending night school in hopes of getting a
better job and achieving other dreams and desires.

[Matilde begins:]
Eight years ago I had a very strong burning pain, then a ‘loss’ [spotting]. I did
not
menstruate again for another six months so the gynecologist prescribed the Pill. I
continued to see this doctor, but also others in order to ask for their advice.
When I stopped taking the Pill, I did not have my cycle for eight months. I also
went to a psychotherapist and, thanks to his relaxation exercises, I seldom get
burning pains anymore. However, when I do they make up for all the ones I
missed.

§ Recently, while in class, I had burning and then a ‘loss of blood’ (perdita di
sangue). The pain was very strong, reaching all the way to my navel.

§ I always have this pain since then, especially when I am nervous or
uncomfortable. The only way to get rid of it is to use the bidet with cold water
and drink a lot of water. I drink 2-3 liters of water, one right after the other. It’s
as if the pain is somehow concentrated and has to be diluted. I always try to
drink a lot to avoid it coming. § The pains are very strong at the beginning of the
cycle and as soon as I take the Pill. § I don’t feel any ailment in particular, but I
feel better if I don’t take it. I don’t like to take drugs or chemicals that interfere
with my body.

§ I was in Florence and studied architecture, but I stopped when I became
engaged to a boy from my town. § I always wanted to attend art school, but my
mother would not permit it because she didn’t think it would lead to a good job.
I do not like my job at all, but by grace at least I have one.

§ Eighteen months ago my sight started to wane. I am being treated with strong
lenses. § I noticed that I couldn’t see very well from a distance. In the meantime,
I am taking bilberry, beta-carotene and vitamin E. § I have difficulty driving at
night. The light from oncoming headlights appears refracted. If someone is
walking in front of me, I am afraid I will hit him. They seem right there! It’s
true, I do use the computer nine hours a day.

I wake up with clenched teeth. Also, my jaw hurts. § It wakes me up during the
night. § I only have pain at night. § I don’t have any dental problem, and there is
no damage to my teeth at the moment. But they say that is the reason I used to—
and still—suffer from terrible headaches § Really terrible! The pain bounces
from one side to the other, and it seems as if my head is going to explode from
the pressure.

§ Eating is the only thing that I can do for it. § When I was a child, my mother
would give me a cup of milk. If the headache were strong, she would give me
broth. After drinking, I would regain my strength and feel better. This was her
opinion, but actually I would throw up. Maybe that's why I felt better. § In my
opinion the vomiting was a release, but she insists that her preparation is what
really helped. Actually I do not like anything she cooks. That might be the
reason I eat the way I do. I wonder if the food reaches my head and that’s why
my head feels like blowing up.

§ I have had headaches since I was a child and have the same headache
symptoms my mother has. My memory of it goes back to before I was 10 years
old. It would come on before or after the menstruation, seldom during. If the
cycle is interrupted I get a headache apart from my menses.

§ My menarche came when I was 10, but I was already suffering from headaches
before that. § They can be very strong and last two days. § I feel a sort of
tingling sensation on one side, then it spreads all over my head, all at once. It
comes on suddenly, and a few hours later, it feels like an explosion. It always
starts from a different point. If the headache starts out localized in one area, it
does not spread to the whole head, but it can change places. My neck becomes
very rigid, on one side or the other. § I cannot stand up. I have to stay alone and
motionless in the dark with closed eyes.

§ Strong smells and noises irritate me. Perfumes, cheese and stewed foods affect
me. § I feel nauseous, and if I throw up, my headache stops, but not always. That
was more common when I was a child. Pain medicines do not have any effect on
me. § Milk will bother me for sure, but whenever I go home, I can’t tell my
mother that I don’t want the milk she prepares for me. So I vomit.

§ I used to throw up quite often because of dizzy spells. § The first diagnosis
was Ménière's, but I don’t believe it. § Because of how this comes on. When I
feel the headache starting, I feel bad and become deeply worried.

§ The emotional sensation is sort of like being lost: “My God, how can I get
back home?” Anyone who is not taking care of me—I feel like I could rip them
to pieces with my teeth. § How do they not understand that I need some help?

I am really moody. I am calm and serene one minute, and in the next, I pull such
a long face. § I've always been like that, but it got worse after I started my diet
three years ago.

§ Now I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables—some foods I just can’t eat. I am a
little better if I stay away from certain foods: they make me gain weight and I am
afraid they will make me feel bad. Also, I might vomit and have diarrhea.

§ If it were up to me, I would eat every kind of food, then vomit after eating. But
then I feel guilty. Yet I need to eat something or I get a strange sensation as if—I
cannot explain. I am a very emotional type of person, and I can’t translate all this
into words.

§ When I get this burning, I cannot have sexual intercourse. I don’t have a desire
for it. I often have some red pimples on my thighs—which move from one side
to the other. § I never see just one of these by itself. One appears here and soon
another appears there. It’s just like my headaches.

§ Apart from work and study, I am really fond of dogs. I am in debt just so I can
have a house in the countryside where I can keep a dog. § It’s enough that it
barks and has four paws—all are beautiful animals.

§ I used to dream of a very large black wolf with eyes as red as rubies. It was
completely dark in the room where I was playing. I was the only one that could
see it and it called to me. It started to speak to me as if we were friends. I was
afraid, despite that it only spoke to me. In the end, everything went well. I often
had that dream when I slept with my parents. We lived in a house in the country,
and I had to sleep with them. When I started sleeping with my grandmother, I
stopped having that dream.

§ I often dream about snakes, but it is because I like them. In the dream I have
them inside my house or I bring them with me in the car. I often dream of a
cobra; I feel very attracted to it but I am also afraid. I hate the slimy snakes that
hide among the leaves because you never know where they are. I would dream
that the bed or the room was full of snakes. It gives me angst that they are so
slimy, slender and small.
Follow-up
Based on well-known repertory symptoms, I prescribe Lac caninum 200c for
four days and then have her continue with placebo.

Two months later she returns for her first follow-up. During this period she does
not contact me at all. When she arrives to the consultation, she is quite
enthusiastic.

[She begins:]
As soon as I started your treatment, I decided to stop the Pill. I noticed that I did
not have acne or pimples all over my body as usual. And I had no more burning,
not even before my menses. Before I came it was nearly constant, perhaps
because I am a nervous person. I had nothing at all!

I originally came here to regulate my period. This time it was more profuse and
came by itself without having to take anything! § I notice that I have no more
pain in my breasts at all. I’m so happy. Even my period is much less painful.

§ Since I reacted so well there is something else I would like to improve. § I
need something to help me answer promptly, and to say what I mean when I am
at work and in my daily life. § I never know what I can say or what I must say. I
think my key phrase is “I am as you want me.” I think this is why men tire of
me. § I appreciate their personality, but in the end, all they get from me is some
kind of faithful toy. § I am the same in my family. You know my father never
took notice of me; he was usually out hunting. § My mother always makes me
feel as though I’m not as she wants me to be. Somehow I try to look at this as an
opportunity to learn how to better please her.

At this moment she says nothing else and starts to sob. After a while she says:
You know, when I was a child I thought many times that I was just there to keep
her company. Despite her fucking care, nothing that I wanted to do was good
enough. I’m not a Xerox copy of her! Just because she gave birth to me does not
give her the right to expect I will be her lifelong servant.

This is the first time I heard such a strong expression from this usually polite
and proper woman.

§ She doesn’t ask me directly for what she wants from me, but makes me suffer
all the same if I don’t comply. § I always had to go on vacation with my parents
and so I always felt split in two: between them and my boyfriend. It’s not really
about my boyfriend; it’s more about how I want to be with my boyfriend.

In other words, the issue is who she wants to be with her boyfriend, based on her
projections and expectations, which may conflict with how she is with her
parents. Ultimately this says more about who she is.

§ The issue is I don’t have the courage; I’m not able. And I suffer even more
because of this. I feel broken, split in two and then neither of these two parts is
happy—each one injures the other. It’s like a mirror reflected in another mirror,
breaking into it—not even that—they both break and shatter over me.

[She continues to cry and after a long pause, she says:]
Can you see that even with you, I’m not able to talk directly without thinking
about what I want to say? The second time is always better no matter what I say
or what I do. I must make a mistake the first time, because if I don’t, I’m not
able to learn.

I have the impression that humans, even animals, learn from mistakes.
§ The fact is that whenever I make a mistake, my mother takes out her stick.
[This is a figurative rather than literal expression meaning that her mother does
not accept or attempt to understand her mistakes.]
And what happens when you are able to do something well?
§ When I do something well? I don’t know what I do well. I do whatever I can,
as best as I can, but I never receive any approval. I never receive any real
support, not even from men.

There is a long silence, after which she begins to shed some tears. I decide to
change the subject and ask about her sleep.

§ I still wake up clenching my teeth. Not just that; often I wake up because I bite
the inside of my cheek. I do this even during the day. It’s like a nervous tic; it’s
what I do in order to calm down. § Anything can trigger a moment of stress. A
few days ago I was looking at a beautiful drawing—a field of poppies. I became
choked up and started biting my cheeks. I was crying and I had to bite the inside
of my cheek in order not to cry.

Why is this situation so significant?
§ I get immersed and carried away—when I read a good book; when I design;
when I’m watching a movie; when I immerse myself, I’m really taken into that
realm. I do it with such intensity that it’s traumatic to detach from that
experience and come back to normal life.

It’s as if I have two parallel worlds that move together but never merge. I’m so
protective of this; I love it. But it creates such strong emotions with all things.

And this is very private; I never allow anyone to enter this world of mine. § Not
even my boyfriend. This is something that is just mine and allows me to be who
I really am. § It is made only of pure instinct and pure emotion. I can’t explain it
to you. I only know that when I feel this so strongly, I have to cry. I don’t know
what else I can do, and in that moment I also feel a kind of fear.

I haven’t told you something important. I’m really in trouble now because I
decided to leave my work and I am getting married.

Instead of saying this with a happy expression, she looked very sad, as if she had
to go to a funeral.

§ I will be the accountant for my boyfriend and I will work in his gas station. I’m
happy but I had to fight with my family because they don’t like it at all. My
mother drives me crazy.

I am really shocked. She declares how fundamental her emotional life is for her;
in the meantime, she is marrying someone whom she doesn’t trust enough to
reveal her intimate world. And she is giving up her artistic talent to work as an
accountant in a gas station. Her expression clearly reveals how upsetting this is
for her—as if she were subjecting herself to a prison sentence. I thought that the
remedy, Lac caninum, might be helping a little, but there was not significant
movement. I prescribe Lac caninum 10M and don’t hear from her again until
she comes in for a follow-up three months later.

[She begins:]
Now my period comes two days early! [Her cycle is now 26 days.] I no longer
have spotting at night; this never happened even when I took the Pill. Before I
could only have my period with medicines. This is really a revelation! Even the
burning I had is completely gone—just a bit before my period, but it’s light.

§ I still bite my cheek during the day. It helps me cool down and relieve my
stress. Now I bite so that I can even have a little bit of blood. § It’s a kind of
internal relief. I never allow other people to see how worried I am. § I keep
biting; I keep clenching my teeth during the day. I am pretty sure I only do this
during the day; before I would wake with sore cheeks and I don’t anymore. This
might mean I am sleeping much better.

§ I have a recurrent dream every time I have to face something difficult in my
life. I had a professor of literature who was really despicable and would yell at
me and call me stupid in front of the class. She would apologize later, but I was
so embarrassed that her apology was meaningless.

This really happened and you still dream about it?
§ I do and whenever it happens I wake up almost in tears and say to myself,
“Thank goodness, I’m not at school anymore.”

[She indicated with her hands that she could not talk about this anymore. I asked
about her wedding.]
§ I decided to honeymoon in Africa and I hope to have direct contact with a
snake. I have always been very attracted to these animals and I would like to
visit a serpentaria and touch a real one. [Though she always loved snakes,
previously she was afraid to touch one.]

Wow! You would like to touch a snake? What happened to you?
§ I don’t know what happened to me. I changed. What can I tell you? I changed
my relationship with snakes. § These are the only documentaries I never miss on
TV, even if they give me goose bumps. But it’s stronger than me; I cannot pull
myself away.

Why do you think you like looking at these animals?
§ I have the impression that I’m seeing myself. They have a double side, a
mysterious personality that they never show others, just as I do. § This is a
quality of mine. This is my strength. Those around me never know if I’m telling
the truth or a lie. My truth is too absurd for other people to bear—I’m always
around very rational people. Snakes always seem to be hiding and then coming
out of nowhere. They fascinate me—especially the cobra.

I have the impression that Matilde is improving and prefer to continue with a
placebo. I ask to see her in two months. The beginning of the consult is always
about her cycle. Then she surprises me by bringing up various snippets, followed
by a quick change of topics. She gives me a bit of intriguing information, but it’s
always difficult for her to go deeper.

§ The first periods I had were much fuller. § Now they come every month and
are regular—not as profuse as these last few months. During this last period I
had no symptoms at all, not even a little burning. I had a little pain and burning
with the one before while I was on vacation

Were you on your honeymoon?
§ Yes. When I was on my honeymoon trip I had some absurd [vaginal] burning
and then I started to spot, and then I had my period. As soon as I returned home,
there was no more pain, no more burning. You know, I was in Kenya.

Tell me more…
§ I saw the snakes in the serpentaria. I was hoping to have a picture taken of me
with a python. I also saw snakes during the safari.

[She changes topics:]
I used to chew and grind my teeth during sleep and would wake up with pain in
my jaw. I had a ridge inside my cheek where I used to bite. Now it is rare for me
to bite myself. I would like to bite someone else.

Who would you like to bite?
§ First of all, my boyfriend [her husband now]—when we do it [have sex] I can’t
help myself. And then I would like to bite my mother, but in her case I would
like to bite her breast.

Now I have continuous swelling and nausea, and I am getting a lot of pimples.

§ I’m really terrified of putting on weight. I quarrel a lot with my husband
because of this. I cannot avoid eating a lot and then I have crocodile tears. [In
English, this expression means tears that are insincere; in Italian it connotes
crying because one is ashamed.]

I used to take pills to slim down right after eating—to dispose of it immediately!

§ I eat a lot but am afraid of putting on weight and looking bad. When I eat I
think about whether this is good or bad for me, whether this will make me fat. I
look to others for a kind of confirmation for what I’m doing. § I don’t truly
receive any confirmation. What really concerns me is to try and be like all the
other women. I would like to leave a piece of myself—like a mezzo busto
(sculpture of head and chest) as a beautiful reminder of me.

I’m blocked by the idea of joining the crowd and being like everybody else. I
would like to be part of a group that contributes something special. It would
destroy me to think I was just another person in the world.

It’s difficult for me to fully understand you because you change topics before I
can ask you more.
§ I have a moody temperament. Usually I’m pretty insecure but lately I’ve been
more decisive. I can say right away what I have to say. I’ve become very direct,
intense, and particular. If I make a decision now no one can change my mind,
even if I’m mistaken.
I had the impression that Matilde had more to say but was still too inhibited to
do so. To give her a little push, I advise her to take Lac caninum 30M. A few
weeks later she calls me for an urgent appointment.

[She begins:]
I feel more in charge. When I came here the first time I was pretty insecure, but
now I feel good. Previously I lost many nights of sleep from a lot of burning [in
the genital area] and I don’t have this anymore. Now I could say that I have less
than 10 percent of what I suffered from before and it’s infrequent.

I had the impression last time that you wanted to say more. What is so urgent
about asking for a consultation?
§ My life is pretty normal without any plot twists; it’s too flat and this makes me
sad. It’s like my flame is about to be extinguished and I feel like dying. I need to
change. I’m not excited at all about married life. Maybe I did not choose the
right person. He’s the opposite of me: too calm and sedentary. When I wake up
in the morning I’m all charged up and want to explode and have to get all this
energy out. I feel like a Martian who emits strong yellow rays from my hands
and chest.

Staying at home puts me in a panic; it was a stupid thing for me to get married. I
feel bound to this person and it bothers me; it’s the same way I feel with my
mother. But I was the one who made this choice—as usual. I have the
impression that I am bound and I miss my freedom.

Is there a problem with your husband?
§ My husband allows me to do whatever I want—now. I can go out with my
friends. It’s my family that reminds me of my circumstance: I’m married and so
have to behave differently. They are the ones who control me and tell me that
our marriage is not going well. § I avoid having sex. I would give everything to
have a baby, but not with my husband. Instead, I have very regular menstruation.

Please tell me more about your husband and your relationship.
§ Shortly after we met I started avoiding any arguments. He was the right boy,
and my family liked him. A few nights ago I started crying while we were
having sex; I couldn’t stop myself.

What do you feel about your love for this man?
§ In my opinion, I’m not in love with him and never have been.

[I let her cry for some time and ask if there is someone else. She answers
timidly:]
§ I’m interested in another person, but it’s better if I don’t think about it. I have
become more and more intolerant of my husband; I’m not even able to watch TV
with him anymore. § I am very passionate and I need to express this. I’m all or
nothing. So when I get to the point of indifference, it’s as if he’s dead and
buried. I’m not impulsive; I’m just instinctive.

Can you tell me more about your previous relationships?
§ I was the one who left them. My family never liked the boys I liked—and vice
versa.
I have started clenching my teeth at night again. Even if I don’t bite the inside of
cheek anymore, when I wake up in the morning, my face is sore.

I can see that your present situation is not that easy. Is there anything that you
enjoy doing?
§ The only thing I could think of to help me get through all this was to take in an
abandoned dog. She’s a shepherd and very fond of me. If I could, I would take
another three. I have very strong feelings toward this animal; we really
understand each other. Meanwhile, my husband and parents would like a baby, a
grandchild.

She starts crying. I suggest that she give serious consideration to what she told
me and for us to meet again in a few days, if she would like. After one week,
Matilde suddenly leaves her husband—with a long letter of apology—and an
equally long letter to her family with more to say than just an apology.
Meanwhile, she moves in with a sculptor from another city whom she has known
for a few months.

I have now followed Matilde and her family for 22 years. She has not presented
any significant problems. I’ve never had to change the remedy and have only
had to repeat it a few times for mastitis that appeared after her two pregnancies.
This resolved in a few hours with Lac caninum Q5.

CASE OF MANLIO
Manlio is a 46-year-old man who speaks indecisively, makes many contradictory
statements, and sometimes struggles to finish a sentence. His large eyes seem
like those of a frightened and melancholic child. His face is dry and taut.

[He begins:]
I have been getting headaches since I was 10 years old; they are always located
in my forehead. For years I have noticed them on waking. I don’t have problems
sleeping, but I often wake up with a headache. This happens one to three times a
week.

§ I feel it in my whole forehead. I feel angry because I always have this
headache. § It is a non-stop, irritating pain. I went to the headache center, and
after being treated with Flunarizine, the pain decreased in intensity. At present I
take Naprosyn. It stops the headache in a couple of hours, but not always. I don’t
want to take the other things they suggested because they hurt my stomach, and
chemicals are not for me.

§ If I can, I stay at home on the sofa with my head leaning to the right. Turning
my head decreases the pain, or so it seems. § In winter and spring I feel worse. It
is extremely punctual. I will get it on the same weekday, usually a Thursday or
Friday for two months; then the day may change. It typically goes away after 5
PM.

§ When I have a headache, I need to be alone and close my eyes. I need to avoid
any odors and be in the dark, in complete silence. § It always begins on one side
and then it moves to the other side. § I have thought about this many times—
even as a child when I had a stomachache. The pain would move into my chest
and then to my throat. It was always like that. § When I first learned at school
how we are made inside, I asked myself how this pain could move upward, since
there is a kind of barrier between the two.

Many years later my doctor explained that we have nerves that transfer impulses
everywhere, but that did not persuade me.

§ When I have a pain it starts at a precise point and then it goes to another point,
until it finally spreads everywhere. § It reminds me that I am a whole, that I
cannot just feel the pain on one side only. If it hurts, it hurts everywhere. For
example, if you break a tooth you might walk badly because it hurts so much.

My back always hurts. If I raise my arms beyond a certain point, I feel pain in
my back. § It started 7 or 8 years ago while I was at the seaside. I was lying
down with my shoulders raised.

I have extrasystoles. It feels like a wrong beat, something short. It may happen at
any time of day, especially when I am relaxed. § If it happens when I am alone,
it actually creates a sense of anguish. § I don’t know how to explain it. It makes
me feel alone.

Since returning from my holiday, I had such fatigue that I felt out of tune with
everything. Then I passed through a phase where nothing moved me—I thought
this situation would never resolve. I had a bad year with my mother being
seriously ill. She underwent surgery for cancer, and now has relapsed with a
metastasis. We don’t know what to do or what will happen. I thought it was
useless to tell her about it, but she had to be treated.

I can’t have an honest relationship with her anymore. She knows me so well, and
I live with the terror that she will ask me how serious her condition is. I made
this appointment with you some time ago, and in the interim there has not been
improvement.

I have already experienced a kind of separation from her—the separation when I
left home the first time—so I have already worked on this, but I’m very anxious
about everyone in my family.

§ I have felt as if this separation has already occurred. My mother, and all she
represents to me, connects me like a bridge to this town.

With the loss of her I will also lose that connection, that piece of my life, and it
will be lost forever. I saw her becoming disfigured and ugly. I watched her body
age badly.

§ The fatigue is a bit better. You get used to it and keep going. After these
difficult moments in life, you have to take account of all this, and that can be
confusing. Then my mother’s doctor said her treatment is going better.

§ My relationship with food is traumatic—my mother always tormented me
because I was skinny. I had many bouts of indigestion when I was little. I would
eat and it would sit on my stomach; the only thing to do was to throw up. This
happened regularly.

§ My headache and stomachache would go away after throwing up. This
continued until I married.

§ My mother always gave me too much to eat. I never gave her the pleasure of
being a nice chubby boy. I ate very little. I don’t pressure my daughter about
eating because I remember what I experienced. She’s very thin and eats like a
bird.

§ Now I appreciate food; but in the past eating was an obligation. § I appreciate
good food, but I am not a hearty eater. I don’t eat a lot. § I prefer pasta,
especially tortellini. I eat vegetables because they are healthy, not because I like
them. If it were up to me, I would live on rice and meat. Rice with boiled meat is
the best! It is simple, easily digestible, and doesn’t require much effort to
prepare it. I enjoy eating and drinking. I also like cooking, but I like serving the
dishes even more.

My son is 25 and comes home late on Saturday nights and I worry—he frequents
the discos. The passage of years underscores that there is no going back. I would
like to have spent more time with my family, but it was not possible. Between
my work and my son who wouldn’t listen to me, I realized I was losing him.
Luckily there's my daughter, but soon enough she'll be grown up too.

§ My wife and I have always had an adversarial relationship; we are very
different. She did not choose to marry me. We only married because she was
pregnant. She found the pregnancy difficult to tolerate. When we were younger,
she had an affair with another man, and I had a nervous breakdown. She's not
even a good mother—she’s not good at talking with them or educating them. She
didn’t even breastfeed them.

§ It took a long time to forget my wife’s affair. I became numb. I recovered only
when I was able to stop thinking about it constantly. § I was in anguish for two
years because I couldn’t decide what to do. I didn’t understand why.

§ It often happens that I cannot make a decision. Seeing her lover made me
anxious. Their relationship seemed pretty serious. It was probably the first major
sorrow in my life. § I just didn’t want to believe it.

§ I don’t have clear ideas of what I want. I change my mind from day to day. I
don’t know if what I want is what others want; I don’t know what I should do. I
try to be firm with my son, but I don’t have any firmness inside of me.

I feel like there are two parts of me. One is just cause and effect, dictated by
impulse and instinct. It’s aggressive and a little destructive, and makes me say
more than I should—and a lot of rubbish. I’m almost afraid of what can come
out of my mouth.

The other side is full of doubts and hesitation. It’s fine when I’m just following.
I can’t handle conflict. If I argue with someone, I feel bad. § If after a quarrel, I
don’t get a chance to talk with this person, I feel guilty. § Even if I have my own
ideas about things, I feel better when I agree with others. I’m like a seesaw. I am
better at being the underdog—but I also claim to be right.

When I had that problem with my wife I thought about living alone just to avoid
the whole situation. It seemed like a good solution. It was my responsibility to
look after the financial side since my wife, like my mother, doesn’t bother to
take care of these things. I have to do everything all by myself.

I thought I would like the arrangement, but instead, I realized I didn’t want to
live alone. I have a colleague who lives alone and he is very sad. Seeing him is a
daily reminder of this fear.

§ Being separated from my mother was instrumental in creating this fear of
being alone. I still behave like a child around her. No one spoils me like that, and
no one lets me...

§ If I ask for some water she gets it without asking why. I know that in the near
future I won’t have her care any longer. I want the pampering and protection.
My son starts an argument if I ask him to go and get me some water.

§ Everything that cannot be explained frightens me. The news frightens me. I
avoid watching war scenes. Witchcraft frightens me, especially when I was a
child. Anything connected with magic is scary. § I always think that something
bad is going to happen. For example, if my son does not come home, I am sure
he has had an accident. It is fear, but most of all it is a melancholic feeling. I was
never carefree.

At home we always had health problems. It's not that I was feeling guilty—but
these problems did exist. § I coped with this, but I am afraid of death. I read a lot
about this and regret not being able to learn something more about life after
death. I force myself not to think about the fact that you cannot learn anything
once you are dead.

§ I am afraid of spiders. I dreamt they blocked my way. The shaggy black ones
disgust me. I am even afraid of spiders made of plastic. The light colored ones
are not as bad.

§ I forgot that I have a bad back. § I don’t pay much attention to the pain,
anyway. I just endure it. I know it will go away. I don’t care much about
physical pains.
Follow-up
I give him Lac caninum Q1 to be taken daily. After two weeks he phones because
of a severe headache.

I want Manlio to stop the remedy for a few days, but he perceives this as an
absence of therapy. I decide to give him a placebo.

The next consultation is three months later. My general impression this time is
that he’s calmer.

[Manlio begins:]
It went very well until a few days ago. Then I had the flu and felt achy and tired.
I did as you suggested and took the remedy every hour [ten drops of the remedy
in one liter of water; shake and sip every hour]. Pretty soon I felt much better. §
I seemed to have some stomach pain with this flu—but I had eaten too much.

§ I have the impression that I feel better because I have almost forgotten my
mother is sick. I have not had to take her from doctor to doctor and she seems
pretty good right now.

§ In general I feel that everything is much better with my family. It’s going well
with my wife, but with my son it’s still on and off. It’s not that easy with him—
he does what he wants. My son was away on vacation for a week and my wife
and I had a nice time together. He was with his girlfriend and her family. I was
at home and had only to think about myself; it was pretty good.

What do you mean by ‘pretty good’?
§ The more I can work around things to avoid conflict, the better I am. I become
so plagued by doubts and uncertainty if an argument happens or something
doesn’t go well.

§ I’m always worried about what might happen to my son. Getting through
Saturday night is always difficult for me. I have this fear of the world—who you
don’t know, what you don’t know—because kids nowadays don’t talk about
what’s going on.

§ I have several concerns about my son: that he will not be able to find his own
way, that he flutters around like a butterfly and has no goals. He seems like a
slacker and this affects me because I educated him properly. I worry about a car
accident, about drugs, smoking pot. Luckily, he has a girlfriend; the little I know
about him is through her. My son is a good person, when he’s not in our house.
When he’s home, we just butt heads.

Manlio’s view of his son’s behavior needs to be considered in light of how
difficult it is for him to feel his own anger and express this. It is likely that his
son behaves like most boys his age, though for Manlio, this causes extreme
stress.

[Manlio continues:]
I feel bad that our relationship is not more open. I realize how strict I have been
with him and that’s probably why he is so closed.
I have the impression that it was not easy for Manlio to admit that he made some
mistakes in parenting.

§ For long periods over the last few months, I’ve been experiencing less back
pain. § I don’t know why. It’s hard to say if it’s related to something else or not.
I mentioned this last time and didn’t think your treatment was going to help this
particular symptom any.

§ I had an interesting dream about a woman whom I really like, but I can’t
remember it anymore.

[I have the impression that he does remember the dream, but is simply hesitant
to share it. I ask what the dream meant to him.]
§ For a long time I was not able to dream. I don’t know if she was interested in
me. I just know that I did my best to please her, even doing things I don’t like to
do. Then I realized this is how I usually am. I mean that I’m happy that other
people accept me, but where am I going? Who am I?

Really, what’s most important is that I’m not as gloomy as before and this makes
me feel so much better!

I have the impression that his general situation is improving without the need to
provide more of the remedy. I continue with a placebo until there is no further
progress.

Two months later he phones me again because of another severe headache. With
repetition of Lac caninum Q1 there was a significant improvement within a few
hours. Two months later he has another episode, but this time it does not resolve
with repetition of the dose at this potency and so we move on to the Q3.

This next consultation is five months after the second one. Again, he looks more
relaxed, but he also seems ‘buttoned up’. I feel that he has something important
to say, but it’s not easy for him to share it.

[He begins:]
So far I have not had even one headache per month. And when I do, it’s much
less intense and, as usual, goes away by itself by evening. Before I started your
treatment, I woke up most mornings with a mild headache. Now I have no
discomfort at all and I wake up feeling good. I had some indigestion with those
two episodes of headache and did not feel well until I was able to throw up.

§ Before I always had shoulder pain. Now it’s just a little annoyance in my left
shoulder that gets slightly irritated when I move it, but it’s nothing compared to
what I had before.

Lately I have not had any trouble with extrasystoles.

I think that his bringing this up might mean that he wants to say more about his
heart. I decide to ask a very direct question about death and dying, and he is a
bit taken aback by my question.
§ I noticed that recently I haven’t thought that much about death. Before, I used
to think about it every free moment, but I haven’t paid much attention to it
lately. I’m not feeling as tormented by my mother recently even though she had
a relapse over the past few weeks. Sooner or later we will have to face that
moment.

After saying this, he was not able to talk and was almost crying. I gave him some
space, then asked about his thoughts on his mother’s imminent passing.

§ This will be an enormous loss—huge! I realized I was never able to separate
from her. I’m ashamed to tell you this, but in some moments I’m almost glad she
has to die—otherwise I would not be able to put an end to this torture.

[He started to cry and afterwards collects himself.] And then I feel like a terrible
person.

In that moment it was impossible for him to continue the consultation. He was
not even able to speak and could only signal with his hands that he had to leave.

A few days later he phones to apologize and ask for a recommendation for a
psychotherapist—specifically a woman.

Four months later he has a new episode of his usual headache. There is no
significant improvement with repetition of the Q3 but with the Q5 his symptoms
improve in a few hours. He is working with a psychotherapist, but has not yet
told her about his bulimia.

A few months later his mother dies and he would like to see me. He has not been
sleeping for several days, but all in all, he looks good.

[Manlio begins:]
I have a little bit of a headache sometimes and then it goes away by itself in a
half an hour—it’s really mild. I realized recently that I used to wake up cross,
while now I wake up feeling more relaxed. I have a better appetite and feel better
overall.

[I ask him why he is underlining this issue of his appetite and he starts to look at
the floor as if he had been reproached.]
§ I wanted tell you about my episodes of bulimia but I was ashamed. Then one
day I was able to talk about this with my psychotherapist who helped me
understand that I’m not bulimic, that bulimia is a symptom; it’s not a disease.
According to her my real problem has to do with my difficult integration—this is
what she says—of my aggression. So perhaps I used to eat like that because of
my anger.

§ I said ‘used to’ because now I’m really changed. I can tell you for sure that I
eat with pleasure—something that I’m starting to learn at the age of 50. § My
mood is better. It’s really great to wake up in the morning in good spirits—I am
much more relaxed as I face my day.

My mother died. I took a week of vacation and I stayed with her in the hospital
the whole time. It was a unique experience, the ultimate experience of my life.
We spoke for a week and after a week we still had so much to say. Then she
really went downhill and we knew she was leaving. I told her I thought it was
useless to keep talking and I squeezed her hand and she did the same. Despite
being so weak, she was able to squeeze my hand stronger than I did. You know,
there are moments when words are useless—they’re only noise.

When I was with her in the hospital I had a headache. My usual desire is to be
alone but instead I was able to be there with her. I had the sensation that we were
together and that we will stay together forever, despite all the crud she did in her
life, and all the bad things I did, and surely will do with my kids. She died
squeezing my hand and smiling at me. I never saw a more beautiful smile, a
more authentic smile in my life. I told her, thank you, and then she died.

That same night I dreamt about spiders. The spiders really made me shudder. I
looked in every corner of the room to see if there were cobwebs. And then I
realized even spiders have a family. In the dream, they looked like any other
animal, just different from us. I know that’s my own stuff—that spiders are
spiders and men are men. You know, I think that dream is proof that something
really big is changing in my life.

The follow-up has been over fifteen years. He has another family now and a
good life with his new wife. His primary symptoms never returned. Occasionally
when he has difficulty at work or when he lost a close friend, he has needed to
repeat the remedy.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Dependent
Fundamental Themes
Family Identity ; Abandonment ; Integration of Instincts ; Irresolution
Characteristic Themes
Dependence // Independence (3); Oblativity: obligatory (2); Submission ;
Immaturity ; Withdrawal: painful ; Swelling ; Congestion: passive ;
Discharge: difficul t; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Coherent Symptom Groups
Pain: congestive (3); Pain: recurrent (3); Headache: digestive (2); Digestion:
difficult; Hyperphagia ; Hyperosmia ; Photophobia ; Vertigo ; Eruptions:
symmetrical ; Milk
Common Ailments
Adenoma, prostate / Aphthous ulcers / Arthritis, juvenile Back pain, cervical,
lumbar Bruxism Bulimia Conjunctivitis / Constipation, chronic / Cystitis,
recurrent / Diabetes, gestational / Diabetes, senile / Dysmenorrhea / Enuresis
Food intolerance, milk Gout / Headache, frontal and digestive / Hearing loss,
early Herniation, inguinal Herniation, lumbar disc Hyperemesis gravidarum
Hyperprolactinemia / Incontinence, urinary, female / Insomnia Mastodynia
Ménière's disease Myopia Nausea / Neuralgia, trigeminal / Osteoarthritis, hip
Panic Pharyngitis, chronic / Photophobia / Pituitary insufficiency, human
growth hormone Polyps, vocal cords Ptyalism of pregnancy / Reflux
esophagitis / Sinusitis Spasm, masseter muscle Vaginitis, recurrent Varices,
lower limbs Vertigo
Milks: Lac asinum ; Lac vaccinum defloratum
Other: Calcareas : Calcarea bromatum, Calcarea carbonica, Calcarea
fluoricum, Calcarea silicata ; Candida albicans ; Carbons: Carbo vegetabilis;
Carcinosinum ; Cocculus ; Lepidium bonariense ; Onosmodium ; Rhus
toxicodendron ; Rosaceae: Prunus ; Saccharum album
Lac felinum

FELIS SILVESTRIS CATUS

Felis silvestris catus, or the domestic cat, shares ancestry with the Maicis, a tree-
dwelling creature that lived 45 to 50 million years ago. Evidence of
domestication is found 8000 years ago in burial mounds shared with humans and
mice in Cyprus. 5000 years ago they were employed to control pests in Egyptian
granaries and to protect human food stocks. Cats soon migrated across land and
sea in caravans and on ships in the service of their human guardians as chief
mouse catchers.

Unlike the domestic dog, the domestic cat has remained closer to its wild
origins. She hunts at night, helped by her highly developed hearing and night
vision. The cat has the largest eyes, relative to body size, of any mammal. As for
cat’s milk, it is produced several days before birth.

The cat is considered lunar, damp, feminine, and of earth and night. She is also
associated with magic and superstition. It is perilous to kill a cat on board a ship,
or for a farmer to kill a cat lest his livestock sicken. In Japan the cat can bring
good fortune—(consider maneki-niko, the beckoning cat)—as does the sneezing
cat in rural Italy.

The cat was the sacred animal of the Egyptian goddess Bastet who first appeared
as a lioness in the 3rd century BC. Seen as a protector, she was also considered
the goddess of joy, sensuality and pregnant women. Cats were revered in Egypt
and killing a cat was punishable by death. Cats were embalmed and entombed in
a cat necropolis.

Samuel Swan introduced this remedy’s pathogenesis in the Medical Visitor in
1893. This remedy was proved again by Divya Chhabra in 1995.
COMMON AILMENTS
Ageusia (loss of taste) Alopecia Angina pectoris / Asthenopia (eye strain) /
Conjunctivitis, allergic, recurrent Cystitis, recurrent Enuresis / Food intolerance,
milk / Headaches, digestive Hernia, lumbar disk Hyperhidrosis Insomnia
Keratoconus Lipomas Malocclusion / Myopia / Prostatitis, recurrent Sty,
recurrent Tonsillitis, recurrent Ulcers, corneal Urinary frequency / Uveitis, auto-
immune
THEMES & SYMPTOM PATTERNS
MOTIFS
Independence
Lac felinum can be markedly independent and often wants to manage everything
on their own. They want to have control over their life, without the intrusion of
any other authority or relationships that might get in the way of their autonomy.
Inhibition
Though they may appear confident and controlled, those who really know them
recognize that they can be shy, timid, overly cautious and fearful. In the intimate
setting of an initial intake, this side is relatively easy to discern. Their aloof
appearance may be misread by some as haughty but in truth, they are inhibited.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
Lac felinum tends to have similar feelings toward their family as the other Milks.
They may feel that this family is heavy, invasive, and inescapable. Unlike some
of the other Milk remedies, Lac felinum may try to put real physical distance
between themselves and their family. They also may try to limit contact and
communication. Even so, the mother, father, grandmother, etc. live on inside Lac
felinum, still exerting their influence. And Lac felinum can’t seem to quiet those
internal objects no matter what they do, despite their vain protest that they are
completely independent. The fact that they need to say this so often just proves
the point that they are still indelibly tied to their family.
Abandonment & Separation

In most cases, Lac felinum is afraid of creating the same enmeshed, intrusive
relationship they have with their family with someone else. And their fear of
being encaged in this kind of relationship often makes them want to avoid close
relationships altogether. Yet, as a Milk remedy, they still have a strong, partly
regressive, need for touch and affection that can’t be satisfied if they are
completely alone. Though they embrace solitude, it also causes them to suffer. A
workable compromise can be to have a boyfriend or girlfriend whom they never
live with or marry, with whom they might only see and sleepover with two to
three times a week. To do more would likely feel too close and uncomfortable.
Ironically, they can act as if they were forsaken by another, even though
typically they are the ones to abandon others—particularly if they fall in love—
not the other way around.
Unlike Lac caninum, Lac felinum is often able to express their anger and
aggressive side, though not in a mature, adult way. Rather than sharing what
they are feeling, they tend to negate the other person’s presence and give them a
cold shoulder. Or they may become passive aggressive and not show up when
they are needed. They don’t throw a temper tantrum and punch or kick or use
bad words. They also don’t tend to have heated discussions and quarrels, or
show strong irritation, and then work it out—either inside themselves or with the
other party. These are normal, healthy ways to advocate for one’s needs and
wants, but very difficult for Lac felinum. They can’t seem to work through
conflicts; instead, they generally take a break from the relationship or break the
relationship by pushing it to the point of collapse. In some cases, even the hint of
a quarrel may be enough for Lac felinum to end the relationship without
explanation or warning. Often, at the beginning of a relationship, they will sew
little seeds of discord with the unconscious expectation that these will eventually
grow and blossom and provide an exit strategy.
Irresolution
As with other Milks, Lac felinum typically struggles with irresolution. This can
be an embarrassing problem for them, because it makes them look weak and
dependent. Whereas Lac caninum’s irresolution is obvious to everyone, Lac
felinum may try to hide this from others, perhaps by avoiding decisions in the
first place, particularly important ones. A typical difficult decision might be
determining whether to live with a long-term partner or take a different position
at work. They often feel too fragile inside to endure a major shift, even if they
know this is needed, and can become paralyzed when it gets close to enacting a
change. So they continue on as they did before, attempting to appear resolute
and self-sufficient, though this is all just an act. Meanwhile, their inability to
move forward can lead them into some unnecessarily painful predicaments. In
other words, they are sometimes the victims of their own irresolution.
In contrast to the openness found in Lac caninum, Lac felinum seems aloof as if
she wants to be alone, living a calm, quiet, peaceful life. A key theme is her
desire to appear competent and self-sufficient, though inside she is often fragile,
insecure and shy (like Silica or Naja). Though she tries not to need support, she
is not as autonomous as she would like to believe, and still relies subtly on her
(internalized) family. Recognition of this ongoing dependence can be quite
mortifying for her.
Autarky (2)
Lac felinum often likes to be in charge of herself and her domain as if to say,
“I’m fine on my own, I don’t need your help or interference, please back off.” In
other words, she projects an image of competence with a clear desire to be self-
governing and do everything under her own power. She typically tries to be
precise and fastidious about everything she does so that she won’t need others,
waste time, make mistakes, or need to repeat things. Precision also seems to
prevent indecision.
Introversion (2)
Lac felinum tends to need her own space and is very protective of her privacy.
To sleep alone, to have her own bed, is extremely important and almost sacred
for her. Even talking about this topic can be uncomfortable for her, as if that
represents a kind of invasion. Most people who make a new friend will share a
number of details about their life—their interests, what they like to eat, an ideal
vacation spot, etc.—as a way to get know each other. Lac felinum, however, can
find this to be too personal and meddlesome, reminiscent of her family's
intrusion.
Rigidity
On a physical level, Lac felinum can feel stiff and spasmodic, particularly in the
neck and back, with herniation in the lumbar region. Socially, Lac felinum has a
stiff, formal demeanor that keeps her from getting too close to people. She tends
to avoid emotions and taking risks, and wants everything well-calculated
beforehand. In other words, with her overly defensive posture, she wants
everything rigidly controlled.
Fragility (2)
Lac felinum often believes that her body is fragile and requires special care (such
as particular foods, temperature, etc.). Her psyche, too, is delicate and needs
frequent rest and refuge from the world. This reflects her general rigidity and
lack of adaptability.
Passive Congestion
Like other Milks, Lac felinum can have the sensation that something is
expanding or swelling within her body—most often in the lower
abdominal/urogenital area. This includes ovaries, testes, and kidneys. She gets
scared about the swelling, and troubled by anything that restricts her flow. She
thinks that by getting fit, she will overcome this symptom. To this end, she may
work out obsessively and eat lighter meals. This is not just about having a
healthy body; everything in her life must be smooth and efficient. Thus her
work, her computer, her car must be in good working order and not impede her
in any way.
Difficult Discharge
The process of excretion can be difficult for Lac felinum. Rarely is it natural or
spontaneous. More often, it seems to demand an inordinate amount of attention
and concentration (to the point of obsession). She may go to the toilet several
times a day; and she generally likes to have her bladder and colon clear. She may
need to be sure that she is perspiring enough. She can develop sinus congestion
and irritation of the mucous membranes, with an excessive need to keep this area
cleaned out. These issues may be related to being rigid and controlling, both of
which interrupt a sense of flow. Meanwhile, her emphasis on being internal, self-
contained and resistant to the external world can make it difficult to move things
from the inside to the outside.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Like other Milks, Lac felinum has symptoms that travel from side to side, the
difference being that she refuses to acknowledge their symmetry. Generally
speaking, Lac felinum has a low tolerance for doubt or ambiguity. To her
concrete way of thinking, a symptom is just a localized complaint that bears no
relation to other symptoms.

In terms of her defenses, she would prefer to neglect or withdraw from the pain.
If the symptom is strong enough, she may have to acknowledge its presence, but
she doesn’t want to see it as part of a larger pattern involving both sides of her
body; that would be too threatening. So she says, “I have a headache on this side,
and a different headache on the other,” insisting they are asymmetrical.

She wants to imagine that she is truly independent and free of entanglements
with her kin. But she can only get halfway there, which means she’s still halfway
mired in family belonging. Metaphorically speaking, it’s as if half herself, half
her body reflects who she is, while the other half is still under the spell of her
ineluctable family.

Moreover, her headache probably resembles the headache of other family
members, so it represents a kind of family invasion that makes her suffer, just
like the ongoing influence of her family weighs her down. She denies the full
impact of this headache in part because she wishes to deny how much her family
still influences her.

Penetrating Pain (3)
Lac felinum is known in the old literature for deep, lancinating, penetrating pains
that enter the eyes. These sense organs are particularly important for being
independent; any interruption of vision potentially makes them more reliant on
others. The eyes also offer an unprotected doorway to the brain, or one might
argue, a kind of protrusion of the brain, and therefore, a special point of
vulnerability. Keeping them closed to protect oneself won’t do, because it
interrupts function. But opening them makes these delicate organs immediately
susceptible to damage.

The penetrating pains of Lac felinum feel as if something were entering and
remaining in the system, like a splinter that is not easily removed and continues
to annoy. For a fastidious remedy, it can become a preoccupation to clear this
pain out of the system completely, as if it were intruding into one’s vital,
protected space. What is most bothersome is that invasive pains, including those
produced by injections and other medical procedures, provoke the same kind of
reaction as intrusion by her family into her personal space.
Constrictive Pain
Lac felinum can have the typical Milk pattern of constricting pains. Most Milks
interpret this pain as coming from an internal inflation that takes up more and
more space inside the body until there is no more space to give. For Lac felinum,
however, the emphasis is less on irrepressible inflation and more on feeling
bounded, constricted and enclosed (especially in the head and chest) which does
not allow the area to expand as it normally should. Thus there is a desire for
expansion, along with a frustration that it is inhibited.
Ineluctable (2)
Lac felinum can have recurrent symptomatology similar to Lac caninum, though
it is perceived in a different way. Whereas Lac caninum uses pain as an excuse
to withdraw into his own space, Lac felinum’s pain tends to be about her private
space being invaded. Once this breach occurs, it seems to have a long-lasting
influence and cannot be undone, processed, repaired, or gotten rid of—she
doesn’t have the requisite tools for this. Thus these events can’t be avoided,
softened or overcome; they must simply be endured. She tends to be so
protective of her space that even a minor violation feels gigantic. This ‘invasion’
may remind her that despite the physical distance from her family, they still ‘live
inside her’ and in this way, are inescapable too.
Digestive Headache
Lac felinum’s headaches are usually congestive and related to poor digestion, as
with other Milks. They typically occur after or alongside eye symptoms.
Chilliness
Lac felinum can struggle with chilliness and cold sensations that seem to
penetrate deeply into her system, all the way into her bones. Once cold has
entered, it can be difficult to overcome. This theme is expressed through various
symptoms such as cold perspiration, coldness in one extremity and not the other,
or a cold band wrapped around the hypogastrium.

Photophobia
Lac felinum has weak, sensitive eyes that she tries to protect. The fact that eyes
must be open to perceive makes her feel defenseless and vulnerable. Light feels
penetrating and painful, and seems to affect her whole system. Even with the
light off, she may continue to see light and feel its effects. For these reasons, she
may prefer to stay in the dark or keep her eyes closed, not only to safeguard her
eyes but also to retreat into her own world.
Hyperphagia
Lac felinum is secretive and private about her overeating. She is usually
underweight and athletic, so her tendency to overeat is not easily recognized.
She may intentionally vomit after overeating to stay slender.
Vertigo
There is ambivalence in the vertigo of Lac felinum since she is both attracted to
and afraid of heights. Metaphorically speaking, she likes to be in a ‘high
position’ at work, for example, where she’s less likely to be disturbed and has
the upper hand with others when needed. She is so diligent and fastidious at her
job, in part, so that she can maintain this privileged status. Meanwhile, she has a
corresponding insecurity if she were to fall from this privileged post, especially
since it cost her so much to get there in the first place. Her vertigo is worse with
heights, and in such instances, she typically has difficulty standing on her feet
and must concentrate to keep her balance. Paradoxically, she likes to be up high,
because it thrills her and boosts her self-confidence.

Milk
Like other Milk remedies, Lac felinum can crave milk but has difficulty
digesting it.
DREAMS
As with other Milks, Lac felinum’s dreams may highlight how difficult it is to
integrate her instinctual side. Lac felinum commonly dreams of different kinds of
animals, which often want to aggressively intrude into small private domains.
Furthermore, this intimate area may become increasingly small, suggesting a
kind of diminution of self. In other dreams, Lac felinum’s image and reputation
in society is devalued, as if unseen, unrecognized, and unable to show their
abilities to others, and it seems as if there is no way to change this. Often their
dreams are broken or disrupted.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Lac felinum tends to have a delicate, fragile constitution—emotionally and
physically. Even so, she usually has an agile, athletic body and enjoys sports and
fitness activities. Physically, she may be lean without much muscular mass, and
possibly underweight and susceptible to chills. She can be a bit rigid
intellectually and obsessive about doing things the right way. As with other
Milks, she tends to be relatively undeveloped and immature, despite her attempts
to appear otherwise. Temperamentally, she can be finicky and aloof, while also
being shy, passive and lacking in confidence. In a trusting relationship, she can
be tender, sweet and kind, and may require a lot of care and attention.
Nevertheless, she likes to stay well-defended and not make herself vulnerable to
being emotionally injured. Common issues with her corpus include a sense of
interior swelling (related to unexpressed instinctual aggression) and penetration
from the outside (related to her need for privacy and fear of intrusion).
VULNERABILITIES
Lac felinum can feel vulnerable if she appears weak or if she reaches out for
support. She may decompensate when she cannot maintain an illusion of
strength and independence, most typically in situations of high stress,
misfortune, illness, injury or aging. Though she acts aloof, she also suffers when
she does not receive adequate affection or if she ends a relationship. At the same
time, she desperately needs her own space. For this to be intruded on or violated
is her main vulnerability.
COMPENSATION
Lac felinum generally copes with her weakness and dependence by projecting a
false image of independence and strength. She remains aloof so that she doesn’t
have to engage in relationships.
COMPLICATIONS
Lac felinum is ambivalent about contact—she doesn’t want to be invaded or look
weak and likes her space and independence, and yet she is dependent underneath
and does want some affection. In either circumstance, she tends to feel some
emotional discomfort.

Lac felinum pretends to be independent from her family, because she lives at
some distance and may not see them that often. Even so, she can’t get away from
them really, because they still live inside her.

The more Lac felinum distances herself from relationships, the more awkward
and unpracticed she can be at managing them, which in turn, leads her to avoid
them all the more.
DECOMPENSATION
When Lac felinum can no longer maintain her coping strategy, she typically
becomes increasingly stiff and elusive and withdraws further and further into
herself. In the end, she may have chased away most of her relationships and
sinks into a profound and lonely solitude. At this point, she may have to face that
she spent much of her life protecting herself from intrusion instead of really
living.
RESTORATION
With treatment, Lac felinum can continue to move forward in development
toward some true independence. At the same time, she can manage some level of
appropriate interdependence and involvement in relationship.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
As with other Milks, Lac felinum tends to perceive her family as overwhelming
and inescapable. She can’t be her true self when she is with them, so she tries to
pull away and have space. But her insecurity and fearfulness make her
dependent on them, or on an internalized version of her family that she carries
inside herself all the time, no matter where she lives.
Nuclear Family
She often lives as a single person or has a long-term relationship without getting
married. She may create her own nuclear family as a way to have support
without being in the clutches of her original family.
Lac felinum may struggle to stay in marriages or other long-term relationships.
She generally feels too vulnerable and engulfed in intimate relationships and
constantly strives for independence. Relationships can be sabotaged in various
ways. She may choose to not acknowledge the other person right across from
her, and when addressed, she may refuse to answer. When needed by another
person, she is often nowhere to be found. She may demand frequent breaks in
her relationships, and any conflict may cause her to step back and detach. To
make a monogamous romantic relationship work may require living separately
and not seeing her partner too often.

Lac felinum often prefers to live like a hermit. (The reclusive artist, Emily
Dickinson, represents one possible example.) Lac felinum may have occasional
dalliances with various partners just to prove that she can. This libertine lifestyle
does not mean, however, that she is somehow attracted to prostitution, as some
writers have suggested.
Child & Adolescent
As a child, Lac felinum tends to be fragile, insecure and unsure how to meet the
expectations of her family, and just wants to withdraw and be left alone.
Meanwhile, the family, noticing how weak the child is, gives her extra attention,
which to Lac felinum, just feels invasive and makes her withdraw even further.
In many cases, Lac felinum doesn’t seem to be especially social or eager to play
with others, preferring to be left alone in peace.

As an adolescent there isn’t usually much of a rebellion. On the other hand, like
most adolescents, she can become obstinate about wanting to just stay in her
room all day, and her family may get upset that she is not more social—with
them or with friends. She may take a certain pleasure in being difficult for her
parents and getting a rise out of them.
Adult
In adulthood, Lac felinum is likely single and may be quite lonely. She doesn’t
want to look as though she can’t have partners; that could suggest that she were
somehow defective. Having multiple partners whom she sees occasionally also
keeps her safe from getting too involved with any one person. If eventually able
to invest in just one relationship, she will likely need to live separately from that
person.
Elder
With declining health, Lac felinum may come to need assistance, and this can be
very unsettling for someone who puts such a premium on independence. It can
be so intolerable that she may unconsciously choose to die prematurely, for
example, from a sudden heart attack that ends her life. Her tendency to eschew
relationships often leads to a very lonely existence in the elder years. Like many
people in old age, she can become stiff, opinionated and a bit obsessive about
small matters as a way to occupy her time.
TREATMENT ISSUES
It is often difficult to establish a good relationship with these patients. Even
simple questions can seem like a violation. They don’t usually like to talk about
themselves much and are generally mistrustful of their doctor. (They especially
dislike medical investigations and exams.) Any casual comment by the doctor
can be misconstrued as criticism and may lead to termination of treatment. On
the other hand, if the doctor does not probe too much, they can be reasonably
loyal and trusting, and remain in treatment for some time.
Compared to other Milks, Lac felinum is uncharacteristically reserved and
inaccessible, providing little access to what goes on inside. She seems so
independent, with no apparent connection to her family. When first meeting her,
there may be no thought that she could be a Milk remedy.

In reality, the apparent sense of freedom is nothing more than a façade. Her
family is very much alive inside of her, but because her image of them is
negative and scary, she tries (ineffectively) to detach. It’s not that she craves
independence, but rather that she feels her family binds and controls her. This
attitude to detach and resist connection carries to all her relationships—peers,
friends, and lovers.

Lac lupinum and Lac caprinum also try hard to separate from their families, but
they are quite dissimilar from Lac felinum in other ways. Lac lupinum openly
declares, “I am who I am” because of his family and the abuse they inflicted on
him. Though he tries to distance himself, his continuous complaints about them
reveals their enduring presence inside him. Lac felinum also carries her family
inside, but rather than complaining, she attempts to negate them as if they never
existed. Lac caprinum boasts that he does not need his family. In reality, when
his quest to be independent injures his family, he feels tremendous guilt.

One may be tempted to compare Lac felinum to Lac leoninum since they are
both felines. In fact they have little resemblance to each other. (We cannot forget
that Lac felinum is a small, domesticated cat, whereas Lac leoninum is a large,
wild, powerful predator.) Lac felinum is closer to Silica, while Lac leoninum is
closer to Aurum. Lac leoninum seeks an entourage of people to support him; Lac
felinum prefers to be self-sufficient.

Lac felinum is often likened to Silica. Both are fragile yet strive to be self-
sufficient, putting trust in their own (sometimes unreliable) abilities. Both have
difficulty connecting with others and with their own families, though for
different reasons. Silica restricts his interactions with others because he is
insecure, and this insecurity stems from not having received adequate support
from his family. Lac felinum did receive family support but it was experienced
as suffocating. She avoids relationships for fear of being suffocated again. Both
remedies fear pointed objects. Silica fears needles and injections that may
penetrate into his vital spaces. Lac felinum is concerned about her eyes being
pierced, causing blindness and forced dependence on another person.

The most discernible aspects of Lac felinum are how inhibited she can be along
with her need to be self-sufficient and alone. When decompensated, Calcarea
silicata can exhibit both these traits as well. Calcarea silicata usually finds
himself in a relationship with a dominating personality. Though it is a poor
relationship, it’s better than nothing. When this person dies, Calcarea silicata
relishes his newfound independence, but also feels fragile. He doesn’t want to
form another relationship lest this new person sap whatever little strength he has
left. Instead, he idealizes his partner in death and imagines his or her immortal
spirit in another dimension providing love and protection more securely than
before.

The Cupressaceae, particularly Abies canadensis and Abies nigra, are quite self-
sufficient and reclusive. Their inner life is much more important to them than the
world around them. They tend to be content in their solitude and seek their
fulfillment through spiritual rather than personal connection (unless the right
person comes along).

Bromiums also segregate themselves for spiritual reasons, though their spiritual
landscape is vastly different. They feel like perennial sinners who can never
adequately please and reach the all-powerful, male God above them. This
dilemma can make them critical of others and themselves and to live apart under
severe self-stricture. By comparison, Lac felinum’s reasons for living alone have
to do with family dynamics rather than spirituality.

Lac felinum is so reserved and reluctant to reveal her self that the homeopath
may not gain direct information about her inner world. As a result, he may have
to depend on physical symptoms to make a differential diagnosis. In this realm,
penetrating pain is a particularly important theme that relates to the idea of
intrusion and possible dependence on another (if the pains are too severe).
Whereas Spongia has penetrating pains that enter and leave the body, Lac
felinum and the Cactaceae have pains that enter and don’t leave. The Cactaceae’s
pains are like a sword that goes into large vital areas like the head and heart,
whereas Lac felinum’s pains, much like a splinter, attack areas that are less vital,
but make life more difficult.

Other remedies with penetrating pains include Bovista, Cenchris and Asterias.
Bovista has delicate skin susceptible to easy penetration and chronic eruptions.
He fears sexual penetration like Cenchris and sharp objects like Silica and Lac
felinum. For Cenchris, the resistance to penetration is about jealous protection of
his mental and emotional space; for Bovista, it’s about feeling too fragile and too
easily penetrated and deflated. Meanwhile, when Asterias is decompensated, the
penetrating pains are thorn-like and typically attack the breasts in women and the
reproductive areas of both sexes.

CASE OF UGO
Ugo is a 31-year-old man and a professional volleyball player and physical
education instructor. He is physically strong and tall, a real athlete. What is
striking about his appearance is his prematurely white hair that sharply
contrasts with his youthful face.

He reflects a long time before speaking and stares into my eyes each time before
he says something, as if trying to underscore the importance of what he is going
to say. Whenever I look at my keyboard and not directly at him, he stops talking.
In addition, he speaks in a low tone of voice that requires my complete attention
in order to hear him. I have the feeling that he is nervous at the beginning of the
consultation because his hands are perspiring, but little by little he seems more
comfortable.

Repeatedly Ugo emphasizes the idea that he is self-sufficient. Whenever he says,
“I am happy being alone,” his voice changes and he moves his body in a way to
draw attention to what he is saying.

He moves his neck stiffly as if he has a lot of tension. Unlike most athletes, his
respiration is shallow, giving the impression that his chest is tight or that he is
feeling scared or nervous. He is reticent to speak about his symptoms. I have the
general impression that it is not easy for him to talk openly about his problems.

[Ugo begins:]
I have to urinate frequently, especially in winter when it’s cold. It annoys me. I
have to wake up at least once every night. It also happens during the day, at 2-
hour intervals, more or less. § It’s worse when it’s cold and when I have to go
out with friends. If I hold it, I notice a swelling on the right side of my abdomen
that goes away as soon as I urinate. § I wet my bed until I was 5 years old; I
don’t remember why. [He blushes visibly.]

§ I don’t know why I feel this urge more when I am with my friends, but when I
am out, it embarrasses me a lot. Even if I've been going to the gym for years, I
still am not accustomed to it. Being among friends usually stresses me out. It’s
rare that it doesn’t. § The urine is colorless like water.

I go to the toilet at least three times a day, with a fair amount of normal stool. §
The bowel movements tend to be quite dark. I can’t describe them further.

§ I played sports a lot until last year. Then I had to stop when I developed a right
frozen shoulder. I've always been very athletic, but last year I was struggling to
keep warm. § Cold weather really gives me trouble. Even when I play, one foot
remains cold. I know it’s strange and my teammates tease me because I wear one
sock that is thicker than the other. § I always have problems warming up my left
foot; it’s always colder.

§ Cold seems to seep into my body. My grandfather used to say that it seeped
into his bones. I don’t know if there's something deeper than that; I like to say it
reaches all the way to my marrow. [He smiles.] Although my feet are cold, they
sweat a lot, a cold sweat.

One time last year my back got all blocked up. It happened toward the end of the
championship when I was really tired. I was pushing myself. § It felt like a stab
that came on all of a sudden as if I were being pierced by a little dagger.

§ Sports have been fundamentally important for me. I’m a completely different
person when I’m playing. All my inhibitions disappear. That's what my coach
says at least. They say I’ve changed a lot since I was a little kid; they tell me I
seem like a different person.

§ Normally I’m very reserved. People say I’m shy. Maybe it’s true. Actually I
just like to mind my own business. To tell the truth, I prefer to be alone. This
bothered my parents—they thought it was pathological—which is why they
forced me to play team sports (as a kind of therapy). § I became good, but only
with tremendous effort. They say I’m a real team player but when I’m not out
there playing, I don’t seek relationship with anybody. The fact is that
relationships just don’t matter to me.

§ Volleyball is a fantastic sport. However, you must play as a team. I have to
make an effort in that direction, otherwise we wouldn’t get good results. In the
rest of my life, I don’t see any reason to make that kind of effort.

§ I have had the same girlfriend for ages. Actually she's the only girlfriend I’ve
ever had. We met in secondary school when we were 15, and we never broke up.
Some people insist on my marrying her, but I’m fine by myself. I have my things
… It’s difficult to make room for another person to fully enter my life. It's not
that I don’t love her. She understands, but our parents don’t accept it. My life
isn’t any of their business, don’t you agree?

§ I need to eat often; otherwise I don’t have enough energy. At the end of a
match, I always felt pretty empty and only regain my strength by eating—
especially if it’s an official match in which case I go all out. § Though I need to
eat after a match, I don’t eat much; that’s why I’m so thin. I tend to feel bad as
soon as I finish eating. I feel bloated right away; that’s why I just eat a little. § If
I’m real busy and need the energy, I’ll eat small amounts frequently throughout
the day. I definitely don’t like to gulp down too much food!

I suffer from a malocclusion. Many doctors tried to treat it, without results. §
Several doctors suggested that my headache could be connected to this problem.
I’m saying that because even now, if I close my mouth in a particular way, it can
give me a headache.

§ I've been suffering from headaches ever since I was a child, but I didn’t come
to you for that. I gave up on that ever getting better. A specialist in Switzerland
also examined me. Our team doctor took me there—first to a specialist center,
then to a homeopath, like you, but nobody could solve the problem.

§ I remember your colleague treated me with Silica but it had no more effect
than drinking fresh as opposed to regular water—at least that’s how the other
physician put it, and he was right. All I noticed from that remedy was being a
little bit less cold during the treatment, nothing more.

§ First, my forehead hurts. § As if something were piercing me, a stab. § It’s
different from the stab I felt in my shoulder. That one pricks, maybe cuts. The
pain in my forehead is a deep, penetrating pain. § I have to close my eyes
because it hurts so much. It’s really a terrible pain. § I can’t tolerate the light.
My eyes water from the pain. § I can’t tell where it hurts. It encompasses my
eyes and forehead and ultimately becomes diffuse. It’s as if this pain could enter
from my forehead, as if my eyes and forehead were pushing into my brain. § I
feel it especially on the left. The pain enters on the left; that’s where it hurts
more.

§ I think of myself as a quiet person. When I have negative feelings I’m inclined
to conceal them from others, keeping them inside. I pointed this out to my
girlfriend and she says that whenever I am nervous, I tend to swallow more
often.

§ I have a lot of phlegm. I don’t know where it comes from. It’s been happening
since I was a child. § I can’t spit it out properly or swallow it either. It’s rather
disgusting. I was treated for this a number of different ways, including spa
treatments, but….

§ When I was a child, I often dreamt about being lost in a big department store
with escalators, looking for my parents. § I don’t remember anything else about
it. § There was no special sensation associated with this. I was told I could
soothe myself on my own. § I would create my own private space and feel really
good when I’m there.

Sometimes my ears feel warm. § Almost never when I am alone. It is as if they
were full of something, but actually there's nothing inside them. Apart from that,
I’m always cold. I really feel cold, not just my [one cold] foot. I’m really a very
chilly person.

§ I've always had perfect vision, but recently, I’ve had some problems focusing.
I got checked and my sight is okay. I seem to have some difficulty hearing too.
When I was a small child I often had sties. Finally, they excised two because I
couldn’t play. Now if I look up into a sunny sky or at a light, I see some
filament-shaped floaters.

§ Once, I fainted while watching someone remove hedgehog quills from a girl's
foot. I’m a blood donor. I do it out of a sense of duty, because one time my
grandfather was going to die, but thanks to a transfusion… Well, in the end he
died anyway. Even now I’m not able to look. I have to distract my mind at those
moments.

§ I’m afraid to go near a pointed pipe or tube. If I’m not paying attention, I could
accidentally crash against something, like the pipes that collect rainwater on the
house. I have a similar fear when I enter the house or when I’m in the street that
something could pierce my eye. I don’t know if I see some spots now and then.
If they are actually spots, they appear to be horizontal, like a blade coming into
my eyes.

Sometimes I feel like I have something bulky in my mouth. It always happens
while I’m listening to someone talk. It feels strange and it’s difficult to describe.

§ My hair turned gray at 18 after my final exams just before graduation.
Follow-up
I prescribe Lac felinum 30c. I don’t hear from the patient again for two months
even though I had asked him to keep me updated. When he comes for the second
consultation, he seems more open to talk and less shy and embarrassed. A few
minutes into our meeting, he begins to smile and talk in a more relaxed and
natural way.

[Ugo begins:]
At first I had to urinate more often and then I wondered how I was able to go so
long without urinating. Recently, I returned to my usual routine. When I feel I
have to go to the toilet, there is really an urge, but then I am able to control it. §
This happened only a few days ago. I was okay until now and that’s the reason
why I’m here again. I have the impression that your treatment was effective and
I would like to complete it.

I also felt that I was much calmer. I don’t know if this is because of your
treatment but I had a long time where I felt more aware of my inner tranquility. §
It’s hard to explain it, but it’s a deep sensation. I can tell I feel better. I’m okay
on my own, but also being in company is not as difficult as it was before. § My
girlfriend pointed this out more than once. We can now go out with some friends
for dinner or for a drink, and I am not as irritated as I used to be. She said I seem
less awkward than I usually am in company. And now she wants to take me to a
discotheque, but I would never do that. Discotheques are the noisiest, most
chaotic places you can imagine.

§ I noticed that I have less stool and less need to evacuate as often as I did before
—even in moments of stress at my work. Before I had to go whenever I had an
important meeting; or if I had to speak in public; or if I had to have a serious talk
with someone that I don’t really like. Now I seem to be less susceptible to these
sorts of things.

§ I also have less pain in my back. I feel less stiff. I’m only noticing this now
because you asked. § I can’t tell you if I breathe better or not, but honestly I
never felt as if I were blocked. My coach used to tell me I look like a cheetah
because I hardly breathed at all and was so quick and fast when I played. In
moments of tension I do my best and probably breathe less. I think that is
probably the reason why I have such hunger after a match. And then I’m not a
person who likes to eat that much—almost never.

§ I did not notice the filaments—probably it means that I did not see them. But if
I’m distracted while walking the fear I might walk into something pointed could
all of a sudden stop me.

I forgot to tell you the last time that I have a kind of inexplicable sensation if I
am fixedly staring at a person. I can’t identify the feeling. § The last time I was
standing.

I’m taking a course in body language and decided to take this course after I read
an article. I have the impression that I can better explain myself with my body
and I like the idea of communicating without speaking.

I forgot to tell you the last time that I can hardly remember names and match
them to situations or people. If I had to describe someone to a policeman—even
someone I know or meet frequently—I would not be able to remember if this
person has a mustache, if this person wears glasses. It’s been this way since I
was a child and I was never able to explain why. Probably I’m not really
observing the other people, or perhaps I think that I don’t need to observe them.

§ I’ve had no headaches in recent weeks but I have gone for a couple of months
in the past with no headaches so I don’t know if it means anything.

Because it wasn’t clear if this possible improvement was because of my
prescription I decide to give him a placebo. Three weeks later he has a viral
gastroenteritis with a severe headache—a kind of flu everyone was getting that
winter. Frequent sips of Lac felinum 30C produced no significant results, but
with the 200C his headache resolves immediately and his gastrointestinal
symptoms improve. Our next consultation is three months later; he looks pretty
satisfied.

[Ugo begins:]
What is surely evident is that I feel much more at peace. § Emotionally… I’m
able to explain myself, in a more satisfying way, even during normal
conversation.

I don’t have to wake up at night to urinate—this was true more or less from the
beginning of your treatment. It was a problem only a few days before the last
consultation but it’s solved now. I urinate every two or three hours unless it’s
really very cold. Usually I can resist much longer. § I am able to overcome the
urge with a calmer attitude and often I don’t feel that urge again for hours. I can
leave my house and go out for a nice evening without any strong urge so I’m
really calm. Before, at the first sensation I had to run. Now I can wait. I notice
that if I eat too much fruit I usually have to go more often but it’s not that
annoying and then I am a meat-eater so I’m not eating that much fruit.

If you like meat, why do you have to eat fruit?
§ I eat fruit because they say it is good for your health. I find fruit disgusting. It
makes me feel cold, but I’m not as chilly as I was before. I no longer have to
wear socks when I go to sleep and I don’t feel a difference in temperature
between one foot and the other. I also don’t have to evacuate as frequently as
before.

§ My back feels less rigid and I’m sure that this is because I breathe better. I
have the impression that my diaphragm is not as tense and stiff as it was before.
I’ve not had any problems in my shoulder or my back.

§ I have not noticed the filament-shaped floaters. It’s a little hard to focus when I
have to look at something far away but I don’t think these filaments are there
anymore. I did not notice them.

What about your course in body language?
§ Yes, I’m taking this course. What is really interesting is at the end of the hour,
we visit together and have become friends. Everyone really takes care of one
other. I am not able to express why but this has had a certain effect on me. It’s as
if I discovered that we’re not so unique after all. It’s incredible for me to think
that other people could have emotions, feelings, and situations similar to mine. I
had never really considered that idea before.

§ I don’t have to eat as much because I’m not as active in sports. Before I felt
completely empty at the end of a match.

§ After our last visit I noticed a better period in my life, generally speaking, and
that the problem of urinating was much improved. I did not have to run to the
toilet as often. It might happen once in the morning and once in the afternoon
and now this issue is completely gone. It’s a kind of memory now that seems far
away. § I can sleep better. I don’t have to wake up to go urinate.

What about this empty feeling?
§ I still feel empty inside even if I have a very good appetite and I’m eating. The
empty feeling passes. If I’m careful to have a good breakfast in the morning
[which is not usual for Italians], I don’t feel much emptiness during the day. It’s
strange—just the idea of putting something in my mouth is not as disturbing as it
was before. You know, when I studied anatomy in college, I was quite intrigued
that our bowels are full of glands. Then I thought about how eating is not
something that is entirely positive since our body uses some caution [in filtering
out the good from the bad].

§ You know, it often happens that I get frightened of being hit by something due
to my carelessness. § I have noticed that since I began your treatment this
problem never returned. A couple of times I might think for a moment about the
possibility that something could enter my eyes when I am distracted; then I
worry about other kinds of events. For example, while walking I might be afraid
that a car could come out of nowhere, or that something else could knock me
down, but now I don’t have this problem. Occasionally I might think about it. §
But it’s no longer the idea of something penetrating my eyes. It’s more the idea
of larger objects that I need to be aware of because I’m a very distracted person.

What about when you go out with your friends?
§ It’s much easier for me. I don’t have as many situations where I feel uneasy.
Only if I’m the center of attention and everybody’s looking at me. The body
language course was really important and things are going much better. I’m
really satisfied.

And… I met a wonderful girl. I would never have predicted this. My girlfriend is
more like a sister, but it’s completely different with this new girl. Lately I have a
really strong desire to make love to her even though it was never that important
before.

What about your headaches?
§ Knock on wood, I prefer not to talk about them. I have not had any headaches
for months and I’m really satisfied.

I have followed this patient for more than 15 years; I still see him and have not
changed the remedy. I did start using LM’s with him, beginning with LM1. We
have moved up the scale some, but he seldom needs to use his remedy now.

CASE OF LICIA
Licia is a 28-year-old woman and a student of classical literature. She has an
athletic body and her movements are elegant and graceful like a dancer.

She has a seductive quality, speaking so quietly that I must be very attentive. She
watches me intently as she describes her symptoms. I have the impression that if
I were to drop eye contact or not give her all of my attention—not easy to do
while typing—she would cease speaking.

Her speech is slow and deliberate, as though she wishes to be precise and
choose the correct word. It’s as if she wants to appear self-confident but in a
way that seems affected and overdone.

[Licia begins:]
It's a series of little things. I have very intense herpes eruptions on my nose and
my mouth. Now it’s under control. It still turns up but not as frequently as before
—currently only every 2 to 3 months. It has been bothering me for a few years,
and I am fed up with taking medicines that don’t work; they only mask the
symptoms. Each time it comes back, it’s worse than the previous outbreak.

Usually it comes on the right, just to the right of my lip or nostril. § When it
comes out, it always appears there. § Now I have it less frequently, and the
eruptions aren’t as big and don’t last as long. § I have taken so many Zovirax
(Acyclovir) tablets.

I get rashes around my nose and my skin burns a lot. It used to happen only in
winter but now it comes with every season. For at least 3 years they have
appeared on my forehead and on the cleft of my chin. § It burns, and I need to
scratch, but the burning sensation increases when I touch it. When my skin
scales, the burning goes away.

Once a month I suffer from terrible headaches. They are usually on the left side
and last two days. The pain is very strong. § For the last 15 years I haven’t
noticed any special connection. § It’s like a strong pressure when it’s mild—like
a weight pushing downward. When really strong, it’s like a blade piercing my
eyes and forehead, as if something were pushing inward and downward. It’s
difficult to explain what it’s like, but it hurts a lot.

§ If I apply cold and stay in the dark I feel better. I have a gel mask I keep in the
fridge, but the most important thing is to remain in complete darkness. Any light
pierces my eyes like a knife. If I go up the stairs, I feel hammering in my
temples. If I lie down, I can tolerate it.

§ Going upstairs bothers me. I remember one day having to go upstairs a lot and
it was a real torture. § In the summer, if I wake up early, it happens a lot. Hot
weather bothers me and I feel weak.

§ I get a sort of aura with the headache—I feel freezing cold. My extremities feel
frozen and I start to shiver. Then it comes—a kind of cold that gets inside you. §
I can’t get free of it. I can only try to feel better by avoiding light and any
stimulus. I've given up the idea of treating it and I don’t want to fill myself with
a lot of crud. Don’t feed me the illusion that you can do anything for it. It’s not a
big problem for me—I’ve learned to live with it.

I also feel cold inside my head as if my skull bones were too thin. My forehead
and my temples feel frozen inside, as if the protection between my head and
whatever is outside my head is very fragile. I often feel this and it’s not exactly
pain. It's as if my skull were there by chance, just to hold my brain together. It is
as if my skull were nothing more than an insubstantial, flimsy little box.

§ I remember when I was a child my mother always called it a cranial box. In my
mind I always imagined an oversized cardboard box with shoes dancing inside. §
At that time they were not able to make different boxes according to shoe size
and so the shoes danced about inside.

§ I feel tired and defenseless against external things. § Whatever is outside of
me. Objects seem dangerous—like furniture —as if they could block my way
and bump against me.

§ I can have the sensation that it might fall on me, as if the distance between the
furniture and me is shortened. It’s not just oppressive, but a really overwhelming
sensation. If I’m not careful, I can crash into it. Now that I think about it, it’s the
same concept as the cranial box—if [the cranium is] made of cardboard it will
just crumple.

§ Going for a bicycle ride makes me feel better. I have to be outside in the fresh
air.

§ I prefer to be outside rather than in closed spaces. In winter it’s warm and
protected inside, that's true. I am the one that would be crouched near the
fireplace, because I need the heat. It’s the feeling of having a place next to the
fireplace, a place that is mine.
In summer, screens come between me the landscape outside. I can’t stand the
idea of having closed windows. I like to go on vacation with a tent. I love the
outdoors and I like to run. It’s the first sensation I have when I see a big open
space—I want to run. But it’s just a thought; I never actually do it.

I like well-defined weather: strong weather or thunderstorms. I’m weighed down
by gloomy days in which nothing moves. Summer turning into autumn makes
me sad as much as winter turning into spring makes me euphoric. I guess my
mood can be a bit unstable.

Recently my contact lenses get very dirty. They get greasy so I have to clean
them often during the day. It happens more frequently when I have a headache. §
I am very nearsighted and have astigmatism. I have poor sight at close range too.
At the beach I read with one eye because I don’t wear glasses or contact lenses
there. I found this out when I was in secondary school. I was copying incorrectly
from the blackboard, and it got worse and worse. I have always had problems
with my eyes. They are a weak point for me. I would get sties when I was a
child. Then I had them burned, or something like that. I think they went away
with puberty when I started to wear make-up.

§ I really wanted to wear make-up, but it was difficult for me. § I saw my good
friends suddenly developing and becoming very flirtatious—these girls were
children just months before. Then after the summer, everything changed. I knew
that I would have to pay a price to put on this mask, but I never imagined it
would be so difficult.

I cried one whole month before I was able to put make-up on my eyes. I imagine
you’ve never worn make up—just seeing the pencil next to my eye—it’s as if I
could feel it inside. I would get a headache at the mere sight of it. My eyes
would start to water 30 minutes before I even touched them. I am very precise
but I would always smear the make-up or make a crooked stroke, then tears and
horror. § So I gave it up completely. In spite of all my good intentions, is it
really worth it? § The only make-up I use now is lipstick, and I don’t feel
comfortable without it.

§ I have to be careful how I use my eyes because they get tired so quickly. When
I did homework as a child after a while my eyes couldn’t manage it and my
mother often read to me. I wanted to be good; I had to be good. My mother said I
knew enough, but I always wanted to be better. And then I did not have enough
self-confidence. It was a stress every day.

§ In the end I always had very good results in terms of tests and homework, but
it seemed to me as if this happened by chance. Even though I did my best, I was
never sure it was enough.

Even now I often have to close my eyes when I get tired. I realize quickly that
it’s time for a break, and I must confess, I don’t have much resilience.

My face is always full of pimples and spots. But I don’t mind it anymore…

§ Sleep is a refuge for me where I can shut out everything and switch off the
light. If I had a bad day, I go to bed very early. To recover, I need the warmth of
my bed. § It’s my own special place. It’s the first space that was my very own,
and I think it’s the most important. It’s a place for me to recharge, and it gives
me a kind of nourishment. Even though I’m very active, I have to shut myself
away from other people in order to recharge.

§ Being active does not mean that I love company—my friends say that I’m a bit
snooty. Actually I think it’s just that we are different. Even if we have the same
look and dress alike—we are different. I am really convinced that social
relationships are just conventions, conventions we may need, but nothing more.
When you grow up, it’s not by chance that you withdraw into yourself. It’s
normal because you become wise.

§ I have been terrified of injections since I was a child—and I still am. I
remember the torture of the saucepan boiling on the fire. [Needles were boiled to
sterilize them for re-use.] Even now I submit to them unwillingly. Even if I am
not keen on medicines in general, injections are pure violence. § As a child I
thought it absurd to suffer so much to feel well. How could healing come from
such a violent deed? An injection is not respectful—it’s gratuitous violence and
brutal. Men have been cured throughout the ages without resorting to this—it’s
not typical of our culture, even with drugs. People have always taken drugs, but
they never thought to shoot venom inside the body like they do today. It’s not
natural; it’s violent!

I have a bad relationship with doctors; that’s why I’m here, but I didn’t expect
such an investigation. I thought you were different.

§ I expected questions about what I eat, which climate makes me feel better or
worse, which side hurts—that’s what I heard about homeopathy. They told me I
must be very precise in answering so I thought it would be my kind of medicine.
I’m very picky, but your questions are open-ended, and it's just me doing all the
talking.

§ I’ve been a vegetarian for years—the idea of blood and violence makes me
sick. Some time ago I saw a child whose head was bleeding and I got dizzy. I
love meat, but for those reasons I stopped eating it.

§ I love cats and I can’t stand dogs. I think cats have their own personality. I like
their individualism and their cleanliness. Dogs are lanky and clumsy. I don’t like
the fact that dogs depend on man. I prefer cats and their quiet elegance. I like
watching them watch birds.

I don’t know if I could eat a bird with all its feathers. Maybe without the feathers
—if it were well cooked!

§ As I said, I don’t give a lot of importance to social relationships. I mean that I
don’t trust them. I have my own opinion on the matter, but I don’t volunteer it. I
can say that I’m interested in men but not in casual relationships.

§ I have a friend whom I have known for a long time. We were in kindergarten
together and met up in each subsequent grade. We know each other very well.
Maybe he is one of the few people I really trust, but there’s nothing more to the
relationship than that.
Follow-up
I prescribe Lac felinum 30c. Three weeks later Licia phones me in the throes of
a violent headache. Repeated sips of the remedy in water yield no results. A few
hours after taking Lac felinum 100c she is much better. She continues taking this
once a week and the next consultation is three months later.

[Licia begins:]
It’s a miracle! My headache is so much better and it’s not even what I asked for.

§ That headache was a full-blown crisis. I didn’t know if I could bear it any
longer and I was even thinking of going to the hospital. Try to imagine
somebody like me thinking about going to the hospital—it was that bad!

§ I can’t explain—the pain was absurd. It was as if something was penetrating
and entering into my brain. § It felt like the usual blade was being pushed hard
against something that was resisting. The issue was if I tried to resist, it made the
pain much worse. I can’t tell you more.

You know the drops that you gave me were really miraculous. My herpes even
came out again. Without asking you, I repeated the 100c. Not only was this
unsuccessful, I have the impression that it made things worse. In terms of pain it
was burning like when you put alcohol on an open wound. I did not put alcohol
on it but it was the same kind of burning, even worse.

§ I was impressed that my eyes did not get as tired as before. I could study much
more easily during these last few months. I noticed this but didn’t know if this
was because of your treatment or not having the headaches that I had before. § I
even worked a lot on the computer, which previously was really difficult for me.
I was at the university for hours on end without the usual problem of having to
frequently stop, though I still had to sometimes if the light penetrated my eyes.

§ Why are you asking me about chilliness? Is it possible to treat that too? I still
have icy cold feet and have the impression that your treatment did not touch this.
I don’t see how it could. I was born like this and everybody in my family is like
this. I used to tease my mother to make her angry and say that I took one foot
from my mother and one foot from my father. My father is very warm. I often
sleep with one foot out of the blanket while the other one is very cold.

§ My sleep has never been a problem for me. I do remember a dream I had.
There was a siege going on. I was in a fortress, like something that belonged to a
king. It was very old—older than medieval times. Probably I was influenced by
my studies. There was a popular uprising—they were not enemies in the narrow
sense of the word—and then we realized they were right to behave like this.

§ This dream did not leave me with an unpleasant sensation, just confusion.
Kings today are dressed like other people, maybe more elegantly, but they still
wear suits. § Probably it’s right that it is like this. What is important is to be
noble inside—no one can take this away, neither can one bestow it. It’s
something you have.

I feel the remedy is working and prescribe a placebo. I ask her to take just the
placebo and nothing else. Four months later she has another crisis with her
headache. I ask her to repeat Lac felinum 100c with no results, but the 200c
provides relief within a few hours.

Three months later (seven months after the initial consultation) we have our
third consultation.

Licia begins:
So far I have only had that one attack of headache. I know that you will ask me,
in your veiled way, why I had this headache—and I am prepared to answer. I
decided I had to open myself, and I fell in love. It was a strong physical
involvement and he’s a fantastic person. After the first time we made love
together, I had such a strong headache. I know that this will, without a doubt,
make sense to you. I was expecting this because I was not able to sleep that
night, and if I don’t sleep I have a headache.

It does not have to make sense to me—it’s important that what happens makes
sense to you.
§ I imagined you might say this to me, and I don’t know what to tell you. I have
no idea how all this will end. I can only tell you that now this is a very
captivating experience.

§ I had to go to the optician to change my lenses. They had to reduce the
prescription because I see better now, and I no longer need the lenses that
automatically adjust to light. [She is no longer photophobic.] § You have never
seen me with my glasses because when I come here it’s not necessary. You are a
kind of mole, and your office is even darker than mine. Maybe that is why I
immediately felt comfortable here the very first time.

I have seen this patient for some time and she has done well. I will occasionally
repeat her remedy when she is in need, for example, when she was pregnant with
the fellow she mentioned at our third visit.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Independence ; Inhibition
Fundamental Themes
Family Identity ; Abandonment & Separation ; Integration of Instincts ;
Irresolution
Dependence // Independence (3); Autarky (2); Introversion (2); Rigidity ;
Fragility (2); Congestion: passive ; Discharge: difficult ; Symmetry-
Asymmetry
Pain: penetrating (3); Pain: constrictive ; Ineluctable; Headache: digestive;
Chilliness; Photophobia; Hyperphagia; Vertigo; Milk
Common Ailments
Ageusie (loss of taste) Alopecia Angina pectoris Asthenopia (eye strain)
Conjunctivitis, allergic, recurrent Cystitis, recurrent Enuresis Food
intolerance, milk Headaches, digestive Hernia, lumbar disk Hyperhidrosis
Insomnia Keratoconus Lipomas Malocclusion Myopia Prostatitis, recurrent
Sty, recurrent Tonsillitis, recurrent Ulcers, corneal Urinary frequency /
Uveitis, auto-immune
Milks: Separation from Family: Lac caprinum ; Lac lupinum
Other: Fragile, Self-sufficient: Silica ; Inhibited, Self-sufficient: Calcarea
silicata ; Reclusive Self-sufficient: Cupressaceae: Abies canadensis, Abies
nigra; Bromiums ; Penetrating Pain: Asterias ; Bovista ; Cactaceae ; Cenchris ;
Spongia

LAC VACCINUM DEFLORATUM

BOS PRIMIGENIUS TAURUS

Bos primigenius taurus is an ancestor of the extinct aurochs that roamed
throughout Europe, North Africa, and much of Asia. The cow was domesticated
around 10,500 BC, close to the start of the Neolithic era, in the Fertile Crescent.
It was used for meat, milk and hides, as well as for carrying heavy loads. Cows
were an early source of wealth, with the word cattle being derived from chattel.

Cows are ruminants, or even-toed ungulates that chew partially digested food
regurgitated from its first stomach. This is then re-swallowed and digested by
microbes in the rumen allowing for needed protein to be extracted from the
grass.

Dairy or milk cows are bred for their ability to produce large quantities of milk.
Typically, a domestic cow can live about 20 years. Those devoted to dairy
production, however, generally live shorter lives, being culled from the herd due
to infertility, mastitis, lameness and milk production below 12-15 liters per day.
The average fat content of whole milk is 3.67% butterfat, while skim milk may
range from 0.5% to 2% butterfat.

Lactose intolerance has become an increasingly common health issue,
preventing children and adults from digesting milk. Most mammals stop
producing lactase after weaning, but many humans continue to produce this
enzyme into adulthood. This tendency appears to be genetic, with intolerance
seen in 90% of African and Asian populations, but only 5% of Northern
Europeans. Lactose intolerance appears to be on the rise in recent years, possibly
due to increased consumption or due to damage of the intestinal lining from the
increasing incidence of celiac disease.

The cow has long been affiliated with the moon and the goddess. Isis, Hathor,
and Kamadhenu are often depicted as a white cow, symbolizing the feminine,
fertility and generosity. The cow serves as a symbol of the perfect mother,
passionately devoted to her calf.

The bull is represented in the constellation of Taurus, which marks the sun’s
location during the spring equinox. This timing also supports the association of
the bull with fertility. In Hindu mythology, the bull represents the heavenly sky
that fertilizes the cow and makes the earth fecund.

The bull was initially associated with the moon, its horns representing the
crescent moon. Zoroastrian mythology depicts the bull straddling the mountains
and seas. In Abrahamic cultures the bull became the horned devil.

Dr. Samuel Swan conducted a proving of skim milk after reading an article
about the use of this substance in the treatment of diabetes, albuminuria and
other renal complaints. A Finnish study in 1992 suggested that children might
become susceptible to Type 1 diabetes as a result of being exposed to cow’s milk
at a young age.

Vacca is the Latin word for cow. Deflorare means to cull, or in this case, to
separate out or reduce the fat content. In addition to Lac vaccinum defloratum
there are several other remedies made from cow’s milk: Lac vaccinum (whole
milk), Lac vaccinum butyricum (butter milk), Lac vaccinum coagulatum (curds)
and Lac vaccinum flos (cream).
COMMON AILMENTS
Asthma with esophageal regurgitation / Back pain, lumbar region, recurrent /
Bruxism Claustrophobia Conjunctivitis, recurrent Constipation, obstinate
Fainting, metabolic causes / Food intolerance, milk / Grief, difficult elaboration
Malabsorption Migraines Tachycardia, paroxysmal Tonsillitis, recurrent /
Vertigo
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Unlike other Milk remedies, Lac vaccinum defloratum does not generally fear
abandonment or rejection by their family. Their core fear is becoming separated,
by whatever circumstance, from their family and having to manage life alone.
For them, family is a rock-like foundation to which they must stay closely tied
no matter what. And there is a corollary sense of doom if this connection were
ever to break. As with Alumina and Baryta salts, this fear stems from their need
for a fusional relationship with the family. From a very early age, they voice
concerns about having to live apart from the family someday or that a family
member will die. Death represents the ultimate separation, and so generates
tremendous fear and in their mind, is always lurking right around the corner.
Passivity
They can present as very passive and yielding as if to say, in a determinist way,
“It has always been like this and it will always be like this in the future. I have
no choice but to accept this. What else can I do?” They are not usually
embittered or disturbed by their destiny, but simply follow the family like cows
following the herd. Their passive nature is related to an enduring need for
stability as well as a corresponding anxiety about change. They don’t want to
give up their painkillers to see if their treatment is really working, even though
ostensibly this is why they sought treatment in the first place.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
For Lac vaccinum defloratum, the larger family existing across generations can
feel like a massive entity, a mountain of granite, whose power and influence are
impossible to escape. Their parents too must submit to this entity that is too big,
strong and heavy to resist. All one can do is accept this by submitting to familial
dominion and relinquishing hope of becoming a true individual.

Lac vaccinum defloratum often feels a tremendous sense of compassion and
sympathy for other members of the family, including their parents and
grandparents, since they are all trapped within this same transpersonal identity of
family. Another kind of suffering can come from awful things being done by one
family member against another, for example, by a nefarious uncle or a cruel
sister. Yet everyone is far too passive to ever confront the offenders. In both
these ways the family bequeaths a heritage of hardships to be shared within this
docile, long-suffering stream of people.
Abandonment
For Lac vaccinum defloratum, being apart from the family can seem like an
unendurable hardship. No matter the suffering or travail, Lac vaccinum
defloratum tends to feel sympathy and responsibility toward their poor parents as
if they are all joined together in their suffering. In this way, they passively
contribute to the continuation of this circumstance while at the same time
becoming another one of its victims.

Meanwhile they lack, or so they fear, any of the requisite tools to strike out on
their own and become their own person. And so, from the beginning of their life,
they are slow or stumble in their developmental path, including weaning,
dentition or the first day of kindergarten. In essence, anything that approaches a
developmental step is inordinately difficult for them and causes anxiety and
potential decompensation. In part, this is because they are so terrified of change
and do not actually want to advance. It’s as if they become crystallized and are
unable to move.

When decompensated, they may offer images of cocooning their family and
bringing them to a safe place where they could remain as they are, uncorrupted,
without the passage of time. The very idea that a parent or grandparent could die
is unthinkable, a disaster—both for the deceased who will now be alone, and for
Lac vaccinum defloratum who will now be without this essential person in their
life.
Lac vaccinum defloratum tends to be far too passive and mild to ever cope with
their innate aggression. They may have equal difficulty with pleasure. It seems
impossible to know what they desire, let alone to express these desires because
they don’t know who they are. Children don’t know what sports they like; young
adults don’t know whom they are attracted to. Lac vaccinum defloratum usually
falters if asked to name their favorite color or food or music, deferring to their
family: “Everybody likes pasta” or “We are all fond of tomatoes.” They take a
certain pride in saying ‘we’ instead of ‘me’. Thus they deny themselves the
instinctual power of self.
Irresolution
Lac vaccinum defloratum is one of the most irresolute of all Milk remedies.
They do not usually mask their irresolution with strong opinions like Lac
leoninum, or struggle between two options ad infinitum like Lac caninum.
Instead they tend to abdicate decision-making altogether and just follow
whatever is favored by their family. Thus when the family offers an opinion, Lac
vaccinum defloratum merely follows suit. But if they desire something that
gently contravenes family convention or is unconsidered within their family’s
values, then they may feel truly lost and not know what to do. Even such a
thought, from their viewpoint, should not be allowed to exist.
Retention / Passive Congestion (3)
Lac vaccinum defloratum, like Bryonia, tends to dislike all change, wanting to
slow it down and bring it to a standstill—freezing her movements, her emotions,
her system as a whole. She thinks, “If I don’t move, if I hold my breath, I can
keep everything as it is and nothing will change.” Every process of elimination
—saliva, catarrh, feces, urine—is slowed down as if she is attempting to retain
the excretion. She is one of the few Milk remedies that can have problems with
lactation. Her milk does not flow because of severe congestion, and so mastitis
can frequently occur. This leaves the mother feeling guilty and inadequate. The
inability to produce milk represents, on an emotional level, how she is too
immature and undeveloped to be a very effective parent.

When pushed too hard to do something or to hasten her pace to match that of
others, the acceleration of her own process can stress her to the point that she
develops encopresis or incontinence.
Slowness (2)
Lac vaccinum defloratum can have a tremendous, obsessive anguish about dying
since this represents the ultimate separation from her family. Actually, this is a
fear of living, since she has likely never stepped fully into life. This fear of death
permeates her mind obsessively from an early age. She thinks that it would be
impossible to live without her parents, grandparents or other family members
who provide an essential security blanket for her. In middle adulthood, she may
begin to regret that she is not really living her own life.

To counter the fear of death, Lac vaccinum defloratum may try to slow down as
if this might stave off the inevitable. Deceleration is also used to postpone
maturation and launching from one’s family. In fact, every element of
development is delayed: she is late to teethe, wean, walk, begin school, and
sexually mature.

Lac vaccinum defloratum may feel some sorrow and regret that others can’t
move at her same slow pace. Meanwhile, she tries to provide an example of how
life could be better if they could. In a sense, her leisurely pace constitutes a kind
of mild protest against the speed of life. If Lac vaccinum defloratum gains some
personal strength, she can begin to insist that others match her unhurried manner.
Ineluctable
When Lac vaccinum defloratum describes her symptoms, she gives the
impression that they cannot be avoided. In other words, there is a mild sense of
doom, as if there is no hope of improvement. Her pathology is understood as a
natural part of her physiology. Whatever her particular problem—digestion,
constipation, urination—she implies that this is simply how her body operates:
“This is me. This is the path I follow,” much like the well-worn path the cow
follows from pasture to barn. She says that her parents or grandparents have
similar issues, suggesting that such problems are embedded within the family
line and therefore irremediable. She may believe treatment to be futile and
probably was brought to the homeopath by someone else or came for some other
reason than the presumed complaint.
Inexpressible Anger
When first encountering Lac vaccinum defloratum, the practitioner often thinks:
“She seems so peaceful, what is she covering up?” As with other Milks, her
dreams describe what she cannot accept within herself or express to others. She
dreams, for example, of a domineering authority to whom she must submit, or
about enraged animals beaten down by bigger beasts. These point to her
suppressed anger and trouble with authority. In most cases, she does not even
entertain the possibility of voicing her discontent. This unexpressed rage
contributes to constrictive pains when compensated, and explosive pains, when
decompensated.
Denial
Lac vaccinum defloratum often removes disturbing items from conscious
memory. This is similar to the amnesia of a car accident victim whose memories
are too traumatic to recall. Lac vaccinum defloratum can erase items from
memory, saying, “I don’t know” or “I can’t remember.” Otherwise, she acts as if
everything is OK (even though it’s not true). What she says between the lines is
that she can’t cope with her memories, so she pretends that they don’t exist
(since they aren’t remediable anyway).
Symmetry-Asymmetry
In Lac vaccinum defloratum the head pain can move from one area of the head
to another, while body symptoms can move from side to side, as well as alternate
between superior and inferior zones. What is specific to Lac vaccinum
defloratum is that there is an attempt to find equilibrium between the symptoms
in different parts of the body. In other words, if there is a pain in one part, there
is an attempt to balance it with a similar kind of pain on the opposite side, rather
than having all the pains only on one side.

Constrictive Pain
When compensated, Lac vaccinum defloratum’s pains are often constrictive.
Such spasmodic pains reflect a basic way of suffering; they are typical in babies,
for example, and in such remedies as the Magnesium salts, Colocynthis and
Luffa operculata among others. Spasm and constriction are a strategic way for a
more basic system to close off, escape and withdraw into the self. They’re also a
way to stop the pains from becoming more violent and explosive.
Explosive Pain (2)

Lac vaccinum defloratum’s constrictive pains are meant to keep the underlying
disturbance contained. With decompensation, the pains become worse: pressing,
bursting, explosive and fragmenting. These pains are symbolically related to
their need for the family to remain close for fear that they will scatter away.
Digestive Headache
Lac vaccinum defloratum normally has two key issues associated with her
headaches. First, they are periodic, representing suffering that keeps coming
back, often during a certain season of the year or according to some other
idiosyncratic pattern. A headache may appear, for example, when there’s a
certain kind of wind or the sky has a special light. Often her symptoms are
shared by other family members, only the time between episodes or the reason
for its recurrence are individual—a mild way to say “I’m similar, but different,
and therefore, a little bit my own person.”

Second, the digestive headache may be accompanied by elimination, as if
discharge can only happen with suffering. Therefore, vomiting or diarrhea is
preceded by a painful, heavy indigestion, or she must endure an uncomfortable
retention of fluids before she can finally urinate and get relief. Paradoxically,
while providing a sense of freedom and liberation, discharge may also be
associated with losing pieces of oneself (a sense of fragmentation), causing
anguish and suffering.
Instability
Instability and vertigo are common for Lac vaccinum defloratum. Beginning in
childhood, Lac vaccinum defloratum struggles to feel stable or firm on her feet.
When walking she feels as though her legs and spine are not strong enough and
she could easily faint and fall down. Symbolically, this can represent her need to
hold onto someone and her inability to stand on her own two feet.
Photophobia
Lac vaccinum defloratum can be overly sensitive to various stimuli, especially
those, like the sun, that create a strong impression. Too much light, noise, too
many people or impressions can cause an immediate strong response. One might
imagine her coming out of the darkness and safety of the home—barn, in the
case of the animal—light piercing her eyes before they can adjust, causing a
reaction within her whole system.

The repertory lists many symptoms that improve or worsen according to whether
the eyes are opened or closed. This represents another way to avoid, deny or
erase whatever in life is overwhelming and inescapable: “I’m not strong enough
to look at this.”
Foreign Body
Lac vaccinum defloratum may openly declare that she has something foreign
inside her; she can feel it but doesn’t know what it is. Whereas the
Euphorbiaceae commonly want to remove their foreign body, believing it’s the
root of all their ills, Lac vaccinum defloratum may almost feel affectionate
toward it, as if it were somehow precious to her. While this apparent foreign
body may generate some suffering, she takes it in stride, and may in fact feel
comforted as if it were a kind of companion, like a pebble in one’s shoe that one
eventually grows fond of.
DREAMS
Lac vaccinum defloratum often has dreams where a small, impotent person or
animal is about to be crushed by a strong authority. This expresses her feeling of
powerlessness and inevitability while also suggesting that she has underlying
anger about this situation.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Lac vaccinum defloratum tends to be rather basic and conformist intellectually,
and somewhat immature and fragile emotionally. Subjectively, the body feels as
though it lacks connective tissue and could fall apart at any moment. Related to a
poor ability do individuate and differentiate herself, she tends to have a poor and
primitive ability to perceive through the body or explore physical pleasure.
Instead of seeking greater sensual satisfaction, the motto may be: “This is the
body I have, that’s all there is to it.”
VULNERABILITY
Lac vaccinum defloratum’s sense of security seems to rise and fall according to
the wellbeing of her family. She can be shaken when her family seems less
strong, less cohesive. Another vulnerability is when Lac vaccinum defloratum
feels obliged to assert herself, to move at a faster pace, to be different from how
she is. Lac vaccinum defloratum is especially sensitive to loss, and thus this
remedy can be useful when people are recovering from loss. Lac vaccinum
defloratum has difficulty with anything that requires individuation and a sense of
self. She is acutely aware of her many vulnerabilities which make life difficult to
manage.
COMPENSATION
Lac vaccinum defloratum copes with being slow, weak and immature by
remaining dependent on her family. Rather than risk change, which seems too
overwhelming, she tends to accept everything as it is with a passive attitude, as if
her fate were sealed. In this and all things, she generally follows her family’s
lead and needs them by her side. And she does whatever she must to ensure that
she won’t lose them or be pushed away. (To be alone would be a complete
catastrophe.) She can use her mild and yielding nature to seduce people into
supporting her whenever this is needed. Her defenses are rather primitive. Her
photophobia, for example, can represent not only a physiological weakness, but
also a strategy to avoid things that she would rather not see. In general, she
attempts to reduce her contact and relationship with the world, and she can have
a tendency to become preoccupied with repetitive actions as a way to feel more
secure. All this can conjure an image of big cow eyes, that convey being naïve,
hesitant and insecure.
COMPLICATIONS
Lac vaccinum defloratum doesn’t let herself evolve as a person because it seems
too painful and overwhelming. As a result, she stays immature and vulnerable,
which makes life more painful and overwhelming. Her defenses of avoidance,
negation and slowing down are primitive, escapist and automatic. They don’t
give her the chance to confront and work through her challenges. As a result, she
becomes more confirmed each time that she must simply shut down; there is
nothing else to do.

Lac vaccinum defloratum wants to slow everything down and extend her life as
long as possible, not because she embraces life, but because she fears death. In
reality, she doesn’t really live her own life. When she finally wakes up to this
fact, she must face that her fear of death was actually a fear of life.
DECOMPENSATION
With decompensation, Lac vaccinum defloratum often becomes increasingly
dependent and may produce situations and pathologies where others must take
care of her. She might develop dementia, for example, or a physical condition
that requires assistance to move. She may develop cataracts or other eye
symptoms where she can’t manage on her own.
RESTORATION
With treatment, Lac vaccinum defloratum can be an effective, diplomatic
mediator. In groups, she can help provide a cohesive element that holds the
group together. She readily provides service to others, and has a knack for
identifying and helping other weak individuals like herself who need some
support.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
In many cases, the family suggests that life is miserable, “It can never be better
than this,” and she would do well to accept this reality rather than fight it. The
parents usually guide their children to be good and honest and keep a low profile
to stay out of trouble. Generally speaking, it is preferable to be average, like
everybody else, so as not to stand out. For this reason, there is no need to excel;
in fact, it may be discouraged.
Nuclear Family
In the nuclear family, Lac vaccinum defloratum tries to avoid conflict and
maintain a life that is peaceful, slow and mild. The nuclear family tends to
replicate the original family. Often, she may find it difficult to engage in this
family because she is too tied to her family of origin.
Lac vaccinum defloratum is mild, yielding and subservient, and poorly
individuated. For these reasons, she doesn’t know what she wants and so it is
difficult to satisfy her in any kind of relationship.
Child & Adolescent
As a child, Lac vaccinum defloratum tends to be extremely dependent on her
family and slow to make connections with other children. Part of the problem is
that she may not be very active or know how to play and have fun. Lac vaccinum
defloratum is often a peacekeeper who wants to avoid conflict at all cost. For
this reason, she may suppress any tendency toward adolescent rebellion. At this
stage, she may seem to be much younger than her peers.
Adult
As adults, Lac vaccinum defloratum tends to keep a low profile and just plods
on, without making a significant mark or adding any spice to her life. She strives
to ‘keep herself together’ by not rocking the boat or by expressing any personal
interest. In effect she is so good at this that she is not even aware of who she is
or what she wants. This can lead to disappointment and frustration on the part of
her partner who has no idea how to satisfy her. Not by chance, the sexual life of
Lac vaccinum defloratum is one of the most undeveloped of the Milks.
Elder
Lac vaccinum defloratum may decompensate with the change of life, or in the
moment she realizes that she never lived her own life. With old age, she may
become extremely dependent and subtly solicit others to provide care.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac vaccinum defloratum can have a tendency to be a ‘good patient’. She may
try to please the doctor by persuading him that she’s doing better than she really
is. This makes it difficult to chart her progress. The fact that she is even in
treatment is paradoxical, because she may not want to get better. Like Alumina,
Calcarea carbonica, and Baryta carbonica, she wants an ongoing dependent
relationship with her doctor, and may produce symptoms to justify her continued
treatment. Even so, she is often happy to go on living with her symptoms. She
may say something like, “I never asked you to treat my headache, but I’m
relieved that you healed my vertigo.” She’s not afraid of mild physical suffering;
her real issue is that she doesn’t want to be alone. Over time, she may be able to
change this unhealthy strategy and embrace becoming less symptomatic. The
real gauge of progress is whether she can become more independent.
The most notable observation upon a first encounter with Lac vaccinum
defloratum is that there is nothing that stands out. In her very passive manner,
she is always appropriate, never wanting to disturb. Like the Kalis, her main
strategy is to appear like the others, to disappear within the group, and to never
do anything special that might single her out. Lac vaccinum defloratum shares
many key symptoms with Kali carbonicum and Kali bromatum such as
constipation, tachycardia, palpitations, pain in the lumbar spine, asthma,
headaches and vertigo. The difference is that Kalis are concerned with dogma
and the precise rules of normative behavior in society, while Milks are generally
more concerned about emotional connection to family members and aligning
with the culture of their family, whether it be the type of humor, the need for
math skills, a special love for nature, etc. Milks are more concerned about people
and personal values, whereas Kalis are more focused on ideals and principles.

Lac vaccinum defloratum is the most passive of all the Milks. Her anger is
almost non-existent. This lack of verve contributes to a palpable sense of
resignation as seen in her very slow pace. Perhaps there is a hint of opposition as
she gently imposes her rhythm, and in this way, a little bit of her emotional state,
on others. This is the same strategy used by Lac asinum, though in a much more
understated and less aggressive way. A Lac asinum child, for example, might
obstinately dawdle so long that it forces his parents to miss the train. Lac
vaccinum defloratum would never go this far.

Other remedies that seem to lack anger include Saccharum album and the
Primulaceae. Saccharum album can be extremely passive and masochistic,
excusing the most horrific acts against him while never saying ‘no’. On rare
occasions, Saccharum album can have inappropriate outbursts of anger. Lac
vaccinum defloratum is not as spineless and much less likely to be inappropriate.
Her anger stays constantly constricted, and she shows only the mildest level of
opposition by perhaps having other people slow down their pace a bit.

The Primulaceae, like Carcinosinum, generally put forth their best effort in life
as a way to help repay their family’s investment in them. Lac vaccinum
defloratum is not so ambitious, preferring to avoid the spotlight of achievement.
In addition, the physical maladies of sinusitis, headaches, backaches and
digestive issues are not as prominent or characteristic in the Primulaceae as in
the Milks.

Barytas and Aluminas come to mind because of their dependency,
developmental delays, and slow pace. The Barytas are dependent and childish
and they strongly seek protection. The Aluminas are also very dependent, and
may often prefer to suffer in a bad relationship rather than leave it and risk being
alone. Both Barytas and Aluminas are not usually as emotionally warm or
genuinely affectionate as the Milks, or as concerned about not hurting other
family members’ feelings. In comparison, these minerals tend to be more cool
and calculated in their emotional life, and more purely focused on getting their
basic needs met within the family sphere. Any of these remedies can become
frustrated about how their dependence on the family impedes their growth,
though these minerals may be more content to stay where they are. An additional
differential is that Lac vaccinum defloratum, in comparison to these minerals, is
often more richly creative and imaginative.

Lac vaccinum defloratum may feel that there is a foreign body inside her, but she
accepts this—as she does almost everything in life—and may even become
strangely comforted by it. The Euphorbiaceae are poisonous plants that produce
extreme skin irritations on contact. As remedies, they have a very difficult time
with their instinctual side, which provokes intense feelings of guilt and shame.
When they feel a foreign body inside, it is equated with the devil or something
corrupt or alien and must be immediately extracted.

The Cupressaceae share the symptom of a foreign body, but in other ways, they
are quite different. They are the most independent and autonomous remedies of
our materia medica, while the Milks are among the most dependent. Both in
terms of personality as well as symptoms, the Cupressaceae are very serious and
‘adult-like’, while Milks are regressive.

Some of the Calcarea salts, such as Calcarea carbonica or Calcarea fluorica
can also have concerns about a foreign body. These remedies can easily be
distinguished from Milks, however, because the latter are so much more
emotional. Additionally, Calcareas require that their basic needs met: food,
housing and protection; Milks need an exchange of love and affection,
something less likely to be seen in Calcareas or other dependent minerals like
the Aluminas or Barytas. When a Calcarea salt experiences a loss, he can
generally rebound as soon as a worthy substitute appears. For a Milk, the
emphasis is on emotional connection and family membership, and so this person
cannot be so easily replaced.

CASE OF LAURA
Laura is a piano teacher who looks younger than her 35 years. Her timidity
prevents her from speaking easily or openly, especially in the beginning.
Nevertheless, she appears interested in the consultation, despite our difficulty
starting a constructive dialogue. She has a pronounced malocclusion.

[Laura begins:]
I have been suffering from violent headaches since I was a child. § They are
accompanied by nausea and vomiting, forcing me to lie down in the dark. §
What is more worrisome is that whenever I feel a headache coming on, I have to
take painkillers, and I think it’s unwise to continue like this.

§ Years ago I saw a neurologist. After he gave me some medicine, I was a little
better. But when I stopped taking it, the headaches returned. Last year I had a
baby. During the pregnancy, I had no problems at all.

§ In the beginning they said it was related to my digestion. § In fact, I think it’s
the reverse. First I have the headache and then I get a stomachache.

§ I get a very annoying pain around my eye and my temple on one side only. It
can be on the right or on the left. Recently, I have also been getting a toothache.
The pain becomes more and more intense, and then I get hungry. I try not to eat
anything, but I get nauseous whether I eat or not. § If I eat something to make
my stomach feel better, it doesn’t necessarily improve my headache. When I eat,
my head might feel a little better but the pain doesn’t disappear entirely. § As
soon as the headache starts, I take some painkillers with caffeine, and I feel
better. In the past, one good night of sleep was sufficient to make me feel better
the next morning. § However, now the headache can last for days. If I wake up
in the night, the headache comes back again. I may vomit for hours without
feeling better.

§ Vomiting is one of my means of communication. § My mother says I have
been vomiting since I was a baby. She says it started with her breast milk.

§ I used to only get the headache in the evening. Now I wake up with this
feeling. § It generally comes on a little before my period begins, more or less
every month. But if I am too tired, or if I don’t sleep enough, I can also have the
headache. Let me say this: I usually don’t have it during vacation.

§ It really bothers me if I have to get out of bed and there is too much light. §
Light is intolerable. I get nauseous and then I vomit. Even if my stomach is
empty, I may be retching. I’m not able to stand. § A good night’s sleep usually
does the trick. The room must be completely quiet. I don’t want anybody around.
§ I have to sleep alone, so I send my husband to sleep on the couch. I cannot
even tolerate the buzzing of a fly.

§ If I could have my own room it would be like a bank vault and I would just
close myself inside. In the beginning I had no symptoms, but now I may wake
with some pain. I am not nauseous. I don’t vomit. And those strong headaches
haven’t reappeared since I have been taking this Cafergot. However, I must
constantly increase the dosage. I’m not sure if this is okay, even if the headache
center assured me that I can take it as long and as often as I want. It’s much
worse going on with the pain than using painkillers.

§ The pain is like a pulsation, something beating. Each beat is stronger than the
last one. It’s as if a big hammer is hitting a wall, and I have the impression the
wall might collapse.

§ It also comes on if I don’t go to the bathroom. I have been very constipated for
many years.

§ Usually I have a craving for tuna, but not while I am pregnant. I had an
absolutely perfect pregnancy. § For me, eating is not just important, it is
fundamental. I can eat anything. § I haven’t liked milk since I was a child, but I
drink it because I know it is healthy for me. § However, I’m not able to drink it
straight or warmed.

§ I have the impression that coffee is good for me. I always have an espresso
after lunch. Whenever I have a headache, I drink coffee and immediately fill my
stomach—it’s good medicine for me.

§ Sometimes I feel something in my throat. § It’s a typical symptom of mine if I
am feeling depressed. I feel something rising from my stomach and coming into
my throat. I push it back down by eating something with the consistency of baby
food.

Sometimes l may temporarily lose my vision in one or the other eye and then it
comes back. § It lasts only a few seconds. I start to see less light, and then I can’t
see anything. It’s a kind of blackness. Then there are a few spots of light
followed by a big flash and I can see again. § It’s like a big light, and I find it
frightening. § This has been happening 5 or 6 times a year for many years. As a
child, it was the most common symptom accompanying the headache. They did
so many tests but the only thing that changed from one doctor to the next was the
name they called my headache.

§ I often sleepwalked up until the age of 18 or 20. Now it seldom happens. § I
get up and leave my bed. I might even dress myself and walk around the house.
Thinking it is already morning, I may wash up in the bathroom. Or else I might
wake up screaming because I am having a nightmare. I used to talk during my
sleep. I scream out because I am afraid.

§ Even today I am afraid of the dark. I still have a fear of snakes. I used to dream
about snakes in my bed or that I was surrounded by them. § I can remember one
dream where snakes were hanging from the branches of trees like fruit. Or there
might be a bridge crossing a river and under the bridge, it is full of snakes. They
never bite. But they were always on my body.

§ The only way to get rid of them is to escape and there’s always a loophole to
do that. In one case, I was on a road that was impossible to return from. It was as
if a force obliged me to go a certain way in order to avoid the snakes, but at the
end of that path, it was even worse. In that place there was nothing at all. It was
much better to suffer and remain with the snakes.

§ I always woke up feeling very alone and drained. I am still very afraid of
snakes. Even a picture of a snake frightens me. My strategy was to imagine that
if a snake were in my bed, I would remain completely still. I would not reveal
my presence in any way. I would fall asleep with my face turned towards the
wall.

§ Another terrible fear of mine is chaos. It can be any kind of mess. I can only
tolerate having a few things around me. I am a minimalist. When I was a child I
had panic attacks whenever my parents took me out for a Sunday walk. As soon
as there were a few people around, I felt lost. I didn’t know if I would see my
relatives again. Even today, I need a lot of open space.

§ I always asked to study music. There were no music schools near our home,
and so I left home at an early age. It was an easy decision for my parents—as if
they wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible. Now I teach music to children.
What I enjoy most is 20th century French music. I dislike baroque music.

§ I am the youngest of three sisters. It is clear that I wasn’t planned. They didn’t
have financial problems, but it is clear that there was a hole in the condom.

§ My mother was also passionate about music. She could spend the whole day
shut up in her room listening to music and not wanting to be disturbed. I became
fond of music for that reason too. When I was away at school, I used to call her
every day to inform her of my progress. But she would not take my call if she
were listening to a record. She does not even want to use CDs. She says that they
are not romantic.

§ Now I am very angry with her. Despite doing everything I could, it’s
impossible to be accepted by her. I could never tear myself away—I would like
to, but I can’t. I suffer so much from this, but I…

She begins to cry and cannot continue speaking.

I had my first period when I was 12 years old. They were always heavy and
painful. After my pregnancy I had no more pain. It was all ‘flowers and roses’. §
I used to get pains in my abdomen and then I would feel a strange sensation in
my legs. Sometimes I even felt it in my arms. I was only sick on the first day. I
immediately took a painkiller and went to bed. § My periods were never regular.
They came when they wanted to. They were so irregular that I did not even
realize I was pregnant.
Follow-up
I prescribe Lac vaccinum defloratum 200C. Two weeks later, Laura has a severe
headache. I ask her to dissolve the remedy in water and sip it every few minutes,
and her headache improves. A few days later she has a terrible pain in her
throat and a high fever that lasts for seven days. Afterwards she feels okay, so I
advise her to continue with the remedy only if needed. She does not need to
repeat the remedy again before seeing me three months later.

[Laura begins:]
If I have some little problem and I take some drops I am okay, but if it happens
when I am at work and I don’t have the remedy with me, I take some drops of
Cafergot. It doesn’t work as well as the remedy. Two weeks ago I began having
this headache every other day, more or less close to the time of my period. That
last menstruation was a disaster. I clearly observed that the pain is always on the
right side.

[Laura has said something contradictory. At first she tells me that she has not
taken the remedy, but now she is suggesting that she has been repeating it. I ask
her how the pain is.]
§ The pain is not as violent as it was before. I feel less nauseous, and it doesn’t
last as long. Up until 15 days ago it was less frequent. The pain always appears
two or three days before my period, like an attack, and then I know my menses is
coming.

§ There is something else about the headache. I feel something annoying in my
teeth. Also, if I have a headache on the right side, the next day it will be on the
left side. Sometimes light bothers me before the headache, and I know the pain
will follow. Also, I get very hungry before the headache. A few hours before the
onset, I feel I must eat something. These are the signs that the pain is coming.

§ Light is like a trigger. Darkness is my dimension. However, if I have to be
honest, when I go to the cellar it bothers me. § The idea that somebody or
something harmful might be there is not that easy for me. If I can send
somebody else to get the wine, the tomatoes and other things stored there, I will.
I know my fears are absolutely irrational.

There are days when I feel really sad; I’m not demoralized, but I’m sad and I
don’t understand why. I read somewhere that it could be a genetic issue. My
grandfather was cyclically depressed, and my father is becoming depressed just
like his father.

§ I don’t know what to think; maybe it’s that I have a deep feeling of
inadequacy. There are thousands of things I would like to do, but I have to teach
at the school. I would like to play more music. I would like to be a better mother.
Having a son and doing my daily work causes me a lot of turmoil.

§ I don’t have any serious reason for feeling this sad, but when I do, I think that I
would have liked to study more, and on the other hand, I would have liked to
spend more time with my son. I don’t want to be like my mother. For that
reason, I don’t want any more children. I want to be able to focus all my
attention on him.

At this point Laura, for all practical purposes, tells me that she has had enough
of talking. I conclude that she is still reacting to my prescription and prescribe a
placebo to allow time to see what’s going on.

Six months later.

[Laura begins:]
We’ve been having family problems. My mother-in-law had cancer and I have
not been able to do anything—so it was a really bad summer. Then ten days ago
I had an absurd pain in my nose and fatigue that prevented me from being on my
feet for two or three days. I can’t tell you if this coincided with my mother-in-
law’s death but nothing—no remedy, or drug—helped me to overcome the pain.

§ We never had a great relationship, but I always tried to let her know that I was
there. I invested a lot in her as if I were seeking the mother I never had, but my
mother-in-law was always the stereotypical mother-in-law. She suffered so much
and I was not able to be as present during those difficult weeks as I would have
liked. I did not show my emotions and I was not able to tell her what I felt and
how I would have liked our relationship to be.

§ Since our last consultation the headache is much better. I had only a light
migraine the day before my menses, and it went away even after a little nap of
ten minutes. Now if it does not go away by itself I have to take an analgesic.
When I feel an attack coming on I try to prevent it by shaking my head. I
probably never told you because I consider it silly, but I think it is a way to
control the beat.

§ I have not had to repeat the remedy—it was enough to just take a nap. The
only thing that I might need to take is something to control the nausea;
everything else is well tolerated. If I don’t take something for the nausea, I may
start vomiting and it doesn’t stop even when my stomach is empty. § Sometimes
I still get that strange pain in my nose and in the upper jaw and teeth. § I
continue to be hungry before and during the headaches.

§ I no longer have those moments of sadness. § The issue of my mother-in-law
was upsetting for the whole family. She knew that she was sick but she didn’t
say anything to anybody.

§ I think I have learned how to react to the sadness: I understand that it has
another meaning. I think the sadness is about not being able to share my own
private space with the members of my family. Do you understand what I was
doing until a short time ago, before your treatment? I wanted to close myself in a
room, all alone. We live in a small house, so it was an irrational request. I really
caused an upheaval with my husband. I had to ask myself what the reason was
for marrying, for having a child, and with whom? That made me suffer a lot but I
am looking at it. The death of my mother-in-law made me reflect a lot. We do
everything to keep our emotions inside. But in the end, you die, and then what
do you do? Do you bring them with you?

I have her take Lac defloratum 10M and insist that she keep me informed, which
she did not. She sees me 13 months later.

[Laura begins:]
I’m pregnant again and I’m really happy. We thought a lot about this. I prepared
for it. We added a new room in our house for the kids. I decided that I don’t
want them to play the piano like me. I’m only here because I would like some
advice from you about my pregnancy. This time I need your help because I
would like to deliver at home.

§ As for a headache, I don’t know what it is. Only if I am tired, really tired, I can
get something. I go to sleep and it’s OK; it’s over. [Long pause]

I don’t think I ever told you that I love to write. § This is my way of being
creative without playing music—my true way. § I am writing a story of an
astronaut who rediscovers his world after a long journey. He has gone round and
round and eventually returns to earth. I’m also writing music.

I like this theme. Years ago when I saw astronauts on television for the first
time, it was really scary and emotional. They were attached to the spaceship by a
kind of umbilical cord that allowed them to breathe. The cord was attached to
something made of iron but when they returned to Earth, this iron capsule gets
completely destroyed. What a nice mother!

She says this with irony as if to underline that the mother, the capsule that is
destroyed on re-entry, was not taking good care of the astronauts.

This is my way of making the astronauts understand that if they want the mother,
she is not outside but inside of them. If they can become a mother to themselves,
as I am now, it is likely that they will not have to demonstrate their
independence by traveling throughout the universe; they will be able to remain
on Mother Earth.

CASE OF BEATRICE
Beatrice is 40 years old. She is reserved and doesn’t seem open to talking. Her
story unfolds very slowly, and she appears confused, jumping from one subject
to the next. She underlines the fact that she was unwanted, the third child of a
poor family.

Her anger is directed toward authority figures like doctors and dentists, and
bosses who lay off their employees. She feels powerless to oppose them. Proud
and egotistical, Beatrice feels she doesn’t receive the consideration she
deserves. She has even been accused of lying about her symptoms. It is not easy
to relate to her. She talks about being devoted to people, but gives the
impression she does it out of a sense of duty rather than from a generosity of
heart.
Her opening statement: “My ambition is to improve a bit” is remarkable in that
her goal for treatment is so modest, as if she takes for granted that she must
suffer.

She has a very pronounced malocclusion.

Beatrice begins:
My ambition is to improve a bit with my migraine. I do not pretend I can solve
the problem because I have been suffering from it for years. Now I get angry
with myself. Before I felt better after a simple shampoo or a walk. Now I fall
into a sort of lethargy. Analgesics cause water retention. § I often need to go to
the toilet, and I get swollen under my eyes.

§ It started when I was 16. In the beginning they said it was related to
hyperthyroidism, but I recovered from my thyroid problems, and yet, I still had
headaches. At first they were more acute and happened less frequently, but now,
either my left or right eye puffs up. It is a sharp pain beginning in the left or the
right that seems like a stamp [as from the stamping tool a post office uses]. This
is followed by pain in my teeth, ear, neck, or in the other eye. Often the initial
stamp pain will stop, but the other pains remain for some days.

October is a dreadful month, whereas I feel a little better in the spring. Last year
I didn’t have a period for 4 months, but then, little by little, the cycle became
shorter until my period was coming every 18 days.

They suggested birth control pills. I also had lymphatic drainage (massage) of
my legs. I don’t know if it’s the Pill or the drainage that caused the shorter
period.

§ Normally I feel the headache more on the right side. For years it has started on
the right. Then it moves down from my head to my stomach and I feel nauseous.
Years ago I would often throw up; if I vomited immediately, then I would feel
okay. That used to be the rule. But after the Pill, that changed.

§ The pain is pulsating. It becomes a steady hammering pain if I get restless and
move quickly. § My whole head is throbbing as if my brain is going to come out.

§ I get angry easily, and during these outbursts I can feel this hammering in my
head. It feels like I have a soft area in my skull. It’s as if my cranium is missing
there. § That beating is so strong that it seems to come out from the scalp, like
when you put a hand on your breast and feel your heart beating. § What I mean
to say is that without even touching it, I can feel the pulsation.

§ I often massage my head. § Other people notice that I am touching it. § That
really bothers me. I don’t like other people seeing what is wrong with me.

§ I avoid places with strong smells or bright lights. Sometimes at home I even
wear sunglasses. I look like Ray Charles. I prefer dry and salty food. I also like
lemonade. § I like the smell of citrus fruits when I have a headache. § Aspirin
makes the nausea better but not the headache. § I am sensitive to perfumes and
smog but not food odors. I can cook, and I get hungry as a beast. And I could eat
continuously, especially when I am feeling down.

§ I feel this stuff rising up from my stomach to my throat, and if I eat something,
I can control it.

Even if my hair needs shampooing, I am so apathetic I can’t do it.

Recently I have had diarrhea. I can go two to three times in succession, but it
doesn’t improve.

Even without having a headache, strong light hurts my eyes, especially when the
light goes straight into my face.

Periodically I see a chiropractor. I grind my teeth. I have been wearing a bite
plate for 6 years to treat my dental problems. They even suggested an operation
on my lower jaw, but I don’t want it. My teeth have shifted. I don’t know if it
was due to cervical problems or due to something else. I follow the dentist’s
suggestions, but maybe what I really need is a psychologist.

Since I have been wearing the bite plate, I no longer wake up with the pain. I
chewed up the first one I wore, and then two years ago they replaced it with one
that prevents me from letting my mouth slide forward.

My headache is better with the modified mouth guard. My face muscles are less
tense. § Since childhood, I often suffered from a stiff neck. The pain intensified
when I hit thirty. The inflammation goes down my shoulder or my back. § This
happens infrequently, but I often notice that my neck is stiff. Now that I am
aware of it, I try to control the muscles while they are contracting. I think stress
is the principal cause.

I prefer swallowing my food in liquid form. Eating spaghetti is a problem
because the pasta is long and narrow and slips between my teeth. § There are
times when my malocclusion worsens. § When I feel helpless or when I am
subjected to other people's bad moods, I sometimes feel like strangling people—
my colleagues and the tedious routine; it’s the same thing every day. I’m fed up
and I feel this weight crushing down on me.

§ I suffered from acute tonsillitis for 3 years. At 6 years old, I was operated on. I
hemorrhaged because a piece of tonsil was not properly taken out. I had a lot of
ear infections after the operation. My ears have always been sensitive and even
now I need to cover them. § Maybe during that period I also had headaches, but
tonsillitis was definitely my biggest problem before the headaches appeared. I
had this thing in my throat!

For years I had diarrhea. It stopped when I decided what I wanted to eat. They
said I was telling a pack of lies, but I really felt better when I started to eat what I
liked.

§ I still drink milk. In the past they made me drink it. § I like rich food. Sauces
may cause stomachaches sometimes. I can eat the same foods and feel okay or
not. I can’t predict it.

§ I don’t know what is good or bad for my stomach. It depends on the moment.
At home they said I was telling lies so I had to eat. Then I would go into my
bedroom and throw up in a plastic bag.

If I am very upset, I get diarrhea, like when the company was in the process of
layoffs. § When they read the names of the employees who were to be
dismissed, I felt anxious. § I was a member of the firm’s union, and I've been a
trade unionist for years. I could never stand certain behaviors, so even if the
matter did not concern me personally, I still suffered for those people whom I
would never see again. I was angry.

§ When my mother-in-law died, I reacted with a different kind of anger. [She
tries to hold back her tears.] § Maybe I was angry with the entire world. She
died in a terrible way in 5 days’ time. She wanted to die. I met her 20 years
before; she was ill even then.

§ I was the one who visited most often. I was the one who used to be with her.
At the end, she did not want to see me. She said that my visits were a reminder
of her sickness. But I couldn’t help it. One time she got angry and I said to her,
“I could have been doing more interesting things instead.” She took offense.

§ I could have been doing something else, it's true, but I couldn’t stop myself
from going to see her. But you know how mother-in-laws are. I did my best to
gain her affection, even more than her daughter did. I washed her clothes and
cooked for her, and I never got anything in exchange. When I met her, she
already wanted to die. I was always there but …

§ I can’t look through a microscope. I get nauseous trying to focus the thing. At
work they didn’t believe me, and suddenly I had to throw up in the laboratory
sink.

§ When I was 16, I could not stand the feeling of being closed in. Then I felt
something like a knot inside my neck. I went for treatment for 3 months.
Although it never came back, I still feel pressure there after spending time at the
beach.

§ I think it was a result of my first encounter with men. At that time I had a
relationship with a boy. After two months, he left me and married another
woman.

§ From what my mother says, I think it would have been better if I hadn’t been
born. I was the third child. They had financial difficulties, and then I came along,
‘a nuisance’.

Maybe I didn’t allow my mother to behave like a mother toward me. I told my
problems to my father, and he used to say that those were women's problems. §
He used to tell me to ask my mother or my sisters, but I always asked him. Now
I have a wonderful relationship with my mother. I visit her often. § She is always
the same, though. I think I started to understand her better after my own
marriage. I understood the problems you face when you have a family. My
parents had very little money and having me wasn’t planned.
Follow-up
I prescribe Lac defloratum 10M. Twelve days after she takes the remedy,
Beatrice has a strong headache. She repeats the remedy, but it doesn’t improve.
She has severe vomiting followed by an intense pain in her throat and a fever of
103 F. I go to see her at her house. Her pharynx is red, congested and very hot.
The pain is better when eating, but empty swallowing makes it feel worse. I
advise her to continue taking the remedy hourly without taking any other
medications. In 2 days she is much improved.

Two months later she returns.

[Beatrice begins:]
My neck feels much better, but I have destroyed another bite plate. The dentist is
very happy, and he says if we continue like this, he can buy a new car with all
the bite plates he has to make for me.

I told him I would like to go on without any bite plate because it is constricting
me, causing my teeth to be held in a certain way. I decided to see the dentist you
suggested at our first visit, and I had a very good experience.

§ My headache is greatly improved; however I still cannot stand light. § It’s just
too much discomfort for my eyes. Nevertheless, when I have a headache I no
longer need to wear sunglasses inside the house.

§ Since I took the remedy and had that terrible headache, I still feel a pulsation
sometimes, but it is not as painful as before. That headache felt like my brain
was coming out, as if my brain would not remain inside my skull.

§ My diet is even better; I don’t feel the need to binge on certain foods. My head
feels better. I paid attention to milk as you recommended, but it wasn’t easy. I
must tell you that now, after two months, if I drink milk, I feel it bothering me. I
never would have expected this. § My parents insisted that I drink milk. They
said it was healthy and I was too lean. I was not able to say no even if it didn’t
agree with me. Now, if I drink it once in a while, alone in my house, the
symptoms are not as bad as before.

§ Things have improved a lot with my children. § I have always done everything
possible so they would not suffer because of who I am. I understood the risk of
overwhelming them with too much affection, when you yourself received so
little from your own family. If you give them their freedom, you worry that you
are abandoning them. In the end I am who I am. I can only show them who I am.
What more can I do other than let them know how much I love them?

§ I’ve asked myself these questions for many years, which are by definition
unresolvable. Now I have more peace around these issues, even concerning my
husband. I used to annoy him, often asking what I should do and how I should
do it, but he would not engage. Now I realize how stupid it is to put that much
energy into something that should be spontaneous.

§ For years I had a very interesting dream. I was dying, and I had the impression
I was taking a cruise. § I was on a huge ship that was departing, and I knew that
there was no way to get off the boat.

§ In real life, every time I saw somebody leaving on a train or by car it made me
cry. The moment they leave, you want to see them and not have to wait until the
next time they return. Ships and planes depart, who knows where they go and
when they will come back? Do they find somewhere else that suits them better?
That they must go back to? This is what I have always wondered.

§ In my dreams it was not like this—and I was the one who always climbed on
that ship or on that train, but no one ever came to say goodbye. It was sad—and
saying ‘sad’ does not begin to describe the feeling. In my last dream, I had
climbed on a ship, but I was not sad. My family and friends came to see me off
—and they were not sad. We were all there, the ones staying and the ones
leaving. It was not an issue because we all knew we would see each other again.
So it was a real vacation.

I have continued to see her for 24 years and she continues to do well on Lac
defloratum vaccinum.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment , Passivity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Retention / Congestion: passive (3); Slowness (2); Ineluctable ; Anger:
inexpressible ; Denial ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: constrictive ; Pain: explosive (2); Headache: digestive ; Instability ;
Photophobia ; Foreign body
Common Ailments
Bruxism, sine materia Claustrophobia Conjunctivitis, recurrent Constipation,
obstinate Fainting, metabolic causes / Food intolerance, milk / Grief, difficult
elaboration Malabsorption Migraines / Tachycardia, paroxysmal Tonsillitis,
recurrent Vertigo
Milks: Lac asinum ; Lac caninum; Blending in: Lac caninum
Other: Blending in: Kalis : Kali bromatum , Kali carbonicum ; Passive:
Carcinosinum ; Primulaceae ; Saccharum album ; Dependent: Aluminas ,
Barytas ; Foreign Body: Calcareas: Calcarea carbonica, Calcarea fluorica ;
Cupressaceae ; Euphorbiaceae

Lac equinum
Equus caballus

The horse, Equus caballus, and the wild horse, Equus ferus caballus belong to
the Equidae family, which evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from the
Hyracotherium, a small, dog-sized animal. Odd-toed ungulates, including
horses, were dominant over even-toed ungulates until the appearance of
widespread grasslands at the beginning of the Miocene epoch (24-5.3 million
years ago). However, some odd-toed species thrived until the Pleistocene epoch
(1.8 million to 10,000 years ago) when they became threatened by human
hunting and glaciation.

The horse has likely had a more dramatic impact on the history of humankind
than any other species. Its use in farming, transportation and defense has greatly
influenced human development and civilization. Evidence of domestication has
been found in Kazakhstan as early as 5000 BC. Wear on teeth suggests that
riding bits were used. Residue of horse milk has been detected in pots from
3500-3000 BC.

Horses are prey animals and have a strong flight response to danger. They can,
however, defend their foal or their food by biting, kicking, rearing and pushing.
They also play fight, in part, to assert their dominance and establish their place
in the social order.

Horses are herd animals and live within a hierarchy. High-ranking horses eat and
drink first. They are social animals and form attachments with each other, as
well as with other animals, including humans. They can become flighty and
anxious if isolated.

For thousands of years mare's milk has been considered to be magical, medicinal
and cosmetic. Chinese emperors of the Ming Dynasty called it ‘divine nectar’,
and the poet Hesiod (8th Century BC) called it everyday food. In ancient Rome
bathing in mare's milk was considered a luxury.

The horse has many mythological attributes. It is associated with the sun due to
its power, strength and fiery character. It is dangerous when free, yet useful
when tamed. The horse guides the soul to the afterlife and can carry divine
messengers and spiritual warriors. Consider Xanthus, the horse who tells
Achilles he will die, or the Wild Hunt of Northern, Western and Central Europe,
where a ghostly group of horsemen gallop across the sky. The horse was used in
divination, as in hippomancy, where the behavior, gait and vocalizations were
used to predict the future. A white horse was a good omen; a shaggy tail forecast
rain; running and neighing in the pasture forebode death.

The milk for the homeopathic remedy came from an 18-year-old Appaloosa
broodmare. She was irritable with humans but an attentive mother to her foals.
She had some signs of arthritis in her left hip. Nancy Herrick performed the
proving.
COMMON AILMENTS
Adenoma, prostate Allergy, dust Anemia, iron deficiency Aphthous ulcers,
recurrent Arthritis, TMJ Asthma, chronic Back pain, lumbar region Bronchitis,
chronic Candidiasis, recurrent Constipation, chronic Diabetes, adult onset
Emphysema Enteritis, chronic Epilepsy, senile Erectile dysfunction Eruptions,
herpetic Fibrocystic breast disease / Food intolerance, milk / Gastritis, atrophic,
chronic Headache, chronic Hot flashes, climacteric / Hyperprolactinemia /
Mastodynia Osteoporosis Pyorrhea Ulcers, duodenal Underweight, without
cause Urticaria, anxiety Vulvodynia
MOTIFS
Abandonment
The sense of abandonment is strong in Lac equinum as it is in the other Milks.
They try to limit their relationships to just a few people whom they deeply trust
and respect. With everyone else, they generally maintain some distance. Lac
equinum doesn’t cope well with challenging relationships or with loss. In either
case, like Lac felinum, they may simply prefer to stay at a safe distance from
others.
Dignity
Lac equinum tends to be formal and dignified in a way that is not haughty. They
express a kind of noblesse, comporting themselves well and demonstrating
impeccable conduct, even toward those whom they do not especially esteem or
respect. The impression one has of Lac equinum is that life is a sacrifice, with
little space for pleasure, joy, or frivolity. In general, they hold themselves and
others to very high standards.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
As with other Milks, Lac equinum may closely identify with their family. Like
Lac delphinum, they often take family values to heart and then go an extra step;
like Aurum and Argentum metallicum, they need to be a good example at all
cost.

While the mother-function is important in most Milks, it is the father-function
that is most crucial in Lac equinum. They seek and rely on a mentor who
represents the perfect father they probably didn’t have or couldn’t relate to.
Perhaps this person was a member of their extended family, an uncle or
grandfather, but more commonly he comes from outside the family. Whoever
the mentor turns out to be, he must have a noble heart and be capable, effective
and productive in life. Attaching to a mentor provides both a reinforcement of
family identification (through shared values and possible kinship) and
differentiation from family (if not blood-related). With the right person in place,
Lac equinum can become a devoted, honorable servant like the faithful squire of
a noble knight. Other examples include Jacopo, who attended the Count of
Monte Christo, or even Alfred Pennyworth, the butler of Batman. Without such
a mentor, Lac equinum can become lost in life, and in some cases, extremely
oppositional.
Abandonment
Lac equinum has great difficulty with the pain that results when an important
relationship ends. For this reason, they are careful not to invest in someone
unless there is potential for a deep, long-lasting connection. Their tendency to
over-idealize causes them to put high expectations on the other person. Often
they will wait to find the right person rather than compromise their standards.

Perhaps the most important person to Lac equinum is a father-figure mentor or
guide. This person is usually so idealized that he becomes internalized, living on
inside Lac equinum, guiding their way even after they are no longer living. Even
so, losing this person can generate tremendous suffering, enough to create
disease. But the stronger the idealization, the more this seems to take the place of
the actual mentor and lessen the pain of his death. In the end, it seems that the
person is less important than the admirable image he provided.
For Lac equinum, pleasure tends to have little importance; it is superficial and
irrelevant. Lac equinum generally finds pleasure in purpose. Their goal is to live
stoically, honorably, and in service to others. Too much pleasure could make
them over-excitable and overwhelmed, and ultimately distract from their duty.
Anger is also denied because expressing themselves this way doesn’t match with
their impeccable code of behavior. If someone does anger them, Lac equinum
gives them the cold shoulder, albeit in a dignified way. It is as if they say, “You
cannot touch me,” or “You are of little consequence to me.”
Irresolution
When Lac equinum is under a mentor whom they respect and who can see the
noblesse in their heart, then they project a sense of being confident and may
even appear rather opinionated. It’s as if they know exactly what must be done
and there is no room for doubt. When they are without a mentor, however, they
can be incredibly indecisive, as if lost, aimless and without goals or direction.
Dependent // Independent
Lac equinum is heavily dependent on his mentor for direction and guidance. This
does not mean that he is weak or needy, but rather, simply devoted to this
person. By contrast, when he does not respect someone in authority, Lac
equinum may act more independent. Though still technically proper, he may
have a subtle air of cold insubordination, as if to say, “You do not deserve my
loyalty.” Lac equinum could easily work with an Aurum, for example, but would
have great difficulty with a false image remedy such as Sulphur.
Stoicism (3)
Lac equinum aggressively pushes himself and his body, which is not the
strongest, toward his objectives, often regretting that he cannot do more. And he
can seem quite proud to report this. He maintains his dignity throughout and has
no impulse to complain; it is simply not in his nature. Pleasure or other
distractions are routinely avoided.

Related to this stoic attitude is a tendency to hold himself, and others, to a very
high standard. To this end, he can be quite critical, particularly if someone in
authority does not live up to their role or is hypocritical. If someone is not
worthy of his respect, he will often maintain a cold formality. In general, he
prefers strong authoritative individuals rather than those who are authoritarian,
coercive and intimidating.
Duty (3)
Lac equinum’s life is devoted to duty and sacrifice. In this, he is faithful to his
humanist principles, proper in his conduct, and utterly reliable. Seldom is this
religiously based, as he can be quite critical of many religious leaders whom he
sees as false authorities. Lac equinum is so duty-focused that he can become
depressed like Aurum when not able to perform as he would like. Even in old
age, he must find ways to serve, perhaps acting as a teacher toward his
grandchildren (in part, to be remembered as a good an honorable person).
Oblativity
Lac equinum generally has a strong sense of service to others, particularly his
family and his mentor. As a young parent he may be neglectful of his own
children, but later in life, very attentive to his grandchildren. Lac equinum can be
giving to any he feels truly deserve it. Unlike the Rosaceae, who are open to
serving everyone, even criminals, Lac equinum seeks to understand others, but
refuses help to those whose behavior betrays a lack of conscience.
Rigidity
Lac equinum is rigidly idealistic and opinionated. His behavior closely follows
his mental plan. His reaction against a false authority can be very stubborn. On a
physical level Lac equinum is a good remedy for lumbago and various kinds of
stiffness in the back.
Difficult Discharge
Lac equinum has internal dryness, particularly in the mucus membranes such as
mouth, rectum, vagina, etc. He feels the need for excretion and elimination, but
this is impeded by dryness. For example, he might need to expectorate, but is
unable to cough anything up. Similarly, on an emotional level, he can be formal,
dry and unable to share openly about himself, except to a small, select group of
intimates. He may struggle, for example, to be open enough with his doctor.
Passive Congestion
Dryness can make it difficult to discharge. Lack of elimination can lead to
passive congestion and an uncomfortable heavy sensation in the body. This
heaviness is felt as a burden, a strong sensation of something dragging him
down. In the repertory there are several somatic symptoms related to this, such
as heavy, tired limbs. He may have right-sided heart problems producing a slow,
congested venous system. Lac equinum may also have dreams or a perception of
being heavy as lead and sinking into the earth as if it were quicksand.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Lac equinum has vertical rather than lateral symmetry; the diaphragm is often
the dividing line. In this remedy, symptoms occupy big areas rather than being
small and localized.
Dragging Pain (3)
As he ignores his body’s limitations and pushes on in his work, Lac equinum can
become extremely exhausted and depressed, as if it’s all too much to bear. His
entire body may seem weighted down with drawing and dragging pains. These
symptoms can be related to having a burdensome life based solely on duty and
sacrifice.
Spasmodic Pain
When Lac equinum is well-compensated, he can capably shoulder his burden in
life. Eventually the stress of this may cause his system to falter, particularly if all
his hard work fails to achieve the desired result. Then he may begin to
experience muscle spasms, especially during acute conditions. Convulsions,
which can be viewed as a more severe form of spasm, may allow him to
completely unplug from the world. Such symptoms typically arrive during
decompensation, but they may also appear seemingly out of the blue at any point
in life, without previous indicators or history. Symptoms of cramping and
convulsion are related to collapse, fainting, falling down and withdrawal. They
represent a counter response to all the years of standing strong like a soldier
under extreme stress.
Digestive Headache
As with other Milks, Lac equinum has the typical frontal headaches related to
poor digestion. These usually come on whenever he eats what he most wants—
generally milk and carbohydrates, simple foods that provide the energy he needs.
Photophobia
Lac equinum can be sensitive to the light. In critical moments he may shun
painful light in order to escape, like other Milks, into his own space. Because he
is so dutiful, he can only justify such a retreat if the pains are severe enough to
disable him. In general, these pains are more intense in Lac equinum than in the
other Milks.
Vertigo
Lac equinum can be extremely afraid of vertigo, even though he seldom
experiences this symptom. Given his irrepressible duty to work and serve, he
needs to be solid on his feet. The very thought of becoming faint causes anguish
about falling down again and being unable to stand up.
Simple Food
Lac equinum prefers simple foods, like milk, bread and onions, (despite they’re
being difficult to digest), for several reasons. This choice reflects his stoic
attitude, his inability to embrace pleasure, and his tendency, like all Milks, to be
regressive and eat foods typical of the first years of life. Most importantly, he
eats such foods because they suit his station. Despite his high standards, he is a
humble servant. He’s not Bruce Wayne (Batman), but the butler. As such he
does not seek sophisticated cuisine, but prefers simple staples. He prefers
starches because they are filling and provide energy, even though he can’t
metabolize carbohydrates very well. (One patient dreamed of walking in a
country field full of spaghetti). Like horses with their small stomachs, Lac
equinum cannot tolerate or break down large quantities of food. He must eat
small frequent meals to meet his caloric needs without overtaxing his weak
digestive system.
DREAMS
Lac equinum may dream of animals whose instincts for pleasure or aggression
are somehow impeded. A horse might, for example, press its hoof down on food
so that it can’t be eaten. He can have dreams of sinking into the earth as if he
were quick sand.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Lac equinum tends to be smart. He may not be especially self-reflective about
his emotions or good at sharing them with others, and he can be emotionally
needy underneath his dignified exterior. His physical constitution is usually
weak. He would like to have a stronger body and more energy so that he could
serve others more fully.

Body symptoms are related to pushing his weak body too hard and the sense of
faltering under a heavy burden. These include heaviness, spasm, and vertigo. He
can be quite stoic and internalized, which may express itself in symptoms of
difficult excretion.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac equinum can easily decompensate if his sense of honor and dignity is
wounded, or if he is shamed or (falsely) accused of doing something wrong. He
can have difficulty if he is not able to find a mentor. He is so work-and-service
focused that retiring or being disabled can be especially troubling. He is so
responsible for others that if something bad happens to a child or employee on
his watch, this can deeply disturb him. Though he doesn’t usually bring much
attention to himself, he does wish to be recognized for his service, and can feel
hurt and frustrated when this goes unnoticed. He may decompensate if he gives
too much of himself. Lac equinum is often unable to stop himself, and will do
whatever is requested of him until he drops, sometimes sacrificing himself to the
point of death.
COMPENSATION
Lac equinum tends to feel weak and insecure inside. Often his father is not a
good model, so he finds a mentor outside the immediate family to whom he
devotes himself completely. He often acts with stoic duty, dignity, honor, and
unremitting self-sacrifice (to prove that he has worth). And he may rely on
idealized principles as a way to impart strength and structure to his otherwise
weak constitution. The mentor is merely the vehicle for these values, which Lac
equinum internalizes and successfully follows if the mentor leaves or passes
away. The mentor may become an even more powerful symbol and influence if
no longer physically present. Rather private and formal, Lac equinum comes
closest to giving and receiving love with his mentor, the only one who seems to
recognize the special noble nature of his heart.
COMPLICATIONS
Lac equinum often attempts to become more capable and less dependent on his
family by attaching himself to a mentor. Ultimately, this is simply another form
of extreme dependency.

Lac equinum shows individuality through the careful, personal selection of a
mentor. But his role is subservient and strictly emulates this other, rather than
giving him the space to become a free-standing, spontaneous self.

Lac equinum can be so ultra-focused on a life of sacrifice, that he gives no
attention to pleasure, joy or ‘aimless issues’. However, this makes him
unbalanced and unrefreshed, and in the end, less able to achieve his objectives.

Lac equinum may try to make up for his lack of strength by becoming extra-
capable, productive and worthy. This puts an extreme stress on his system that
over time wears him down. He becomes predisposed to burn out, failure and
then feels less worthy.

Under stress, Lac equinum does not become more flexible or lessen his load.
Instead, he becomes more stiff and rigid, and in so doing, more likely to fail.

In most cases, Lac equinum’s performance-oriented approach is not satisfying.
No matter how much he does, it is never enough.
DECOMPENSATION
With decompensation, Lac equinum may begin to falter and slow down a bit, or
he may continue to push as hard as ever to the point of total breakdown. In either
case, he can start to experience symptoms of collapse, such as heaviness, spasm,
convulsion and vertigo. Without purpose, he can become very depressed and
feels weak, empty and unworthy. He can be very self-critical in general, and
especially when he is not able to perform. Serious pathologies may appear,
particularly of the lungs and heart, since he has been so performance-oriented,
overusing these organs, throughout his life. Anything that prevents work and
service may be functional in that it excuses him from his burdensome life and
allows him to withdraw into a private space.
RESTORATION
In a healthy state, Lac equinum may learn to live and express his own desires
without the compulsory need for a mentor. He can relax his formal manner,
reduce his obligations of service, and share more of his feelings. Rather than
deriving all his ideals from an external reference point, he can start to develop
his own personal values. And he can balance the need to follow ideals with some
pleasure, intimacy and relaxation.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of origin
Lac equinum usually comes from a family where the father image is idealized.
His father may have been ill or absent in his early life, in which case he may
never have gotten to know his father’s true nature. Perhaps, the father was not
deserving of respect or was an overbearing authoritarian type, in which case Lac
equinum likely sought to restore the father image through a more suitable
replacement and a strong emphasis on principles and service.
Nuclear family
In his own nuclear family, he can be extremely selective in choosing a partner,
and remains very faithful even if he or she turns out to be the wrong partner for
him.

Though devoted to and caring of his children, he may not have much time for
them; he spends most of his time following his mentor and being of service to
others. Most importantly, he wants to provide a good example to follow, i.e.,
serve as a mentor for his children.

From his perspective, family may be defined more by similar values than
relationship by blood. So he may absorb many into his circle whom he treats like
family, perhaps better than his own family. With age he tends to slow down his
outward service to the world, and may become very devoted to his grandchildren
—more than he was to his own children.
Lac equinum is generally faithful and reliable to his family and friends; he tends
to give too much of himself, particularly to his mentor. In fact, he may be rather
duty-bound toward anyone he deems deserving of this service. He demands
appropriate behavior of friends, family and himself, and can be quite judgmental
when this expectation is not met. He wants to be thought well of and seen as a
model of good behavior. Usually a bit formal and private, he can become even
more reserved if criticized or misunderstood, or if he doesn’t respect the person
he’s with.
Child & Adolescent
As a child, if he can find a good father function—either his actual father or
another guide, perhaps a teacher or coach or relative—he will behave well,
striving to please and satisfy this person. If he cannot find such a guide, he can
be a passive, stubborn fighter and a rebel against the system.
Adult
By this time, he is in full service to his ideals, to his mentor, despite his poor
physical stamina. He focuses all his energy here and needs to be recognized for
this. Meanwhile, he may neglect his family and not enjoin them in his project of
service. It is critical that he achieves his goals during this phase of his life or he
may begin to decompensate severely.
Elder
In the elder years, he does well to remain active. With retirement or diminished
physical function, particularly if he can no longer serve others, he may become
severely depressed. He can feel youthful and enlivened by helping a younger
generation, whether he is related to them or not. If he has grandchildren, he will
likely dote on them, more than he did his own children. With aging, he may fear
and become susceptible to serious mental diseases.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac equinum needs to trust and respect his doctor in order to be open with her.
Without this respect, he won’t last long in treatment. And though he doesn’t
generally boast, he may want the doctor to know the quality of his soul and some
of what he does for others. In general, he hates to complain, preferring to say,
“I’m fine; I can go on as I am.” This can sometimes make it difficult to
determine his current condition.
Lac equinum is most notable for his stoicism together with his strong sense of
duty. Generally, he is not physically strong and may have poor stamina. Despite
this he regularly pushes himself hard until his goal is met, even to the point of
risking his health. He would rather die, if this allowed him to meet his
obligations, than to leave them undone.

There is an air of nobility, dignity and responsibility in how Lac equinum
constructs his life. He prefers to be in service to a mentor, an adored and
venerated father figure to whom he gives his best. In this respect he can be
compared to Alchemical Metals like Argentum metallicum, Cuprum and Ferrum,
especially their Phosphorus salts: Argentum phosphoricum, Cuprum
phosphoricum and Ferrum phosphoricum. If one considers Aurum to be the
king, then these other remedies are in service to the king. Cuprum, especially,
wants to be useful. With the phosphoric element we see the energetic vacillation
of someone who over exerts, quickly consuming his or her strength, followed by
a period of regeneration.

Taking into consideration the strong sense of duty, together with the orientation
to service and sacrifice, one can think about the Primulaceae in general,
especially Anagallis. This remedy can, like Lac equinum, lack a solid physical
structure. The two remedies also have similar kinds of skin problems. As with
Lac equinum, Anagallis is obliged to do for others according to the dictates of
her father function. The difference is that Anagallis has a depressive quality and
her service is more of a compulsion than a pleasure. Unlike Lac equinum she
doesn’t take enjoyment from a job well done. Paradoxically, Anagallis can
present a façade of happiness over her hidden anger or depression, while Lac
equinum is stern and oriented toward duty rather than good humor. Both
Anagallis and Lac equinum can decompensate when they lose a father figure, be
it family member or a non-relative. Interestingly, the Primulaceae remedies often
become more reactive soon after treatment because their anger is just under the
surface. It takes longer for Lac equinum to show his anger because it is much
more deeply hidden.

Lac leoninum and Lac equinum are both more attuned toward the masculine than
the feminine. They may use their father or another mentor as a reference point or
also their mother if she glorifies the father or takes over his role (if he is weak or
missing). Lac equinum eventually transfers his focus toward an idealized father
figure whom he serves with all his heart. Rather than serving another leader, Lac
leoninum, much like Aurum, prefers to be the leader himself.

Lac delphinum and Lac equinum are both service oriented Milk remedies. Lac
delphinum is disposed to help people in need, especially the poor and the
outcasts of society. She might sympathize with a criminal, justifying his offense
because he needed to feed his family. The same kind of sympathy is not seen in
Lac equinum. Ethics stands above all; he would rather die before committing a
crime and only respects those who follow a similar code.

CASE OF GIORGIO
My first impression of Giorgio is that he appears 15 years younger than his 76
years. His physical appearance and tone, as well as the way he moves, are all
characteristic of a younger man. Although his manner is open and friendly, it is
also slightly obsequious. He says “Thank you” a little too often and addresses
me more than once as “Honorable Doctor.” This behavior was common in the
south among the older generation but is rather unusual these days.

For years Giorgio worked closely alongside a notary, as a secretary and
confidant, privy to all of his private business. He was apparently very good at
his job, since the notary wouldn’t let him retire. His boss believed it would be
impossible to find a replacement who could be as smart, capable and
trustworthy.

I was surprised to hear that a large part of his stomach was removed at the age
of 22 because of a perforated ulcer. This was a major surgery in the 1960s.
Generally patients become chronically underweight because their stomachs can
no longer hold much food. This was not the case for Giorgio; he appeared quite
robust.

[Giorgio begins:]
Despite my physical appearance I feel quite ill. § All the doctors say that no one
can tell; regardless, I have had many difficulties throughout my long life. I
haven’t been the same since the surgery. Ever since then my weak digestion has
given me a lot of trouble. § It took so much time and all my will to recover from
the operation.

§ Let me give some order to all this. I have suffered from stomachaches since I
was a child. On two occasions I was taken to the priest to receive last rites, but
God chose to let me stay here. In fact, I had a lot to do in my life. § I often had
diarrhea. You know, I was brought up in the countryside, and my parents
weren’t very rich. I lost three brothers who died early during the war. We didn’t
have a lot to eat even though we were farmers.

§ As a child I had several digestive problems. I always had colic pain, and
sometimes I had diarrhea. If I couldn’t go to the toilet after several days, they
gave me an enema or prunes.

Actually I got along with constipation for years. When I ate too much, I would
drink a strong herbal concoction so that I could empty, but then I got this other
problem.

§ I felt like I was dying, but I somehow knew that I could manage. I am
accustomed to these kinds of things; I have endured them—and knew I could—
since childhood.

§ After the surgery I lost a lot of weight. It was a long time before I started to eat
again. I could not digest anything. It was even worse than during my childhood.
I had always eaten bread, pasta and milk; it was the food I digested best. Meat
always made me sick. After the surgery I couldn’t eat pasta anymore. I didn’t
know what to eat. § I had a dream that I was taking a walk and all around me
people were cooking big pots of pasta, like at a fair. Here and there someone was
eating, but I was just looking at the big pots and the cooks. Then, I dreamt I was
walking on the pasta but I couldn’t eat it. I was ravenous and the pasta was all
around me, but I couldn’t even touch it. In my dream I didn’t want to walk
because I was aware of stepping on it. I knew I was soiling the pasta. I would
have liked to eat it with my feet.

§ Some skillful doctors helped me. They did all they could; maybe I am a
difficult case. § Well, my little stomach wasn’t at its best even before the
surgery, so just imagine how bad it was after that! § The only thing I can do now
is to follow their advice.

I always need to be eating, but only a little at a time. If I eat only a little all day
long I don’t have any problems. When I say “always,” I mean that I carry
crackers in my pocket wherever I go. Even when I am out working, I eat a
cracker every now and then. § At the hospital I was thinking how well I felt with
the IV, so I tried to do the same for my stomach, like a food IV. These days I eat
very slowly, in little bits, all day long. So by the end of the day, I’ve almost
eaten the same amount as other people. If I eat a complete meal, I get into
trouble. I don’t feel well. § Now, I can’t digest anything, and my intestine is
much worse. I feel sick and bad everywhere because I am not properly fed.

After I started to eat again, I was very weak and came down with pneumonia
while helping a friend in her garden. I had to keep going to work, so I left it
untreated and then developed emphysema. § It doesn’t mean I get tired. If I can
go at my own pace, I can reach the top of a mountain, but I have to go at my
pace.

§ When I was young I was very quick. Nobody could catch me. I was slim with
a lean build. I couldn’t sit still. Now if I run a little, I become asthmatic. I am not
able to balance my energy. I go on and pretend to give the best performance
possible. At home we all have a weak stomach and lungs. It's in the family
genes.

§ I've always suffered from constipation, even now. After the surgery, things
maybe improved a little, but who wants to eat prunes or drink an herbal laxative
tea for that? § I will have an urge, but when I go to push, almost nothing comes
out. I've always had a lot of gas inside, but it doesn’t make me feel bad. I think
that I just produce too much. Well, to tell you the truth, I’m lucky that it doesn’t
stink and I can push it out without embarrassment.

§ To complete the list, I've always suffered from headaches, but I don’t pay
attention to them anymore. I know I have to bear it, and so I do. § It started when
I was a child. That, too, is typical of my family—some bad luck owing to my
heredity.

§ It has always been the same. It starts on one side and then it spreads over the
whole head. I never have it only on one side, but it always starts on one side. It's
the same for my stomach too. I've never understood the reason. § Well, we have
only one head, but belly and chest are two different entities, as far as I know.
How is it that the pain goes from my chest to my belly? § The doctor always told
me the pain I feel in my chest is heartburn coming from my stomach, but this
pain in my chest also moves all over my belly. Isn’t there a muscle in between
these two? § Ever since I was a child, I always thought you had to feel pain
equally on two sides. § I thought it had to be balanced like on a scale. I thought
the brain controlled the pain, correctly sending it first here, then there.

§ When I have a headache, I can’t tolerate the light. I must close my eyes and go
to a quiet place. It was a big problem when I was working, but I am not one to
give up.

§ I felt ashamed to be incapacitated by the pain. I knew life was hard, and if
everybody stayed at home with a headache… § I mean, I saw my mother
working in the fields, taking my little brothers with her. I brought wine to my
father while she sat under an elm feeding the baby. § I still remember that scene.
One was drinking wine and the other providing something to eat or drink. § I
mean, I learned more from that than from all the vocabulary lessons you learn at
school. [He relates this scene with a sense of bitterness.]

I did not study: I worked several years for a notary. In the end he did not want
me to quit because he trusted me. I even worked for his son, a lawyer. Everyone
knows me in the city offices where I work. I’m the one who always explains the
latest regulations and procedures to the new employees. Experience is important
in life and so is perseverance. You have to have faith. Without trust you go
nowhere.

§ I don’t trust everybody, but those who’ve earned my trust could tell me to go
jump in a lake, and I would. God will make them pay for it if they have tricked
me. § I mean, I’m proud that I taught my children and my grandchildren about
self-respect. Respect from others must be earned, even if inside you are already a
gentleman.

I appreciate the Indians. A few years ago I took a trip to the Orient. They don’t
own anything but they are proud. They are able to look past the cloth and see
inside a man's soul.

§ After many years of bearing this suffering, I decided to come here. It was my
boss who suggested it. I don’t change doctors easily. If I do, it’s only because I
trust my boss more than my doctor. He always gave me very good advice, and
I've always respected him as much as he’s respected me. After all, we’re almost
the same age and he always treated me like a man. § I think I’m getting old and
my daughter's illness has knocked me to the ground. § She had cancer in one
breast, and has been operated on twice. That’s the only reason I’ve stopped
working. I stay home with my two grandchildren. I would like to have many
years to give to my daughter. I'll take care of her. § Her husband died two years
ago in a car crash. As I told you, life is not easy, and one has to go on. [His eyes
fill with emotion and he looks at me.]

§ Now I sleep well and dream a lot. § I don’t dream of pasta anymore; I dream
of my wife and my mother. They give me strength.
Follow-up
This was my first case of Lac equinum and the only potency available was Lac
equinum 30c. I have him take this daily. After four days of taking the remedy, he
has a strong headache but does not call because he doesn’t want to disturb me.
After nearly seven days, he finally calls because he is experiencing stomach pain
similar to what he had before his gastrectomy. Taking placebo does not improve
the situation, so I have him make a dilution of the 30c. After sipping on this
every 20 minutes he improves significantly.

I see him 40 days later. He is very humble and even apologetic for being sick.

§ I was very scared. I had pains that reminded me how I was before my surgery.
It was really striking, because in a certain way, I felt as though I were young
again. § Now my stomach feels much better and I have the impression that I
digest better than I did before. § I don’t know what to think, whether it is
because I am so busy with my grandchildren or because of the treatment, but
now I have no time. I don’t care that much about what I’m eating and it’s okay.

§ Even if I were working, before, I had to constantly eat something, otherwise I
would feel weak and have problems with my bowel movements. I would get
constipated. Now it’s okay. Let’s see if the Lord will help us.

§ I did not tell you about the headache because I did not want to disturb you.

You’re not disturbing me. If you have any problems, you should call me.
§ People nowadays, I don’t mean just the young, are not accustomed to
tolerating anything uncomfortable. For years I have suffered from these
headaches and I don’t expect to be cured in 40 days. After that headache I’ve
just been having one headache a week. Before I had at least three or four
episodes every week.

§ I can’t tell you about my breathing but I’m sure that I go upstairs and
downstairs a lot because I am taking care of my grandchildren. I probably have
to be more careful about this. As I told you my mind is on other things now.

[I ask him about his daughter. He is extremely serious and answers with a strong
sense of dignity.]
§ I don’t dare hope for my daughter, but I believe the situation is becoming
critical. I put my trust in our Lord and this will go according to His will. I’m not
just saying this just because I’m a follower; I’m not even Catholic.

§ I told you that many years ago I went to India. The notary I worked for used to
study and practice yoga. At that time in Italy no one had even heard of it. He
invited me to go with him and this was a great honor for me. Then he invited a
yoga master to come and teach in Italy. It was almost 35 years ago that we
arranged a conference in Modena. The association of Catholic priests—la Curia
—was very upset and angry, while the Indian was happy to talk with them.

§ I thought, “those poor people.” I was really ashamed that a person of faith felt
he must defend his ideas like a politician. Probably they did not understand and
did not really feel anything inside. I think priests wear the right dress because it
is like dressing up for a carnival.

[This is the first time I hear him be so opinionated. I ask him what he means by
being in a carnival.]
§ I believe in God, otherwise I could not get by, but mine is a belief in faith.

I ask the pharmacist to prepare a 100c, thinking that a 200c might be too strong
for such a fragile patient. He takes just three drops and two days later has
another stomachache, but milder this time.

Three months later I receive a telephone call from Giorgio. His daughter died a
few days before, and his son asks if I can see him at his home. He is destroyed by
her death, but nevertheless endeavors to maintain an air of dignity and
propriety.

§ I would have liked to go instead of her; it’s not that easy to accept these things.
For a few days now I have had a very high fever and my head really hurts. My
GP suggested I call you because he doesn’t know what to give me, considering
how fragile my stomach is, but my stomach is actually not too bad.

§ When I was younger I was sick and I suffered because of all the weight on my
mother’s shoulders, and now again I feel the weight of my family.

[After a long pause he continues:]
§ I had a nightmare that I was carrying a very heavy backpack. It looked like a
huge stone, the ones that prisoners have to break with a hammer. When I turned
my back to look at this, I realized that it was not a backpack, but it was
something in which one carries a child. So I looked at the baby and wondered
what he could have eaten to be so heavy? Then I thought maybe he’s not that
heavy; maybe it was me: that I’m too old and unable to carry such a weight. So
very quietly and in a delicate way, I put the baby in the backpack on the ground.
I wanted to check how strong I was by picking up a big stone. I could see that I
was strong enough to lift the stone, but lifting the backpack with my grandchild
inside was too heavy for me. I cried in the dream and I didn’t know whom to
turn to for help.

How did you feel when you woke up from the dream?
§ I woke and I was crying. Then I went back to sleep and dreamed I was in the
woods with my grandchildren who were asking me which way was north? I had
no compass, it was cloudy, and I couldn’t see the sun. But I had a needle in my
pocket and rubbed it. I put this needle on a leaf and I put the leaf delicately in a
puddle. The puddle became a stream and the leaf with the needle floated away.
My grandchildren started to smile, and that smile gave me a lot of strength.

His story is touching because I feel that not only was the remedy able to help
him, but because of his sense of duty and responsibility, as he became healthier,
he was able to make a real difference for others as well. He was able to do much
for his daughter and he was a wonderful grandfather to his grandchildren.

On the occasions that he might become depressed or tired, or if a headache or
stomachache began to reappear, a few drops of the remedy served to improve
his state.

CASE OF SUSANNA
Susanna is a stout 54-year-old woman, who though quite pleasant is rather
outspoken. She is referred by her gynecologist for a leucorrhea of several
months’ duration that has not responded to various allopathic treatments. I find
it noteworthy that despite the ineffectiveness of her treatments, she nevertheless
remains loyal to her doctor.

She informs me frankly, but politely, that she has no real understanding of
homeopathy, and that her sole reason for making the appointment was at the
recommendation of her doctor. During our consultation she is quite open and
seems to enjoy speaking to someone who has an interest in listening to her story.

[Susanna begins:]
I don’t want to offend you, but I am here only because my doctor suggested it. I
would have gone on with my treatment, although, to be honest, the results
weren’t encouraging. But I trust my doctor, and I see she is doing her very best. I
think it is just a question of time and finding the right treatment. It’s not easy to
talk about these things with a man, even if there are many male gynecologists.
The issue for me is that you are a man—and not even a gynecologist! [She says
this with some embarrassment.]

Now that I've said it, I would like you to understand that this is the only problem
for me. It’s not that I have doubts about this medicine, or even that I don’t know
anything about it. If you do not use toxic medicines, all the better!

My problem started after menopause. To tell you the truth, I was happy I didn’t
have the typical inconveniences that I hear about from others. I did not take any
hormone replacement.

§ My gynecologist did not insist on it, and I didn’t want to take any medications
unless they were absolutely necessary. We did some tests. I have no osteoporosis
problems. All the women in my family entered menopause around this age, and
they are all healthy. After all, 54 years old is a normal age for menopause.

I am more fit than they are from a certain point of view. Before menopause, I
suffered from breast pain, and I've always had fibrocystic breasts. My mother
died of breast cancer, and I have a sister who had the same problem. Luckily she
is still alive. I frequently have myself checked. Otherwise, I have no reason to
see the gynecologist.

§ A few months after I started menopause, my discharge returned. These
discharges are very annoying because I feel wet and I have to wear a pad. Twice
I had an irritation, but it disappeared with my doctor's treatment. She wanted me
to have a D&C and each time they found a lot of different stuff inside. After
local treatments I started to have cystitis, but when I stopped them, it went away.

I am not in favor of medicines. I'll be glad to do without them. I already take
some and my health is not so good. § Sometimes the doctor was concerned
because the discharge was streaked with blood. In fact, they could be different
colors—orange, green, yellow—whatever you can imagine, but there is no odor.

§ This happened so often in the past, I became accustomed to them. They always
appeared at the end of my period. In my ignorance I thought it was normal, like
some kind of cleansing. So I never worried, although sometimes they could sting
slightly.

§ Menstruation started early. I experienced intense menstrual pains until my first
pregnancy. For several years after that I had pains in my breast. Practically
speaking, the breast pains only stopped with menopause. § It felt like a strong
tension starting first in one breast and then moving to the other. My breasts felt
so heavy, as if they had kilos of stones inside. They felt beaten as if I should
bleed from my breasts instead of from below.

I've been suffering from headaches for years, but with menopause that also
improved. Some doctors examined me but they all gave me pain medication. §
Whenever I had a headache, I preferred to be in the dark where I could be by
myself and remain very quiet. Generally, if I were able to rest a little, the
headache would improve just enough for me to return to work.

§ I would like to have a break, but how can you with three children? § Even
though they are all grown up, I still worry about them and try my best to make
their lives easier.

§ I don’t worry much about headaches now, even if I've had them for years and
years. § I feel like a queen having them only once or twice a week. § There was
a time I would have them every day, and then maybe I would feel well for ten
days. § They always start in my forehead. From there they spread to the whole
head. They always start from the same precise spot; even now if I touch that
place, I can provoke a headache. Maybe it means that spot is off limits. § It’s the
same as that pain in my breast, starting on one side and then moving to the
other.

§ My blood sugar is a little too high. Diabetes is also a family trait. I have been
told to be careful with sweets, but it’s difficult for me. I love sweets and above
all, I love pasta. I could not live without bread and pasta. They are essential for
me. Everything else is optional. If I am feeling down, what is better than a cream
cake to cheer me up? No chocolate, though. I always hated it even as a child. §
When I got an Easter egg I always gave it to someone else.

§ Milk doesn’t agree with me. I get a stomachache even if I drink skim milk. My
doctor suggested I try it because I didn’t want hormones. But for me it is
indigestible, and at home no one else drinks it. My mother and my grandmother
also hate it. I was told it is not good for my lungs. When I was a child I went to
the sanatorium, and now I have emphysema. § I walk slowly, and I go wherever
I want, but it annoys me because I’m someone who likes to trot.

I was brought up the right way in the mountains where everyone had to work. I
come from a family where nothing is free. § I spoiled my children, and I can’t
imagine what I wouldn’t do for my grandchildren. It is difficult for me to mind
my own business. § I am inclined to meddle because I see that I can help them.
So if they ask...

§ I don’t trust people easily. The important people in my life are few, and of
those, they are people who can teach me something. § I also like to teach others
if I can.

§ My problem is this: I cannot set limits on myself when there's work to do. I
keep going until it is finished. § Otherwise I cannot rest; I cannot sleep
peacefully. § Usually I sleep well and I dream a lot. § I often dream I have some
work to do but I am late. People are waiting for me, and I hear them say that I
am late, but I don’t do it on purpose. § I really don’t know why I have those
dreams. Often I think I don’t deserve to have them. § In waking life, I am always
on time. I am beginning to think that I would like to care less about everything. §
It's all my own doing. Nobody asks for it. I was brought up in a family where my
parents worked like crazy people. What should I do, beg for a living? Should I
have been out playing while they were working hard for me?

§ I must be careful of drafts. I get bronchitis easily and last year I had two or
three bouts. Last year I got vaccinated, but I still got sick, even more than usual.
I even had a fever that lingered for several weeks. I told you I don’t like to take
medicines.

§ Pregnancies were the best periods in my life. § I was never ill. I did not even
get headaches. The headaches always started up again when I stopped nursing. I
would have had more than three children, but I had to help my sister with her
children. Anyway, three children at home are enough, considering how I bring
them up. § During my pregnancies, I was often nauseous. Chocolate and coffee
disgusted me. And meat has always made me sick—even more so when I was
pregnant; but I was so happy then.

Usually, I am not in a good mood. Life is a very serious matter for me. I would
even say it is heavy, but one must go on. I must say I have enjoyed myself doing
the things I like; otherwise, I don’t think I could have ever managed.
Follow-up
Susanna takes Lac equinum 30c and three weeks later she has yet to have a
headache but there is significant aggravation of her leucorrhea. Six weeks later
there is no significant improvement of her gynecological symptoms. I then
prescribe Lac equinum 100c. One day later she has a strong headache that does
not improve with placebo. (I will often give placebo to check whether the remedy
is working.) When I repeat the remedy she has significant improvement within a
few hours. One week after the first dose of Lac equinum 100c her leucorrhea
disappears, never to return. Her next consultation is two months after the
leucorrhea resolved.

[Susanna begins:]
§ The funniest thing is that my blood sugar is much better! It tends to be high;
now it’s been stable around 115, 120 for the last couple of months. I have to say
that for the last two months, I have not had any more headaches. My
gynecologist is happy with my improvement and says that the tissue appears to
have repaired. What did you give me?

I almost felt as if my menses might return because I had the same kind of breast
pain that I used to have before my periods. It’s hard to explain, but my breasts
don’t feel as flabby, or as heavy and painful as before. § It was pretty common
for my breasts to feel very sore even if lightly touched or if I were to bump into
something.

And there is something else. My husband and I decided to take a course together
on dressmaking, so that when I become a grandmother, I can make nice clothes
for my grandchildren.

It doesn’t seem that easy to take such a course with your husband.
§ My husband was enthusiastic. For years, he has wanted to be a tailor as a
hobby, and now we are so happy that we can do this together.

What about your husband?
§ He says that the drops you gave me calm me down. I’m not in such a hurry to
do whatever I have to do. On Sunday I’m even able to stay in bed, and it’s not a
drama if I don’t leave my bed immediately.

My gynecologist told me that I should tell you my dream. It’s a beautiful dream.
I was invited to a big wedding party. What was strange was that the bride and
groom gave special gifts to the guests and not vice versa as usually happens. The
wedding was in an enormous castle—like a royal palace—and each guest had his
own room. The newlyweds knew all the desires of each guest and so knew the
precise gift each wanted.

And what about your room?
§ My room was completely made of sponge cake—the walls were made of this;
the carpet was almond paste. The entire room was like a pastry.

What was your reaction when you saw this room?
§ In the beginning I thought that it was so beautiful, and that it was better to
leave it like it was. But then I started to eat—a little piece of the wall, a little
piece of this and then that. When the alarm woke me the next morning, I was
still eating pieces of this room.

What do you think about this dream?
I think that the newlyweds were extremely kind and that I have been a stupid
woman. [She means that even in the beginning of her dream, she had a hard
time allowing herself to eat whatever was offered.]

Susanna moved to Australia but I occasionally receive emails from her in the 12
years after this consultation. She continues to do well.
SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Dignity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Dependence // Independence ; Stoicism (3); Duty (3); Oblativity ; Rigidity ;
Discharge: difficult ; Congestion: passive ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: dragging (3); Pain: spasmodic ; Headache: digestive ; Photophobia ;
Vertigo ; Food: simple
Common Ailments
Adenoma, prostate Allergy, dust Anemia, iron deficiency Aphthous ulcers,
recurrent Arthritis, TMJ Asthma, chronic Back pain, lumbar region
Bronchitis, chronic Candidiasis, recurrent Constipation, chronic Diabetes,
adult onset Emphysema Enteritis, chronic Epilepsy, senile Erectile dysfunction
Eruptions, herpetic Fibrocystic breast disease Food intolerance, milk Gastritis,
atrophic, chronic Headache, chronic Hot flashes, climacteric
Hyperprolactinemia Mastodynia Osteoporosis Pyorrhea Ulcers, duodenal
Underweight, without cause Urticaria, anxiety Vulvodynia
Milks: Service Oriented: Lac delphinum , Father Image Oriented: Lac
leoninum
Other: Service & Duty: Noble Metals: Argentum metallicum, Argentum
phosphoricum, Cuprum, Cuprum phosphoricum, Ferrum, Ferrum
phosphoricum ; Primulaceae: Anagallis
Lac delphinum

TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS

Tursiops truncatus, the common or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, is a member of
the Delphinidae family. The dolphin’s ancestors were land mammals, most
likely even-toed ungulates (predecessors of the cow, sheep, llama, goat, and pig)
that entered the sea approximately 50 million years ago. This occurred during
the Eocene Epoch, a time notable for global warming and a doubling in
atmospheric oxygen—the latter allowing for the development of larger brains
and mammals. Dolphins emerged approximately 10 million years ago.

The bottlenose dolphin inhabits all oceans except for polar waters. These
creatures are highly intelligent and appear friendly because of the ‘smile’ of their
mouth line. Dolphins live in pods of 15 or more members and typically give
birth to one baby after 10 months of gestation. They may hunt individually or
together as a team using echolocation to find fish, squid, shrimp and eels. They
communicate through a complex language using squeaks, whistles and tail
slapping and are known mimics. Louis Herman, of the University of Hawaii,
notes that dolphins "have big generalist brains like we do. They'll manipulate
their world to make things possible."

The word dolphin is from the Greek delphus, meaning womb. It was considered
to be a sacred animal and is associated with Apollo and Aphrodite who were
depicted as dolphins, or being accompanied by dolphins. In Minoan and Greek
mythology, the dolphin was seen as a helper and rescuer of humans. In Hindu
mythology the dolphin helped Ganga descend from the heavens. In the Amazon
the dolphin is thought to be an encantados or shapeshifter. What appears to be
shared by many of these cultures is the view that the dolphin represents love,
friendship and honor.

The remedy was prepared in 1994 from the milk of a 9-year-old Tursiops
truncates who was nursing her first calf. Mother and infant were in captivity in a
large, sea-like enclosure. The milk was pumped and then frozen before
trituration with granulated sugar. Divya Chhabra performed the proving.
COMMON AILMENTS
Aphonia Arthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile Dental caries, precocious / Eczema /
Fibroids, uterine Food intolerance, milk Herniation, cervical disk Hot flashes,
climacteric Osteoporosis Polyps, vocal cord Sciatica Sinusitis Vertigo
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Like her family, Lac delphinum can be gentle, sweet and empathetic. Though
they are naturally kind, they may pressure themselves to be extra-caring so as
not to disappoint their family. To this end, they often sacrifice their own needs
and pleasures to help others. Though the family would not reject or abandon
them, Lac delphinum doesn’t want to let them down for several reasons, one of
which is the fear that this could generate painful feelings of separation.
Oblativity
Lac delphinum’s genuine care for other people can be apparent early in the
initial intake. Like Lac humanum and the Crataegus-like remedies, this remedy
has a sincere altruism, a true oblativity.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
Their family is usually very loving, generous, understanding and
accommodating—so much so that they may have nothing to rebel against. The
parents tend to anticipate and accept any behavior lovingly (not that Lac
delphinum would ever want to be disobedient in the first place). Their ‘too
loving’ attitude is like a soft pillow that their children can’t push against; it just
gives way and this can provoke some anger. Part of the reason children go
behind the woodpile to smoke a cigarette is to rebel, but this isn’t satisfying if
the parents don’t get upset and instead merely say that it’s understandable to
experiment with cigarettes. In other words, the parents might not provide the
opportunity for their children to differentiate through healthy conflict and
friction.

Though they mostly accept their children as they are, they tacitly want to ensure
that they will be sweet and kind (which they already are). Generally speaking,
Lac delphinum children try not to assert themselves, fearing that this would
cause family disharmony, for which they would feel extreme guilt. Though they
appreciate their parents’ love, it is also a burden, a debt that they must repay
through their own love, obedience and service.
Abandonment
Lac delphinum typically feels very close to their loving, over-protective family.
They are very codependent and fear disappointing their family. They have a
vague, unrealistic fear that they must be exactly who the family wants them to be
or they will feel increasingly separate from this base of support.

Though not abandoned by their parents, on a psychological level, Lac delphinum
can feel unseen for who they are—not that they have a clear sense themselves of
who they really are. Their issues around neglect and abandonment often play out
via their attempts to recruit and redeem a rebel or outcast by bringing them into
this loving family. This person often represents Lac delphinum’s own shadow
alter ego.

For Lac delphinum, following their own path can create tremendous guilt. Doing
so can feel as though they are shattering the perfect, symmetrical crystalline
harmony of their family. Then everybody would suffer feelings of abandonment
and separation: parents, siblings, and Lac delphinum too. So how to resolve this
tug toward identity without disrupting the family? For Lac delphinum, the
solution is not to leave the family, but to bring in someone from the outside who
does not fit the family norm: some kind of outcast who needs to redeemed. Often
it is someone who experienced abandonment, neglect or abuse in their family of
origin. This person tests the family ethic of care because he is different in a way
that is uncomfortable and off-putting to the parents. For Lac delphinum,
choosing such a person constitutes an act of rebellion.

Opposites attract and this person represents everything that Lac delphinum
cannot be. On a deeper level, he or she may symbolize all the shadow parts of
self that Lac delphinum has hidden in their closet and doesn’t feel permission to
express. These parts may feel neglected and abandoned, just as this other person
was possibly abandoned in real life. On an unconscious level, Lac delphinum has
a drive to heal this other person as a way to heal themselves. And if they can get
their family to accept this person, then they can possibly get them to accept all of
who they are too.

If the relationship is romantic, it may involve daily service aimed to help redeem
the other person. In one case, a woman fell in love with her scuba instructor, a
typical playboy. It’s as if she were nursing him, filling his cup with affection,
hoping that he would leave his old lifestyle behind: “I’ll teach him that this is not
a happy way to live. Come into my family and we’ll show you how to get all the
love you need. Then you won’t behave like this anymore.”
One of the first things that one notices about a Lac delphinum case is that they
seem to lack healthy anger and aggression. Even in situations where Lac
delphinum was clearly victimized, they can’t seem to utter even a bad word.
Instead, they will sweeten the story, apologizing for the other person’s ‘mistake’:
“My poor surgeon was probably just having a bad day when he left that sponge
in my abdomen.” Like other remedies who haven’t integrated their instincts very
well, they may dream about animals. In this case, the animals tend to move
about freely in all directions, like birds or fish, symbolizing a special ability to
escape conflict and aggression, and to do whatever they want. This limitless
movement can represent the freedom to be oneself, something Lac delphinum
has great difficulty with in their waking life.
Irresolution
Lac delphinum usually comes from a family that wants them to be as sweet and
kind as they are, or at least as Lac delphinum imagines them to be in their
idealized version of their family. They dutifully follow their parent’s path, doing
precisely as the parents wish. To this end, Lac delphinum is diplomatic and
always seeks to harmonize the situation, automatically relinquishing their own
desires for the sake of the other. Despite these attributes, they are seldom
acknowledged for their sacrifice or encouraged to do something that makes them
happy. If they ever consider their own needs, they can immediately become
concerned that this could cause someone else to feel hurt or disappointed. They
may feel ambivalent about this conflict for a while, but then usually give in to
what the other person needs. Unfortunately, so much self-abnegation can be
rather destructive to their fledgling sense of self. They may, for example, find it
nearly impossible to reject someone whom they are not attracted to; they might
even marry this person so as not to injure his or her feelings. Meanwhile, they
don’t speak up for the partner or the job that they really want, and let this wish
pass by lest it lead to conflict. The only thing that they seemingly choose for
themselves are minor matters that seem to have no bearing on anyone
whatsoever.
Whereas remedies like Lac caprinum, Lac asinum and Lac glama seek to
emphasize how they are different from their family, Lac delphinum usually does
the opposite. She wholeheartedly embraces the model provided by her loving
family and tries to improve on it and take it one step further. Perhaps her family
collected food for newly arrived refugees from Africa. Lac delphinum might
actually go to Africa and start an organization that serves refugees right where
they are encamped. She doesn’t see this as original or take any credit for the
idea; in her mind, she is simply following in her parents’ footsteps. At the same
time, she may be critical of them for being too conservative and not active
enough. In this light, she might worry that her project is too rebellious, though
she is actually only making adjustments and improvements to the original
system. It can be difficult for her to fully acknowledge her own contribution
because this implies some independence or selfhood. In her dreams, this
ambivalence is symbolized by animals, which threaten the status quo.

While she depends on her family to provide love, support and values, she is also
capable of moving to another country and taking on big tasks. Like
Tuberculinum, she may have a strong desire to travel and this gives her some
space to explore who she is separate from her family. On the other hand, she has
so internalized her family that they are never really separate from her; she carries
them inside her everywhere she goes. So despite her seeming competence as a
person, she has not really achieved selfhood distinct from her family. And
eventually, after a long sojourn, she usually moves back home or moves her
family to be with her, where this external proximity mirrors her internal
dependence on them.
True Oblativity (3)

Lac delphinum is one of the most oblative remedies in the materia medica. She
has a genuine altruistic desire to serve others coupled with a sensitive intuition
about what they really need. She typically provides what she can without
thought for herself or expectation of getting something in return. This is true
oblativity, i.e., to understand and provide what another person needs rather than
what one thinks is best for them. This may explain the rubric ‘clairvoyance’, in
that Lac delphinum seems to have an intuitive ability to sense what is needed
without the other even voicing it.
Withdrawal
Like other Milks, Lac delphinum can use pains—often headaches—as a socially
acceptable way to excuse herself and withdraw. Whereas Lac caninum can stay
with his pain, Lac delphinum tends to numb the sensation and detach from it, as
if to float away to some other place or dimension where pain doesn’t exist.
Whereas Lac caninum engages his suffering, Lac delphinum tries to detach from
her body, her feelings and sensations, to the point that she feels almost nothing at
all.
Dryness
Lac delphinum’s dryness is objective and subjective, and makes expelling and
eliminating all the more difficult and painful. In some cases, it can contribute to
irritating mucus membranes and cause bleeding.
Hemorrhage
When compensated, Lac delphinum has some streaks of blood with discharges.
When decompensated, the bleeding is hemorrhagic, e.g., severe metrorrhagia,
bleeding fibroids, etc. In either case, she does not pay much attention to her
symptoms or register much pain, she is too focused on serving others to pay
attention to herself. On a metaphoric level, one might say that she gives up some
of her own tissue, her blood, for others, i.e., ‘she bleeds for others’.
Passive Congestion
Like other Milks, Lac delphinum can be susceptible to passive congestion that
contributes to her difficulty with discharge and excretion. Subjectively, she may
feel dragged down, like Sepia, by a heavy weight inside her, and this can impede
proper movement. All of this symbolizes how the family is like an anchor that
gives her grounding but also ties her down and prevents the free expression of
who she really is.
Emptiness // Fullness
Lac delphinum often feels overly full and cannot adequately discharge to get
relief. Typical symptoms here include sinusitis or fullness in the stomach with
nausea. After excretion, she can feel empty and depleted, with no power or
energy. On a symbolic level, this congestion could reflect her suppressed
emotions. The polarity of empty/full could also represent how she feels over-
filled with family, but completely empty as a self.
Difficult Discharge
Lac delphinum may have difficulty pushing what is inside to the outside. This is
related to the suppression of instincts, emotions and her true self. To her mind,
being a sweet person is incompatible with producing offensive excretions such
as perspiration, mucus, urine, feces, and vomit. Pushing so hard underscores the
idea that she is giving too much of herself.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Lac delphinum, like other Milks, has pain that can move from one part of the
body to another. The difference is that with other Milk remedies, pain is often
concentered in particular areas. For example, Lac humanum has many head
symptoms that are different from those in the rest of the body; Lac leoninum
experiences stronger symptoms in the chest and Lac suis, in the pelvis. By
contrast, the corpus of Lac delphinum does not tend to focus symptoms in one
specific area of the body precisely because this remedy tends to be more
integrated than other Milks. As a result, the system distributes the symptoms
more evenly throughout the whole system.

Pressing Pain
Lac delphinum often has pains from pushing what is inside to the outside. These
symptoms are tied to her passive congestion and difficulty excreting, and can be
experienced in many areas, including stomach, sinus, rectum, throat, and back,
among others. As the pain becomes worse, there is throbbing associated with the
ongoing challenge of getting things pushed out.
Paralyzing Pain
Like Sepia and many of the Sea Animals, Lac delphinum generally wants to
move and be active. When compensated, she asks a lot of her body so that she
can serve others, and her body generally complies. When decompensated, the
body becomes less compliant, producing many paralyzing pains that interfere
with her activities. Typical conditions include sciatica, herniated disc,
rheumatism or osteoporosis. This paralysis is functional in that it allows Lac
delphinum to withdraw into herself and take a break. Thus what is characteristic
is both paralysis and withdrawal.
Digestive Headache
Lac delphinum has the same digestive headaches as the rest of the Milks. The
difference is that she experiences an alternation between heaviness and
emptiness. The latter is the more painful of the two. The emptiness may be
associated with the fact that she is not her own person.
Difficult Digestion
As with other Milks, Lac delphinum usually has poor pancreatic function and
overall weak digestion. She has a tendency to overeat to compensate for a
feeling of emptiness and for her poor processing of food—of course, overeating
only leads to worse digestive upset. She also has difficulty if she is unable to eat,
and feels empty and tired. Specific conditions include an atrophic stomach
mucosa and pernicious anemia.
Milk
Like others in this remedy family, Lac delphinum craves milk but has difficulty
digesting it. There may be some association between this symptom and her
relative immaturity, her desire for continued nurturance from her family while
also experiencing them as overwhelming.
Symmetrical Eruption
Skin eruptions appear symmetrically especially on the face. These do not bother
her, in fact, in some ways she’s relieved: being less attractive means less people
will bother her. She tends to feel uncomfortable when the focus is on her, and
relieved when it’s on someone else.
Hypoesthesia
Generally speaking, Lac delphinum does not complain about symptoms that
most people would find painful. Or she may mention the pain in passing, as if
she is not really bothered by it. When well-compensated Lac delphinum
imagines that pain and suffering are a natural part of life to be embraced. This
posture of acceptance constitutes a kind of spiritual attempt to transcend duality,
as if joy and sorrow are equal elements in the journey of life. (This is not to say
that Lac delphinum is necessarily spiritual, wise and evolved. In many cases, Lac
delphinum, like most Milks, can struggle to be mature and assertive.) Whereas
resistance to pain generally makes the pain more intense, acceptance makes it
less noticeable. As an oblative remedy, Lac delphinum also tends to overlook her
pains so as not to cause worry to her family.

When decompensated, Lac delphinum tends, more than other Milks, to detach
from her body and the pain signals it generates. Additionally, her senses of
smell, taste and touch seem benumbed. Along with reducing her pain, this allows
her to minimize interaction with the world and withdraw, but also reflects her
inability to feel pleasure.
DREAMS
Lac delphinum can have dreams that range from beautiful to painful and
disturbing. She may dream of being inadequate in how she attempts to care for
or rescue others. She often dreams of animals such as birds or water creatures
where there is little aggression and great freedom of movement, and a feeling of
escapism (not related to predatory pursuit). This represents the ability to move to
another dimension in order to avoid suffering. As with the Drug remedies, this
realm can seem unreal and otherworldly.

Lac delphinum can be a revolutionary of sorts, at least in her dreams. It is as
though her suppressed aggression and individuality mixes with her care for
others. Like an ardent activist, she wants to dramatically destroy the status quo
while changing things for the better. In her waking life, she is not usually so
bold.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Lac delphinum is often reasonably bright and capable, and has a sweet, mild
temperament, with a natural desire to harmonize situations. She tends to avoid
sharing her emotions and dislikes the focus being on herself, preferring it to be
on those she serves. In most cases, she is not so in touch with her instinctive
power, aggression, or desire for pleasure. She can be hyperactive and tends to be
overly busy. Physically, she is usually solid and often overweight, but active and
athletic. She tends to numb her body’s signals so as not to interrupt her service to
others. She may struggle with sensations of heaviness and paralysis that impede
her charitable work, giving her some time and space for herself. Her system is
dry which makes excretions difficult. Similarly, she can be emotionally reserved
and depleted (from too much giving), and may have trouble getting her true
feelings out.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac delphinum generally feels that she must give and give. She may feel regret
and reproach herself if she hasn’t given enough: ‘I should have done more’. She
feels pain, for example, if she tries to reform someone or bring them into her
family, and it doesn’t work. She tries to do well in everything, and is very
sensitive to criticism from others. Though she doesn’t seek accolades, she does
want to be well thought of and have her contributions noted. She might also feel
intense regret if she did not allow herself to be with the person she really loves.
Finally, any major loss or grief can be extremely difficult for her and quickly
lead to decompensation.
COMPENSATION
Lac delphinum generally feels weak, insecure and underdeveloped. She may try
to make up for an inner emptiness and lack of identity through excessive service
to others. Overly reliant on her family, she tends to follow their model of service
to the utmost. Her only way to make a mark is to be even more giving than her
very caring and generous parents. Another strategy, sometimes starting from
early childhood, is to develop a severe disease, such as arthritis, in order to avoid
having to meet the expectations and constant requests of her family.
COMPLICATIONS
As with other Milks, Lac delphinum feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.
If she separates from her family to become her own person, she feels that she is
hurting the people who love her so much. Yet if she stays deeply tied to her
family, she does not develop her own identity and become a true adult.

Lac delphinum has the problem of being too well loved. She can’t rebel and
become her own person because her parents don’t offer any conflict to push
against. They are too understanding.

Lac delphinum gives and gives to make up for an inner emptiness. But depleting
herself by caring for others just makes her feel more empty inside, not less.

In pursuit of providing care to others, Lac delphinum ignores her own needs for
rest and pleasure. As a result, she risks burn out and then can give less, rather
than more, to the people she serves.

Lac delphinum denies her true love and may marry someone she is not in love
with. Though she may do this to avoid hurting anyone, in the end, this
arrangement hurts everyone, including herself.
DECOMPENSATION
With decompensation, Lac delphinum can become significantly worn out, not so
much from overdoing, but because she is always doing for others and not for
herself. While this is disconcerting or even depressing, it also provides some
needed respite and time and space for self. She may develop diseases that give
her a socially acceptable reason to rest and withdraw. If still partially
compensated, she may continue serving others even when ill. Without the ability
to take care of people—her only identity—she can become lost and depressed.
With further decompensation, she may retreat like a creature burrowing into the
soft cover of a sandbar to be sheltered from the world.
RESTORATION
As with other Milks, Lac delphinum does well to live a life more expressive of
her needs, not her family’s. With treatment, she may still be oblative but to a less
extreme degree. Her life is no longer only about duty and sacrifice. With time,
she can be more her true self and have a satisfying life with friends and her own
nuclear family. She can begin to integrate elements from her aggressive and
creative sides to become her own unique person, while also indulging in some
occasional rest and pleasure.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
Lac delphinum usually grows up in a very loving home. The parents may be over
protective and too understanding. Like therapists, they might say, “I know you
have to rebel sweetheart, and we totally accept that because we love you so
much.” What the child needs is someone to push up against and these parents
don’t generally provide that. As a result the child grows up enmeshed and
dependent on this over-abundant love. And so she has trouble functioning on her
own. The parents are social service oriented and take on projects to benefit
others. Wanting to please them, she follows in their footsteps.
Nuclear Family
Lac delphinum often stays single or can remain engaged-to-be-married for a very
long time. She is involved in so many activities that it may be hard to take
adequate care of her own family. She may treat the family more as a company
that she has to manage, rather than people she is emotionally connected to. Her
children are raised, as she was, to be oriented toward helping others. Lac
delphinum has a strong need to take care of her parents, to repay them for all the
love they gave her. In every family dynamic, she is conflict-avoidant and desires
to keep relations harmonious.
Lac delphinum usually has stronger bonds to friends than to partners—‘friends
for life’. She often falls in love with someone very different from herself:
unconventional or underprivileged, a rebel, a sinner, an outcast, etc. This other
person represents her shadow side, the part of her that would like to rebel. These
relationships express an unconscious need more than a workable match, and they
seldom succeed. In the end, she settles down with someone who is diligent and
responsible like herself, and someone her family would approve of—though
often she is not in love with him or her.
Child & Adolescent
On the surface, Lac delphinum is every parent’s dream: obedient, compliant,
caring, responsible, and fully embracing parental values. But all this dutiful
sacrifice means a non-existent childhood. She lacks assertiveness through her
childhood and fails to rebel in adolescence. She may produce precocious ‘adult’
diseases like juvenile onset arthritis.
Adult
As an adult, Lac delphinum tends to be duty-bound and socially oriented.
Service is important and she seeks to serve people who need her. She is well
liked by others, and appreciated for being sweet, diplomatic and able to bring
people together. Even so, she often fails to be (or to feel) successful. Though she
genuinely cares for others, she may not be happy in what she is doing. She tends
to be taken for granted and not given reasonable recognition for all that she does.
Elder
As an elder, Lac delphinum is often regretful that she did not do more for
herself. She sacrificed her entire life for others, and ends up frustrated that she
did not give herself a real life. In other words, she did not express her true self,
take more quality time with the most important people in her life, or choose the
romantic partner whom she really loved.
TREATMENT ISSUES
With treatment, Lac delphinum may begin to express anger, to her doctor among
others. It is important for the practitioner to support this development, rather
than be threatened by it. He can help show her the positive aspects of
confrontation. If he becomes reactive against this anger, or like her parents, too
understanding, she will likely leave.
The first remedy that Lac delphinum should be distinguished from is Lac
humanum. Of the Milk remedies, these two are the most oblative and very
genuine in their care for others. Lac humanum’s oblativity has to do with
sacrifice, Lac delphinum’s, with service. Lac humanum will give up his life so
that his children, his descendants, pupils, and extended family can achieve a
better life. He serves as an example for others in how they can improve their
lives. If he is a teacher, he cares for his students in the same devoted and oblative
way. He will readily forsake his own happiness to this end. Lac delphinum, on
the other hand, will not be so self-sacrificing that she forsakes enjoyment in life.
From her perspective, service to others does not require this. Additionally, she
believes that sadness and suffering are not inimical to joy, but somehow
complementary. It’s as if the bringing together of all these elements is what
makes life so beautiful.

The idea of service for Lac delphinum means to help as much as possible and as
many as possible: family, siblings, colleagues, and acquaintances. She could
potentially choose to help anyone she comes in contact with, and would be
extremely sympathetic toward that person, whether she had a preexisting
relationship or not. She nevertheless understands that she can’t help everyone.
She has a predilection for helping society’s poor and outcasts. And anyone she
cares for is in a way invited into her family circle. While Lac humanum can also
extend the concept of family past immediate biological members, Lac delphinum
does so much more broadly than any other Milk.

Lac delphinum can be compared with Carcinosinum. Both are oblative remedies
and both want to please those around them as much as possible. The difference
is that Carcinosinum tries to mainly gratify and please his supporters, those that
have given so much to him: his family, teachers, coaches, and ministers. They
have expectations of Carcinosinum and Carcinosinum wants to fulfill these
expectations in return for all the good affection and support that he has received
—almost as restitution. Carcinosinum is satisfied with a job well done. Lac
delphinum is not so concerned with pleasing those that support her as she is in
serving those that really need help: the humble, the poor, the social outcasts.

In terms of the playful side of Lac delphinum, this can call to mind the Labiatae.
Both are optimistic, gregarious and fun, finding much pleasure in being playful.
If the play happens to be competitive as with sports, neither seems to care too
much about winning. Lac delphinum just wants to have a wonderful social
experience, particularly with groups of people. Labiatae remedies also focus
more on enjoying the game more than who wins. At the same time, they do like
to appear youthful, athletic and competent, and certainly don’t mind winning.
They seem to gravitate more toward two-person sports like tennis. The bigger
difference is that the Labiatae, though caring and sympathetic toward others, is
nevertheless most focused on personal pleasure in ways that are not always
adequately cognizant of other peoples’ needs and feelings. Lac delphinum’s love
of play and general sociability is more interwoven with a genuine caring for and
service to others.

When Medorrhinum shows his sweet side, he can be very loving and able to
create good connections with other people. From this vantage point,
Medorrhinum can look fairly oblative. Typically he can be very playful and
spontaneous, enjoying life in a physical way, through food, dancing, sports,
physical contact, and sex. Lac delphinum, on the other hand, prefers emotional
contact, the sense of friendship, participating with her heart in the suffering of
others as she provides her service to them.

Like other oblative remedies such as Rhus toxicodendron and the Rosaceae,
especially Prunus spinosa, Lac delphinum can sometimes push her body to
extremes when serving others. To differentiate, one can examine the varying
ways that each is oblative. (See discussion in the Differential Diagnosis section
of Lac caninum.)

Like Saccharum album, Lac delphinum can become so involved with others,
without an adequate sense of anger or boundary, that others take advantage of
her. Even so, she has her limits, and despite being kind and charitable, she may
be able to eventually say no if she needs to. In other words, she can sometimes
recognize that she did all that she could for a particular person and now needs to
move on. Saccharum album, on the other hand, expects that life is inescapable
burdensome and painful, and will readily submit to the most horrific of
circumstances.

CASE OF GIOIA
Gioia is a 26-year-old diving instructor. She appears to be quite sociable and
communicative, joking with me and enjoying the exchange. In spite of her age,
she asks her mother to accompany her to the appointment, needing her presence
despite the fact that her mother never speaks. During the consultation, whenever
Gioia is hesitant to say something, her mother pokes her shoulder, goading her
continuously as if Gioia needs this encouragement to speak. Her language and
her tone of voice are childish, more like that of a 14-year-old girl.
She comes to see me for chronic sinusitis with thick yellow phlegm. During the
consultation, I learn that she lost four fingers feeding sharks in the Red Sea (to
give her dive clients a photo opportunity).

She suffers from anxiety since she was very young. She has always been quite
shy and had no boyfriend until the age of 19. Her first love, a scuba diving
instructor, was present when the shark bit her. She left home to be with him, but
after a few months, he fell in love with another woman.

[Gioia begins:]
§ I have had a terrible sinusitis for years. I don’t know what to do anymore. I
was operated on twice. That poor surgeon was so sorry that he couldn’t do more
for me. § I realize that the doctors I saw did their best to help me. Perhaps there's
something that just hasn’t come to the surface yet. § I feel a strong pressure in
my head and that’s probably what gives me such terrible pains. The pressure in
my forehead throbs so badly, it’s like being hit with a hammer.

§ My headache is another serious problem that’s been difficult to resolve
because of the work I do. But ever since moving to the Maldives, I don’t have
this problem anymore. In Egypt it was already better. Then it improved more
and more when I moved to a dry place. Hot weather is a big problem for me and
always has been. I can manage better by staying in the water all day. Given my
job, that’s where I usually am anyway.

§ I often have dizzy spells when I have head pain. § Do you want to know how I
got rid of them? The first time I went under water, I was a mess. I got a strong
headache and became terribly dizzy. The water wasn’t a problem, I realized soon
enough; I could do what I wanted, so long as when my head turned, my body
turned with it. After that, I didn’t have any more trouble. § Not the headache but
the dizzy spells were gone forever.

Could you possibly do something about these cracks at the corners of my
mouth? I’ve had them since I was a child, and I really don’t know what to do to
cure them. When they hurt, I can’t even speak. As a child I simply answered by
shaking my head yes or no.

§ I used to be terrified of water for a silly reason that I’m still embarrassed to
share. But I think in the end, it was just a feeling like something I have felt
before.

I don’t understand what you mean. Can you say more about this feeling of
yours?
§ Let's start from the beginning. I met the man of my dreams when I was 19. I
interrupted my studies—I wanted to become a marine biologist but they didn’t
have that in Italy then. So I fell in love and I faced my greatest fear—water—
being underwater. He helped me in everything, including this, and in the end, I
became an instructor like him. We worked together for three years. § After I had
this little accident [she shows me her hand with the missing fingers], something
changed between us.

§ I was talking about this absurd fear. Ever since I was a little girl, I sometimes
woke up at night after dreaming about sharks. They would be in front of me with
their jaws open. When I was a child, I did not even want to go to the seaside. It
took a lot for my parents to persuade me there were no sharks in the water. Even
a meter of water was too deep for me. The idea that sand could block my view
was unbearable.

Then everything changed. One day while people were taking photos of me
feeding a shark, I turned to look at one of our group whom I thought was in
trouble, meanwhile the fish had the audacity to feed upon my fingers, which he
apparently found to his liking. § Something broke at that moment and ever since,
things have not gone well. But we still work together now and then, and I’m a
close friend with his new companion.

§ I have not dreamt about sharks since the accident. Sometimes I dream that my
fingers grow back, that I have a new hand with six fingers instead of five.
Strange isn’t it? But it was my fault; sharks are actually harmless.

§ I suffered from rheumatic fever when I was a child. I felt better when I had my
tonsils removed. Then I had lots of tooth decay. § I think it is connected to the
bad quality of my bones. I have several caries in my teeth. § Osteoporosis is a
family problem. We all suffer from it. But, I don’t want to drink milk. It always
disgusted me, even when I was a baby.
Follow-up
At this first consultation she receives Lac delphinum Q1. Around three weeks
later I stop the remedy after receiving a call from Gioa’s mother telling me that
her daughter is in bed with a severely throbbing headache. It’s accompanied by
vertigo and laryngitis, making it difficult for her to talk and be understood (for
which reason, Gioa did not call me herself—according to the mother). She
insists that I prescribe something for her daughter, and so I have her stop the
remedy and continue with a placebo.

Two days later she begins to have a profuse thick, greenish catarrh that is easily
expelled. Slowly, but significantly, her headache improves but she remains
hoarse. Ten days later I have her see an otolaryngologist who found two nodules
on her vocal chords.

Her mother informs me that Gioia had repeated episodes of dysphonia when she
first moved to Egypt and that these finally resolved. I note how regressive their
relationship seems, with the mother lovingly attending to her daughter as if she
were a young child. I decide to move to the Q3, taking it daily, because her
problems are not going away completely. Ten days later there is significant
improvement. A later appointment with the ENT confirms resolution of the vocal
cord nodules. While on Lac delphinum Q3 she has no significant headaches for
weeks and no further dysphonia.

After Gioia improves she moves abroad, resuming her work as a scuba
instructor and traveling all over the world. We remain in contact via e-mail.

[Her email:]
I wanted to write to you and thank you. I apologize that at the beginning of my
treatment I was angry with you because I thought your therapy had damaged my
voice. My mother helped me understand how helpful your treatment really was. I
would like to know what remedy you gave me in case I need to take it again.

You asked many details about my history. The reason I looked into finding
another job is that it was really hard to be near him after he moved on to yet
another girlfriend. Even so, I like to think that I was the one with whom he lasted
the longest.

I have no regrets. I’ve always thought that life is a kind of game. This idea
helped me to grow and overcome some challenges. I think that life truly is a
game, but I also believe it’s important TO KNOW that living isn’t always about
playing. This is my new philosophy of life—the fruit of many days of reflection
when I was unable to speak.

Anyway these days my voice is better and a few days ago I started to gargle with
some seawater because it makes my voice clearer.

I haven’t had any more vertigo—except for every now and then if I’m diving
and I have to face some difficult or unexpected situation—even if I’m well
trained and basically know what to do.

I’m really happy where I live and work, even if I’m working more hours for less
pay. I’ve been able to achieve better balance between work and play. Before I
used to approach my work underwater as if I were going to work in an office.
These days, even if I’m still excessive in how I over-prepare everything, I
always leave open the chance to go diving two to three times a week with my
friends who are all excellent divers, or with some tourist who doesn’t want the
same old experience. I’ve been able to rediscover satisfaction in my work.

I’m grateful to my mother who, despite everything, let me come see you. I’m
also grateful to you for this cure that’s allowed me to do things I couldn’t do
before. My sinusitis no longer exists, whereas, I was previously prevented from
diving at certain depths because of the pains in my forehead.

I am thankful even to my former boyfriend—and have also written this to him.
Without him I would never have overcome my fear of water or I wouldn’t know
what I know now; it was something that freed me up in my life.

I realize that I did what I could to stay close to my mother and avoid becoming
an adult. I have a wonderful family, but a mother who thought I shouldn’t leave
such a beautiful home and throw myself into the fray. I saw my friends moving
out of their homes, but thought it was because their homes weren’t as nice as
mine. Eventually I realized that perhaps my home wasn’t so nice after all,
because living there didn’t let me have my own life. I wasn’t able to feel who I
was without my family around me: my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I
couldn’t even go to the movies with a boy without asking my mother to come
with us!

I know my mother did all this lovingly. I know I was a very good daughter and I
was giving back to my mom what she gave to me. But I realized I could never do
the same with my own daughter; and so I decided to change. A few days ago
before writing you, I found the courage to write my mother a long letter. I
explained that I understood the love they gave me, but that I need to offer this
love to somebody else, not only, or not mainly, to my family.

This is the meaning of life. In some way it’s terrible but this is what it is and it’s
beautiful. I have more growing up to do. I want to find a good partner in this life,
to make this journey together, and to realize the dream of having a baby. Having
a baby is extremely important to me. I think giving birth to a new life is the best
way to say thank you to my family.

I was a little irritated because my mother wrote back to say that she knows this. I
mean it was such a big effort for me to write her and, as always, she’s the one
who knows everything. But that’s my fault too in a way because I was never able
to tell her in a loving way, “F--- off!”

CASE OF ELISABETTA
Elisabetta, 48 years old, participates in a lot of sports and appears to be quite
agile, despite being 10 to15 kilos overweight. Her manner is friendly, but not
superficial. She dresses very soberly for an Italian of her financial means,
without make-up or other adornments, except for a tiny golden dolphin that she
wears on a chain around her neck.

[Elisabetta begins:]
I developed several problems with menopause. I was experiencing hot flashes
and my sleep was very poor and insufficient. I had this checked out several
times. Once I tried hormone replacement therapy. I would always take it for a
couple of days, but because it made me feel so lousy, I would give up and stop it.
I would get swelling, heaviness, water retention, nausea, and an uneasy feeling
in my entire body.

What bothers me most are the classic hot flashes. I go to bed, switch off the
light, and fall asleep, but then I wake up fifteen times, needing to throw the
blanket off. I am perspiring everywhere. § The hot flashes are really strong,
often accompanied by tachycardia. Afterwards I feel exhausted. Various cardiac
exams have revealed nothing.

§ I have been having hot flashes for the last five or six years. At age 41 I had a
hysterectomy. The ovaries still worked, so I didn’t get them removed. I had the
bone density test and other tests. Everything was fine.

§ The hot flashes are not regular. At times I have them hourly; at other times I
can have them every 3-4 hours. There is no way of predicting them. They can be
stronger or weaker. I also had hot flashes when I had the flu. When I get a fever
or go to the dentist, they are constant.

I always wake up after 2 AM. Now it’s become a big problem because I have
started sleeping less (and this annoys me). § When I wake up, I feel them
coming on because they block my stomach. Next I get a very strong heat in my
stomach that then radiates all over my body. I sweat, and then the heat decreases,
leaving me totally exhausted. My heartbeats quicken sometimes and I feel
nauseous.

Moreover, my capillaries are more visible than ever, and I have circulation
disorders.

I have compression between the second and third cervical vertebrae that causes
pain starting from the back of my neck. Then it spreads into the area behind my
ears and cheekbones. It’s never bilateral: normally it is on the right, and I get
rigid there. I have had some physiotherapy.

I've been having a lumbosacral problem for years and L5-S1 are starting to unite.
My back is rigid. Compared with my menopausal symptoms, it’s not so bad.

§ I've been suffering from it for years. Most of all I feel worse when it is windy
as the weather disturbance is just beginning. I travel for my job and so am often
shifting between different climates. I get a lot of jet lag too. I travel from Cuba to
Elba, then to the Maldives or Mexico. I feel numb when there’s a change in the
weather—or even a strong wind.

§ I feel heavy-headed and numb. My brain does wherever it wants to (out of my
control) and then I get nauseous. It is constant, together with the hot flashes. I
forgot to tell you that nausea gives me so much trouble. § The numbness in the
muscles of my neck, the difficulties in moving, the dizziness when I bend too
quickly, and the slight unsteadiness—all these things contribute to a terrible
headache.

§ What makes me feel better? Absolute immobility and darkness mitigate it, and
possibly the total absence of any stimuli. When I feel really bad, the only thing I
can do is withdraw in a sort of regressive way. § I need some cuddling and some
attention, almost maternal care. But most of all I need to be still. If I could
suspend myself in air, without even touching my bed, that would be better. Any
kind of stimulus disturbs me a lot, but I have to move and I do move. If I have
problems, I take a suppository (pain medication). In a few hours it goes away.

§ The pain comes from behind and moves forward. It really hurts. Starting from
the middle of my head, it goes down to my cheekbones, and then my lower jaw
aches. It feels like I have a very bad cold. There is a strange taste in my mouth.
The pain beats terribly. Often the nausea sensation is so strong that my head
spins. What I want is a total absence of weight. It is the weight of my head on my
neck that disturbs me.

I say that because when I dive, I have almost the same feeling. My muscles feel
contracted, and my shoulders have a tingling sensation. My hands will become
numb if I stay motionless in a particular position. That happens while sleeping or
if I’m doing repetitive work for a long time.

§ Several years ago they discovered I had sinusitis. I don’t have tons of catarrh
anymore because I’m often outside in the sun. During my first dive, tons of it
came out, and then I felt good.

§ I often have vertigo. I have low blood pressure if I have a headache or hot
flashes.

§ When I was 27 I had a spinal compression. I was taken to the hospital and
operated on for a ruptured disc. Then I met a chiropractor who solved the
problem with some manipulation and physiotherapy. I still have the rupture, and
now I have some difficulties with bending. It turns out that my vertebrae are
starting to fuse.

§ If I’m not careful how I move, like when I’m moving heavy equipment, I can
get lower back pain. Sometimes I get blocked and I have to move around in
order to get some relief. When I relax my muscles, I can overcome the pain. If I
can free my legs from the weight, it’s better. § Walking is a disaster, but if I ride
my racing bike, it doesn’t hurt so much. And if I do this for a while, it goes
away. Swimming is the best remedy.

I had severe sciatica in my hip. An acupuncturist treated it. I was also treated
with hypnosis, but he says it’s not in my head. I am not able to solve the
problem. § I had four intense bouts of sciatica, so painful I was not able to stay
in bed. The last one was four years ago. I really couldn’t lie down. I slept on a
chair, leaning my back against the wall. I needed to keep my back perfectly
straight. That last bout was really strong. It’s always on the right side.

§ When I have a strong headache, I feel so sick to my stomach that I feel like
I’m going to vomit, but I don’t. I control myself before that happens. It’s rare
that I vomit, but the nausea is very strong. I’ve discovered what I should eat and
what I shouldn’t. § If I avoid milk, I’m much better. I know that I have to avoid
all food that contains milk—even biscuits and cheese with prosciutto cotton. §
It’s unfortunate because I really like milk.

§ With hot flashes I also get some kind of stomach pain.

§ I’m not keen on medicines or going to doctors. They don’t listen to you and
then they immediately give you some medications. Sometimes all I need to feel
better is the comfort of a good conversation.

I have poor vaginal lubrication and often have a vaginal infection. The
gynecologist gave me a strong medicine but then I developed nausea; he then
wanted to give me something for the nausea, but I preferred to eat a cracker. I
don’t want to take drugs; it goes against my grain, as I told you. § I’ve always
suffered from leucorrhea. I was recently treated for spotting. It was a routine
event at the end of every menstrual cycle. Like the red and white Marlboro
package: first it was red, then it was white! It wasn’t a big problem for me. It
would always stop.

§ A year ago I was diagnosed with 2 cysts on my vocal cords. They bother me if
I have to talk for a long time. § I wanted to be operated on by a doctor I know
well. I lose my voice if I force it. If I talk a lot, I can lose my voice by the next
day. So I have to manage it. But during the day, I can speak without too much
effort.

§ I cannot stay still. Immobility is like a prison sentence for me. I must move. I
have to get going. Even at home I move around while on the phone. It's my way
of life. My biggest nightmares are the long flights I take. During the last one I
almost wanted to kill the stewardess. Traveling by plane makes me restless.

§ I recover quickly if I can get some sleep and sleep well, but I’m not able to
stay in bed. I envy people who enjoy staying in bed in the morning. In five hours
I can recover all my energy needs. If I sleep more than that, I can have trouble
with everything. It’s necessary for me to sleep a couple of hours in the
afternoon. I have always done this. It’s fundamental for me, no matter where I
am. I wake up early, so I have to nap. § I doze off from 2 until 3:30 PM. I turn
everything off, even the phone. Then I feel well.

§ My passion is diving. I travel for pleasure. I was my husband's secretary, his
housewife, and his mother. After I finished assisting him, I had to take care of
that scourge of a mother of mine. [Elisabetta refers to her mother in Italian as a
‘piaga’, a wound that never heals.]

We made two trips a year. Once my son came too. He was 14 and took diving
lessons. So at 40, I created my own job. I didn’t want to die wandering between
my kitchen and the bedroom. My children were all grown up. My husband's
business got going, so I started to deal in boats. One thing led to another.

Now I am supervising my husband's business and my own. I am the one who
likes commitment; it doesn’t scare me. I think people have to face their
responsibilities. I supervise the sales. It’s demanding, but not a problem. It
excites me. I like my job and I don’t feel stressed by it.

§ Water! My goodness, it’s incredible. It gives me such a feeling of peace and
serenity. I make plans to prolong my dive. Since the very beginning, no one
understood how I was able to do this. It’s a skill that belongs to experienced
divers, but it’s as if I don’t need to breathe. It's my environment. You know I
told you that I like the feeling of being suspended.

§ I am selective; it must be something worthwhile. If I don’t find what I want, I
don’t delve into it. I must believe in it to communicate enthusiasm for what I’m
trying to sell. If you’re just bluffing, you lose people.

I carefully prepare my dive. I have to be quiet and relaxed. I calculate it so that I
can stay under water as long as possible. Coming up is a problem, because I
don’t want to leave. I enjoy my dive from beginning to end. When I spring out of
the water, I’m so relaxed and happy. It's so satisfying, especially if I encounter
something.

§ Once I saw a moonfish that was three times bigger than me. § I like all the seas
that I have been in. I have seen every one underwater. There are such incredible
shows. Imagine being among 550 croakers [a species of fish] swimming in a
group. It is a superb show. The Maldives isn’t the only good spot. I like other
places too. The ocean is the ocean everywhere, and I have a good relationship
with it. But I also fear it and never underestimate it. It is essential to keep your
cool in order to solve the problems you may encounter. I manage to stay in
control even if I’m afraid.

§ My second pregnancy at 35 was a problem. My uterus was stiff and
fibromatous. I had heavy bleeding that wouldn’t stop. I was lacking iron and
became quite debilitated. Finally they took the baby out. I’ve always had long
and painful periods. After my first pregnancy at age 27, it seemed like my uterus
was more elastic. But after the second pregnancy, it turned into a hard and
fibrous muscle. After removing the uterus, I felt great.
Follow-up
Elisabetta takes Lac delphinum Q1 for 20 days and there is no improvement in
her hot flashes or sleep problems. Being pretty sure of my prescription, I move
her to a Q3. Two weeks later her hot flashes begin to improve, and slowly, her
joint pain. Her next consultation is four months later.

[Elisabetta begins:]
§ I feel better with the hot flashes. I can sleep quietly unless I get a little nervous,
in which case my sleep is slightly disturbed. I don’t have any more palpitation or
severe weakness. My capillaries were becoming a real issue and that seems to
have stopped. Even the veins in my legs seem a bit more toned up, like they are
in winter. Even though I’ve been in the sun, they’re still not bothering me.

§ Even my neck pains have started to improve. It’s not as stiff as before and I’m
less susceptible to the wind. § I was out on a boat in a little bit of wind and
didn’t have the same problems as before. Sometimes I didn’t bother, as I usually
do, to put a scarf around my neck. But I still can’t allow my neck to be wet.
Before, if there were a cold draft on my wet neck, I would feel a sudden sharp
pain—it’s not like that anymore. Now I feel that my neck can support my head.
Even my bad back is better.

Anyway, I’m happy because at my age, I’m still enjoying my body. § I mean in
every sense. It’s beautiful to have the body of somebody who is 20 years old, but
when you’re 50, it’s nice to have the body of some healthy person who is 50. I
don’t think the point is to be able to do at 50 what one did at 20, but rather to not
forget that your body can be a source of pleasure.

Tell me about this source of pleasure? [She looks at me as if she can’t believe
that I don’t understand.]
§ You cannot imagine what a joy it was for me to deliver a baby. I could have
had another baby ten times just for the pleasure of seeing them come out of my
belly and then putting them on my breast. It was a great effort, but an effort that
accomplished something—no, someone!

I want to say it’s a grand, creative act, like making a bridge or a cathedral—you
make someone who is there with you, and who can someday make a cathedral,
but in that moment is simply there with you, and it’s your body which did all
this. The feeling is wonderful like being under water—what a joy! § This
pleasure of sensing how the body moves.

§ Years ago I watched with envy and enchantment, dancers on TV. Then I met a
dancer in real life and I changed my mind. I couldn’t conceive of suffering so
much for something you say you like. Pleasure ceases to exist the moment it
becomes a job. If you have the ability to keep up your enthusiasm while you’re
doing it, that’s a sign of real growth.

Tell me about your own growth.
§ You know, it took me a long time to grow. You can see what age I started to
dive. It’s still such a pleasure for me even at this age.

§ In the beginning I was extremely irritated about those not-so-little pains and
that they were not really going away.

It was beautiful to see that it wasn’t the medicines but the interaction with a body
that led to the healing. [For her, healing involves interaction with the body, soul
and emotions of another person.] But that treatment put me in a bit of a crisis.

What do you mean?
§ I must be honest. I felt a little dissatisfied for a while after the first
consultation. You were very professional and I sensed that you were listening
attentively, and that’s not something you often see in doctors. But you hardly
touched me. You were only touching me with the tips of your fingers, looking
for some points in my body. I had the impression that it was difficult for you to
leave your hand, your entire hand, on my body.

Please, don’t get me wrong. When I started to see that your treatment was really
working, that I was improving because of your little drops, I had to think again
about our consultation. I mean I felt that your examination of me was not
sufficient and yet—what else were you actually able to feel?

She is confused about the medical exam because it is not like what she had come
to expect. The touch with the fingertips seems too light and limited and yet, if the
drops work so well, she wonders what else I am able to feel.

What do you think?
§ I must tell you? You are the doctor! § Even though I did not feel your touch, I
feel better, but only after the Q3 you gave me—the first drops did not touch me
enough.

So this difficulty in understanding each other—between me and you—is a little
better now. How about between you and your husband?
§ I have far fewer problems with my husband now and that’s something that
makes me very happy.

She asked that the rest of our consultation not be reported.

She improved so well from the Q3 that it was not necessary to give her a higher
potency for a very long time. She’s still traveling all over the world and comes
back for occasional follow-ups when she returns to Italy.
SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Oblativity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Dependence // Independence (3); Oblativity: true (3); Withdrawal; Dryness ;
Hemorrhage ; Congestion: passive ; Emptiness / Fullness ; Discharge: difficult
; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: pressing ; Pain: paralyzing ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion: difficult ;
Milk ; Eruptions: symmetrical ; Hypoesthesia
Common Ailments
Aphonia / Arthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile Dental caries, precocious Eczema /
Fibroids, uterine Food intolerance, milk Herniation, cervical disk / Hot
flashes, climacteric Osteoporosis Polyps, vocal cord Sciatica Sinusitis /
Vertigo
Milks: Oblative: Lac humanum
Other: Oblative: Carcinosinum ; Rhus toxicodendron ; Rosaceae: Prunus ;
Playful: Labiatae ; Medorrhinum ; Lack of Anger: Saccharum album

Lac caprinum
Capra aegagrus hircus

Goats are even-toed ungulates like pigs, camels, deer and sheep. Many of these
animals have had and still enjoy significant cultural as well as economic
importance. There are many characteristics that distinguish goats including their
horns, beard and the gland under the tail of the male that produces a pungent
odor.

Goats are known for being unpredictable and willful (as reflected in the word
capricious), as well as for being stubborn, for butting heads. They prefer
standing on the highest rise, as if to dominate the other members of their herd,
and as a vestige of their ancestral life in mountains and on cliffs.

Domesticated goats are descendants of Capra aegagrus, which are native to
Asia. In many countries the goat is used to produce milk, largely for the
production of cheese. The goat is especially suited for family needs as one or
two goats can provide enough milk for the year. They are well suited for either
torrid or frigid climate zones, and need less pasture than a cow.

Goat’s milk is similar in taste to cow’s milk; however, it is known to be more
easily digested. This makes it desirable for infants and those allergic to cow’s
milk. Goat's milk is rich in fats containing the 6-, 8-, and 10-carbon acids:
caproic, caprylic, and capric acids, respectively. These names are also derived
from the word capra or caper, the Latin word for goat.

Goats are considered the most destructive of domesticated animals. Not only do
they eat grass and other plants, but they also tear up and consume the roots. This
can disrupt the plant-soil ecology, leading to loss of topsoil and resultant
desertification of the landscape. This devastation of the land may contribute to
their association with the devil, a symbol of the separation between humans and
God. The inverted pentagram, a symbol associated with evil, is considered to
represent the horns, ears and bearded chin of the goat.

In Cretan mythology, Amalthaeam, the foster mother of Zeus, was depicted
either as a goat, or a nymph who fed goat’s milk to Zeus. The horn of the goat
was broken off and presented to Zeus filled with flowers and fruits. Zeus then
placed the horn (the cornucopia) and the goat among the stars. The cornucopia is
emblematic of abounding plenty and fertile land.

Another mythological connection with goats is the satyr, where the upper half is
a man, and the lower half is a goat. These are associated with Dionysus and
represent sensuality and playfulness. The words satire and satyriasis come from
this word. Pan is a well-known satyr who caused pan-ic and induced pan-
demonium in those passing by. During the Middle Ages, the satyr was
transformed into the devil. Additionally, the devil was thought to fly on the back
of a male goat.

Lac caprinum was first proved in 1996 by Yvonne Lassauw and Kees Dam van
Walbeekstraat of The Netherlands.
COMMON AILMENTS
Acne, persistent Allergies, milk, dust, spring Arthritis, TMJ / Dyshidrosis /
Enuresis, nocturnal Erectile dysfunction Food intolerance, milk / Gastritis,
atrophic / Glaucoma Globus hystericus Gynecomastia Headache, tiredness
Herniation, cervical spine / Hyperhidrosis / Hyperprolactinemia Insomnia
Mastodynia Motion sickness Photophobia Sprain, ankle, recurrent Swelling,
breast Ulcers, gastric Vaginitis, recurrent / Vertigo, Ménière's
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Even though they seem annoyed at their family and manifest a constant attitude
of opposition, Lac caprinum, like the other Milks, can find it difficult to detach
from their family system. They generally don’t have an easy time finding their
own way and individuating. They can suffer terribly from abandonment and yet,
like Lac felinum, are often the ones who cause their relationships to end.
Ambition
Lac caprinum’s high ambitions are obvious from the outset, though these tend to
be more basic or even crude as compared to remedies like Aurum or the Ruta-
like remedies. Lac caprinum’s big ambitions are usually far beyond their
abilities, and often end in failure and frustration.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
As with Lac felinum, Lac caprinum chooses odd, awkward ways to look
independent, though in truth, they are still quite enmeshed with their family. An
important aspect of their family dynamic involves a tension between domination
(strength) and submission (weakness). Often their father image struggled
through life, while their mother image was dominant and overwhelming. Since
Lac caprinum doesn’t know how to be truly strong, they search for alternative
ways to appear this way, such as acting macho (against this female power) or
producing strong-smelling sweat from their axillary glands or terrible foot odor
as if these were somehow a sign of distinction. There is a male/female duality,
whereby Lac caprinum seems to identify with and follow in the footsteps of their
weak father image, while relying on their strong mother image for ongoing
support. It seems as though they insist on doing things that ultimately work
against them, that injure and thwart them, and knock them down.
Abandonment
Lac caprinum, like other Milks, may suffer from a fear of being abandoned. Like
Lac felinum, they try to avoid close relationships because they don’t want to be
hurt. But unlike that remedy, Lac caprinum doesn’t just distance from the
relationship; they end up destroying it. They are not intentionally destructive,
they are simply trying to be assertive and powerful, usually in a competitive
way, that eventually drives the other person away. In this case, Lac caprinum is
the abandoner, not the abandoned. Though they may experience some guilt and
loss about damaging or destroying a relationship, if it happens early on, it allows
them to avoid becoming more invested in the other person and getting their heart
broken.

To make up for this eventual lack of relationships, they may try to increase their
sex appeal and seduce as many people as they can. If an actual relationship starts
to develop, they usually find a way to destroy it and then move on to their next
conquest.
In general, Lac caprinum cannot control their anger very well. Unlike some
other Milks that keep their anger locked up inside, Lac caprinum’s anger comes
out, and with force. They are not generally violent, however, just verbal, but
their outbursts can be quite dramatic. Soon after an episode, they typically
become wracked with guilt and start punishing themselves severely for their bad
behavior. Most often, they find it impossible to forgive themselves, and may
suffer more than the person at whom they were angry.
Irresolution
Part of their problem is a dualistic way of thinking. To them, everything tends to
look black and white, yes and no, dark and light. Unlike Lac lupinum who
chooses all black or all white while completely discounting the other, Lac
caprinum assigns the exact same weight to each side of the equation, and as with
Snake remedies, would like to do both (even though they seem contradictory).
Often one side is ‘appropriate’ and in line with family expectations, and the
other is ‘inappropriate’ related to instincts or one’s dark side, and against
convention and parental demand. Lac caprinum would like their misbehavior to
appear as though it had some deeper meaning, perhaps as an exploration of the
dark side or being unconventional. In reality, they feel too bonded and dependent
upon their family, and this transgression is a simple, if immature way, to assert a
tiny bit of independence. Meanwhile, their general insecurity and indecision can
be so exasperating, that are often driven to outbursts of anger.
Insolent / Insecurity
Lac caprinum tends to challenge others in a macho way to look strong and
confident. It’s a false arrogance related to his false image, to compensate for an
inner insecurity. He may shake a stick at powerful people so that he can feel
more powerful himself, but he’s only posturing; he doesn’t have the fortitude or
ability to mount a real challenge. In the end, he’s just making noise, pretending
to be bigger than he is. Often there is a female figure nearby—a wife, mother, or
grandmother—who knows what he’s doing and who he really is, and reminds
him that she isn’t fooled by any of this. She knows that he’s just putting on a
show, and that soon after his grand display, he’ll settle down again. With
decompensation, the mask comes off for all to see, and he is then revealed to be
meek, shy and insecure, the very opposite of macho.
Frustrated Ambition (2)

Lac caprinum usually wants to appear stronger, more capable, and more
independent than anyone else around. Like a mountain goat that wants to jump
up the side of a tall mountain, Lac caprinum wants to achieve a high status.
Paradoxically, despite his somewhat grandiose posture, anything that he does
achieve, he believes, is due to his family, not himself. They are the ones who
allowed and helped him to move up in status, particularly his strong mother
image and his grandparents. But no matter how high he climbs, because he is so
identified with his weak father image, he does not feel that he can surpass what
his father achieved (and his father did not climb very far up the ladder). He may
feel as though they watch over him and monitor him, and do not allow him to go
further, as if they were somehow castrating his power. In a sense, this has always
been the case. Even his oppositional attitude, ironically, could only happen
because his mother gave him permission to be this way. The other issue is that
Lac caprinum’s big dreams don’t match his limited abilities, and his rude,
headstrong manner often sabotages his efforts. Despite putting on a big show
about all he would like to do, his dreams often end in frustration.
Impotent Anger (2)

Lac caprinum can be an angry and vexatious remedy. Unlike many remedies
with these issues, Lac caprinum’s frustration does not stem from domination by
an authority; his problem is that no matter how strongly he expresses his anger,
it seems to have no effect. Nothing really changes and he is left with the feeling
that he has no actual power whatsoever. The less response he gets, the more he
compensates and inflates himself, but still to no avail. His macho exhibition
generally achieves nothing, in part because there’s no plan or purpose. It’s as if
he were just blindly, repeatedly, knocking his head against a punching bag. The
symptom of priapism may be a physical expression of his impotent inflation.
Opposition
Lac caprinum can be constantly oppositional like a two-year-old or young teen.
He wants to be more powerful than he is, and takes out his frustration on other
people, by being contrary and complaining. If nothing else, at least he has the
power to contradict. He gains no real satisfaction from being oppositional,
however, and in fact, can feel terribly guilty for acting this way. Guilt is
probably the most important and characteristic aspect of Lac caprinum’s
oppositional behavior. His unrelenting attitude can drive his family crazy, but he
feels so guilty about it afterwards, he probably suffers much more than the
people he is bothering.
Competition
Typically Lac caprinum has an intense, compulsive drive to compete against
everyone in order to show how powerful he is. The idea of friendly competition
is foreign to him; he wants to win at all costs, and to get there, his play can be
excessively aggressive. He can be so rude to his competitors that he loses these
relationships. After a rugby match, he can’t just shake off the loss and have a
beer with members of the other team. He is still fiercely aggravated and may
taunt the other side, complain about unfair calls, and obsess about a rematch.
Even if he does win, he generally creates so much enmity that he has no one to
celebrate with, and so cannot even enjoy his victory. In individual sports, he is
vigilant about wanting to best his competitors even if he lacks their ability. If he
happens to win a competition, he fears that someone else will steal his trophy at
the next contest. These competitive tendencies are not limited to sport. In all
areas, including his sexual life, he usually wants to prove that he is more
powerful and dominant than the other person.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
The theme of symmetry and asymmetry has a different dynamic here than in the
other Milk remedies. Lac caprinum needs to feel powerful and invulnerable.
Like other macho remedies such as Arnica, single spot pain threatens this idea
because it can seem too strong, fixed and penetrating. Lac caprinum’s way of
coping with this is to dilute the pain by spreading it out over several points so
that it’s easier to bear. This way, he reasons that whatever is happening to his
body is superficial and no real threat to his image of having a robust, healthy,
well-functioning body. When he is not able to do this any longer, he perceives
pains as more fixed, asymmetrical, invasive and threatening. And thus the
pristine image of his body begins to fall apart. For Lac caprinum, this can
provoke a terrible crisis of confidence in himself.
Laxity / Rigidity
Lac caprinum often feels that his joints, ligaments and tendons are too lax and
loose, as if the glue holding him together were too weak and had turned him into
a marionette. His neck may be affected, making the head feel wobbly and
unstable, particularly during headaches. He may want to hold it steady with his
hands just be sure that it won’t fall over. Subjectively, he may be deluded that
certain organs or his viscera become so lax as to feel displaced. This feeling of
laxity is related to a general sense that he is weak and lacks a cohesive,
competent structure, physically and mentally-emotionally. His typical response
to this situation is to become stiff and rigid in order to ‘keep himself together’.

Expanding Pain (3)
When compensated, Lac caprinum’s pain tends to be expansive, spreading, and
radiating. This way pain is easier to defend against since it is spread across the
barrier of the body, rather than strongly penetrating in one spot.
Undifferentiated Pain (2)

In most cases, Lac caprinum is unable to discern or discuss any details related to
his experience of pain. To him, the very idea of having pain is intolerable and
shameful; it suggests that his body is weak.
Tired Headache
Lac caprinum, like other Milks, can have digestive headaches, but mostly their
headaches are undifferentiated. As with other pains, Lac caprinum has difficulty
providing detailed description of the headache symptoms. Headaches may come
on when he works or studies or even when he has sex because he is so
competitive in everything he does. He puts too much pressure on himself and
expends too much energy trying to be the best, and this can lead to a tired
headache.
Difficult Digestion
Lac caprinum’s weak digestion can cause him physical and emotional distress.
Here as elsewhere, normal body tasks seem to generate (unnecessary) suffering.
Digestion requires a lot of energy and is excessively taxing to his system. Even
basic pleasures like eating are felt to be a chore. Though he can have a variety of
symptoms related to his digestive difficulties, one of the most common, as in the
other Milks, is a digestive headache.
Hypersexuality
Lac caprinum usually wants to appear as though he has a strong sexual drive. In
actuality, sex, even masturbation, feels heavy and depleting. He has a poor
relationship with his body and cannot allow himself to relax and let himself go
into joyful abandon. Thus he may be unable to feel any real pleasure in sex.
Nevertheless, he puts on a show of potency, bravado, and competitive sexual
performance. On some level he recognizes that he is not well developed or
mature in the sexual sphere and feels a sense of guilt and inadequacy about this.
Repetitive Trauma
Lac caprinum frequently suffers injuries to his body as well as to his love life. In
the first case, physical injuries tend to occur whenever he pressures himself to
perform at a high level—whether in work, study, sport or sex. Some injuries
occur simply because he can be so physically awkward and clumsy. More
importantly, his injuries are functional, providing a convenient excuse to take a
pass instead of competing. He might say, “It’s a shame I couldn’t compete
because of my back injury. Seeing how poorly they did, I’m sure that I would
have won the game for the team.” On top of this, he may construct a narrative
around his ‘heroic’ injury, and gain a little extra attention this way.

In the same vein, Lac caprinum may use an emotional wound as an excuse for
not entering into romantic relationships. Typically, he will report having had a
beautiful love who abandoned him, and ever since, he can’t go into a deep
romance and let himself fall in love. This is the purported reason why his dating
life is primarily focused on sex.
Malodor
Lac caprinum’s discharges stink. His perspiration smells bad. He passes
malodorous gas. His axillary glands and genitalia can be foul. His feet can stink.
This fetor (and by association, his rudeness and defiance) represents his
primitive way of standing out, as if to declare: “This is who I am!”
Savory Food
Lac caprinum can have a tendency to overeat, and he has a preference for
complex, heavy, strong-flavored adult foods as a way to feel more macho and
grown up. Though his weak digestion does better with simpler foods, he may
nevertheless opt for those that are more difficult to digest. He proudly adds salt,
pepper, and pungent spices to his food (often before tasting it). Though he often
has hypertension, he continues to consume huge amounts of salt.
DREAMS
Lac caprinum dreams of deserts and barren, lunar landscapes. He says that he
loves this environment because there is no one else around. This image
represents his desire to be independent, but he is unable to achieve this in a real
way, amidst other people. He can only create the illusion of independence by
disaffecting others and becoming isolated. In essence, he destroys relationships
and creates a kind of desert for himself. He may dream of going to a high place,
but there is nothing there for him; it is simply a dry, empty, deserted
environment. This suggests that all his struggles to achieve are empty in the end.
Even when he can meet a goal, it generally provides no real satisfaction, in part,
because he has no one to share it with.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Lac caprinum often tries to appear stronger and stouter than he actually is. He
can be emotionally expressive in terms of anger, though it doesn’t accomplish
much. He can be sweet if he feels well understood. Generally speaking,
however, he is not in good contact with his emotions and may even be ashamed
of his feelings. He may not be especially interested in intellectual pursuits or
have an extremely well developed mind, though he may be pompous and bluff
about his abilities, acting as if he knows better than other people.
VULNERABILITIES
Under his macho exterior, Lac caprinum may feel extremely vulnerable. He
generally avoids his emotions and becoming emotionally involved in
relationships. He feels vulnerable if he opens himself to inner feelings or to
others. He can decompensate when disease or pain limits his performance or
when he fails to achieve something that he has been striving for or falls from a
high position (like Sulphur).
COMPENSATION
To cope with his inner weakness, he may project an image of strength, to the
point of becoming a macho caricature. He tends to be ultra-competitive and seek
a high position in life to prove that he has worth. Frequently he fails, which
generates shame and frustration. He is highly emotional by nature, but isn’t
usually in good contact with his emotions. Anger is the one emotion that he
expresses easily and often. It preoccupies him and helps him avoid more
vulnerable feelings.
COMPLICATIONS
Like most Milks, Lac caprinum feels caught in a paradox. If he individuates, he
believes (incorrectly) that he will lose his family’s support. If he stays rooted in
the family, he feels engulfed and controlled.

Lac caprinum can feel weak inside. He acts rude and macho to appear strong,
but this disaffects people and leads him to fail. His lack of success may cause
him to feel even weaker inside, which generates more anger, aggression and
competition. Like Lucifer, the fallen angel, by puffing and bluffing, he ends up
being outcast.
DECOMPENSATION
When compensated, he hides his inner weakness behind an image of power.
When decompensated, he uses stiffness and rigidity—mental, emotional and
physical—to keep this weakness hidden. Ultimately his arrogance can turn into
deep shyness and withdrawal.
RESTORATION
A healthy Lac caprinum can face his inner weakness and open to his more
vulnerable emotions and to relational intimacy. He can relax his macho attitude
and his competitiveness, along with his anger and oppositional attitude. Like
most Milks, he may start to develop a more authentic self while remaining
connected to his family.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
Lac caprinum often has an impotent father (function) and an over-dominant
mother (function). She may be a good mother who gives so much that it makes
him feel guilty, as if he could never give back enough to make up for what he
was given. All this support can be empowering on one level, but disempowering
on another, as if it reminds him of his own impotence.

The original family may be unsuccessful and supported by a more successful
previous generation, and the grandparents may become more important figures
to Lac caprinum than his own parents. As with other Milks, the family and its
expectations and obligations seem inescapable.

Whether male or female, Lac caprinum’s internalized father function, inherited
from the parents, may be rather weak. He may try to redeem this by achieving a
high station, but this usually fails. The male side of self may feel emasculated by
the powerful women in the family, and respond with an over the top, but
ultimately impotent, masculinity. If he does succeed in reaching a high position,
he often believes that the mother figure must have pulled the strings. All bravado
aside, he doesn’t usually believe that he got there on his own.
Nuclear Family
Like Lac felinum, Lac caprinum tends to remain alone. If he is in a longer term
relationship, he generally continues to meet other men and woman and betray his
primary partner. If he has children, he wants to be a good role model, but may
set a poor example.
Lac caprinum can be overly competitive with any partner—be it friend, co-
worker, or lover. And this can quickly sour the relationship. He prefers to be
alone anyway, and may sabotage the relationship to be free of it. In romance, he
may date a lot but avoid long-term relationships. Because of his tremendous fear
of abandonment, he may preemptively end the relationship, even if it is going
well, to prevent the possibility of being rejected.
Child & Adolescent
The Lac caprinum child is obstinate and oppositional, often yelling at his mother
and becoming even more frustrated when she doesn’t seem to get upset.
Somehow she seems above it all and so powerful that she can benevolently
‘allow him’ his tantrum.

As an adolescent he can appear very rebellious, like Mercurius, but on closer
inspection, it’s all a show. Like parents who are psychotherapists, they can be
too nice and understanding about his feelings and not give enough fight or anger
to push against. In the end, the teen may not get to practice or develop any real
power, and so can’t become strong enough to cut the umbilical cord.
Adult
As an adult, Lac caprinum tends to remain a simple, basic person. The
oppositional stance of childhood often gives way to an intense competitive drive
that sabotages his relationships. By this point in life, he has likely pushed many
people away and is feeling more and more alone (though he still remains closely
tied to his family, the only ones who really understand him). He may start to
decompensate from the frustration of not being able to achieve more.
Elder
In old age, Lac caprinum tends to live in daily remembrance of his failures. He
may become increasingly rigid, obstinate, closed and defensive. Typically he
tries to hold on tightly to his position, while being resistant to conversation,
sharing or support.
TREATMENT ISSUES
If he feels well-understood by his doctor, Lac caprinum can be loyal, loving and
open. Because Lac caprinum has authority issues, if the practitioner assumes a
powerful position relative to the patient, he may become reactive and leave
treatment.
Lac caprinum stands out as someone who is rude in a crass and childish way. He
is quite bombastic, with a macho sense of competition and a clearly inflated
sense of self.

This tendency to self-aggrandize affords a comparison to some of the false
image remedies, especially Sulphur salts such as Calcarea sulphuricum,
Ammonium sulphuratum, and even Cadmium sulphuricum. Additionally, both
Lac caprinum and these Sulphur salts can have an untidy physical appearance
and a repulsive body odor. The main difference is that Sulphur remedies know
how to create a role for themselves as a leader. To this end, they often profess to
have greater skills, knowledge, and talent than they actually do. And if they are
about to be discovered, they can adroitly reinvent another role for themselves.
Lac caprinum, by comparison, is not so nimble and does not usually possess the
same level of skill.

Ammonium sulphuricum, in particular, shares a number of features with Lac
caprinum. Both identify as outcasts and find glory in their opposition and
transgression. Ammonium sulphuricum attempts to destroy and replace those
whom she opposes—most commonly, the various authority figures whom she
encounters throughout her life. Lac caprinum is not quite so malicious. Like the
animal from which the remedy is made, he just wants to butt heads and compete
for dominance; he doesn’t want to destroy the other person. And after expressing
his anger and opposition, unlike Ammonium sulphuricum, he can be consumed
with guilt and remorse for his actions.

Lac caprinum is bombastic on the surface, but he knows on some level that his
power is feigned and not real. Underneath, he is quite impotent. The image is of
someone who scales a hill and plants his flag, but his hill is only a heap of trash.
This calls to mind certain Insects such as Coccus cacti, Blatta orientalis and
Muscae domestica. Like Lac caprinum, these remedies are excessively
competitive, ludicrously macho, and yet constantly afraid of impending failure.
All these remedies proclaim much, but deliver little (in contrast to ambitious,
successful Insects such as Apis, Cantharis and Formica rufa). To make a
differentiation, one need only consider the particular type of relationship that
Milks have with their families, as well as their characteristic physical
pathologies.

Some Scrophulariaceae are worth differentiating. Digitalis, for example, also
demonstrates an ineffective, impotent anger with severe frustration. She would
like to be treated as someone special, but deep down doesn’t feel she deserves
this. Like Lac caprinum, she is ambitious, but unable to achieve her goals. The
main difference is that Digitalis is (falsely) oblative and attempts to appear
congenial (though this is insincere). Lac caprinum, by contrast, is simply rude
and affrontive.

Niccolum (especially Niccolum sulphuricum), like other false image remedies,
hides her low self-worth behind a mask. This mask is less crass and more refined
than Lac caprinum’s. Niccolum acts indignant and enraged, but underneath all
this bluster, she generally feels inadequate and blames her lack of success on
other people. She is most upset by people seeming to block her way. For Lac
caprinum, his rage and dissatisfaction is vented on family and later, authorities;
he wants to hold the power himself. Niccolum can be satisfied as soon as her
accomplishments are noted; for Lac Caprinum, he needs to be in a superior
position to the others.

Tabacum, like Lac caprinum, has a false image, but even so, has comparatively
greater success in her job and social position. The key challenge for Tabacum is
that she is never satisfied and keeps striving for ever greater power and
recognition. She is also a lonely person who doesn’t allow others close lest they
discover her weaknesses and that she is not who she professes to be. Lac
caprinum just wants to spar and establish dominance. Though he may estrange
others in this process, he is not a loner. Like most Milks, he is inescapably
enmeshed in an ongoing push-pull with family.

When decompensated, Lac caprinum can resemble two other false image
remedies, Ledum palustre and Chininum sulphuricum. Ledum would like to
appear powerful and be socially recognized, perhaps by becoming a politician.
Typically, she would not make a very effective leader and is more likely to be
put in power as the puppet of a more powerful person behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, the illusion of power keeps her inflated. Lac caprinum does not
have the skin symptoms and rheumatic problems found in Ledum and Ledum
does not fear being deserted by her family like Lac caprinum. Ledum is more apt
to be dependent on medications and alcohol, while it is important for Lac
caprinum to appear healthy and physically strong.

Chininum sulphuricum, another bombastic and haughty remedy, feels she is an
intellectual authority. As with Sulphur, she can feel underappreciated while
constantly striving for recognition. She feels that the world is against her. And
when she fails to achieve her goals, the fault is never hers; others are always
unjustly impeding her progress. Lac caprinum is more oppositional, even
threatening physical confrontation, while Chininum sulphuricum is only verbally
aggressive.

CASE OF IVAN
Ivan is 16 years old. The moment I saw him in my waiting room, I imagined he
must be fond of rap music. His behavior and the way he moved were typical of a
rapper. He wore the trademark hoody and his underwear was showing above the
waistband of his pants.

Ivan comes to the appointment unwillingly, believing nothing can be done for his
headaches because they are hereditary. He is quite serious and wants to appear
more mature than his age would suggest. To this end, he tries to speak in a
sophisticated way, but his rather basic use of language betrays him. Rarely does
he even finish his sentences.

During my examination I notice a slight gynecomastia on his right breast and an
offensive perspiration emanating from his underarms, feet and groin. He
appears to have the strong, agile body of an athlete.

Ivan is accompanied by his mother, whom I have known for many years, even
though she is not my patient. In the past she has come to my office with Ivan’s
grandmother. She uses this as an excuse to enter my office without Ivan in order
to speak with me privately.

[His mother begins:]
∂ I have been suffering from headaches for a lifetime, my mother too. My
symptoms are a photocopy of hers, but my mother felt better after your
treatment. I am always the last person I think about. I will take care of my son
first; he is more important.

We already made all the tests: CAT scan, x-rays, blood and allergy tests. I would
not like him to have to undergo the stomach-killing treatments I have endured
for years. He is so young. I wanted to speak with you alone as we have another
big problem. His father is worried as well. There are problems at school because
he has started to masturbate.

∂ His Italian teacher, who knows him well, told us that his attention has
decreased a lot. He only thinks about women now, but we think he is too young
for that. He often shuts himself in the bathroom, and twice a week, at least, I find
his bed wet. He wet the bed until he was 10 years old.

∂ I think this is a problem because I notice that he is sad, and recently his temper
is worse because he likes a girl that his friend, a teammate, likes too. They have
already fought about it twice.

∂ Ivan has always been a naughty boy, but he was never violent. He wanted to
play rugby because his grandfather, my father, was a famous rugby trainer years
ago. He is like a legend to my son. My father was also called Ivan even if his
real name was something else. He was given this name because he was really
terrible.

∂ My son Ivan is just naughty, very naughty. He has always given us trouble
because of his temper. He is the classic ‘only son’. He breaks things at home if
he doesn’t get what he wants. To tell the truth, sometimes I break a plate too, but
not like he does. Since he was a child he used to break all of his toys, and if he
didn’t want to eat his soup, he would throw his dish on the floor. He has been
doing this since he was in a high chair.

∂ He is a very competitive boy and often hurts himself. His favorite point of
injury is his head. I cannot count the number of stitches he has had since being a
child, but he doesn’t seem to care. Had it not been for the fact that my mother
and I also suffer from headaches, I would think his headaches came from all the
blows he’s suffered. Other children fall on their bottoms and have fewer injuries,
but he always falls on his hard head!

∂ He does not have very good relationships with other boys. He is not willing to
discuss things and come to an agreement. He must always be right; otherwise he
becomes annoying and quarrelsome. He is quite argumentative and has even
punched other boys on several occasions, though he usually loses the fight.

∂ We are a pretty old-fashioned family, yet we let him have the same freedom as
other boys. Can you imagine the struggle I had with my mother to let him dress
this way? ∂ My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t really care much about this;
he only cares about his shop. I have to attend to all the rest by myself, with no
help.

∂ We live in the same building as my parents, one floor above. Ivan wanted to
live alone in the garret and we let him, but we built an inner staircase so that he
doesn’t forget we are a family.

∂ I don’t know what else to say. A friend of mine gave me your name saying his
boy calmed down after your treatment. Maybe it is possible to help Ivan in the
same way.

∂ I feel he is avoiding us, but at the same time he has remorse about hurting us,
knowing that we worry about him. Then he is ashamed to admit it.

We noticed his sweat changed as he grew up. His feet always stank, but now it’s
so bad that I have to put his tennis shoes outside of the window. At the very
least, I have to put them in the washing machine once or twice a week. He was
never keen on water. When he did wash, it was always with cold water, but how
can you do that in winter?

[Ivan enters and his mother goes out.]
§ They told me headaches can be cured with homeopathy. If this is true, I would
be very grateful because they hurt a lot. § First of all, I cannot stand any light.
Then it hurts so badly that I could tear my hair out. § It always starts on one side,
then, little by little, it moves to the other side and gets even worse. § It always
starts in my forehead then goes to the temples, and then it involves the whole
head. Here in the front of the head is where it hurts the most, especially on the
left. But I think it’s because I got knocked there when I was on my bike. § My
friends and I were playing ‘knights’, and I lost the cardboard tube that I used like
a lance. Then I wanted to demonstrate how brave I was and I hit my head.

§ I cannot stand the ache. I don’t want to see anybody. I go into my room, into
the dark, and I feel like I’m going crazy.

§ When I was young I used to ask my mother to draw back my hair with her
hand. She said I was like Rudolph Valentino. I thought it was a compliment.
When I saw him on TV I thought he was a bit gay and I felt ashamed [by this
comparison].

§ I think my headache is connected to my digestion. I often feel sick when it
hurts, and I cannot eat anything until I feel better. § The smell of cheese makes
me sick. §I could never stand milk. I like sharp tastes. Milk tastes like nothing
and it is all white—there is nothing to chew.

§ Maybe my mother told you that my feet stink. § It’s true and it bothers me. All
my friends tease me and say I have a disgusting smell. § To tell you the truth, I
like my smell. It’s unique. I’m almost proud of it. It is mine and just mine. I’ve
only said this to one other person, my Italian teacher, who stated that for
animals, smell is a distinctive mark. I wanted to write an essay about it for
science class. It’s true. Maybe I am wild (and basically I like the idea of being
wild). I do my best to be wild, but it’s not easy on my family. § Did you notice
what kind of woman my mother is? Well, you cannot even imagine how my
grandmother is!

§ They brought me up as an only child and I wanted a brother. I would have
been the firstborn. I would have had no problems. And I would have taught my
brother so many things. § Like how not to make the same mistakes I’ve made.

§ I have to fight every day to feel almost normal. When I think I am improving
my fighting skills, my mother starts complaining about her pains and then I feel
guilty. § When I was a child, every time I got into a fight they made me feel like
a bastard. I was fighting on purpose, but I didn’t get good results unless I made
an enormous effort. But I am proud to be as I am, considering all the effort it
required. I’m not like my friends. Did you see the family I come from?

§ They ask too much of me, and I have to do what they want. But I do what I
want; I’m on top. § My grandfather was like me. He fell in love and married a
beautiful, intelligent girl from a good family. But in spite of his wealth and
position, he spent his life in the mud, becoming one of the best rugby coaches in
Italy.

§ I don’t think I have good digestion. There are a lot of things that disgust me. I
really eat a lot. § My grandmother calls fast food ‘muck’, nevertheless she will
prepare a hamburger for me, saying McDonald's is the real muck.

§ Since I was a child I like to eat salt, all by itself. They started to forbid it when
we went to the headache center because they said I could have [blood] pressure
problems from it. Sweets make me sick. If it were up to me, I would eat chips all
the time, even for breakfast.

§ I could never stand milk. They fed me special milk when I was a baby because
I had diarrhea, despite my pediatric care.

§ I believe that I’m insecure. § I’m not able to choose what I really want and I
get angry like a beast. My friends used to say that I’m really loud when I get
angry, but then, when it’s the moment to act… § But at home I am different, at
least up to a certain point. If I were to say what I really think, God only knows
what would happen then.

§ Once I hit my grandmother and her dentures fell out and broke. She cried for
two days and I cried for two months. Afterwards, every time I fought outside on
the playing field, I got a beating twice as bad at home. § I broke some ashtrays
and some pictures of my mother.

§ If I can be honest, I think wet dreams do cause headaches (and make them
stronger)—after which I become very tired. § They began several years ago. It’s
only recently that I began to masturbate. There too, if I had waited until my
parents discussed this—good luck! But luckily I have teammates… I felt so
naive when I found out that I was the only one not doing it.

§ For the moment my affairs with girls are only in the realm of fantasy. § There
is one I am fond of but she prefers a teammate—and it pisses me off
tremendously. § He was the captain of the team. Now I am the captain. I wanted
to become captain because I thought maybe I would have fewer problems with
girls. § At the end of the game, they swarm around you, especially if you played
well. § But, I don’t think I am very lucky that way, and now I don’t know what
else to do. § My dream would be to stand on a street corner and be approached
by a girl I find interesting.

§ They want to have equal rights. I think my grandfather is right. § When my
grandmother complains to my grandfather that he isn’t being helpful, he says,
“You want to have the same rights? Then do it yourself!”
Follow-up
I prescribe Lac caprinum Q1 to be taken daily. Three weeks later he has a series
of strong headaches that do not improve when stopping the remedy. I ask him to
continue taking the remedy just once a week and he progressively improves.

After two months I see Ivan again. His mother is not easily persuaded to let me
visit with Ivan alone and insists on speaking individually with me, so we do this
at length by phone before the appointment. She tells me her son seems sweeter
and calmer than before, with significant improvement in ‘his little problem’. In
other words, he is locking himself in the bathroom less frequently. This seems, by
the way, to be her primary issue—and the very reason, I tell her, that I should
see him alone.

[Ivan says:]
§ I am amazed that I felt well for three weeks without a headache and then I got
one that was really strong. It was interesting because despite how strong it was,
the headache went away by itself very quickly. § I’ve had other headaches that
intense, but afterwards I was completely dull for days and that did not happen
this time.

§ The characteristics of the pain were the same but it seemed more defined. I felt
tremendous pain on one side of my head without the other side hurting. § I
noticed that after you asked me about my headache the last time. When I feel a
pain it really hurts on one side. If I touch the other side of my head, there is no
pain there at all. § I really paid attention and noticed that the pain moved, and
where it had hurt before, there was no pain. But why?

§ Usually when someone suffers, the pain spreads throughout the entire body. I
cannot understand why my pains are so localized. § It’s as if I am not an entire
person. It’s as if I can be whole when I have no pain, and then when I suffer, I
don’t have that same sense of wholeness.

§ My digestion is much improved. I noticed this almost immediately. I tried to
eat something with milk, and after a few days, I had a strong headache again.

I asked you to wait awhile; why did you do this? [He is irritated by my question.]
§ I think that I have the right to try and see what’s going on. In the end, this is
my head and, how can I give you accurate information if I don’t try this?

I’m happy because of something else too. It seems that the odor of my sweat is
less intense. § I don’t really notice it that much, but my family and my
classmates used to comment and now they don’t. The classmate who sits next to
me, used to tell me pretty often. I only noticed that my shirts used to be wet in
the armpits but not anymore. Honestly I don’t care that much. My father used to
eat less garlic so that he does not have bad breath, but at home he likes to eat it.
It doesn’t seem to bother my mother.

§ I noticed that my mother counts the minutes I am in the bathroom. I used to
love to sit on the toilet peacefully reading comic books. She immediately starts
knocking at the door saying she has to use the bathroom. When I am in bed
reading, she immediately enters as a kind of surprise because she wants to see
what I’m doing. This is stressful. I don’t know if they think I am using drugs.
You know, one of these days I am going to borrow a joint as long as a fishing
pole just so I can see what she says! After the shock it will all be downhill. [He
had no idea his mother was concerned about his masturbation.]

You always talk about your mother. Can you tell me something about your
father?
§ My father? My father is non-existent. My mother is the one who’s married to
him. What more can I tell you? § My grandmother [maternal] is the one who
always cooked for me and always fed [financially supported] my family, so
they’ve been devoted to her. Thank God I’m the son of my parents and not my
Granny, so I’m free to tell her “Go to Hell!” (A Granny will let you get away
with things that a mother wouldn’t.)

§ My grandfather is legendary. After he had his stroke, you can see that he aged
—we can’t talk as we did before, because now he can hardly speak. Even so, we
still look intently at each other, and I show him my porn magazines. He is the
only one who knows where they are hidden in his room. No one would go
rummaging in there. If I leave them in my own room I have to deal with the
Gestapo [his mother and grandmother].

Did you notice anything else concerning the issue of porn?
§ You remember that I told you about my wet dreams? I think they are more
normal now. I mean they don’t happen so often and probably, I’m having fewer
erotic dreams. Honestly I can’t say that I’m really happy about that.

Is there anything different about your relationship with girls?
§ You know, there are a couple of them in school who seem interested in me, but
then the problem was me; I wasn’t that interested in them. § At first I was pretty
happy because they seemed to be into me, but then I thought that they probably
only like me because I’m the captain of our rugby team.

§ School is okay. It’s important for me to have good grades. I do this for myself,
not to make my family happier. I don’t want to be one of those guys, like my
father, whose wife supports him.

His mother’s mother came from a wealthy family, but married a man, a
legendary rugby player, who had no money (nor did his parents). Now she
supports both her husband and her parents-in-law.

Lac caprinum Q1 taken weekly seems to be working well. Because his mother
wants him to take something daily, I prescribe daily placebo pellets in between
the weekly Q1drops.

The next consultation is four months later. He has been without any significant
headaches, even though he recently began to consume dairy occasionally. He
seems pleased with this result, as is his mother who remarks that he is not as
dull as before.

[She says:]
∂ My son is not so stupid or as dull as he was before. He’s aware of his own
instinct and more a master of himself—certain things need to be understood by
young people. [She seems more interested in this result than the improvement in
his headaches.]

[Ivan continues:]
§ I’m really happy. I can say that I’ve had practically no more headaches. I was a
lot more careful about my diet as you suggested and I must tell you that you
were right. In the end it’s in my own self-interest to control what I eat in order to
feel better. So long as I do not eat dairy more than once a week, I don’t seem to
have any more of those pains.

My digestion is perfect. I can even go out with my friends to a pizzeria or even
to McDonald’s. I can eat what they give me and I’m okay—except for
McDonald’s French fries. Honestly the fries my grandma makes are much better,
though I would never tell her that. I just eat a lot of her fries; that’s all.

§ I have a girlfriend. She’s not part of my rugby group of friends. It’s a bit of a
mess because I would rather go out with her than be with my old friends. I’m
just not having as much fun with them as I used to. What can I say? I guess I’m
just not that interested in rugby anymore. I already became the captain. That was
easy and now I don’t care so much about it anymore.

What about this old girlfriend who was between you and your friend that you
had to punch?
§ She was not that interesting in the end. She ended up leaving my best friend, so
now he and I are back to being good friends again. § To be honest my friend told
me that he likes my new girlfriend. I told him that she would never consider him.
She’s not into muscles.

Before you ask me this question—you always ask—I’ll tell you directly that I
don’t have as many dreams as previously, and they’re mostly not the erotic kind.
I did remember one strange dream that really impressed me. § I was on some
kind of plateau or mountain, like where we go skiing. It was in summer, but
instead of the usual mountain flowers, everything was bleak—as if bulldozers
had just been through. I felt a mixture of sadness and admiration for this
landscape. § I love the desert landscape. I felt there was not much life around. I
consoled myself thinking there must be worms underground, but there were not
even those. I thought about diverting a stream to get water, but then felt it was
enough to wait for rain. And then it rained, and I felt so happy to feel the water
dripping on my face. § I can tell you I don’t like water that much, but in this
dream, it was really nice to have it on my face.

He has been followed for many years now and is really much improved. He no
longer has the physical issues that he struggled with previously. He graduated
from college and has been working abroad with good success. He’s become
more securely independent in many ways, and has a much freer relationship
with his family.

CASE OF REBECCA
Rebecca is a 34-year-old entrepreneur who seems determined to impress people
with her own importance. It was not easy to schedule an appointment because of
her limited availability. She makes a point of emphasizing how demanding her
schedule is and how this keeps her constantly busy. She seems direct, even a
little aggressive at times, which she immediately tries to contain.

[She begins:]
They told me you’re very good at treating headaches. I heard people talk about it
a lot and I would like to have treatment for this. Clearly I don’t expect
guarantees, except your willingness to do all that you can.

I really can’t stand it anymore; I’m becoming incapacitated. Cost is not an issue,
but time is crucial as I have a very demanding job. Also it’s not easy to contact
you. It was difficult to make an appointment (though I’m not one to complain
about every little thing).

I travel a lot and my schedule is always changing. If I don’t feel well, I want to
know that I can reach you on your mobile phone.

§ It’s not easy for me to follow strict rules. It’s the main reason I couldn’t
continue with the therapy at the headache center. I couldn’t keep the
appointments. I do not have a good relationship with doctors. In general I do not
have good relationships, but it doesn’t matter to me. It’s normal for a person in
my position to have more enemies than friends.

§ I have been suffering from this headache since I was a child. My mother
suffered in the same way so there’s a familial aspect. In fact, two of my aunts
have the same problem. I won’t list all the doctors and the tests I’ve tried up to
now—all to no avail. The treatments I received left me with digestive problems
that worsened my already precarious health. Despite all this I am a strong
woman, otherwise I couldn’t lead the life I am living.

§ I have several kinds of pain so I cannot say precisely which kind of pain I
have. I have many different types and they are all very painful. § Normally the
pain starts in my forehead; then it moves around. § What is characteristic about
my pain is that nothing is characteristic. My pain always changes; it’s never the
same. If it comes on one side, then it will come on the other side too. I would not
call it a migraine. I never feel a pain on only one side. § It always begins in the
center and then it moves. § It’s as if something affecting me wasn’t able to hit
me squarely on just one side.

§ This is true for my other problems as well. § Pain is something that involves
my whole being, something all encompassing. I’m not able to hold it in one
place. § I mean generally one suffers from an ache in the stomach or in the head
or the genitals. If I have a pain, I end up having it all around. Even if I take a hit,
it hurts everywhere. It’s as if I have a fight, then I fight with everyone. If I’m in
a bad mood, I can’t contain it. I feel bad in the whole of my being.

§ Surely, if I don’t digest, then I feel bad. If I’m very stressed, I feel bad. § I will
try to explain it better. Even if I have clear ideas and know what I want, I still
question myself. This is so personal! How is it connected to my headache? In
any case, I don’t do well when questioned and I am always being questioned. In
the end, there are always two possibilities, one the exact opposite of the other,
and I can’t find a balance between the two. I lack that balance inside. When I
feel sick I believe that I’m feeling that pain and the opposite pain too. At that
point I feel sick everywhere.

§ Some years ago I had my hair styled. Now I wash and brush my hair myself,
pulling it hard. The fact is that my hair is not strong and if I do that, it comes out.
§ But it’s a pleasure nevertheless. I think it relaxes my neck and head muscles.

§ I need to be in the dark alone with my headaches. At the office I give orders
that ‘I’m not in’ for anyone. I pull down the curtains to create complete silence.
I’m better if I can put something cool on my forehead. § I hate hot weather. My
favorite climate is in the mountains. At the seaside one has to undress, and even
so it is always hot. There you find very few places where water is really
refreshing. § I bathed in the North Sea and it was great—but it was a little cold
outside.

§ I’ve had digestive problems since childhood that improved when I was treated
for milk intolerance. I was very thin when I was a child, but later I struggled to
control myself. § I don’t like sweet food. I must feel something between my
teeth that has definite taste. I remember that my mother, who was hypertensive,
cooked everything without salt, and so I grew up with a strong desire for
seasoned food. Now I put as much salt on the food as I want. Often I will add it
at the restaurant, even before tasting the food.

§ I’ve suffered from all kinds of vaginal infections. Ever since my first cycle I
have had to fight through the pain. § I don’t accept anything that limits
expressing my female side. It’s not right that only women have to endure this
—‘a special gift from the sky…’

§ I have a tremendous tenderness in my breast with my cycle that fades away
little by little. Then I get a pain in my belly. What a pain! § Here I differ from
my mother. § She huddled like a child but I always feel better if I stretch. My
back is always contracting and I want to stand straight.

§ I was slim as a child, but with puberty, I put on weight. I think I had difficulty
accepting my new appearance. § Other problems? My headache is quite
disabling. I had various problems of… I don’t know how to say it. I thought that
I would ask the advice of a psychologist that specialized in groups of people
working together. That was something I liked after I saw it in Israel. They are
smart. § Everything is designed to aim for the best, to achieve the maximum
benefit possible.

§ I love those places. I love the desert! The only problem is that it’s hot there.
But I don’t feel it as much there as I do here. In the evening it becomes cool,
even cold. § The desert at night is my habitat. I took some trips by jeep; the
nights in the desert are unforgettable! I’ve had dreams about things like this for
years but I couldn’t discern a name or the geographical location. After the first
trip I felt at home there. When I was a child I dreamt of the moon after having
seen it on TV. It must be a fantastic place. For now I can’t go there; for the
moment it’s too high a goal for me.

§ I’ve been told I am not able to delegate and I am too competitive with my
colleagues. § I love to choose the best people and then I have to show them how
to work. It’s not always easy. But I am always right. § Because the money and
the firm are mine. § I've lost many of them so now I require a one-year contract;
that way things are clear from the very beginning. I hire the others as freelancers.

§ Actually it is foolishness, but they feel free and so am I because they do not
disturb me. My grandfather started this whole operation many years ago, and my
mother kept things going. Both are against the way I do things. They believe that
the soul of the small company should be like a family. I do not agree at all. That
set of values worked years ago, when the concept of family existed. How can I
create a family for people that do not even know what we are talking about?

§ In truth I have another small problem. I’ve had many herbal treatments, some
prescribed by my doctor, but I still have slightly excessive, strong sweat. It’s
embarrassing to speak about. If we lived in a different kind of society, that
wouldn’t be a problem, but ours is based on external appearances. § I must use
sanitary pads under my armpits and change them twice a day. It’s the only
solution. It has become a habit. It does not annoy me, but others say they can
smell it.

§ The relationship with my father is almost non-existent. He was one of my
mother's employees and got her pregnant. She was obliged to marry him. At
home he is nothing more than a knickknack. The relationship with my mother
and the rest of the family has always been conflicted. They taught me to be
myself, and then, they did all they could to make me be like them. Is that
possible?

§ Relationships with men? I like to seduce them on a physical level. I know men
find me interesting. They find me attractive for my money. So I want to check
them out in bed. There they can’t pretend. Until now, even in our affluent
society, I have only met professional pretenders. They appear macho, but once
they’re naked in front of you, they’re not so macho after all.
Follow-up
Rebecca takes Lac caprinum Q1 for 10 days until she has a severe headache,
which improves with placebo. After this she continues to feel well for another
couple of months, taking the remedy (5 drops) once a week with daily placebo (5
granules) the days in-between.

Two months later she has a very intense headache that does not improve with the
Q1, but resolves immediately with the Q3.

One month later (three months after the first consult) we have our first follow
up.

[She says:]
§ Bingo! –but not completely. Objectively I have been better for a long time. I
don’t think it’s because I’m suggestive, because I’m not that kind of person. I do
believe that there is a difference between the drops and granules you gave me. §
When I took the granules I had the impression that they did not work as well but
when I took the drops I felt they worked a lot. I asked a friend of mine who is a
pharmacist the difference in weight between five drops of the remedy and the
granules. I thought the granules might weigh more and be more effective, but I
found the opposite to be true. The pharmacist said it is not a matter of weight.
But you did not label the drops; you don’t explain anything to me. I was better,
but I don’t like to be taken for a fool! I don’t believe in magic, but… Label your
drops!! Or people will say homeopaths are doing something magic.

I point out that I did write a name on the label. (I wrote a fictitious name—not
Lac caprinum) However there is less information on the labels than what comes
with allopathic medication. She is almost satisfied with this explanation.

Tell me about the second episode of headache, where we had to go up to the Q3.
§ The second headache was really hard. It was like a big stick in my forehead. It
happened during a very stressful period, when I had to eat out a lot in
restaurants. I have to say I discovered that my digestion improved and I even ate
too much.

[I am listening to her and not saying much. She wants more interaction and is
cross.]
§ Do you treat all your patients like this? You want to look like the magnificent
doctor and never say anything? I am used to listening to other people and I don’t
like it when I am the one that has to talk. It’s really embarrassing to me. It’s
worse than being completely undressed in front of you.

I understand, but in my opinion you are the patient, I am the doctor. You are the
one who has to tell me something. If you need an explanation, please ask.
§ Okay. Anyway, I am better. Only my sleep is not so good. My dreams disturb
me and I don’t remember them. Last time you asked me about my dreams. I
must tell you that it was a kind of ‘half bingo’ because I did dream but I do not
remember them. It’s not your fault. Don’t worry. It has never been easy to
remember my few dreams.

Is there a period in your life when you dream more?
§ Yes. I usually dream a lot when I’m in love. I even go to the toilet better when
I am in love.

And so do you mean that now you have a lover?
§ Not at all. I’m not in love but I will surely be in love with somebody if I
continue on like this. This is what I feel inside of me.

Tell me about the kind of men you would like to meet in the future?
§ I must find a real macho man, someone who stinks like a caprone [male goat],
who enjoys wild sex in the forest. § I love to sweat a lot when we make love—
not like in old times where you don’t even take your pajamas off—that’s not for
me!

What do you mean that you feel that you are getting close to being in love with
somebody?
§ What can I tell you? I feel I’m close to falling in love, because I need it; this is
something very important for me.

What do you mean that you feel close? Is it more of a sensual feeling? Erotic?
Sentimental?
§ When I say I feel close to falling in love, I mean a relationship. I don’t think I
was ever really in love. I can’t allow it with everything I have to do; I’m such a
busy person. I would like to find a Neanderthal who has been frozen in a glacier.

What do you mean?
§ You know, this is a beautiful idea. I can use this man; I can have sex with him
when I like and when I don’t like him, I will put him in the freezer again ready
for the next time. But I need a gnome so I can put him in a travel fridge so I can
bring him with me; I travel a lot; I’m a busy person. But even this won’t work. I
like nice men, full of muscles; a gnome won’t do. Don’t think about that. I’m
just joking.

What about your vaginal infections?
§ I didn’t notice, but I have no more vaginal infections. Isn’t it interesting? You
are a really good doctor, you know. § Even with my periods, the tension in my
breasts was not as painful as before. My period was not as painful as before and
even less intense. I bled less. I did not have to take my usual painkiller with my
period. I don’t know if this is really meaningful. Usually I feel worse when I’m
on vacation and more active—and I don’t mean with my work [She’s referring
to being sexually active]. I feel OK.

And what about your perspiration?
My sweat has not changed at all. I still perspire a lot and it still has a strong
intense odor. This is the reason why I need a primitive man like a Neanderthal.

I feel she is improving and so I have her continue with the Q3, believing that this
potency will only last for a few months. One month later she has another strong
episode of headache. Repeating the Q3 does not help, and I move her to the Q5.
Again in a few hours she improves and she continues with the Q5 once a week. A
few days later everyone in her office comes down with a severe flu, but a sip
every hour and she is completely well in two days, while the rest of the office
remains sick and weak.

Continuing with the Q5 weekly she has no headaches for more than eight months
when I see her for our third consultation.

§ I’m not just significantly improved with my headache but also my period and
even my sweating is much better. To be honest, as you suggested, sometimes,
just sometimes, I take some sage tea for the perspiration—but honestly, I took
sage in the past with no good results and this time if I prepared it a few times, I
was not really diligent about taking it.

Let me understand. Who advised you to take this sage? I remember that I
mentioned it, but I did not advise you to take it regularly.
§ I told you something like this the last time about my friend who is a pharmacist
and, honestly, he gave me a lot of advice. Please tell me the truth because he
suspected that the remedy you gave me had a fictitious name. We researched it
on the Internet and on the websites of other pharmacists. I also called Germany
and asked what this remedy was and nobody could answer me. Is that a magical
potion or what?

[So I decide to let her know that the name on the label is fictitious and then I tell
her the true name is Lac caprinum.]
§ You were right to do that because if I knew that it was made from the milk of a
goat, I never would have taken it. I have to say again that I feel naked in front of
you—more naked than in front of a gynecologist. I have to tell you something
interesting. A few years ago I was in the States and was on a retreat with a
shaman and this fellow told me my totemic animal is a mountain goat.

This is really interesting. Tell me what you thought when he told you this?
§ It was obviously an issue; I really felt something inside of me when he told me
that. Since I was a child whenever I saw a goat I had a sense of tenderness. I
have a kind of double feeling about goats. On one hand they are important
because they feed children and babies in countries where they don’t have cows.
But at the same time they are also a symbol of the devil. Who knows, maybe it is
the devil giving the milk to the children. They already have original sin, so
what’s the harm if they take some milk made by the devil?

[She becomes very serious when I ask about her mother’s milk.]
§ My mom’s milk surely was not so sweet. It’s not that sweet even now and I
have to give her back this milk with interest.

[She continues with the same serious visage and looks me directly in the eyes.]
Why do you think that I don’t want to get married? I don’t want to repeat the
same kind of life my mother had. When I think about it, it’s really heavy for me.
§ Do you remember that I told you that I love the desert? I think I would like to
have a tent in the desert, my own tent—no harem but a lot of sex. My mother
was a real bigot who only thought about money. She was a very affectionate
woman but really, really boring and bothersome.

[She does not want to talk further and spontaneously changes topics.]
I remember one dream. It was a kind of landscape similar to the moon, you
know? Again, something like a desert. There was a lunar base, which I had to
cross. In my hand I held a fruit bowl that was full of water, and I had to be very
careful how I walked because the water could easily spill.

What was the danger if the water spilled?
§ I thought that if some drops fell on the ground they would burn my feet,
similar to melted wax. As I was walking I saw another woman in front of me
doing exactly the same thing. She was absolutely equal to me but as she moved,
with every drop that spilled on the ground, a little plant emerged.

§ I don’t know what it might mean, but I have the impression that I was a little
bit awkward and I had to learn how to walk properly and how to pour just a few
drops of water in order to have some plants come out. She was doing this with a
lot of grace while I was pretty awkward.

Rebecca improved significantly, eliminating her headaches, perspiration,
menstrual and breast problems. She is in a relationship that is going well.
SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Ambition
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Insolent / Insecurity ; Ambition: frustrated (2); Anger: impotent (2);
Opposition ; Competition ; Symmetry-Asymmetry ; Laxity / Rigidity
Pain: expanding (3); Pain: undifferentiated (2); Headache: tired; Digestion:
difficult ; Hypersexuality ; Trauma: Repetitive ; Malodor ; Food: savory
Common Ailments
Acne, persistent Allergies, milk, dust, spring Arthritis, TMJ / Dyshidrosis /
atrophic / Glaucoma Globus hystericus Gynecomastia Headache, tiredness
Herniation, cervical spine Hyperhidrosis Hyperprolactinemia Insomnia
Mastodynia Motion sickness Photophobia Sprain, ankle, recurrent Swelling,
breast Ulcers, gastric Vaginitis, recurrent / Vertigo, Ménière's
Milks: Feigned Independence: Lac felinum
Other: False-self: Sulphurs : Calcarea sulphuricum, Cadmium sulphuricum,
Chininum sulphuricum ; Ledum palustre ; Niccolum ; Tabacum ; Bombastic:
Insects : Coccus cacti, Blatta orientalis, Muscae domestica; Impotent anger:
Scrophulariaceae: Digitalis ; Outcast: Ammonium sulphuratum

Lac glama
Lama glama

Lama glama is an even-toed ungulate in the Camelidae family. Camels
originated in North America 40 million years ago, with one group migrating to
South America about 3 million years ago, while a second group migrated to
Asia. Early Camelids became extinct in North America approximately 10,000
years ago with the last ice age.

The llama is found in pre-Incan burial mounds, and was used as a pack animal,
as food, and for making beautiful and warm woolen garments.

Unlike the camel, the llama does not have a hump. It grazes on grasses and
needs water regularly. Llamas are social animals that live in herds. They spit,
kick, and neck-wrestle in order to fight, to show dominance, and to defend
themselves. If the llama is very irritated, it will draw stomach acids from its
three stomachs, which can be injurious to the recipient’s eye.

They are quite intelligent, learning tasks easily. They can also have a mind of
their own, lying down when they decide they have worked enough.

Llamas mate lying down. The dam bears one young at a time. The females
gather around the birthing mother, and rather than licking her newborn, she
nuzzles and hums to it, a form of communication shared by the entire herd. She
makes little milk at one time, which induces the baby to nurse frequently.

Llama wool was used medicinally. When burned it was used as a hemostatic;
when mixed with coca leaves it was used as a liniment for swellings and sore
muscles.

Many parts of the llama were used in ritual offerings to Pachamama (World
Mother or Mother Earth) as well as Pacha Kamaq (Sun God). The Inca would
give a white llama dressed in scarlet and adorned with gold and red shells to
other tribal rulers.

The llama is a symbol of endurance, service and sacrifice: the ability to work
hard and persevere. It is also a symbol of adaptability, as well as stubbornness.

Liam McClintock performed the proving in 2001. The milk was collected from a
Peruvian llama and the remedy was prepared by Robert Muntz in Q1 and Q3
potencies. Three provers participated in the proving with one supervisor.
COMMON AILMENTS
Alopecia Angina pectoris Aphthous ulcers recurrent Arthritis, knees Asthma,
cardiac Back pain, lumbar region Blepharitis Eczema, dry Food intolerance,
milk / Headache, digestive / Headache, tension Ingrown toenails Kidney stones
Neuralgia, herpetic Neuralgia, trigeminal Osteoporosis Pain, knee Phobias
(food, cleaning) Polyps, bladder Psoriasis, palms Ptyalism of pregnancy
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Like some other Milks, Lac glama frequently complains about their family but
also relies on them heavily and would be lost without them. In this case, the
strongly oppositional attitude makes it seem as though they want to separate and
live their own life, but in reality, they also want to remain closely tied for
support. Their protest is often more an attempt to seem like they are their own
person; they are careful not to protest too strongly and invite possible rejection.
Vexation
Lac glama, along with Lac asinum and Lac caprinum, tends to be vexed and
angry. In Lac glama’s case, the anger is often internalized and suppressed rather
than directly expressed. The main way that their feelings come out is through a
passive, edgy attitude of opposition and refusal, rather than big outbursts or
displays of aggression.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
Lac glama, like other Milks, can feel imprisoned within the family, as if it
defines who they are, were and will be. In other words, it’s as if the family
represented a kind of unavoidable destiny. At the same time, they feel too weak
to manage in the world without their family (though they want to appear as
though they don’t need this). They cope with this conundrum by staying firmly
within the family circle, while offering constant criticism, as if to say, “Though I
must remain here, I don’t like how you’re doing things, because I’m different
from you.” In essence, all their protests constitute a mock attempt to cut the cord
and become their own person; but in reality, this cord is like a thick rope that
they desperately cling to. Much as they would like to appear independent, they
need a lifeline to hold onto. So they stay deeply embedded within the family, but
paradoxically hold themselves apart, as if they were not a part of that system at
all.

All this protest is partially directed at trying to change their family. Their
thinking is that if they stay inside the circle and keep criticizing and provoking,
it may help their family shift their perspective, (though this doesn’t generally
work). Lac glama thinks, “The problem isn’t me, it’s you. You’re the one who
has to change, not me.” On the other hand, Lac glama needs to be antagonistic
toward their family; it’s a part of their core strategy. They need something to
fight against. If the family did actually change in the way that Lac glama
purportedly wants them to, they would have to find something new to protest in
the family.

Metaphorically speaking, Lac glama can be compared to a political prisoner who
refuses to acquiesce to his captors no matter the cost. “Do what you want to my
body, but you can’t have my soul!” Lac glama often approaches any context this
way, particularly family, as if their principals are on the line and they must
proudly, stubbornly adhere to their view whatever the consequences.
Abandonment
Lac glama can have a very strong fear of abandonment, much stronger than
other Milks, even though on some level, they know their family is not likely to
outright reject them. Nevertheless, they feel the need to passively comply with
every demand—Lac glama is one of the most passive remedies in the Materia
Medica—as if they were a prisoner who must follow all the rules. Meanwhile
they feel a tremendous amount of anger underneath, in part, because they feel
unseen and unrecognized by their parents. They won’t allow themselves an
outburst or to act out, as this could damage the relationship or lead to some form
of rejection. Yet they can be passive aggressive to the extreme, as if deliberately
trying to annoy their parents into abandoning them. But like most parents of
Milks, they respond with love and understanding. Like therapist parents, they
might even be ‘too understanding’ at times which makes Lac glama feel both
impotent and guilty with regard to their mini-rebellion.
Lac glama is the most inhibited of all the Milks, and lacks a connection to their
instinctive power and aggression. They can feel angry inside but don’t know
how to express this directly toward other people. They seem to manifest just
enough power to complain and negate what others say, but not enough to create
a solution. Given their physical weakness and poor stamina, they seem to lack a
sense of power in their body. As a result, when conflicts arise, whatever
response they muster tends to be more intellectual than physical.
Irresolution
In many cases, Lac glama would like to appear quite resolute, but this is only a
façade. They may be rigid, adopting a position just to have one, and then fiercely
defending it to look clear and confident. In reality, they probably did not think
through the issue sufficiently to come to any informed conclusion. While they
can easily negate and disagree, when asked to form their own opinions, they
typically become stuck and paralyzed. This rigid defensive attitude is similar to
that of Causticum and Silica.
Refusal (2)
Lac glama typically offers her refusal as a way to counter being intruded upon
by a family that feels stifling to her development. She constantly, petulantly says
‘No’ to everything, as if nothing could possibly work for her. She provides
endless intellectual justifications of what is wrong and why; though more often
than not, her rationale just doesn’t make sense. And for all the litany of wrongs
that she can produce at a moment’s notice, she seems continually unable to come
up with a thoughtful, viable solution herself.
Protest (2)
Lac glama can be an individual activist, attracting followers rather than
following an existing social or political group. Her oppositional attitude is often
used in service to a political agenda, often to fight injustice on behalf of an
underdog. Her causes tend to be related to her own personal circumstances. If
she feels poorly treated as a teacher, for example, she may become active in the
teacher’s union. Whatever the cause, her manner is overly intellectual and
empty. In other words, her arguments are fancy, but they often don’t hold water.
She may associate herself with multiple parties and movements, and often her
comrades are complainers like herself, more than movers and shakers who can
actually get something done. Here as elsewhere, she usually has an easier time
pointing out what’s wrong rather than figuring out how to solve the problem.
Suppressed Aggression
Lac glama likes to wave the flag of non-violence, a political-philosophical
position that she is extremely proud of. To this end, she likes to appear idealistic,
principled and unshakeable, as if she could stoically endure anything without
losing her equilibrium. In some respects, this stems more from her stubborn
streak than her peace-loving attitude. Meanwhile, she can’t seem to help an
obvious querulous, passive-aggressive edge from creeping into her interactions
with other people. In the end she wants to be seen as a kind of victim-hero who,
despite her poor stamina, unfair treatment, and seeming inability to fight, could
not be knocked down or made to submit, and was able to claim the moral higher
ground.
Opposition
Lac glama is extremely oppositional like Lac caprinum and Lac asinum. What
distinguishes her from these remedies is that she often feels obliged to give an
intellectual, philosophical explanation for her dissent.
Fastidious
Lac glama is controlling about many facets of life, such as food and bowel
habits. She usually likes her food simple and basic, without seasoning, and
dislikes sophisticated cuisine. Things must be done according to her precise,
complicated plan or she becomes anxious and phobic. Only she has the exact
recipe for how to cope with this difficult world.
Altered Temporal Perception

Lac glama can have her own perception of time—either slower or quicker than
the rest, depending on the level of compensation. Commonly she may be slow
and complain that the rest of the world goes too fast. She does this to champion
the pace of those who are weaker; this must be respected and adjusted to, rather
than the other way around. She can have the feeling that the world is demanding
her to speed up. Instead, she would like her own slower pace imposed on
everyone else.
Dryness
Lac glama has physical dryness of the skin and mucous membranes. This
dryness creates difficulty for swallowing of food and evacuation of feces and
urine. Her personality, as well, is dry, simple, and sober in appearance. She
avoids whatever is too complicated, sophisticated or fancy; as such things don’t
feel real or honest.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Lac glama has a predominantly vertical symmetry. For example, eczema seen in
the arms will often appear in the legs, or an eruption that starts in the feet may
later show up in the hands as well.

Extreme Pain (2)
Rather than expressing any specific modality, Lac glama tends to experience a
variety of pain symptoms. The important common factor here is that they are
generally unendurable, maddening pains that last a very long time. Lac glama
seems to take pride in her ability to withstand all this suffering. Her attitude is
“You have my body, but I have my mind; therefore, I am still free.”
Circumscribed Pain
With decompensation, Lac glama’s pain becomes outrageous but tends to be
circumscribed to a particular small area, allowing the rest of her system to
remain functional and relatively unaffected. With decompensation, these pains
become more severe, invasive and less demarcated.
Digestive Headache
Related to her controlling attitude toward food, Lac glama’s digestive headaches
can be profoundly impacted by relatively small dietary changes.
Difficult Digestion
Lac glama can be fastidious and phobic about food. She has difficulty digesting
everything, particularly complex foods. She complains strongly about her
indigestion, feeling that it is all too much—everything makes her sick. This
refusal of so many foods is related to her general attitude of refusal and negation,
and points to how difficult it is for her to receive nurturance. As with other
symptoms, she has trouble discerning details, the quality of the pains or
modalities.
Painful Swelling
Lac glama has a general difficulty with metabolic processing, particularly
related to digestion. As a result, she can have difficulty with many foods and
with the products of her incomplete digestion. This can lead to painful swelling,
particularly in the abdomen.
Fatigue
Lac glama can have low energy and poor stamina, making it difficult for her to
cope with the demands of family, society and the world in general.
Dehydration
Despite apparent dryness, Lac glama generally drinks very little or refuses
liquids altogether.
Symmetrical Eruptions
Eruptions are frequently vertical in presentation, above and below.
DREAMS
Lac glama doesn’t tend to engage their creative world in dreams, and what they
do dream tends to be underreported. The few that can be recalled tend to be
permeated with a sense of frustration and vexation. Common themes include riot
and rebellion (not involving them directly), related to changing society. There is
usually a struggle for justice of smaller against larger forces, like Zorro or David
against Goliath. Some dreams have intense anger that is eventually relieved.
When more decompensated, their vexation may become extreme. There may be
dreams of being imprisoned and unable to physically move. One patient, for
example, dreamed he was paralyzed with ALS, but his mind remained sharp,
active and alive (protesting poor treatment by the attending medical staff).
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Generally speaking, Lac glama has a weak, delicate structure that is prone to
fatigue, and so she often needs to work at her own slower pace and rhythm. She
can be highly emotional by nature but rather inhibited in expressing her more
vulnerable feelings, though she is very capable of protesting what she doesn’t
like. She may be intelligent and intellectual but her reasoning can be poor when
it’s colored by strong emotions. Just as her personality needs things to be a
certain way, so does her body and corpus. She must be extremely selective about
food, for example, or she encounters digestive difficulties.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac glama can be stressed and may decompensate when she: (1) needs to make a
choice or take a stand; (2) must act independently; or (3) leaves the security of
her small world. In any of these situations, she may use her weakness as a reason
to refuse doing what makes her uncomfortable.
COMPENSATION
Lac glama tends to inhibit her power and vitality so as not to become too
assertive and risk abandonment by her family. She registers constant peevish
protests in her family to pretend some independence and to push them to change.
Often her protest can be quite intense. She may argue like a lawyer, and be
stubborn and intractable in her position. Despite all her complaints, she may
actually want her family to stay as they are so that she can continue in her
oppositional role. Meanwhile, despite her abandonment fears, they continue to
accept her no matter what she does. Her highly emotional nature is managed
through suppression and over intellectualizing.
COMPLICATIONS
Like most Milks, Lac glama feels caught in a paradox. If she individuates, she
believes (incorrectly) that she will lose her family’s support. If she stays rooted
in the family, she feels engulfed and controlled.

Lac glama’s parents may be very loving and accepting despite her oppositional
attitude. In fact they are too understanding and so she must invent reasons to
become oppositional in order to differentiate herself.
DECOMPENSATION
Like Lac caprinum, she can become more stiff and rigid on all levels—mentally,
emotionally and physically—with decompensation. Pains become more invasive
and less localized. She has more difficulty than usual with food, digestion and
assimilation. She may also pull back from relationships and become more
isolated.
RESTORATION
With treatment Lac glama can learn to manage the paradox of how to become
her own person while remaining connected to her loving family of origin. She
can curb her tendency to always say ‘No’ and find better ways to be
independent. When healthy, Lac glama’s pacifist activism can truly make a
difference to others. Lac glama can follow the example of someone like Gandhi
whose civil disobedience took the form of successful non-violent protests. Due
to Lac glama’s sensitivity to others, gentle nature and ideals, she can be good at
building consensus. With treatment her impressive intellect can be used in a
productive and consistent way.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
Lac glama may perceive her original family as too liberal, open, unboundaried,
and chaotic. She may view her parents as intrusive and interfering. Everything
perhaps feels a little ‘too free’, whereas she needs things more precisely defined.
And she fears that, because of her weak stamina, she won’t be able to fend them
off. All this can contribute to a reflex resistance against her parents that tends to
begin in childhood and persist through the rest of her life.

Like many adolescents, Lac glama makes a plethora of complaints about how
her family is doing everything wrong, and she puts a lot of energy into trying to
correct them. Despite her oppositional attitude, the family tends to be generally
loving and accepting. In fact, they may be ‘too understanding’, and this can force
her to invent new reasons to be upset, since her strategy requires constant
opposition (amidst compliance).
Nuclear Family
Like Silica, Lac glama usually chooses partners who are weaker than she is so
that she can have the upper hand. With her activist stance she is intent on things
being done the right way in her own nuclear family, and tries hard to be a model
for others to follow.
Generally speaking, Lac glama is not especially social. She may have a difficult
time with authorities because she is so oppositional and wants things her way
(though she does this in a passive rather than assertive way). She does not seem
especially interested in creating consensus and can generally be a difficult
person to interact with.
Child & Adolescent
Lac glama generally fits the profile of a difficult adolescent. She has trouble
coping with siblings and classmates and wants to be intellectually dominant.
Adult
As an adult, Lac glama is often unsuccessful. In part, this is because she insists
on promulgating her personal (political) beliefs and opinions in a way that is off-
putting to others.
Elder
As she ages, Lac glama can become increasingly oppositional, isolated, and
depressed, particularly, as is often the case, if she did not create a satisfying life.
TREATMENT ISSUES
As a practitioner, it may be important to convey that you understand her well.
Managing her adolescent attitude of negation can be challenging. In this regard,
it is important to be very sympathetic, particularly about her desire to change the
world. The practitioner should be careful not to take on airs of authority.
Lac glama is oppositional and vexatious toward her relatives, and knows exactly
how far to push them without risking the loss of these relationships. This attitude
is similar to that of Lac asinum, Lac caprinum and Lac suis. Each of these
remedies is defiant as a way to seek some measure of independence, though they
do so in different ways.

Lac asinum is oppositional by being avoidant and appearing slow, which forces
others to slow down as well. Lac glama, on the other hand, engages her family
head on. She doesn’t wish to hide or impede her own abilities, but rather wants
to be (and be seen as) highly competent, ‘first in her class’. Her intellect is used
to support her self-righteous arguments (which she stubbornly maintains, no
matter the cost). Lac caprinum, by contrast, is less sophisticated. His opposition
is more basic, crass, angry and direct. Whereas Lac glama’s arguments are
against positions taken up by family members, Lac suis’s opposition is against
society as a whole. He doesn’t employ arguments, he acts in a concerted way to
flamboyantly transgress and offend, sometimes to the point of being disgusting.
Additionally, one physical difference between Lac caprinum and Lac glama is
that the latter limits pain to a single spot so that the rest of the system remains
unaffected. Lac caprinum, on the other hand, spreads pain out so that it is less
penetrating.

Outside of this homeopathic family, Lac glama can be compared to remedies
that don’t feel valued and are easily vexed, such as Staphysagria and some
Scrophulariaceae. Depending on the level of decompensation, Lac glama can
have anger that is more contained as with Staphysagria, or more openly
expressed and self-destructive as with Gratiola. Otherwise, she resembles those
Scrophulariaceae who are more able to keep their anger inside, such as
Scrophularia nodosa and Verbascum. Scrophularia nodosa is very sensitive to
loss, and often reports instances of loss as an injustice (that can later contribute
to severe illnesses like lymphomas). Lac glama’s feeling of injustice is not
related to loss, but rather the need to appear more individualized than she
actually is. Whereas Verbascum can be malicious, knowing precisely how to
ignore his family in order to inflict the most pain, Lac glama is vociferous and
confrontive. While presenting many challenges to her family, she is never
malicious.

Causticum, like Lac glama, is a strongly idealistic and intellectual fighter. Both
are weak and dependent with rigid, defensive attitudes. Causticum, like other
Kalis, needs to work within a small group while remaining adherent to black and
white rules that he would like to impose on others. Lac glama, by contrast, does
not follow pre-set ideas but thinks on her own, even if she becomes dogmatic
and insistent about her ideas (to the point of jeopardizing relationships).

Both Aurum arsenicosum and Lac glama have strong ideals. Both are suspicious
and can have adverse relationships with their families. Lac glama, with her
strong convictions and penchant for opposing her family, can appear more
powerful than she actually is. In the end, however, she acts more like a victim
and does not therefore display the kind of ego strength behind these convictions
that is typical of Aurum arsenicosum. This latter is able to lead and truly battle
for what he believes in.

As a self-imposed outcast Lac glama can be compared with remedies such as
Magnetis polus australis, Ferrum magneticum and the Ammoniums—particularly
those that are combined with halogens. The Ammoniums generally relish being
different and anti-social; they like to rail against social injustice. Ammonium
muriaticum also is petulant in the same way as Lac glama. A major difference is
that Ammoniums often come from families that did not support or accept them,
while Lac glama’s family was, if anything, too supportive and accepting.

Magnetis polus australis appears angry and grandiose with haughty, churlish
behavior, feeling that the world does not understand him. In reality his
personality is generally weak and fragile; he is likely unable to leave his family,
cannot accomplish much in life, and blames others for his lack of success. In
comparison, Lac glama has an easier time being successful in life. Though
outwardly oppositional, she keeps most of her stronger anger inside. Meanwhile,
Ferrum magneticum, like Lac glama, fights for political and social ideals
through reason and judgment. Ferrum magneticum does not do this on his own
or as an outcast, but typically under a leader who embraces his values.

Case of Agata

Agata, a small 35-year-old woman, is a bundle of nerves and clearly
underweight. Her speech is controlled and she seems unwilling to concede even
a little smile. Her facial muscles are full of tension and her over-developed
masseters give her mandible a male appearance. Her trapezius muscles appear
very tight, and a physical exam reveals that the rest of her musculature,
including her abdominals, is similarly tight.

Unlike most women in Italy, Agata does not wear a trace of makeup and is
dressed in dark, sober clothes. Her voice is soft and weak. She appears
exhausted with no energy in reserve. Even so, she can express strong opinions in
a vibrant way.

The day of the first consultation, Agata is just recovering from a severe
headache.

§ I have suffered terrible headaches for many years now, but they have become
much worse in the last couple of years. I think I reached my limit. Despite
having almost no confidence in doctors, I decided to visit the headache center a
few months ago. I was an idiot not to follow my instincts. The tranquilizers they
gave me only made me feel worse. I felt completely dull and out of it. In the end
those guys didn’t know what to give me anymore, so they advised me to see a
homeopath.

I must tell you that I don’t have much trust in alternative therapies but at the
moment I have tried almost everything and there’s nothing left to do but
surrender. § In general, I’m someone who never gives up!

§ My headaches started when I was around eight or nine years old, and since
then it’s only gotten worse. At that time it came about once a month (I hadn’t
gotten my period yet). Nowadays it’s almost every day. As soon the strong
painkillers wear off, I immediately start to feel bad again.

§ My headache has been the same for years. It always begins on the left side of
my forehead, and then moves to the other side.

§ The last painkillers they gave me were so strong. After taking them, the
headache began to affect my whole forehead, extending to my occiput, down my
neck and then to my stomach. Lately I need to throw up…§ I threw up for years
but I thought I was able to resolve it. Now it’s back and inescapable.

§ Usually the headache comes on all of a sudden. I feel a strong pain. I could
have been feeling fine just a few minutes before and then this headache comes
on. It’s an awful sensation. I feel as though I could faint. And I’m so sick, all I
think about is the hope that it will go away as soon as possible. But that never
happens.

§ Surely it’s worse when I’m nervous, but recently, it comes even when I’m
totally calm and quiet. Now I feel this pain every day or it comes on when I
don’t drink enough. But sometimes I forget and go an entire day without
remembering to drink.

§ They say that I’m some sort of camel since I don’t feel the urge drink.

§ The one thing I do to feel better is try and go to sleep. § The problem now is
that when I wake up, it’s even stronger than before. § Now it starts at night or
late in the afternoon, and I go to bed with a very strong pain. I wake up a few
hours later in extreme pain and have to use some suppositories because I’m
vomiting and can’t swallow any kind of medicine.

§ With the headache I feel hot and have to open the window to stay cool § My
head especially feels hot. § It’s just how it feels to me; if I ask somebody else to
touch it, they tell me it’s not hot at all. § Initially I feel the heat mostly where it
hurts and then it extends to my forehead but in a very circumscribed spot, as if
this were a special area of my head.

My mother also suffered with headaches and I remember the big headaches that
my aunt and grandmother had as well. Even my sister has headaches in the same
spot as me.

§ I think I have awful digestion. I find it hard to digest what I eat. It seems a
little better if I drink a digestive herbal tea, but I still have a kind of sticky
feeling inside my mouth. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m drinking something
warm or if it’s because of the herbs in the infusion.

I must follow a very strict diet. § Any seasoning or condiment that alters the
taste of food bothers me. It’s as if it turns the food into something artificial.
Ideally I would like to eat only raw food, but I feel better with cooked food. So I
just try to steam it while altering the true taste as little as possible.

§ I think my sticky mouth comes from taking drugs for my headaches, but my
digestion too has been a problem (since I was born). § For as long as I can
remember, whatever I eat comes back up. I had a gastroscopy and they found a
hiatal hernia, but they said it’s not as bad as it seems to me—but I don’t believe
it! I don’t trust doctors!

§ At night I’m always drooling and have to rinse my mouth because of a bitter
taste that is really annoying. § I’ve had this as long as I can remember. I think
it’s the reason why I prefer to drink so little. If I drink more, it seems like the
salivation gets worse, though that can’t be all the way true. I don’t understand
why I don’t feel like drinking more given that my body is so dry.

§ Some days I have the impression that I’m all dry on the inside, that my skin is
dry, and even my eyes. My stools are very dry too and difficult to push out. As a
child they told me my stool looked like little goat pellets.

§ I’m really fond of sweets. There are certain periods when I feel the need for
sweets—but only natural sugar. § I have been like this since I was a child. I have
to control myself because I don’t want to put on too much weight. I have some
problems with eating. Ever since I was a child, I’ve had aphthous ulcers. I’ve
had periods in my life when I preferred not to eat.

I have the impression she might be talking about a period of anorexia, but she
doesn’t admit to this.

§ It started with milk as a child. I lost a lot of weight and my mother did not
know what to feed me. § Clearly I know that I should not eat cheese even if I
love it. It’s the same for milk, but milk has disgusted me since I was a child. § If
I eat something containing even a trace of milk, I immediately get an aphthous
ulcer. I always have at least a couple ulcers in my mouth, but they get much
worse if I have any dairy products.

§ I had my appendix removed when I was eight years old, and then I had a lot of
tonsillitis and had to have them removed. I think they started to be a problem the
same exact year that my appendix was removed. And then my pregnancies…

§ All three pregnancies were post term. With the first and second ones, they
admitted me to the hospital, but with the last one, I insisted on waiting. I even
considered going to a lawyer. But I’m someone who is for passive revolutions;
they’ve worked so often throughout history, like when the Indians resisted the
English.

§ With my third pregnancy I lied about the date of conception and went to the
hospital when I felt labor. Even then it was at least two weeks after my due date
but I really don’t see why I have to oblige some poor baby to jump out if he or
she needs to stay in there a little longer.

§ I breastfed the first one for almost two years, the second for two and a half
years, and the third one, I managed to breastfeed for three years. I was always so
much better with my headache during pregnancy and breastfeeding. § If it were
up to me I would always be pregnant—but it is a strange feeling, and to be
honest, I guess I’m a little ambivalent about it after all. § Physically, I feel better
in some ways, but weaker in others. I also feel a bit as if I’m in prison.

§ I’ve read many books about pregnancy and breastfeeding and I’m involved in
various associations, especially ones about women’s rights and childbirth—
about not doing what men want women to do, or following doctor’s orders, and
enriching the pharmaceutical companies that produce infant formula!

I see that you have very strong opinions.
§ I'm done with many people: many doctors, many of my friends’ husbands, and
even acquaintances that want to stop us from breastfeeding. They just want to
serve the system—and the male culture. You know, there are male animals that
kill the mother’s newborns just to have sex with her as soon as possible.

What do you mean? [Again, she raises her voice with a strong and arrogant
response.]
§ I think I was sufficiently clear about what I think—me, and those few people
who are like me.

Sorry, I mean something else. Before you told me that you have an ambivalent
feeling about pregnancy and nursing, and that you feel as if you’re in a prison.
What did you mean?
§ You must do everything you can to make it grow, at least while it’s still in
your belly, trying to keep some sense of harmony all the time.

So what is the problem? [She responds as if I am an idiot.]
§ When I’m pregnant I can’t get angry. § And for this reason alone, I feel like
I’m in a prison—unable to let myself be angry, having to control myself so much
more than usual. When I don’t have to do this [when not pregnant], I simply
cannot tolerate being silent about all the injustices that surround us. When I’m
pregnant and breastfeeding, it’s as if I became a deaf, dumb and blind person. § I
think I’ve told you enough.

She is obviously irritated and annoyed because of my questions and so I change
the topic and ask about her sleep. Again the tone of her voice is rough and
strong.

§ I sleep a lot, sometimes even when I’m standing on my feet. I fall asleep very
easily and I need a lot of sleep. I’m not saying that I need ten hours a day, like a
child, but at least eight or nine. § I can fall asleep whenever I want. If I don’t
have that much to do, I can sit on the couch and fall asleep. My father sleeps a
lot and so does my sister. Apparently this is a family issue. Why should I be any
different?

I see that you often talk about your family.
§ I do talk about my family a lot because I’m a very practical person and I think
that genetics are real, whatever one’s opinion about that is.

I have the impression that I’ve touched upon an issue that you have strong
feelings about.
§ Aside from genetics, I don’t think that my family has anything to do with who
I am. § Beyond our genetic similarity, I am who I am! And that part that is our
own, that isn’t based on genetics, is I think what’s best about us. I insist on that
point! § I think that the best part of us is what we do not inherit from our family.
Whatever is beyond our genetics is the unique element in every human being. §
We’ve been on this topic for a very long time and I don’t really have a desire to
keep talking about this anymore with you right now!

I did not mean to offend you. I just want to understand your perspective.
§ I think that I have to find a balance between determinism and free will.

I have the impression that by determinism, you mean your family?
§ Exactly. Family is determinism—conservative—whatever is not allowed—
whatever must not be changed.

And what about the individual?
§ Individual humans are the most obvious expressions of free will—what can be
accomplished beyond predestination. Individuals are the best examples of the
idea that there is a kind of freedom—at least any freedom that is worth fighting
for.

§ At my age I’m not that sure that it is worthwhile to fight. Certain days I have
the impression that the system doesn’t care about us at all. I think the system
needs dissidents. In the end, you can feel exploited and useless—a double
indignity!
What do you dream?
§ I don’t dream. I think that I don’t dream at all.

What is your job? Do you do something you enjoy?
§ I have had this job as an educator forever. I can’t tell you if my job is nice, if I
do something nice. It’s just a job like any other. § I do my work with a strong
sense of responsibility but I don’t know if I really like it.

She is a social worker who cares for behaviorally challenged boys who live in
group homes.

§ I love being with the kids and I’m comfortable there. I work with pre-teens and
I especially enjoy working with the ones with severe mental and emotional
challenges, because the little they can achieve gives me a lot of satisfaction. §
I’m very precise in my work. I always try to model fairness and the fundamental
value that everything around us should be treated with precision and care. Even
boys need to learn this. § I mean that objects are not just objects. Many objects
are made by people and are the result of their work, ingenuity and time.

What do these boys think about you?
§ They think that I am a prissy and fastidious person. Honestly, I’m really very
careful, sometimes even a little obsessive about cleanliness, mainly about dust.
And you know, with my skin, I have to be. It’s understandable.

I have the impression that people spending their time creating something nice is
important to you.
§ Yes. Time is another problem of mine to be honest. I have the impression that
time passes too quickly and there are always too many things that we never have
the time to finish—or even to begin.

For example, I’m engaged with the Bank of Time. It’s an association where
people offer their time instead of money. They give a certain value to your time
and to whatever you can do during this time instead of thinking about money
issues. I think that time is the only really valuable asset we have in our lives. It’s
our life. And the way the world works is that it steals our time.

§ I follow my own pace, my own time, and nothing and nobody can make me do
otherwise.

You said your headaches started at the same time that you had your appendix
removed. Do you think there is a possible relationship between the two?
§ I don’t know if there is any relationship between my appendix and my
headache. You’re the doctor.

Was this surgery difficult for you? [She became very irritated by this question.]
§ I can confidently say that I never quite digested the idea that someone opened
up my belly. It was just a slight ache and then I discovered that I didn’t even
need to have this surgery, but that was how hospitals used to be. Nowadays
they’re much more careful and don’t tear out your belly just because it’s the
custom or fashion for doctors to do this.

Fashion?
§ Yes. Isn’t it the fashion among doctors to cut people open? That’s their usual
way of doing things, even if it left a terrible scar that will prevent me from ever
wearing a two-piece bathing suit. That’s a rather big injury if you’re a woman!

§ I was almost 12 when I started my period and it was always very painful until
my pregnancies. After the first baby everything settled down. Before, I had to
stay in bed from the first day of my period until it was all the way over. § I had a
horrible belly ache the whole time and had to remain bent over because of the
pain. § Now it’s only my breasts that are in terrible pain; they can’t even be
touched. I jump if I even think about being touched, and once this appeared, it
never went away again. I think I got out of balance, that the symmetrical
precision in my body went awry and never got back to balance.

§ Previously I had pain in the lower part of my body, and now I have pain in the
upper part. If I have a headache, then I also have stomach pain. I mean there’s
something that moves from the lower to the upper part and vice-versa. I think
this is related to some kind of internal balancing within my body.

She is not open to continue talking about this. I proceed with the physical exam
and I notice that her skin is much dryer than I had thought—her hands are
extremely dry and quite chapped. As she takes off her glasses, which have dark
lenses, I notice that she also has dry, irritated lids.

§ The doctors say I’m suffering from a lifetime of blepharitis. I think it’s
something that will never go away. I’ve tried many salves and medications and it
always comes back. § I tear easily—even if light is just slightly more intense
than usual. That’s why I wear extra dark lenses, so that nothing can penetrate
through them and irritate my eyes.

§ I told you that I have dry skin, and that’s the reason why I can’t tolerate any
dust at all.

This was my first case of Lac glama. Initially I prescribe Silica Q1, which she
takes for at least three weeks without any change at all. I then consider that she
might be a Milk case because of the double bind with her family and her need to
individuate. She feels a strong connection to them, which irritates her and
provokes her into doing things that she doesn’t like. She describes many of her
issues as predestined by her family and therefore unavoidable. Other Milk
characteristics include her repressed anger, her symmetrical pains, her strong
intolerance to milk, and her digestive headaches. Nevertheless, she has other
clear symptoms that do not fit any of the Milks with which I am familiar. In such
a situation, I consider Milks that I haven’t yet prescribed.

In the proving of Lac glama by Liam McClintock (ReferenceWorks), I discovered
dryness of the skin, especially of the hands, and blepharitis. There was also
fastidiousness and obsession for cleanliness and pain confined to small areas,
similar to Silica. Another significant point is a strong sense of injustice.
Follow-up
She takes Lac glama Q1 for three weeks before reacting with a strong
aggravation of dry skin, still with no desire to drink. I suggest that she stop the
remedy for a few days. After nearly a week, she has a strong headache that is
very intense, but with no desire to vomit. I have her dilute the remedy in water
and sip it every 20 minutes. In a few hours her headache resolves. Together we
decide to continue with a weekly dose of Lac glama Q1. Slowly her skin
improves, becoming more hydrated. Her digestion also improves, and for almost
three months, she has no headache.

Four months later she looks like she has put on some weight; her face is pink
rather than pale as before, and her skin is significantly better.

§ I think that I have to reconsider how efficacious homeopathic treatment can be.
My skin was the first to react. Before it was like old, bad paper, and now it’s as
if I’ve changed my skin like a snake. § I feel I have skin like I’ve never
experienced before. And my bowels work in a divine way. I no longer have goat
pellets despite the fact that I haven’t changed my diet. I digest better. I used to
eat a lot of fruits and vegetables but nothing changed. In the past few days my
headaches are coming back a little bit as if those tiny drops are not working quite
as well as before. Or maybe this is just my imagination.

There is something else which I don’t quite know how to say. It’s as if I’m
feeling more serene. It’s really noticeable and I can tell you that it’s been years
since I woke up with such a nice mood as I do now. I even have a desire to sing
or to look for good music on the radio instead of listening to the news.

§ I don’t really understand why I always used to listen to the morning news,
considering it would just get me irritated and remind me of how much I can
dislike this world.

I ask her to tell me about disliking this world, and how she feels about this now
compared to during the first consultation. She speaks openly about her past.
§ Both my parents were psychotherapists. My mother died when I was 17. I was
23 when I had to leave my home. § It was a very difficult loss. Ours was the
classic wonderful family but then my mother was killed in a hit and run accident.
§ At the time I was a pretty ardent post-adolescent. I grew up with two parents
who had experienced their own revolutions, and I wanted to have one too.

§ The difference? Think about how important it is for an adolescent to feel
strong and proud of her own ideas and to be able to fight with her family. § Try
to understand the frustration in trying to fight with two parents who are always
smiling, who always have an explanation for everything, who never get irritated.
Whatever you do, whatever you say, seems obvious, even predictable. You can’t
even get in trouble for saying “Fuck off!” because their response was always,
“It’s alright to disagree, dear.” You can’t even cry because a terrible loss is
‘another good occasion to grow’.

My mother used to tell my father that if she died first, he should find another
woman as soon as possible. She knew he couldn’t survive on his own. As it turns
out, he married my mother’s best friend who was widowed just a few months
before. § I just wanted to run away the day that woman entered my house. She
had been a kind of aunt for me, and to think of her putting her foot in our home,
sleeping in my mother’s bed. § I didn’t accept this because it was also my home.
One has a right to speak up inside your own home, but I also believe strongly in
passive resistance and managing conflict through non-violence. So I started a
cold war, which worked against my psychotherapist parents. But it stopped
working after her death; this other woman was not a psychotherapist, and they
were home all the time, so my strategy went to hell.

§ I did whatever I could to continue my life’s work, my passive resistance, and
they threw me out of the house. My father gave me the money that I had
inherited from my mother. § I got married a few months later. I already had a
fiancé, my current husband. We continue to have a wonderful relationship.

I don’t even know why I’m telling you these things. I seem to be in a kind of
trance, like the last drugs they gave me for my headache. I guess I needed to get
a big weight off my chest. Probably I’m trying to understand how, despite all
these issues of the last few months, that I feel more serene. How can it be?

Plan: Lac glama Q3

In the following months Agata gradually leaves all her social commitments and
decides to change jobs. The only symptom that remains is a light pain in her
breasts, occasional blepharitis, and occasional aphthous ulcers in her mouth.
Agata prefers not to return for a long time and after a while I decide to give her
Lac glama Q5 because of the persistent pain in her breasts and the blepharitis.
She would occasionally have some aphthous ulcers that immediately resolved
with the Q5 taken a few times per day.

Ten months pass before I see her again.

§ I preferred not to come back and see you, not because I’m not better and not
because I didn’t want to continue treatment. As you saw, I always remained in
contact with you and continued to take your little drops, but I needed some time
to understand what was going on.

§ One day I woke up pretty happy and after that I went regularly to the toilet. I
realized that in a few months my health was much better. I decided to change my
work. I decided to give up all my work with the associations. I felt no guilt
because my husband makes enough money that I don’t have to do this. For him,
it’s not a problem at all. He told me many times he would rather I stay home
with our three children since the babysitter costs more than I can make from my
job. But he understood that I needed this for me; let’s call it my independence.

§ I find that my life has changed completely. Every day I looked at those bottles
and I asked myself if I could have been able to do this without those drops. § I
feel better, much better, and I thought I would have liked to be who I am without
taking any drops. I have no desire to feel dependent on a little bottle of drops,
and yet I was not able to stop taking them at least once a week.

§ The problem is evident. How can I stand on my own two feet? How can I
accept that in order to feel better, I have to take something? How is it possible
that I feel so much better now that I simply don’t care about all these things that
were such critical concerns before? What’s going on inside me? How am I so
much better and why am I worrying because I feel better?

§ I’m happy I could give myself some time to get some answers. I appreciated
that you never tried to give me an answer. At the beginning let me say I was a bit
angry that you weren’t telling me anything. Maybe I just wanted that so I could
imagine you were wrong, just so I could challenge you inside myself. § I feel
that I’m on the way and not in a hurry to get there, and I don’t have the feeling
that all this is a waste of time. This is an old concept I know well. But I think
that previously I never felt this inside me. I have a wonderful family now, and I
had another wonderful family before that lasted as long as it could. What
happened, happened, and these days, I’m just trying to restore the positive
relationship I used to have with my father.

Five years later she continues to occasionally take the remedy for simple
episodes of flu or for occasional back pain from hiking.

CASE OF ADOLFO
Adolfo is a 55-year-old university professor. As soon as he sits down, he tells me
he is a professor but not because he is the son or grandson of someone
connected to the university. He wants to emphasize that he deserves his social
position.

He is slender, with a fatigued expression and weak voice, and yet he is rather
animated and testy several times during the consultation. Adolfo wears a
hairpiece that covers only the top of his head. The long, thick curly hair of this
wig seems discordant with his gaunt face and sober clothes. He presents a thick
stack of medical reports from both conventional and alternative doctors. I tell
him I will consider this material later.

§ I’ve been treating myself for years for high cholesterol. They gave me drugs
that are completely useless. I really believe in the principle of prevention and in
all that is alternative. But you seem a bit conventional to be a homeopath. I was
told that you use special kinds of homeopathic remedies, and I would like to try
what you have to offer.

§ Every year I have a complete checkup and my cardiologist asks me why I
waste my money. He says it’s useless to perform the exams so frequently. I
wanted to do something different so I decided to have ultrasound of my carotid
arteries. Last year it came out that I have two arteriosclerotic plaques that were
not there before.

§ I have been going to this cardiologist for 20 years and have had a lot of exams.
My brother had bypass surgery and my sister had a stent. They both have high
cholesterol. Both my parents had high cholesterol and very high blood pressure.
My father’s parents died of a heart attack, and my mother’s parents have
hypertension.

§ Doctors seem to do everything, except anything that really prevents disease—
so I do these exams and then decide how to treat myself. I can tell when
something is severe.

§ At 8 years old I began to have chronic pharyngitis. This came after I had my
tonsils removed at age 7—that’s when they do it to everyone. § It started with
what you doctors call ‘fever of unknown origin’, just because you doctors don’t
really know how to cure anything. § At first I didn’t notice…but then I sensed it
had a different quality. I know when it’s a fever that I will be able to manage
well and one that will force me to go home with a temperature of 104. When I
say that there’s something different about this fever, that’s what I’m saying! In
fact, it was the onset of valve disease, and on top of that, rheumatism!

§ If I have a fever that’s not too worrisome I don’t have a strong appetite but if
it’s serious, then I really have to eat a lot! It’s as if my body tells me I need
something to help me fight it.

§ Along with rheumatism I also developed allergy problems that came on after I
took an antibiotic that made my face swell up. Now I’m allergic to amoxicillin,
aspirin, different kinds of molds, and probably soybeans. Then I discovered I’m
allergic to tomatoes. But I can’t avoid eating tomatoes!

§ I forgot. I’m seriously allergic to milk. This could really kill me. I was told that
as soon as I started to wean from my mother’s milk, I began to feel better. And
when I stopped breastfeeding and started formula, I became very sick. At that
time those stupid pediatricians used to wean you pretty early and very probably
with cow’s milk, which is not at all good for us humans. Those doctors, at that
time, eliminated a lot of different foods from my diet, but for me these foods
were not a problem.

§ Eating for me is not something important. I eat very simple food. I would say
extremely simple, very little seasoning, a lot of fruit, vegetables. But despite
that, it’s pretty hard for me to go to the toilet.

Anyway, let’s come back to the previous topic. At that time my face became
really swollen, and since then I began to have acute attacks where my throat gets
swollen. I always have to have cortisone in my pocket. My tongue even swells.
Then this eczema started and since then my skin is always dry. And these
aphthous ulcers in my mouth never go away.

§ Some doctors say it’s probably a psychosomatic issue because of stress. § You
know, it’s not good for me to get angry and this is the main reason why I’m such
a controlled person. This doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own internal battles;
I just handle them in my own way.

§ What is important is to be consistent with yourself. No one can change the
world, but first we can be an example for others. Yet this happens only if we first
respect our own way of being a coherent person.

Anyway, now my joints are worse. It’s no longer just my knee that gets swollen.
My spine hurts as if I have a weight constantly on my shoulders. I really cannot
stand any weight on my shoulders.

§ Even as a child I refused to go to school with a backpack. My parents used to
tell me that I was right; a child should not carry so many books. It was really an
issue for someone who has a weak spine.

§ Now, sometimes my feet or my fingers get swollen, not just my face and my
throat. Recently I had something here on my leg and on my elbow. Most likely
it’s some kind of psoriasis. My reactions are always from hypersensitivity!

It’s really hard for me to fall asleep, as it is for my mother.

§ I think it is because of my psychological stress and my physical stress. § If I
meet people who are not well behaved, I boil inside with anger. Everything got
worse with the death of my grandfather, on my mother’s side, whom I really
bonded with. He died in my arms at the age of 84 because of pneumonia. § He
was already pretty sick. But when I insisted they bring him to the hospital, the
doctors did not take it seriously, and they sent him home with antibiotics. He
died two hours later in my house with a very high fever.

[I ask him about his emotional reaction. At first he is reluctant to talk, but then
continues.]
§ When certain movie scenes come on I must turn the channel. § Something
violent or improper. § I become really, really angry and I react and I have to
discharge [this anger]. It doesn’t matter who is around—even the President of
the Republic. § I don’t say anything, but I can show my silent scorn. Certain
things don’t even deserve that you open your mouth. I think it is these things that
are starting to make me sick.

§ I mean that when I get angry, I feel that this is not good for me. For example I
can feel that my heart is beating too fast even if the cardiologist says that it’s
nothing. But you know, sorrows are not nothing.

§ Sometimes after I eat I feel something cramping in my chest. I was told it’s my
digestion or low blood pressure. But, you know, my brain cannot convince my
body. Life would be much simpler if we could just be rational—but also more
boring.

I’m very involved in social issues and different kinds of associations. Apparently
I am the kind of person who is able to handle everything in a firm yet diplomatic
way.

What do you mean by apparently?
§ Actually, I know what goes on inside me [different from what I present on the
outside]. § I think that our society is so strong that it is useless to fight against,
even with a violent revolution. Look a little at what history has taught us, what
has occurred after all those revolutions? § I become really, really angry... § I
don’t say anything, but I can show my silent scorn

§ I say jokingly that if I could sleep at least six hours in a row I could run up a
mountain. I love the mountains but the ones that are really high, not the ones that
we have in Italy. But because I cannot sleep enough, I’m always tired and I
never have the energy I would like so that I could do more in my life.

§ I never remember my dreams. Sometimes I dream of situations where I could
get angry, but I wake up without remembering. I am just left with the sensation
that I was vexed.

§ My work is not really that interesting to me, but it does give me some
satisfaction. I’m very strict and I talk with my students in a formal way just to
underscore my respect for them. But they say that I care too much about all the
specific details that they say are insignificant.

§ But I don’t think these particulars are insignificant, otherwise they are no
longer particular, and could be anything. I have a great respect for work, for
what others have produced through their work, what they’ve made with their
own hands. Even bread is not something that I throw away easily because
somebody used his own time, a little piece of his life, to make it. I believe that
there is not enough respect for things and as a consequence there is not enough
respect for people. But there are always people who make things, but not always
those who have respect for this.

§ You know, I have many issues but if I keep telling you everything, we’ll be
here all night. I would only like to take care of what I think is possible to cure. I
don’t want to engender false hopes about complaints that can’t be helped. I can’t
stand any more disappointment.

§ I suffer from a lifetime of headaches. You can’t imagine how many specialists
I’ve seen, or special centers I’ve been to—not just one—for headaches. I’ve used
mouth guards; I consulted posture specialists; I did hypnosis and elimination
diets.

§ My mood has a lot to do with my headache. When I’m really angry I will get a
headache. Then my digestion… when I have ulcers in my mouth or eat
something really heavy on my stomach, I have to vomit as soon as possible.

§ Otherwise the pain becomes so strong, and the vomiting doesn’t go away.
Another important issue is hydrating myself. I’m never thirsty! But if I forget to
drink that minimum amount I need, it’s certain that I will get a headache.

§ To be precise, it’s not my whole head that hurts. It’s always one side and then
the other.

What did my colleagues tell you previously?
§ You know, on this topic, I was told a lot, even by other homeopaths. There was
even one who told me that he was a specialist for pains in the side, and he said
that this was a very precise sign that indicated certain remedies.

So you seem to feel pretty critical toward doctors?
§ It was bull---t. Nothing he gave me helped to ameliorate my headaches at all. I
told you what I can do in order not to feel worse, but the headache never went
away.

[I want to know about the strange hairpiece that he wears and ask if there is
anything else to share. I think he perceives my unstated intent.]
§ If I really have to tell you everything … I don’t know how useful it is to talk
about this, but when I got rheumatism as a child, I lost almost all of my hair.
Then it grew back but always leaving some spots—like a spotted alopecia—
where some spots would regrow while others didn’t. When I went to college, I
lost most of my hair, so I just decided to cut it off, whatever remained. I
wouldn’t allow this disease to be the winner. But I couldn’t stand to see myself
in the mirror without hair at this age, and so I decided I had to do something. In
the end I opted for a wig.

I don’t understand why some call this a little wig (parruccino) while a woman’s
is called a wig (parrucca). It’s a little smaller, but it’s a wig nonetheless and is as
real as what a woman wears. In any case, I can’t stand to see myself in the
mirror without hair.

After the physical exam I inform Adolfo that I think his skin symptoms are a form
of psoriasis rather than eczema that are likely associated with other autoimmune
problems, such as his arthritis. As far as I'm concerned, I do not consider it
necessary to do further study nor consult additional specialists. I encourage him
to engage only in homeopathic treatment for the time being so that we can
evaluate his response together after a few months. I ask him in the meanwhile to
avoid any dairy products since even small quantities may cause a problem.
Follow-up
Adolfo takes Lac glama Q1 daily for almost four weeks before producing some
symptoms. I ask him to stop the remedy so that I can evaluate his reaction.

His skin reacts first, becoming irritated and flaky in spots as large as a dollar
coin. A few days later he has blepharitis. He had this chronically when he was
younger but did not mention it during the first consultation. Two weeks later he
has a strong headache without his usual vomiting. After this acute symptom, he
starts to recover, becoming more confident about the therapy, and
understanding that his bodily reactions to the remedy are part of the healing
process.

Three months later he has another consultation.

§ I have read a lot about homeopathy and I was really struck by these physical
responses, but not only physical. Let’s go slowly here—what I mean to say is
that I was struck by how I reacted.

What Adolfo implies is that despite feeling better, he is concerned that his
treatment and response seem like too much intrusion. He worries that Massimo
holds power over him. Adolfo is relieved when Massimo explains that the
remedy only unfolds what is already inside.
§ Usually when something happens, I immediately think there’s something
wrong with my body, that it’s too weak. Then I can feel defeated again. § This
time, however, it was as if I was reacting in a healthy way. It’s not like before
because now I feel an inner strength that makes me feel good. It’s really hard to
explain, but it’s as if I could feel that I am responding, that I’m not a victim of
my symptoms, but that those symptoms are here for a special reason. I don’t
know if I am being clear enough.

§ I can’t remember the last time my skin was so nice; it’s been many years. It
improved rapidly in the mountains before, because of all the good oxygen, but
not like this. My digestion has also improved a lot and my bowel movements
now seem to be like clockwork, coming every day at the same time. My mouth
ulcers are almost completely gone. Despite it being cold for weeks, I’ve had no
joint symptoms. My hands are less swollen and I don’t have any pain. It would
have been interesting to talk with the dermatologist—it was hard for me not to
see other doctors _– but what you thought was psoriasis is now gone.

My mood is better even if nothing has really changed in my day-to-day life. The
last time we met I didn’t tell you anything about my private life. I’m a very
reserved person. But, you know, I have some sort of relationship with a woman
whom I was in love with for years. She left me and is now married and then we
met up again. I think I love her, but I was very offended because she preferred
others to me.

§ At the time it was really my fault. I wasn’t able to make a choice between her
and my family, and between our relationship and my involvement in society and
politics. In one way or another it was always first about me, or better yet, my
debility, my incapacity, my difficulty with relationships, my insecurity, my
inability to make a choice, a real choice in my adult life.

§ I don’t know if at my age it’s too late, but I have the impression that in some
way my anger is eroding, falling apart. § My anger is always there. I can see and
feel it, but I have the impression that I’m becoming more heartfelt. It’s as if I’m
beginning to realize that I have no right to feel so resentful and that I’m
responsible for what I feel. It’s not always someone else’s fault. What happened,
in some ways, is what I deserved. Sad but true.

I think it was important for me to be so angry my whole life in order to keep
myself from having things—I’m not just talking about the relationship with this
woman. I hid inside my career, or behind it. My mother wanted me to be a
professor, and that is what I became. My father wanted me to be a strong union
man and I did even more than this.

What do you want?
§ Beautiful and terrible question. What do I want? You know, I really can’t tell
you what I want. Talking from my heart now I could say that I just wanted
everybody to have a good relationship but—damn it!—if there’s someone who
always has to disagree, it’s me.

The last time I came here, even though I still didn’t really know you, I wanted to
talk frankly. Now I’m here and I want to talk openly, but that’s not usually how I
am.
§ Concerning my symptoms, I feel much better. I pray that you don’t insist on
doing more; I am content with how well I am feeling now. § I have some little
ulcers, but it’s nothing compared to what I had before. I’ve had much worse in
my life.

§ There is one thing that makes it pretty hard for me to live with another person
—everything has to have its own place in my house. After eating I immediately
wash my dishes. As soon as I wash my glass, I immediately put it in the right
place. Sometimes we spend a few days together and we are good—but then I get
nervous that I won’t be able to stand any mess or lack of care.

§ And so I realized that each of us lives in his own way, but in order to live
together, I must give something up, even if it’s something pretty stupid. § And if
I recognize that such things are stupid, then it means I should say that I am
stupid and I don’t know if I can do that.

I have him move up to the Q2, which he takes for a few weeks and his ulcers
improve significantly. After that, he decides to take long vacations abroad with
his sweetheart.

[He writes me the following e-mail:]
I chose to visit Africa to confront the reality of poverty. Despite so many social
injustices, these people smile anyway, even more than us. I wanted to go in
hotels that weren’t as clean as I am used to, and I wanted to see how I would
react. This was a challenge, a test under fire.

After returning from this vacation of almost two months they decide to try living
together. After a few weeks he starts to have headaches again which don’t
improve with the Q2. I suggest he move to the Q3 daily or more often as needed.
After six weeks he has no further headache episodes for the next five months.

After this he decides to start psychoanalysis and continues to take his remedy
occasionally for little digestive problems and headaches.

The follow-up is now more than four years without any significant complaint. He
takes the Q5 as needed and continues to have good results.
SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Vexation
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Refusal (2); Protest (2); Aggression: suppressed; Opposition ; Fastidious ;
Time: altered perception ; Dryness ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: extreme (2); Pain: circumscribed ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion:
difficult ; Swelling: painful ; Fatigue ; Dehydration ; Eruptions: symmetrical
Common Ailments
Alopecia Angina pectoris Aphthous ulcers recurrent Arthritis, knees Asthma,
cardiac Back pain, lumbar region Blepharitis Eczema, dry Food intolerance,
milk Headache, digestive Headache, tension Ingrown toenails Kidney stones
Neuralgia, herpetic Neuralgia, trigeminal Osteoporosis Pain, knee Phobias
(food, cleaning) Polyps, bladder Psoriasis, palms Ptyalism (excessive
drooling) of pregnancy
Milks: Defiant: Lac asinum ; Lac caprinum ; Lac suis
Other: Easily Vexed: Scrophulariaceae : Gratiola , Scrophularia nodosa ,
Verbascum ; Staphysagria ; Idealistic: Causticum ; Aurum arsenicosum ;
Outcast: Ammoniums : Ammonium muriaticum ; Magnetic: Magnetis polus
australis, Ferrum magneticum

Lac asinum
Equus africanus asinus

The donkey or Equus africanus asinus or Equus asinus, is a member of the
Equidae family, which comprises single-toed or hooved grazing animals.

The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. Pastoral
peoples domesticated donkeys about 6000 years ago in Africa, long after the
domestication of sheep, goats and cows. Donkeys were well suited to arid lands,
and their mobility supported the nomadic lifestyle better than most other cud-
chewing ruminants.

Donkeys are solitary animals. The jack, or male donkey, must be removed from
other donkeys unless breeding. When they do mate with a jennet (female), they
produce a donkey foal. When a jack mates with a mare (female horse), a mule is
produced, and when a stallion (male horse) mates with a jennet, a hinny is born.
Both share more characteristics with the horse than with the donkey.

Despite their reputation for being foolish and stubborn, they are actually quite
intelligent and friendly, with a keen willingness to learn.

The fear-freeze response is more developed in donkeys than in horses. Though
they appear to be obstinate, they are actually being cautious.

Their milk is very similar to human milk, in regards to taste and composition, for
which reason the early Greeks provided it to babies when a mother’s milk was
unavailable. During early Roman times it was considered a luxury. Hippocrates
recommended this milk for those with joint pains, intoxication and poisoning as
well as difficult cicatrization. During the 18th century, Europeans would
purchase this milk for babies and for consumptive invalids with obstinate
coughs, gout and scurvy.

Today this milk is used mainly in cosmetics and is preferred over mare’s milk
because of its ability to soften the skin and make it translucent.

The donkey has both positive and negative connotations. It has been considered
a symbol of ignorance, as seen in the dunce cap and court jester’s hood, both of
which were sometimes adorned with donkey ears. To authors such as Michel de
Montaigne, the donkey was “certain, decided, disdainful, contemplative, grave
and serious.” To Cervantes, he was the humble ride of Sancho Panza. To Milne,
the donkey was the representative of beleaguered suffering.

Today the donkey is used in therapeutic settings due to its special characteristics
of being small in size, patient, soft when touched, and slow in gait.

Provings were performed by Jacques Lamothe and Karl-Josef Müller
COMMON AILMENTS
Allergy, food Alopecia Anemia, iron deficiency Candidiasis, recurrent Carpal
tunnel syndrome / Cholecystitis, chronic / Colitis, hemorrhagic Cramps,
nocturnal Cystitis, recurrent Diabetes, juvenile Diarrhea, chronic Fibrocystic
breast disease Fissure, anal Fissure, vulvar Food intolerance, milk / Headache,
chronic / Headache, digestive Intestinal malabsorption Otitis media, recurrent
Pancreatitis Photophobia Sinusitis, chronic Vaginitis, recurrent / Vertigo,
Ménière's
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Though Lac asinum often underscores the differences between themselves and
their families, they don’t want to be too distant or independent. And at a deeper
level, they have obvious fears of abandonment.
Vexation
Compared to other Milks where the main emphasis is on being sweet and
yielding (Lac caninum), oblative (Lac delphinum) or dutiful (Lac equinum), Lac
asinum—together with Lac glama and Lac caprinum—is vexatious and
oppositional in an immature, adolescent way.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
Lac asinum has a strong identity with family, similar to the other Milks, feeling
inexorably tied to them and pressed by their demands. They tend to talk a lot
about their family, revealing how very important it is to them. What is most
characteristic is how much this family feels like a terrible weight or burden.
They would like to escape the family, but this seems impossible. Meanwhile,
they tend to emphasize how different they are, saying for example: “My family
likes hunting, but I like fishing” (often trying to be the opposite of what is
expected). Whereas some Milks describe themselves by emphasizing their
similarities to other members of the family, Lac asinum, Lac glama and Lac
caprinum tend to underscore how different they are. It’s as if they are not mature
and assertive enough to say who they are, only who they are not.
Abandonment & Separation

Lac asinum, like other Milks, often believes that they can’t survive without their
family’s support. And they may feel a strong obligation to give back to their
family for all that they have received. Typically, they fear that if they act too
assertively, the family will disapprove and abandon them. Curiously, Lac asinum
often initiates a pattern of avoidance, but nevertheless feels that the family has
abandoned them.

Part of the problem with feeling connected or fitting in is that they can’t keep up
with the family’s natural rhythm or pace. It’s too quick for them, and like a
Baryta salt, they need to go more safely and slowly. They can be insistent in an
immature way that everyone must slow down to their speed. Being slower,
different or disabled can become their identity and reinforce the need to hold
onto others. But this deficiency could also suggest that one is inadequate and at
risk of rejection.
Lac asinum tends to have difficulty connecting with or expressing their
instinctive power and aggression. Though they appear humble and mild on the
surface, underneath they may be quite aggressive. They can have aggressive
feelings (that they suppress) toward their family. On some level, it seems as
though this anger could cut the umbilical cord and help them stand on their own.
But this is only a fantasy because it’s nearly impossible for Lac asinum to be
truly assertive; all the anger stays locked inside. In most cases, it only comes out
in their dreams. This is where they can be rageful and destructive, and gain some
satisfaction. What is most characteristic is that, unlike Lac loxodonta africana,
for example, they are not ashamed to reveal this to the homeopath. In fact, they
may even take a certain pride in their dream-world assertiveness—which
contrasts sharply with their otherwise humble presentation.
Irresolution
As with other Milks, Lac asinum’s struggle with self-confidence can make it
difficult to make a decision. Like Lac glama and Lac caprinum, they tend to
exaggerate, in a kind of basic, ridiculous way, how strong they are in order to
cover up their massive insecurity. They may try to compensate for their inner
weakness by projecting an image, a caricature, of extreme resolution. They can
be the very epitome of dogmatic and opinionated. For Lac asinum, to think
carefully about an issue is to admit self-doubt and broadcast a lack of
confidence.

When facing an important decision, Lac asinum tends to rely heavily on others
to make decisions for them. After the fact, they often complain, in a childish
way, how they were steered in the wrong direction. When decompensated, they
can seem like borderline personalities who seek excessive support from others
and blame them for not being helpful enough.

Lac asinum tends to be more feminine or lunar in their attitude; meanwhile, they
prefer support that is more masculine in tone than feminine—whether this comes
from a man or a woman. In other words, they like firm, logical guidance as
opposed to kindness and love, which tends to remind them of their own
weakness and dependency. For this reason, it is not uncommon for Lac asinum
to be less oppositional toward their father or men generally, than to their mother
or female authorities.
Avoidance (3)
One of the most characteristic aspects of Lac asinum in comparison to other
Milks is an avoidant strategy of feigned disability. Lac asinum tends to be
immature and insecure, but not disabled. Nevertheless, she tries to fool people
into thinking that she is. To this end, she acts slow, delayed, backwards, and
‘different’ so that she can gain extra attention. She makes herself special not by
what she can accomplish, but by what she can’t. This characteristic is quite
unique and allows her to get extra care from parents and teachers. She gets two
hours of help from her mother instead of one, or gets the fairytale read twice
because she supposedly didn’t understand it the first time. This strategy however
can cause people to weary of her excessive demands and eventually they may
begin to avoid her. In fact, her strategy has two contradictory aspects, i.e., to
both gain and evade attention on account of her seeming disability.
Self-devaluation (2)
Whereas those with a false image attempt to be more than they truly are, Lac
asinum has a devalued self and projects an image that is less than she truly is.
She presents as a slow, pitiable, passive victim who can’t manage life on her
own. In her own mind, she believes that she has little intrinsic worth.
Ineluctable
Lac asinum can have the feeling that life is fixed, and that whatever one
encounters is immutable and unavoidable. This can contribute to an oppositional
attitude toward change and adaptation: “Things are the way they are and there’s
nothing anyone can do about it except be resistant.” Her only possible response,
she thinks, is to be simple and stubborn, going at a slower pace in her one-down
position. In this way, she draws people toward her as if to say, “I cannot move,
so you must move,” or “I have the right to be slow, and you have to slow down
too.”
Victim
Lac asinum can make frequent claims of victimization. This is related to her
immaturity and her stubborn unwillingness to grow up. Instead, she wants to
remain like a helpless child who everyone else must take care of. No matter the
issue, she tends to complain and lament excessively while indulging in self-pity.
(One is reminded of Eeyore from A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh.) Her attitude
is the exact opposite of Lac equinum’s stoic disposition. Problems are always
someone else’s fault. She makes others feel guilty so that she can oblige them to
take care of her. She exaggerates her difficulties: a sprain is like an amputation;
diarrhea means she must absolutely stay home. Whereas some people with
disabilities do everything they can to overcome their problems, Lac asinum often
uses the problem as a way to seek care. But whatever care she receives, it is
never good enough. To her mind, the fact that the care is so inadequate
represents yet another way that she has been victimized.
Opposition
Lac asinum, similar to Lac caprinum and Lac glama, can’t help being
oppositional. This stems from not integrating her anger and allowing herself to
become assertive, ‘her own person’; the best she can do is to manifest defiance.
In some respects, this stance is more defensive than truly aggressive, like an
adolescent who can’t truly individuate except by saying ‘black’ whenever
someone else says ‘white’. Rather, her style is passive aggressive and to look
weak. She is not malicious or vindictive and does not want to fight anyone or
cause injury. She may seem as if she complains too much about injustices and is
overly critical, but she is not a bitter person and doesn’t hold a grudge. Like
other Milks, she has warmth and mildness and the capacity to forgive and forget.
From another perspective, her opposition is like that of a toddler who says ‘No’
to feel less needful and more separate and autonomous.
Emptiness / Fullness
Emptiness is experienced throughout her entire system, physically and
emotionally, particularly when decompensated. In this state, she can act like a
child with many wants and needs who, like Goldilocks, seldom seems satisfied.
In some cases, the intensity of this reminds one of a rebellious, immature
adolescent or a borderline personality.

She may try to compensate for her emptiness with food or liquid. It doesn’t seem
to matter what she consumes; she just wants to feel full. But the relief doesn’t
last long; soon after she feels empty again. Eating or drinking in this way doesn’t
allow her to enjoy (or even notice) the flavors of what she ingests.

Eating this way can be hard on her system. Like most of the Milks, she can have
pancreatic problems and altered sugar and carbohydrate metabolism. (In fact, she
and Lac lupinum typically have the worst problems with this.)

Because she has such poor digestion, she may constantly control what she eats in
terms of quantity and quality. She tends to have her own ideas about nutrition as
if she knows much more than any doctor. She may insist on a liquid diet or on
protein instead of carbohydrate—whatever upsets her family or community.
Meanwhile, her dietary choices can actually be destructive and malnourishing.

With increasing decompensation, she can become addicted to alcohol. In this
case, she doesn’t usually discriminate one type of alcohol from another; she just
wants to drink a large amount. This lack of discernment is a common pattern for
Lac asinum who meets most discomfort with automatic opposition.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Whereas most Milks have a dividing line between the right and left sides of the
body, in Lac asinum, symptoms that occur in an upper part of the body are
mirrored on the lower part, or vice versa. The dividing line is the diaphragm.
Upper and lower divisions can express a conflict between the heart (upper) and
stomach (lower). Here, the heart may represent the familial tie, dependency on
the mother, and the constriction of individuality. The stomach could be
associated with instinct, pleasure, and nourishment (to grow, strengthen and
individuate).

Explosive Pain
Lac asinum generally wants to live in a small, sheltered, protected world. Pain is
perceived as a threat that penetrates this world. Her only armor is her
oppositional attitude, and pain seems to blast right through this. On another
level, her whole system is based on repression of instinct, which over time
creates a feeling inside of ‘contents under pressure’ that are ready to explode.
For both these reasons, pain predictably has the quality of being explosive,
which moves against either repression or regression.
Extreme Pain (2)

Lac asinum’s pains are often described as unendurable, maddening and extreme.
Her simple, undeveloped system cannot usually manage these pains or even
describe them, especially when decompensated and disorganized, other than to
say they are extreme. When stressed she becomes even more stiff, closed, and
negating. She does not generally have the openness or maturity to explore what
she is feeling, in terms of modalities, symptom picture, or other details.
Digestive Headache
Typically, Lac asinum comes to the table stubbornly convinced that whatever
she eats will make her sick to her stomach, and then turn into a headache. The
connection is clear to her and contributes to her fussiness about food. Like
anyone, she must eat but whatever she is offered seems to make her sick and
suffer tremendously, as if this situation were existential and ineluctable. As with
many gastric headaches, the pain is frontal.
Swelling
Lac asinum can have swelling in the abdomen that is painful and tympanitic. She
says it feels more systemic than abdominal, and more like an expansion from air
than substance. The swelling can be embarrassing since it’s easy to observe. She
believes that it makes her look awkward and unattractive. In her mind, it serves
as a kind of stigma or bad sign of who she is. These fears are related to a general
obsession about her appearance, like when someone refuses to wear a bathing
suit because her large belly is too exposed for all to see. Fear of provoking
another swelling episode and her weight in general contributes to her obsession
about what and how she eats.
Vertigo
Lac asinum may feel that the world is spinning faster than she is. Ideally, she
would like to live in a slow and simple world that fits her way of being. Vertigo
is functional to the extent that it allows her to live in this more constrained way.
Vertigo can also represent her difficulty with standing on her own two feet and
that she does not deserve an upright (high) position. Her symptoms are
ameliorated when she doesn’t move at all.
Simple Foods
Lac asinum, like Lac glama, tends to be picky about what she eats, in the way
that someone is picky if they are allergic to many foods and must be careful to
avoid them. On the other hand, she might do this to be oppositional and not have
actual allergies. In any case, she usually has trouble with the most common
foods of her family and culture. In general, she underscores what she can’t eat
more than what she likes and can digest. Typically, she requires special foods,
needs to feed herself, and eats in a way that is different from others. All of this
can make eating and nutrition a complicated endeavor.
Dryness
Lac asinum can have internal dryness that, despite her best efforts, is unrelieved
by liquid intake. This dryness usually interferes with metabolism. In the joints
and bones, she feels as though it prevents smooth movement, and in
decompensated adult cases, may lead to partial immobility.
Thirst
Lac asinum can drink excessively. This is related to dryness that makes her
compulsive about liquid intake. On the other hand, sometimes she is not able to
manage solid food, and so fills herself with a lot of liquid instead. It’s as if she
wants to be nourished without having to use her teeth—like a nursling.
DREAMS
Lac asinum often feels inadequate in her dreams. She may be compromised or
embarrassed in a public situation. For example, she may be shoeless or naked, or
have some easily observable defect.

Particularly when decompensated, Lac asinum can have dreams full of vexation,
aggression, rage and destructiveness, which she finds very satisfying. This is
because, in her dream world, she finally has permission to do or say as she likes.
So she can act out her underlying instinctive rage—something she could never
allow herself to do in waking life—in a way that is safe, without feeling shame
or remorse.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Lac asinum has a physically weak, immature, undeveloped structure. She tends
to be fragile, dependent, stubborn and oppositional, and not very able to access
her instinctive power. Intellectually and emotionally, she tends to be closed,
conservative, and overly defensive. She compensates for her weakness with
some inflation that may be expressed somatically by symptoms of swelling.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac asinum can feel quite vulnerable whenever she must negotiate a
developmental step or change in life. She is heavily dependent and can
decompensate easily when she lacks a structure or support to lean on. She may
struggle with situations that demand real power and assertiveness.
COMPENSATION
Lac asinum tends to cope with her weakness and immaturity by relying on
others. She acts slower than she is, pretends to have special needs that she
doesn’t, and generally plays the role of a victim in order to gain attention and
support. She is overly reliant on her family for help, but then feels resentful and
frustrated that she needs this. She doesn’t know how to use her anger
productively or to be powerful; the most she can do is to register some complaint
and stubborn opposition.
COMPLICATIONS
As with other Milks, Lac asinum is stuck in a paradox between fear of
abandonment and separation if she tries to make space for herself, and fear of
engulfment and a loss of identity if she doesn’t. The extreme level of care and
attention that she demands and receives doesn’t help her grow, but rather enables
her to remain dependent.

The more a situation requires flexibility and change, the more obstinate and
inflexible she seems to become. This opposition is meant to show some sense of
power and independence, but actually, it is impotent and makes her look this
way to others.
DECOMPENSATION
With decompensation, she may become more contrary and stubborn. Her willful
obstinacy, like a donkey, seems to say: “I won’t move from where I’m standing”
and so she gets left behind. Over time she may eventually lose all of her
relationships.
RESTORATION
As with other Milks, the main goal of treatment is to find a healthy balance
where she can maintain a good relationship with her family while also giving
herself room to become her own person. Her previously stuck development can
start marching forward again. She can become more powerful and assertive. In
turn, this allows her to soften some of her oppositional attitude and become more
reasonable in relationships.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
Lac asinum may have a difficult time in the womb, and as a baby, she may have
many special needs and require extra attention. The parents tend to be
overprotective, especially the mother, and authoritarian. The father may seem
very powerful and emotionally remote, and possibly too intimidating to confront,
as if Lac asinum is unable to undertake a natural, Oedipal struggle with the
father. Often, but not always, Lac asinum is a single child. Whether this is the
case or not, her early history generally conditions her to become dependent on
care, while feeling controlled by her father and suffocated by her mother. While
much attention is given, there is little room to be herself.
Nuclear Family
Lac asinum may be sweet and yielding in the beginning in order to attract a good
supporter. But once she has locked someone into a long-term relationship, her
negative traits may start to show. In the end, she can be a difficult spouse,
complaining often and acting immovable, as if the other person must make all
the adjustments to her needs.
As with the partner, Lac asinum can be sweet and sympathetic in drawing
supporters to her, but over time, she can become more difficult and complain
that her friends are not giving her enough support or do it the wrong way. There
is usually some ambivalence about wanting attention and care from others vs.
wanting to be left alone.
Child / Adolescent
As a child, Lac asinum may not cope well with others, particularly peers,
because she feels inferior to them. Even in adolescence, she may act regressed as
if she doesn’t want to grow up and is scared about her body changing. Like Lac
glama and Lac caprinum, she can be an extremely rebellious teen, and in her
case, this is directed primarily toward the father or father function.
Adult
As an adult, Lac asinum tends to remain an overly dependent personality who is
unsatisfied in most areas of her life: family, friends, work. In most cases, she
imagines having been victimized by others, by her environment and by society.
She generally has no idea how to make things better and is only invested in
complaining.
Elder
In the elder years, Lac asinum can become even more dependent than before and
intent on securing the support she needs. With the onset of dementia, her mental
faculties may deteriorate quickly and severely.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac asinum can be difficult to engage initially because she is stubborn, defensive
and oppositional. Over time, however, as trust is gained, she may view the
practitioner as a potential long-term provider of care. For this reason, she can
become very devoted to treatment.
An important issue for Lac asinum is the sense of vexation, which immediately
calls to mind other remedies like Staphysagria, Chelidonium, Ignatia and
Magnetis polus australis.

Lac asinum feels that she deserves special attention and makes strong demands
on those around her. She becomes extremely vexed when the response is
inadequate. She thinks, “It’s so evident what I need (because of my
impediments), why isn’t the world recognizing me—and everyone else with this
same condition?” To her, this is not only unjust, it’s victimizing and leads to
self-righteous anger.

Staphysagria, by contrast, becomes vexed when he is narcissistically injured. He
views himself as having a special intrinsic value as a person. Meanwhile, he also
takes pains to follow the rules (even when others don’t). He believes that he
should be recognized for all that he is and does, and finds it insufferable that
there is no meritocracy.

Chelidonium’s issues are rooted, as with Lac asinum, in early family experience.
While Lac asinum, like all the Milks, struggles to be assertive and express her
anger directly, she nevertheless communicates some vexation through high
demands and opposition. Meanwhile, Chelidonium generally acts sweet and
servile on the surface and his real needs are seldom expressed. Unlike Lac
asinum, he doesn’t portray himself as a victim or consciously think of himself
that way, even though he is often victimized by a dominant father image, whom
he submits to despite this poor treatment.

Ignatia confuses being esteemed with being loved. He tries to do his duty well,
believing this will garner him more love and attention. But whatever he tries—
doing dishes, repairing the roof, pulling weeds—it doesn’t achieve the expected
result. Meanwhile, as with Chelidonium, he doesn’t know how to say what he
wants more directly. This leads to an internal build-up of frustration that comes
out as seemingly exaggerated reactions to small events (without clearly
describing what he feels).

Magnetis polus australis tends to be a borderline personality with a strong minus
valia. In his worldview, he is a victim of fate, born unlucky, doomed to live a
painful life. He casts blame on everyone but himself. His stubbornness and
opposition are similar to Lac asinum in that both seem victim-like. The
difference is that he does not slow down or resist taking part, as does Lac
asinum. In fact, he does the opposite, attempting to show how good he is, and
waiting for someone to give him an opportunity. But once he encounters his first
barrier, he falls apart and can’t go forward.

Other remedies known for both vexation and opposition, include Bacillinum
(when decompensated), and some Scrophulariaceae such as Gratiola,
Scrophularia nodosa and Digitalis. The difference is that Lac asinum’s vexation
and opposition is expressed in a particular passive way. First, she appears
delayed and inadequate to the task. Then she uses this as an excuse for not
participating or for slowing down (and forcing others to slow down with her).
And no one can retaliate against her because she’s disabled. With all of these
other remedies, the opposition is not passive aggressive but more directly and
openly expressed.

At first glance, Digitalis can be more difficult to differentiate because of the
purported concern for family members. On the surface, this might resemble how
Milks are closely identified with their families. Upon closer inspection, Digitalis
is not truly oblative. He wants to appear caring (and gain recognition from this).
To this end, he imposes himself on others in a controlling way rather than
sensitively responding to a request and providing the care that is genuinely
needed. In fact, he may actually create more suffering than if he had not
intervened at all (which doesn’t seem to concern him). On the other hand, Milks,
including oppositional ones like Lac asinum, typically suppress their own desires
so that they don’t injure the family tie.

Lac asinum tends to act slow and delayed in a way that resembles the Barytas.
The difference is the relationship to her support. Lac asinum like every Milk, has
the dilemma whether to develop her individuality or remain with her family. To
individuate feels scary and may cause the family to suffer; to not individuate
feels confining. The Barytas have no such dilemma; their issue is, “I don’t want
to become independent or adult. How can I remain protected and secure in my
family forever?”

Other immature remedies include the Umbelliferae, especially Sumbulus or
Cicuta. One difference is that Lac asinum, like all the Milks, struggles with
irresolution. This is not typically seen in the Umbelliferae. Both remedy families
have difficulty integrating their instinctual side. In the Umbelliferae, instincts are
viewed as sinful and so they attempt to suppress and erase them. Meanwhile,
they believe that a super-human authority will punish them for this sinfulness
(for which reason, these remedies are listed under the rubric ‘superstition’).
Milks fear that expressing their instinctive urges and feelings will cause their
family to suffer. They imagine that it could lead to strong disapproval or even
potential rejection. But they do not fear punishment by a supernatural entity.

Lac asinum shares many features with Picricum acidum: explosive pains,
opposition, irresolution, denial and avoidance, and difficulty escaping from their
support. These two remedies can be oppositional toward their family, which in
turn causes suffering for both the patient and the family. A Picricum acidum
patient coming from a strict, sexually repressive family, for example, produced
constant seminal pollutions since an early age that could not be cured, even by
electroshock. This and related symptoms such as spermatorrhea and troublesome
erections are common in Picricum acidum and underscore the importance of
sexual themes in this remedy. Generally speaking, such issues are not so
prevalent in Lac asinum. Another difference is that Picricum acidum’s
relationship to their support will often have a more sadomasochistic quality
where he feels victimized and dominated but is nevertheless unable to leave.

Within the Milk family, the two remedies closest to Lac asinum are Lac glama
and Lac suis. These remedies all tend to be quite angry and feel that others are
taking advantage of them. Lac asinum responds to this through avoidance and
passive opposition, acting slow and incompetent. Lac glama passively complies
with demands, but is edgy and oppositional in attitude, and there is tremendous
palpable anger beneath the surface. Lac suis responds by becoming a rebel who
adamantly refuses to conform to social standards.

CASE OF MODESTO
Modesto is 35 years old and looks younger than his age. He is sent by his
general practitioner for ulcerative colitis complicated by the recent removal of
two polyps. His family medical history reveals a worrisome trend of intestinal
cancer. With his unkempt appearance he seems to want to underline the fact that
he is different from most others. He looks weak, and my exam reveals a
significant iron deficiency anemia.

Although he appears unassuming, Modesto takes pride in being rigid and
inflexible about issues that he has little understanding of, offering extreme
opinions without substantiating his claims. In keeping with this adolescent
attitude, he is hypercritical about many things, especially doctors and their
diagnoses. He seems to enjoy being contrary just for the sake of it.

[Modesto begins:]
I’ve always suffered from food allergies like all the members of my family. I
wouldn’t have been so worried if my complaints were confined to that, but lately
I have been much, much worse and the doctor practically forced me to have
certain investigative procedures that I had previously refused.

So they removed two polyps, but the worst thing was they found something
more serious: colitis with ulcers and blood. I had to stay in the hospital for tests,
and eventually left with a bag full of drugs that I’ll have to take for the rest of
my life. This is what they say. And what’s more, there’s a risk that they’ll have
to operate on me.

Have you had other digestive problems before?
§ I was born with a severe allergy to milk. For months I suffered from diarrhea
and other skin complaints that all disappeared when my diet was changed. As
time passed, I had other problems too. I don’t digest many foods.

Do you have problems with any particular food?
§ I can’t say what precisely. I have to be careful to eat very little, very often, and
especially, to eat things that are light. Every time I lapse, I pay quite a price!

Is there a food you really love?
§ I would like to eat more sweets, but I get gastritis immediately when I overdo
sugar or acidic fruit. Chocolate is very bad for me. I love bread, but it makes me
swell up terribly and produce lots of catarrh for a few days afterwards. If I eat
bread more than just occasionally, I also get a headache.

Any foods you dislike?
§ I find meat and fish rather revolting. I cannot even look at a photograph of fish.
And I really can’t stand certain types of cheese. I have to be careful with some
vegetables like sweet peppers and cucumbers, because I cannot digest them at
all.

That’s why I grew up rather weak and without much security. I always had to be
careful about what I could and couldn’t eat. All my life I’ve had to ignore my
true appetite, always eating less than I would like. I’ve always restrained myself
and as a result, I always feel that my stomach is empty. So my real problem is
not just what to eat, but how to fill up.

Are your bowels affected by your emotions?
§ When I’m nervous my stomach immediately tightens up, my belly hurts, and I
have diarrhea! § Essentially I’ve been battling my bowels for years, but I don’t
want to give in to them. We’ll see who wins!

Does anger affect your bowels?
§ For ages people have been telling me what I must do and not do, and what I
must eat and not eat. First my mother, then the dozens of doctors whom I’ve
seen, and—no offense intended—each one has their own ideas, especially about
nutrition. And that’s not even counting all the unofficial [non-conventional
medicine] points of view. Even religions have an opinion about what we should
eat.

Do some of these suggestions irritate you more than others?
§ I think doctors are the worst. § At least certain religions have been saying the
same thing all along from time immemorial. But doctors say one thing, with
ironclad conviction, and then after a few years, new discoveries completely
overturn what they believed before.

Who do you think is most reliable?
§ I think the best thing is my grandmother’s advice: use your healthy common
sense and your ability to listen to yourself. I know exactly what I can and can’t
do, and no one can make me change my mind!

Given how well you know yourself, how can I help you?
§ The reason that I’m here now is I am very worried about my bowels. My
mother had surgery for colon cancer and my grandmother died of the same
disease. My sister suffers from intestinal polyps. What can I expect? I knew that
my fate was sealed, but I would like to hear if you have some suggestions. Then
I will make my own decision.

You seem more embittered than angry.
§ Bitter? Of course I’m bitter. I would like to tell you that I’m very angry. They
all tell me that my future is virtually guaranteed, and what a wonderful future it
is! I’m really pissed off, to tell you the truth. But I’m not so able to express my
anger, at least not the way I would like to.

How would you like to express it?
§ To be honest, I don’t know how I would express it. What makes me angry is
not so much that I don’t know how to vent it. I think that I’m unable to express it
because the fact is it is pointless. Perhaps you’re right. I am bitter, but I am also
right because inside I know that I’m pissed off—a lot!

How do you relate to your belly?
§ I would rather live without my belly. It’s an organ that only creates problems
for me. And I’m not only referring to the digestive and bowel problems. I know
for sure that my sinusitis is linked to what I eat, even if no doctor has ever
listened to me until now. I know that my headache is strongly influenced by
what I eat, because it comes if I have nausea, and the nausea comes if I don’t
digest well. But in this case too nobody listens to me.

I am convinced that my hair problems are linked to my digestive tract. I had a
terrible bout of diarrhea last year, and along with this, I had a patch of alopecia
that I had to treat—unsuccessfully—with steroids. It improved when it decided
to and when I decided to stop eating the things that aren’t good for me!

Did you deliberately eat something indigestible?
§ I mean I had a moment of madness. I wanted to have a normal life in spite of
my bowels. § Perhaps I was a fool because I knew exactly what I was doing.
But, I did it all the same. I don’t want to submit to my destiny. I paid a big price
for it, but at least I tried.

§ One nice day I got fed up with always eating like an invalid, so I started doing
what I wanted. I did crazy things. Even if I felt sick all the time, I wanted to see
who would win in the end.

Was there a winner?
§ I lost. I couldn’t stand it anymore because I was really very ill.

What kind of headaches have you had in the past?
§ As long as I can remember I get headaches. I may have had them when I first
started school. § My forehead always hurts. My head feels like it’s exploding. It
feels heavy. § It almost always begins above the eye and then spreads to the
other part. § It’s not always on the same side.

§ Before it happens I always feel nauseous. If I don’t take anything, the pain
becomes so strong that I end up vomiting until bile appears, even if there’s
nothing left in my stomach. When that process starts, I can’t stop it.

§ I know when this is going to happen because I begin to drink a lot more than
usual. I generally drink loads. But in this situation, I don’t manage to satisfy my
thirst and so I drink liters and liters of water. § They did blood tests, and as it
turns out, I had pancreatitis. But I’ve always drunk a lot.

Do you remember anything else about this time?
§ I got pancreatitis when a girl who I liked a lot broke up with me. My mother
didn’t like her and she knew it. She also realized that I felt broken in two. And
because she loved me and she knew me, she preferred to spare me the pain of
having to make a choice.

What else can you tell me about how you make decisions?
§ I’m an indecisive person. I freeze when I’m faced with important decisions,
and I pretend to have my own opinion only because if I listen to the suggestions
of other people, it just magnifies my own doubts. And there are many of them
—too many! [Modesto seems to have difficulty saying more.]

Can you remember anything about how you felt in your body at this time?
§ I clearly remember that the abdominal pain was terrible. I couldn’t stand to
have a belt around my waist or even a button. It felt like I had a pressure cooker
inside my belly. I was all swollen, tight and sore.

Did it help to vomit?
§ Vomiting didn’t take away the pain this time, like it usually does at the end of
the headache. It was better when I went to the toilet—and there was always
tremendous diarrhea, whitish, like quicklime. § I had to run to the toilet even
though I’ve suffered from a lifetime of constipation. Since then my bowels have
never been the same.

Any sinus issues?
§ I remember the sinusitis from childhood. First one nostril gets blocked and
then the other. I breathed with difficulty, and I feel terrible pain in my forehead.
But it’s different from the other headache. § I can’t bear the slightest draft or the
least noise. I have to lie completely still. If someone even tries to move my bed,
I become like a beast. I can feel my head exploding!

Can you tell me about your sleep?
§ I think I have a sleep problem. I have tons of dreams, but they are almost
always nightmares. § In one way or another there is something linking them. In
my dreams, I’m even more aware of my misfortune of being a victim. I’ve been
feeling like a victim my whole life and now I am really fed up but...

Anything else you remember about your dreams?
§ I have to put out a lot of effort because people ask me for favors that I feel I
can’t get out of doing. Or if I refuse, they humiliate me. I feel a bit like Super
Pippo. [Super Pippo is a superhero and alter-ego of Disney’s Goofy, who eats
magic peanuts to get his special powers.]

§ Sometimes I can’t wait to wake up because my dreams are violent, and I can’t
stand the idea of seeing myself committing violent acts.

It seems that these dreams are difficult for you to accept.
§ I would say for me, they aren’t dreams so much as a kind of affliction—
constant and unbearable. Even during the night I’m full of things that I can’t
bear and can’t free myself from.

During the state between sleep and wakefulness, Modesto has many violent
thoughts about shooting or stabbing people. It seems difficult for him to tell me
more about this topic, so after a long silence, I change the subject.

Can you tell me about your work?
I don’t have any job satisfaction at all. I’m an office worker even though I have
an economics degree. But the stark reality is that it took me twice as long to
graduate and I also failed two years in high school. [Saying this, Modesto
appears very sad.]

How did you react to these experiences?
I know I’m not a fool but mine is a kind of peaceful rebellion—perhaps a tad
self-defeating. If I don’t respect the person who’s teaching, I have no enthusiasm
for my studies. It all becomes a burden and I feel forced to do something that
deep down doesn’t interest me.

Can you say more about your ‘peaceful rebellion?’
§ Distraction is my way of peacefully rebelling. I don’t believe that I do it on
purpose. But if something doesn’t interest me or I don’t really understand it, my
mind just goes off and I think about my own concerns. I withdraw into myself
and I can seem like an idiot. Perhaps I really am an idiot who doesn’t even know
it.

My misfortune is that I don’t know how to use my time, space or energy in an
effective way. Everything that I have done in life has cost me three times more
effort than it costs other people. But it also gives me three times less satisfaction,
so I’m jinxed six times.

You believe that you are jinxed?
§ I know that I’m not like this inside. I got my degree with honors in the end—
but in my own time—and not because my father wanted it or the lecturer who
kindly supervised my thesis. It only happened when something inside me sprang
into action. § I was the one to decide. Perhaps I’ve still not grown up completely.
Follow-up
I think about similar cases and am reminded of a Milk remedy. However, this is
unlike other Milks I have previously prescribed. I give Lac glama Q1, seemingly
the most viable option.
A few days later Modesto has a strong headache, without vomiting or nausea,
and he feels better after an episode of diarrhea. Modesto, convinced this is a
good reaction, decides to take the remedy several times a day, thinking he will
improve even more so. After the third day he has another headache followed by
severe diarrhea and this time Lac glama doesn’t provide any pain relief.

It’s important to note that Modesto knows some patients of mine that he spoke
with before contacting me. Despite telling him to call me immediately, he
decides to buy a dose of Lac glama 200c on the Internet. A few hours after
taking the remedy, he has another headache followed by diarrhea, and he stops
his homeopathic treatment.

Two months later, after speaking with another patient of mine who is his good
friend, he contacts me to say that his homeopathic treatment failed. He refuses to
have another consultation unless I suggest another remedy for him to try first.
He adds that he will not take another animal remedy, as he is an animal rights
activist.

I try to be as patient as I can, which is not easy for me. I let him know that I
think his problem is not an easy one so I will need his help. I inform Modesto
that, without a mutual collaboration, it will be difficult for me to ‘try’ (as he
says) to help him.

I help him to understand that the preparation of Milk remedies does not hurt the
animals, nor the women who offer their milk, in order for a homeopathic remedy
to be made. This last argument makes Modesto furious, and he tries to involve
me in a sterile debate about the deceit of homeopathic doctors, who on one hand
declare they are environmentally ‘green’, while on the other hand, they permit
animals to be killed.

At this juncture, I convey that I do not mean to get drawn into this type of an
argument that will not lead us anywhere productive. I use this moment to state
how important it is that he trust me enough for the treatment to proceed,
otherwise it may not be possible to move forward.

I explain that without his trust I feel I cannot continue to treat him.

After two months, again because of the intercession of his friend who is worried
about his health, Modesto decides to make a new appointment.

[Modesto begins:]
I don’t have so much more to add to what I said, but I thought about what we
discussed. If I remember right you noticed that I am a bit of a self-defeatist. If
you really had listened to me, you should have realized that I am not open to
people conducting experiments on me. I looked into it and almost no one knows
about llama milk. You have no right to try an unknown remedy on me. At least
not without informing me. You said I had serious problems.

At this point I can only tell you that my digestion is much worse and I can only
eat certain grains to avoid diarrhea and heartburn. They say that my mesenteric
lymph nodes are enlarged and inflamed.

My headache is worse. Recently I must be experiencing severe cervical tension
because along with nausea and vomiting I also have vertigo. I had to see an ENT
to have that terrible maneuver to reset my otoliths. After that, I had such a strong
headache, I felt as if a bomb was exploding in my brain with every step that I
took. Even my teeth hurt—who knows what they did to me?

I am very thirsty and more and more dehydrated and I have to drink all the time.
My lips and skin are very dry. I have had many bouts of diarrhea. I’m afraid of
losing too many electrolytes. My muscles hurt, more than I have ever
experienced. I have to take magnesium because I have night cramps.

My sleep is a disaster, but I had a dream. A guy was asking me what I wanted
for my last dinner. When I answered that I had done nothing and didn’t deserve
to be in prison, he said that he had to write down my wishes regardless.
Reluctantly, I told him what I wanted. In the end I had to die, so I allowed
myself every gift of God.

Then he informed me that it wouldn’t be right to have a headache and vomit in
front of everyone witnessing my execution because I would lose face in front of
my relatives—even in the last minutes of my life! Do you understand? Do you
understand what even my dreams are telling me? I can’t even allow myself this
meal, not even the last one! What the fuck! [Modesto seems really sad and can
barely continue talking.]

Is there something else you would like to tell me?
I have very little to add.

I have the impression that your rebellion is not that peaceful.
§ Really? You say that mine is not a peaceful rebellion? Actually in this period
of my life I am much more pissed off than usual. I am really fed up, and I’d say
that you, too, are one of my victims. In the past, I would not have been able to
tell you what I am telling you now without getting diarrhea or an infinite amount
of bowel noises that, in the end, mean nothing.

I have the impression that you are really lonely.
§ You are probably right. I really do feel alone, as if I have no support. Who can
I trust? I cannot even trust that much in myself.

As I am convinced that this is a Milk case, I decide to do my best to look at some
of the ‘newer’ Milk remedies. After studying Lamothe’s proving of Lac asinum, I
consider it, and I inform Modesto about my idea. At this time I also try to
reassure him that I was not experimenting on him when I prescribed Lac glama.
The consultation ends with my suggestion that he consider whether or not he can
trust my proposal. I suggest Lac asinum Q1 to be taken daily.

A few days later he calls me. He is very worried: he has a severe headache,
without nausea or vertigo, but with an intense thirst and pain in the middle of his
belly. His GP suggests he check his sugar metabolism. I agree with my
colleague, and I suggest that he stop the remedy for a few days. The blood test is
negative. After a few hours the headache spontaneously improves, but his thirst
persists for a few days. The bowel symptoms remain the same.

My suggestion is to reduce the drops from 5 to 3 and to take the remedy only
twice a week.

Progressively the bowel symptoms improve and a few days later Modesto calls
me to say he has the impression that he is improving and is on the right path.

The next consultation is three months later. Modesto has gained weight and his
complexion is better.

[Modesto begins:]
I have to admit that something is changing. I don’t know how or why but it’s
changing. The most striking thing is that my mood is much better. § Just a few
weeks ago, I was angry and thinking the most awful things about you.

What changed?
§ Now I am appreciative of your attempts at collaboration. You are even more
stubborn than I am, so maybe your stubbornness is the real homeopathic
prescription.

I had left your office offended, thinking you thought that I was a donkey. Then I
realized that a donkey is just an animal, the same as other animals. It is we who
think that they are donkeys—who knows what donkeys think about us!

Don’t tell me that you prescribe Lac humanum to someone nicer than me
because I don’t believe you. I’m sure that human beings are a thousand times
more likely to be asses than donkeys could ever be!

Certainly, humans are much more domineering and violent. But if I were you I’d
milk a zebra. I think that it’s more appropriate to my case!

Tell me more about zebras.
§ You should know that zebras, though similar to donkeys, don’t want to be
tamed. § It’s humiliating to say this but I really think that I am just a beast of
burden. But, I am not a domesticated animal because I want to be. Rather I am
domesticated because I have no other choice. In the end, I think I am a loser who
will never conform to society, even if they have to kill me.

Are you sure about that?
§ Even now I could kick sometimes, but my fear is that I could really hurt
someone, beginning with myself. I think I would be the first to suffer at the
thought of hurting someone who did his best to give me the gift of life.

Even if this life was only thrown into my hands like a hot potato, my childish
hands grabbed it like a ball. This is another topic: they gave me what they could.
If I were to become a parent, I really don’t know if I would be able to do better
than they did. This has inhibited me all my life. It has castrated me. Is there milk
from a castrated zebra?

[I answer his bitter joke, saying that it isn’t likely that castrated zebras can be
milked.]
§ Oh yes, of course! Milk comes from the female. Now do you see how stupid I
am? My thoughts can be so stupid, that instead of making you laugh—it only
makes you cry.

§ I live better with my belly. I don’t want to get rid of it anymore. I put on 3
more kilos, and I have much more of an appetite. But mainly I’m enlarging my
food repertoire.

§ Before, I was intolerant even about the idea of eating, but now I allow myself
some small pleasures, even if they are not cheap. So, considering how I feel I’d
like to do more. Can we improve this a bit more?

§ My stools are almost always formed, never hard and there is no blood. I have
no more stomachaches. And, above all, I can touch my abdomen without having
any pain.

What about your headache?
My headaches have been better since that last strong one. Sometimes I only feel
a little heaviness. I can wake up at night with this heavy sensation especially if I
get a little cold in the head. It is always better after drinking a little water or
coffee at breakfast. § And now I can have coffee as long as I take it without
milk. Milk immediately causes a stomachache.

Can you say something about your dreams?
I have had some very violent dreams. They used to be like “Pulp Fiction,” but
now they are more like kung fu movies. I can’t tell you more.

In other words, Modesto’s dreams used to be full of bloody violence and gore as
in a Quentin Tarantino movie. Now the aggression is like the bloodless punching
and kicking in a typical martial arts film.

§ I can tell you something else, something I am not proud of. § Every morning
when I wake up, instead of saying my morning prayers like my mother taught
me, I fantasize about killing someone with a rifle, a crossbow or a spear. You
can figure out the rest of it. I use my weapons only on men, not on animals! I
don’t know why but this is how I say “Good Morning” to the world.

I asked myself many times if I was crazy or if, confessing this even to my best
friend, he would think that I was a lunatic. Someone else begins his day with a
shower or shaving—I begin my morning like this. Can you imagine?

Can you tell me more?
§ I’m serious, I’m not saying this to appease you. Now I have the same feeling,
but instead of killing someone, I would like to smash someone instead. For
example, in my morning fantasy—if you think of what works in this world, and
what doesn’t work; what is right and what is wrong—I would like to drive a
tank, but I would stay within the speed limit. I wouldn’t allow anyone to drive
fast. I would smash anyone going over the speed limit or jumping the queue.

I am very fond of cartoons. I always root for Wiley Coyote, hoping he can smash
that stupid Roadrunner with the gigantic stone. Then I think that I’m really
stupid because I am very fond of animals. I’m an animal rights activist.

What do you mean that you are fond of animals?
Actually, I probably am not an animal rights activist. On the fifth day, I think
God got a little omnipotent or distracted. Was it really necessary to make all
those insects? And all those stupid fish?

In one day, on the fourth day, He made the sun and the moon. Would you say
that the sun and the moon are as important as all the animals? In this regard, I
really am a donkey!

What about your work?
I think I am moving up in my work. I earned a degree at the university so I
should get a better job, but others have better work than me without having a
degree and it’s not just because they belong to special families. I should have the
courage to do something on my own. I have thought about it so many times.

My dream is to open a restaurant, but please don’t laugh! I’m serious. It would
be a special place where eating well and healthy has to be the most important
issue. I have eaten in so many excellent vegetarian restaurants outside Italy. Here
in Italy this experience is like a penance. If only I had the courage. I have some
money from my family that I could invest.

I suggest he continue with the remedy.

Two months later Modesto develops some abdominal pain. I talk to him by
phone, but he is unable to explain what might be disturbing him.

A few days later Modesto’s father calls me to say that his son has disappeared.
Not even his girlfriend knows where he is. They don’t know if they should call
the police. That same night he calls his family, but he doesn’t want to say where
he is, what he is doing, who he is with, nor when he will come home again. He
only prays that his family not be angry at him.

Two weeks later he returns and goes directly to his job. His employer is quite
cross with him and he, in turn, uses this as an excuse to be angry and quit. Even
today, no one knows what happened in those two weeks. A few months later he
opens a vegan restaurant.

At this point, Modesto has had seven years of follow-up without any notable sign
of sickness. The latest colonoscopy demonstrated a complete restitution.

CASE OF GIORDANA
Giordana is 17 years old and arrives, accompanied by her mother. Her father
and I spoke at length on the telephone before the consultation. Although he is
skeptical about homeopathic therapies, he is open to doing everything possible
in order to help his daughter. He told me that Giordana is dyslexic. She has
difficulty concentrating and cannot achieve normal results in school. When she
started primary school at 6 years old, Giordana underwent a series of
psychological and cognitive tests that suggested a diagnosis of oppositional
behavior. These tests proposed that Giordana was only behaving as if she could
not learn. Recently her parents started family therapy because Giordana’s
younger sister is anorexic.

Giordana has already seen many doctors, and she is not at all happy to see me.
First I consult with her mother alone, and then Giordana and I meet together.
Initially, she is reluctant to speak. She seems annoyed and irritated. But as time
goes on, her attitude changes and she is more pleasant and cooperative.

Her posture is poor: she is stooped-shouldered. I can see her neck muscles
clearly. They are tense and constantly contracted. Her legs and fingers are the
same. There is also tension and weariness in her face. She is clearly
underweight.

[I talk first with the mother alone. This is what she says:]
∂ We have even consulted with those people who do laying on of hands. We
really don’t know what to do anymore. This is the second year in a row that
Giordana didn’t pass her school exam, and it is likely she will fail a third time.
We did every test possible and they all agree that she has the proper cognitive
ability. But according to the school, the issue may be that she isn’t willing to
cooperate. Even as her mother, it’s not clear to me whether she is not intelligent
enough or mature enough to cooperate. We don’t know what to do. We are really
desperate.

On top of that, a conflict has developed between the school administration and
the narrow-minded neuro-psychiatrist and psychologist who have been following
Giordana for many years. ∂ On one side of the dispute there is the school
principal along with some of the teachers. On the other side there are the
psychiatrists and psychologists who have known for a long time what the
problem is. There is so much disagreement between them that the psychiatrist
would like to sue the principal and teachers. Even as her mother, it’s not clear to
me whether her difficulty is an issue of intelligence or maturity.

∂ We don’t want our daughter to be at the center of this conflict, especially since
it doesn’t seem to concern her directly. The issues are only important to those
two groups of people with their opposite ways of interpreting this situation. Is it
better to help her by obliging her to change her way of relating or is it preferable
to help her by recognizing her little steps forward?

Besides her difficulties in studying, she has some health issues, which are no less
important and complicate the situation. ∂ She has alopecia, which she won’t talk
about at all. ∂ It started in the first year of primary school when she was 6.
However, it went away spontaneously. We followed the suggestions of her
pediatrician who wisely told us to wait and not give her cortisone as the
dermatologist suggested. ∂ To date, she has had three or four episodes. Recently,
there is a large area in the back of her head, but because her hair is so long she is
able to cover it up and not talk about it.

∂ In the first months of her life she was diagnosed as having many allergies. ∂
During weaning we realized that she was seriously allergic to cow’s milk and
any kind of cheese, which she loved to eat. ∂ She doesn’t like meat or fish.
Recently eating meat became an ethical issue for both her and her sister. They
would both like to become vegan. ∂ Giordana eats no animal food at all: no milk
or eggs although she really likes eggs. If she has pizza or freshly baked bread she
gets severe intestinal problems. It appears she is highly allergic to yeast.
Generally speaking, eating properly has always been an issue because she is
unwilling to try new foods.

∂ Her behavior is difficult. She shows very little cooperation in any kind of new
situation. For the moment I’m talking about food but you’re right, this seems to
be a typical trait of hers. ∂ Many times when she was a child, she said that she
was angry, very angry, because she didn’t know what to eat.

∂ She has had diarrhea for a few months. Since she was little if she eats too
much or if she eats something that doesn’t agree with her, her first reaction is
diarrhea followed by skin problems. Recently she had fissures in her anus and
vulva, a symptom that seems quite precocious for her young age. The fissures
became infected so she took a long course of antibiotic treatment. But, she
doesn’t like to talk about the fissures in that area of her body.

∂ She also has a lot of skin problems, poor girl. She has to control her diet for
one reason or another. These kinds of issues don’t seem to be understood by her
teachers. They aren’t able to realize how different she feels from the other kids.

∂ Something that she might be open to talking about is her headache. She does
not consider this an issue for her teachers but she says that her teachers should
understand that because of these headaches she has to study and concentrate and
work much harder than her classmates.

∂ We never supported her in that idea because I don’t want to go against her
teachers, but we are her parents. It’s difficult not to agree with her because she’s
dyslexic and because of this recurrent headache. This poor girl has a hard time
studying.

∂ As for what is happening at school, I prefer not to speak further about this
issue. I wouldn’t want to influence you with my ideas. Please speak with my
daughter first and then we can talk. I cannot tell you how desperate we are over
this question of failing school for a third consecutive year. The possibility that
she will not continue to attend school really frightens us.

Giordana’s mother leaves and Giordana enters the room. Immediately, I have
an impression of someone who is hostile.

[Giordana begins:]
Until a few days ago I was really sick. § I had fissures in my anus and vulva that
became infected and I spent three months in hell. They told me that my genitals
look like those of a 70-years old woman. Can you imagine? You are somebody
who is already suffering, and they tell you something like this? As if my mucus
membrane were just a tiny piece of paper. It felt like a fire in there. The cracks
were really deep and very infected so we had to use cortisone. But as soon as
they advised me to stop, all my previous symptoms exploded again and I had the
feeling that I was on fire and sitting on nettles.

I like to surf the Internet and read blogs of different kinds by women who write
about similar problems. I read about my symptoms and saw that my issues are
treated with drugs, anti-depressants, anti-epileptics, and hormones. But I am 17
years old and I cannot go to school numbed by those drugs.

§ I suffer from cramps constantly. Cramps in my legs wake me up at night. I
have a particular kind of cold intolerance: when I go outside my nose and ears
become frozen. I was told that I have an autoimmune disease because I have
some nodules in my thyroid. I was feeling extremely tired and my anti-thyroid
antibodies were very high. The doctors advised me to take some hormones, but I
didn’t. Then I repeated the tests a few months ago and my TSH came back
normal. Truthfully, I do have some days when I am so tired I cannot go on.

§ I think that I am right to doubt what doctors tell me.

I am intolerant of lactose and to many other things. Since I was a little girl my
mom did not allow me to drink any milk. The smell alone could make me vomit.
By the way, my bowel has not changed that much since then. If I could, I would
like to eat cheese. I always loved cheese! But even if I follow the doctor’s advice
and don’t eat it, I still have a very delicate bowel.

§ There have been periods in my life when I suffered from constant headaches. §
In the last months I have been getting them daily. § I get migraines only on the
right side. Sometimes they move from the right to the left. § It is a hammering
pain. I feel extremely nauseous. I have to lie down in a dark room where there is
complete silence. Resting is essential. Painkillers are useless. § I also get a
strong pain in my forehead as if something is bursting. § When I get this pain, if
I haven’t taken a painkiller, I start vomiting and cannot stop.

§ I don’t know how to describe the pain. The truth is I have different kinds of
pains. They are never the same. They start in my forehead and then move to
different areas of my head. The only thing I can say for sure is that the pain in
my forehead moves. It extends from one side and then to the other side. I always
have pains on the top of my head, and in the occiput, or some pains in my neck
or eyes.

§ I am sure that these headaches are due to my digestion. Nobody could ever
change my mind about this! I am 17 years old and I have had this idea clearly in
my mind since I was a child, but nobody listens to me.

I ask Giordana to think about whether she would like to work together; that I
consider her old enough to make this decision herself. A few days later she calls
and informs me of her decision. I ask that she visit again because I need to
clarify a few things. Giordana comes to my office with a friend. She is dressed in
a colorful way, and she smiles at me immediately.

§ I adore my family and I am very worried about my sister. I do not want to add
to their worries, but I always feel like I’m in the middle of a conflict. I have
always looked forward to my 18th birthday in order to leave my house as soon
as possible. And now I would like to not grow up. I would like to restart
everything from the beginning.

§ I would like to start primary school again to show my parents that despite
being dyslexic, I can do it. I read that dyslexics are often more intelligent than
others.

§ I have always felt like a victim: a victim of my health problems; of the diets
I’ve had to follow since I was a young child; a victim of my classmates, who
could not understand how different I felt. A victim of myself, because I would
like to be different than I am, and see my parents be proud of me and my sister,
instead of asking about what’s going wrong with the two of us. Because I think
they are convinced they did everything wrong—or almost.
Follow-up
Based on similar cases I decide to prescribe Lac asinum Q1. I inform Giordana
that it is possible that she may experience some digestive symptoms during the
first few weeks of therapy. Giordana takes 5 drops of Lac asinum Q1 every night
for ten days before reacting with a strong headache. Compared to her usual
headache this one does not improve if she remains in the dark in silence. The
concomitant symptoms of nausea and vomiting are, however, lighter than usual.
I ask her to discontinue therapy for a few days and to resume after about a week,
at the same dose but on alternate days.

In the following weeks Giordana calls to keep me regularly updated and,
progressively, her hair starts to grow again. I point out that this is not
necessarily an improvement attributable to the remedy, but Giordana seems
almost annoyed by my comment.

After about three months Giordana has only had a couple of episodes of
headache, always with the arrival of her menses, with pain much less intense
than usual and without nausea or vomiting.

Four months after our initial consultation, I see Giordana again.

[Giordana begins:]
My teachers have noticed I am more willing and helpful. They say they want to
trust this change in me, but I think they are worried about the reaction of my
psychologist and neuro-psychiatrist.

What do your psychologist and neurologist say?
§ They, too, say I appear different.

What do you think?
§ I don’t know. I would say that I am always the same—this is how I appear to
myself. But it is also true that I understand that certain behaviors of mine could
seem irritating and perhaps a little bit arrogant.

§ It’s not that I have changed my mind in the least about them. I am still very
angry that my teachers never recognized all my efforts with respect to my
classmates. My teachers don’t even know what dyslexia really is! There are no
books written for us here in Italy—none of the didactic tools that we deserve.
The most they allow you is to write in block letters. Geez!

§ Now it makes more sense to behave differently. If I continue to be oppositional
I will be the one who loses out. I certainly can’t change what is not working by
myself and what most likely will never work in this bloody country.

§ I think I realized what I should do. In the end they want to be taken for a ride.
I’m not really different; I just behave this way to make them think that I’ve
changed.

§ My parents have put in a lot of effort to help my sister and me. Sometimes I
suffer a lot because of how I am. I was never able to fulfill all the hopes they or
my grandparents had for me. I was not able to even help my sister. I felt I was
stupid for so many years.

Can you tell me more about your idea of what you did?
§ How did I do it? What have I done? I just acted out my peaceful rebellion.
They cannot force me to be other than who I am. And I can be who I am, yet
only when I want to and with whom I want to.

My smiles have a price.

What price?
§ At home I must give them for free—though it costs me to do this—because
despite everything, my parents gave me the gift of life. With all the mistakes
they made, and will continue to make, I sense that they love me.

I’ve never really been able to prove my true value to them. I kept disappointing
them, again and again, but meanwhile this is how I kept myself alive inside.
Now I’m almost 18 years old and two years behind in my studies and I want to
go to college. What has changed is that my true revolution is no longer to prove
to those horrible teachers who I am or what my value is.

§ One night I woke up and realized that I’m really doing all this for myself. I
don’t have to demonstrate anything to anybody. If they are such jerks, why
should I make any effort to demonstrate something to them?

Six years later Giordana received a degree in physiotherapy. She follows an
osteopathic approach and, by her report, achieves good results with her
patients. She pays her bills with minimal contributions from her family. She has
not complained about her health during this time except for an occasional
headache.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Fundamental Themes
Familial Identity ; Abandonment & Separation ; Integration of Instincts ;
Irresolution
Avoidance (3); Self-devaluation (2); Ineluctable; Victim ; Opposition ;
Emptiness/Fullness; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Explosive Pain ; Extreme & Undifferentiated Pain ; Digestive Headache ;
Swelling ; Vertigo ; Simple Foods; Dryness ; Thirst
Common Ailments
Allergy, food Alopecia Anemia, iron deficiency Candidiasis, recurrent
Carpal tunnel syndrome Cholecystitis, chronic Colitis, hemorrhagic Cramps,
nocturnal Cystitis, recurrent Diabetes, juvenile Diarrhea, chronic Fibrocystic
breast disease Fissure, anal Fissure, vulvar Food intolerance, milk /
Headache, chronic / Headache, digestive Intestinal malabsorption Otitis
media, recurrent Pancreatitis Photophobia Sinusitis, chronic Vaginitis,
recurrent / Vertigo, Ménière's
Milks: Indirect anger: Lac glama ; Lac suis
Other: Vexation: Chelidonium, Ignatia , Magnetis polus australis ,
Staphysagria ; Vexation & Opposition: Bacillinum , Scrophulariaceae:
Gratiola , Digitalis , Scrophularia nodosa ; Immaturity: Barytas ,
Umbelliferae: Cicuta , Sumbulus ; Opposition & Entangled with Support:
Picricum acidum

Lac ovis
Ovis aries

Sheep, or Ovis aries, are even-toed ungulates and ruminants which share a
common ancestor with the goat. The caprid, or goat antelope, evolved during the
Miocene era (23-5 million years ago). These predecessors moved to different
environments and adapted in different ways. Sheep sought the foothills where
predators were plentiful and defended themselves by flocking and flight; goats
moved to the mountains where standing on precipices or cliff made predation
more difficult. The mouflon (Ovis aries orientalis) and the urials (Ovis orientalis
vignei), of Europe and Asia respectively, are the most likely direct ancestors of
the domesticated sheep.
Sheep were domesticated relatively earlier than other animals at approximately
9,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Sheep are flock animals that follow a leader,
which allowed for easy domestication. They were raised for their wool, milk and
meat. Sheep herding became widespread throughout the world and remains so
today.

In areas where there are predators, sheep form into flocks for defensive purposes
and flee dangers, when they arise, as a unified group. In areas where there are no
predators, there is less flocking behavior. When alone, or if a ewe is protecting
her lamb, sheep may become aggressive by charging, butting or stamping.

Sheep are presumed to be unintelligent, however studies have demonstrated their
IQ to be just below pigs. Sheep exhibit long-term facial recognition of both
sheep and human faces.

Ewes have been bred to produce multiple lambs with higher birth rates causing
lambing difficulties where extraction or repositioning may be necessary.

The composition of sheep’s milk is higher in protein and fat than cow’s milk.
Similar to goat’s milk, it contains capric and caprylic acid.

The sheep is often portrayed as meek, submissive and conformist. Calling
someone a sheep means that he lacks personality and an independent mind and
passively follows others. The ewe can represent comfort, warmth and patience,
while the ram can exemplify boldness and virility. Lambs are seen as the
harbinger of spring and represent innocence and purity. Individuals born during
the Chinese Year of the Sheep are described as creative, gentle and empathetic,
while someone born under the sign of Aries is said to be lively but also
obstinate, and good at taking initiative.

The image of the black sheep suggests someone who is different from the rest.
Traditionally, the term had negative connotations, suggesting someone who is
odd or wayward, who didn’t belong or was on the edge of ejection, perhaps for
being disgraceful. More recently, the term can mean an iconoclast who resists
conformity. Some farmers consider having a black sheep within their flock as
good luck.

Eric Sommermann, PhD, conducted the proving of Lac ovis in 2002. The milk
was provided by a Rambouillets-Hampshire ewe, milked one week after lambing
from a farm in Minnesota. She was a member of a herd of thirty sheep.
COMMON AILMENTS
Alopecia, universalis Anemia, megaloblastic Arthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile
Attention Deficit Bronchitis, severe recurrent, since childhood Calculi, salivary
Constipation, obstinate Cysts, ovarian Dyslexia Food intolerance, milk Gastritis,
atrophic Insomnia Panic Thyroiditis Uveitis / Insomnia, pineal gland related,
often responsive to melatonin
MOTIFS
Abandonment
As with other Milks, Lac ovis tends to fear being abandoned or becoming
separate from the family in any way. Often Lac ovis fears the disintegration of
the family, in which case they would have to survive on their own.
Conformity
Lac ovis is the most conformist of all the Milk remedies, nearly always
following the herd and the guide who leads it.
Immaturity
Lac ovis presents a picture of someone who is simple, unrefined, and
unsophisticated, who lags behind their peers in terms of individuation and socio-
emotional development.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
Lac ovis may strongly identify with the family, seeing them as a safe base and
safe environment that one should never leave. The feeling is that this family
forged a path that is tried and true, so it must be the best path to follow, “Why
even bother looking elsewhere?” If a personal impulse suggests a different road,
then it must be misguided because the family is always right. The concept of
family refers to a lineage across many generations and Lac ovis may strongly
idealize and identify with a grandparent who has passed on, and they may
emulate that person as a model for their own life.
Abandonment
Lac ovis often fears that their family is not cohesive enough and may
disintegrate, and that this calamity seems imminent. The family seems so
changeable and unstable, particularly because the strong guide upon whom
everyone relies is replaced so frequently. Perhaps the grandmother is the leader
at first, but if her husband seems more capable, then Lac ovis switches loyalty to
him. But then if his brother seems more capable still, then he becomes the leader
and so on. Lac ovis generally seeks the very best leader because they want the
family to be as strong as possible. Without this, they are afraid that it will
disintegrate. Paradoxically, the constant changing of leadership is one of the
main reasons that the family seems so unstable in the first place. This variability
is experienced in actual flocks too where the hierarchy may change; the flock
may be reconstituted by the sheep farmer; and mothers sometimes nurse lambs
not born to them.
In general, Lac ovis wants to follow what their family demands. To this end,
they make themselves mild and fully suppress any instinctive anger or rage that
might push them toward asserting their individual needs. As a result, they can
become cut off from their instincts and unable to build a relationship with that
part of themselves. It is not that they try to please others like Carcinosinum does,
rather they must obediently follow the family’s lead and obey in an automatic,
unquestioning way, as if they were an exact photocopy of the family guide.
Irresolution
Lac ovis, like other Milks, may struggle with making up their mind. On the
surface, they can appear absolutely resolute, opinionated and inflexible, while
underneath, they are quite changeable and uncertain. They simply follow the
popular opinion. If the majority holds one view today, and switches to a
contradictory, opposite view tomorrow, then Lac ovis may instantly switch their
view too. To a greater degree than any other Milk, Lac ovis struggles with being
shy, insecure and inadequate. As a result, they have little ability to really think
about things or figure out what they should do and must completely rely on
guidance from another, more powerful person.
Conformity (3)
Lac ovis does not seek to stand out, to be fashionable, sophisticated, unique or
elite. He just wants to fit in with the crowd, with whatever the majority prefers.
This helps him to feel more secure and less inadequate. Following the majority
means subscribing to their views whether they are conservative, conventional or
populist. And if the majority shifts its opinion, or a new majority emerges, he
immediately shifts his allegiance to whatever is now most widely accepted.
Self-devaluation (2)
Lac ovis can be a more straight-forward, basic type of person who prefers to
keep a low profile. He just wants to be an unassuming member of the group. He
does not seem to build himself up or boast, and he’s not generally interested in
capitalizing on or showcasing his talents. He is not trying to appear less than he
is either. In all matters, he simply follows the herd, the masses, the stream that
attracts the greatest number of adherents, whatever attitude and ideology that
may be more mainstream and tend toward less sophistication.
Submission
Lac ovis may sacrifice or subsume his identity in following a group leader or
guru. In doing so, he can appear passive, submissive and uncritically accepting
of whatever this leader says. He is proud to be the best follower or most devout
disciple, even to the point of being competitive about this. In his mind, negating
individual identity is a virtue and sign of maturity that allows him to pursue his
highest purpose in life, like a good soldier or a devout disciple.
Immaturity
Lac ovis largely abandons his own development as an individual. As a result, he
can appear quite young, immature, weak and dependent. To compensate, he
projects stiffness to substitute for true strength. He constantly abdicates his own
power and foregoes the friction that comes with differentiating himself from
others. As a result, he struggles to progress in terms of his intellectual, social or
emotional development.
Sacrifice (2)
Lac ovis often fears that the family will disintegrate and he will ultimately be left
alone. From his perspective, difficult situations that generate sorrow, grief, pain
or similar emotions can help pull a family together, like when people help each
other after a natural disaster. By contrast, if everyone is happy and content, they
might feel free to go on their own way. He may contract an illness that has the
effect of rallying the family around him and keeping this unit strong and
cohesive, albeit at a severe cost to his own health. Illness also keeps him in a
child-like position of dependency, another way that he resists becoming his own
person. Alternatively, he may have trouble at school and need extra parental
help, or generate little catastrophes as an adult that pull the family together.
Protection
Lac ovis often relies on the family to provide the safety and security that he
needs in life. They can protect him from ever having to individuate, make
decisions, and fend for himself in the world. In a similar way, he identifies with
the masses as a way to feel membership with them, and protect him from
becoming an outsider. He constantly seeks out the most dominant authority,
even in his small group of friends, and may join other groups such as a spiritual
path or a different (non-biological) family to feel safe and connected. And he has
little hesitation to switch to a better authority or group as needed. His need for a
protective environment, as well as his tendency to be opinionated, bears some
resemblance to the Barytas.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Like other Milks, Lac ovis has similar symptoms on the right and left sides of the
body, or in the upper and lower regions of the body. The difference is that his
symptoms always change location: right, then left temple; left, then right eye,
etc. There may be combinations of symptoms that keep changing. The left
parietal bone may hurt and then this moves to the right side, meanwhile a gastric
issue appears. Then this pain appears alongside a bowel problem, and next a
headache, and then a bladder complaint.

Migrating & Changeable Pain
Lac ovis’ pains may change constantly in terms of location, modality and
quality. He can describe what he is feeling at the moment, but tomorrow, it will
be in a different spot and produce different sensations. The remedy is effective
for juvenile arthritis where the joints are affected and manifest various,
changeable symptoms. (Like other serious childhood diseases, it provides a way
to pull the family together.)
Extreme Pain
When decompensated, Lac ovis’ previously wandering, changeable pains may
settle in to one spot and mode, and intensify. These pains, which are maddening
and unendurable, can make him truly desperate.
Digestive Headache
As with other Milks, poor digestion can lead to headaches, particularly in the
frontal region.
Difficult Digestion
Lac ovis can have the same digestive difficulties as other Milks. What is unique
is that his dietary habits constantly change and have no discernible pattern. He
may have strong cravings to the point of obsession. But all of a sudden, he
changes his mind, rejecting what was previously desired and setting his sights on
a completely new food item to become obsessed about.
Hyperphagia
Lac ovis has a tendency to overeat, especially when he feels threatened about
whether the family will stay together. If decompensated, he overeats to cope
with his feelings of sadness and anguish.
Disorientation
Lac ovis can become disconnected from his environment and disoriented about
time, space, and his body. He can experience one form of disorientation at a time
or multiple forms at the same time. When driving home or walking down the
street, he often loses his bearings and has no idea where he is. He can seem
confused about time as if he forgets what day it is or whether it is morning or
night. While these symptoms are similar to those expressed in senility, in this
case, they have nothing to do with mental decline. Their meaning is to
symbolically express how lost, fearful and disoriented he becomes whenever he
must manage on his own.
Vertigo
All Milks may struggle with vertigo, though this symptom is most strongly
expressed in Lac ovis and Lac delphinum. In this remedy, he often experiences
objective vertigo where the external world seems to be moving around him. This
symptom may be related to indigestion and nausea.
DREAMS
Lac ovis does not tend to recall dreams, even from childhood. This illustrates
how much he struggles with introspection and connection to his interior self. In
comparison to other Milks, his emotional life tends to be rather flat. It is difficult
to know if this is a conscious choice or more unconscious and automatic.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS
Lac ovis tends to be basic by design and intent. Generally, he is shy and
unassuming, lacks confidence, and likes to keep a low profile. Like other Milks,
he is mild and submissive, and suppresses his anger and other instincts. Even so,
like other Milks, he can be emotional. Physically, he appears stout but has a
weak constitution. He can be overweight and flabby like the Carbons. He has a
tendency, like the Fluorides, toward loose joints and ligaments; as with Lac
caprinum, this results in awkward movements that resemble a marionette. Both
emotionally and physically, he believes that he—and by association, his family
—cannot quite hold together.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac ovis’ greatest fear is that something terrible will happen to his family and
that the family unit will disintegrate. Like other Milks, he may decompensate at
moments of loss or separation, during developmental passages such as
adolescence or launching into adulthood, or when having to stand alone on his
own two feet and make an important personal decision.
COMPENSATION
Lac ovis generally copes with his weakness and sense of internal fragmentation
by seeking the cohesion and security of his family and the flock, i.e., the masses,
the majority. He picks a leader in his family and a mentor who represents the
majority, and attempts to follow their guidance (until replacing them with
someone better). In so doing, he negates all differences between himself and the
rest of the herd, acting wholly submissive, unassertive, and avoidant of any
conflict. He feels completely dependent on his family, fearing that any
disintegration of this unit will cause him to be alone. In some cases, he may be a
kind of sacrificial lamb who does something self-destructive to draw the family
closer together.
COMPLICATIONS
Milks are caught in a paradox: individuate and risk losing their family’s support;
stay rooted in the family and risk being overly intruded upon and controlled. Lac
ovis is not usually aware of any conflict because he aligns himself so completely
with the family, but a part of him nevertheless wants to individuate. This
generates an unconscious conflict that expresses itself in various somatic
symptoms.

Lac ovis fears abandonment by his family through its possible disintegration. To
stave off this possibility, he negates his own needs to such an extreme that he
abandons himself in the process. This makes him less secure, more needful of
family, and more likely to further erode his own power as a person.

Lac ovis is afraid that the family is too weak and unstable and ready to
disintegrate so he seeks a more capable leader who can hold the family together.
But seeking for one leader after another is the prime factor in making the family
seem so changeable and unstable.

Lac ovis, like other Milks, tends to be highly emotional, and yet must keep any
emotion that could engender conflict under control. This creates internal tension
leading to symptoms.

Being completely submissive can negate his individual identity. Ironically, the
only ways that he can assert his individuality are to: (1) choose whom he prefers
to follow and submit to; (2) show that he is better than others in erasing a sense
of self; or (3) weaken himself physically and become sick as a kind of sacrificial
lamb for the sake of the family.
DECOMPENSATION
When stressed and starting to decompensate, Lac ovis often generates an illness
or other problem that makes the family rally around him and remain cohesive. In
situations where he is without adequate support or if his guide is no longer
available, he may decompensate and become extremely stubborn, defensive,
narrow-minded and avoidant. This attitude pushes people away at the moment
when he most needs their support. In decompensation, Lac ovis tends to lose
whatever small measure of individuality he had accrued throughout his life until
that point. This is especially challenging if he has, at the same time, estranged
many of the people in his life. Then he must experience his worst fear, namely,
to be weak and utterly alone.
RESTORATION
On the positive side, Lac ovis, in a healthy state, can be caring, diplomatic,
appropriately humble, and able to see the good in others. His sincerity allows
him to speak from the heart and to touch other peoples’ hearts. He may find
work being of service to others through a charity or other humanitarian cause.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
The Lac ovis child often feels that his parents give more to the outside world
than to their own children: my mother cares more about her patients; my father
cares more about his students. And Lac ovis feels that he must emulate this
attitude of over-giving and self-negation and providing service to people outside
of the family.
Nuclear Family
In his own family, Lac ovis is not generally an assertive parent. In terms of
values and being of service, just as he followed in his parents’ footsteps, he
strives to set a good example for his children to emulate.
Lac ovis is often submissive to his romantic partner and does whatever he can to
please this person. He tends to partner with someone who has a more dominant
personality. His general submissive manner and immaturity can be attractive or
tolerable to some, but unattractive to others, including those he would like to
seek guidance from.
Child & Adolescent
Beginning in childhood, Lac ovis tends to appear younger and less mature than
his peers, and he remains this way throughout adolescence and into adulthood.
As a teen, he is usually passive and servile, and avoids the typical rebellion that
might have facilitated better individual identity development.
Adult
One of the main challenges for Lac ovis is individuation. Thus, in the period of
adulthood, what is most notable is his lack of maturity and self-development.
This is the moment of his life when he should be able to showcase what he has
accomplished: a beautiful house, work, and family. But in reality, he is quite
conventional and mimetic, though not quite as dogmatic and rule-bound as a
Kali. He may proudly say something he believes is very smart, when in truth it is
rather simple and obvious to everyone but him. His taste tends to go toward the
most mainstream.
Elder
When not decompensated, he may do everything he can to make his children
take care of him. Like Cocculus and Saccharum album, he tends to act sweet and
supportive, while trying to avoid conflict and not overstep his bounds.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac ovis gives the impression that he is very happy with his treatment. But since
the doctor represents a kind of guide, authority or teacher, he has the proclivity
to constantly seek for a new one. Successful treatment may help him get in touch
with his personal desires and instinctive anger, and may help him launch a late
adolescent rebellion.
Lac ovis is probably the most submissive of all the Milk remedies, the very
opposite of the assertive Lac leoninum. As such, this remedy could possibly be
confused with Lac caninum; nevertheless there is a distinct difference. While
Lac caninum is a master at adjusting herself to please the more important people
in her family, Lac ovis has perfected the art of melding with the ordinary of the
population; even his family is so ordinary, there is no specific identity. As such
Lac ovis is closer to remedies like Chromicum, Niccolum and Palladium who
strive to merge with others, though these latter want to be well-received by the
upper class rather than the masses. If a celebrity sets the trend with certain
sunglasses, then these Semi-Noble Metals are the first to purchase a similar pair.
They strive to appear like a golden coin, even if they are simply nickel or
chrome. Lac ovis prefers to camouflage himself with the most pedestrian and
nondescript people in order to hide and protect himself. Lac ovis could be
described as a super Kali—‘the ultimate ordinary’. The paradox is finding
something specific to delineate in one of the most nondescript remedies in our
materia medica.

Psorinum’s relationship to her family is similar to that of Lac ovis. Psorinum
conforms to her family because she says with resignation, “This is the family
that God gave me, what else can I do?” But for Psorinum there is no sense of
protection from being merged with her family. Rather Psorinum has an
overwhelming, dominant family, as with the Barytas and Aluminas, where it is
impossible to differentiate oneself. Neither Psorinum nor the Barytas or
Aluminas have the skills or energy to accomplish individuation.

Psorinum, like Silica, does not have a supportive family. Psorinum turns to
religion for support, and remedies such as Calcarea silicata and Homarus look
toward the supernatural. This is not seen in Lac ovis possibly for the simple
reason that they feel very secure within their family. From this perspective, Lac
ovis is closer to Baryta carbonica than to Psorinum or Silica.

It is more challenging to differentiate Lac ovis from the immature, insecure, and
weak Baryta salts, especially Baryta carbonica, Baryta bromatum and Baryta
silicata. There is, however, one hint to make the differential clearer. In the case
of Lac ovis, it is essential to conform to a group, to look and act like the others.
The primary strategy of the Barytas is to hide, rather than conform. Barytas are
more regressive, hiding behind their mother’s skirt. They prefer to remain at
home and not grow up. Another primary difference is that the Barytas are
usually keenly aware of their inferiority in terms of social and life skills, and of
being different than others. “If other people could see me, they would laugh at
me. It’s better to stay home and hide.” Lac ovis finds it much better to get out in
the world and to do what other children are doing, what the family is doing, and
what the ordinary people are doing.

CASE OF LUIGI
Luigi, a 19-year-old boy, enters my office with his mother, smiling shyly and
giggling, like someone much younger than his age. When I ask simple questions
such as his name and where he lives he looks to his mother several times before
he can answer directly. Finally, he agrees to speak and looking at my face, his
voice is as soft as a whisper so that I must frequently ask him to repeat what he
said. When I ask whether he wishes to speak to me directly or have his mother
offer her comments first, he turns completely red and silently points to his
mother.

His mother seems rather impatient with Luigi and does not refrain from making
sharp and offensive statements about him. There is no attempt to soften her
criticisms, much less to say something loving or kind.

In this first consultation Luigi appears underweight. When I ask him to undress
for an examination, it is impossible to touch him; he laughs hysterically,
contracting and stiffening his whole body, not just his abdominal wall. The
examination reveals that his muscle structure is quite insufficient for a boy of his
age and size.

[The mother reluctantly begins:]
∂ Initially we were told that he has several allergies but we think there is
something more. He was never able to have a proper stool and has had diarrhea
literally since he was born. I remember the first time he started to poop on his
little potty, it almost shot out, and his whole bottom was pretty dirty. Just before
starting school—he had just turned six—he started to lose weight. He was
always very pale, but the pediatrician said it was just a virus.

I was suspicious because Luigi had really serious anal burning, and his stool had
a horrible smell. We gave him the antibiotics suggested by the pediatrician and
changed antibiotics several times. We then saw another, more experienced
pediatrician who performed a stool test. Even before getting these results, he
began to have blood in his stool. We hoped it was just salmonella, but after
another exam, he was diagnosed with a form of rectal colitis, a precocious
diagnosis for his age. His symptoms improved significantly when we stopped
giving him milk.

We hoped this was sufficient, but his problems restarted and then improved
again after we stopped gluten. Now he is much worse if he eats dairy or gluten,
but eliminating these foods is not sufficient for this condition to be healed and
resolved. He takes a low dosage of cortisone and if we stop doing that,
everything starts up again. No one can change my mind about this being a more
serious problem, but no one wants to listen to me. We cannot continue giving
him cortisone for the rest of his life. We have used cortisone for 13 years now;
even if it’s a low dosage, I cannot accept that he will have to do this for the
remainder of his life. There must be something else that we can do!

∂ When he was four or five months old, I noticed a little spot on his cheek that
disappeared with some cortisone cream, as the pediatrician suggested. Then at
around 10 months of age, his face became full of spots. His allergy test was
positive for wheat, cow’s milk, histamine and chicken. After these tests he was
much worse; I’m not sure why. Every time I mention this to the pediatrician, she
gets very cross. But I can tell you that ever since that day, he has been very
scared and his condition became much worse. Now he scratches himself
continuously if we don’t put cortisone cream on his skin. He has a little spot like
a strawberry that becomes really dry and he scratches it until it bleeds. Usually
he does this early in the morning when he’s still in bed.

∂ His eruptions started on his face, then a few weeks later they appeared on his
back and on the back of his knee. At the beginning it started where the plastic of
his diaper touched his skin, so I thought it was due to this. In any case, I can tell
you that since he was born, his skin has been extremely dry.

∂ During my pregnancy I remember that chicken made me nauseous; even now,
I don’t eat it willingly. Before my pregnancy I really enjoyed it. Also during the
pregnancy I was unable to touch cheese; just the smell made me want to vomit. ∂
Any dairy product was really disgusting. I never ate yogurt again and I no longer
enjoy milk.

∂ As soon as I introduced cow’s milk into his diet, Luigi immediately got a bad
ear infection followed by several episodes of dry cough. He had to take several
rounds of antibiotics very early in life (before we realized it wasn’t an infection
after all).

∂ Weaning was pretty difficult; he would not eat most food and only ate bread
and biscuits. ∂ He never wanted fish, but now likes meat, especially very salty
ham. The problem was that he would only eat one type of food at a time and
only that. ∂ When he liked something, he would only eat this food for lunch and
dinner for days on end. Then it was as if he had so saturated himself with this
particular food that he began to want something else, and thus the story repeated
itself. He can be like this about different kinds of pasta. He has spaghetti for
weeks and then switches to only having Panetta—a little obsessive wouldn’t you
say? He’s never liked fruit except for bananas.

∂ During the night he clung to my breasts, especially if he was sick, just to fall
asleep again. He breastfed until 36 months and then I had to do something
because I was exhausted. If it were up to him, he would have kept breastfeeding.

Luigi smiles with a self-satisfied expression.

∂ He never slept for very long. If I left my bed, he would wake up immediately.
Apparently he wanted my breast because after a few sucks, he was able to fall
asleep again. Then he would continue sucking on his stuffed animal, which in
the morning was drenched with saliva; even his pillow was wet. Along with all
this saliva, he used to perspire a lot at night. I told you his pediatrician, who is
also a homeopath, gave him Mercurius. Even so, when Luigi got sick, the doctor
gave him antibiotics because of his weakened condition.

∂ He has had this excessive salivation since he was a baby. As a baby his mouth
was always open and he drooled constantly. And when he teethed his salivation
got much worse.

[I ask Luigi directly if he can remember something about his dreams, but he just
shakes his head.]
∂ When he was little he often had nightmares. He never told us anything about
them; he always said he could not remember. Once in school the teacher asked
the children to write something about their dreams and he began to cry. I
remember it well. He received a bad grade because he had nothing to write
about. ∂ His teacher tried to help him; she was the one who first asked him if he
had nightmares. He said yes, but then he refused to say anything more.

Do you have other memories of Luigi?
∂ He would get sick pretty easily—so much that his pediatrician used to phone
me every time a new illness started to go around. He has always been very
chilly. He started with ear infections, then sinusitis, and then these strange
headaches that began when he was a child. ∂ I say ‘strange’ because he used to
say that it hurt first on one side and then on the other. ∂ It has always been like
this. If he had something dripping from his nose, it was always very thick, first
in one nostril. When that stopped, it would reappear in the other one.

His pediatrician called it vasomotor rhinitis but his catarrh seemed too dense and
green for that. ∂ Even now he has this catarrh before his headache. He says it
hurts first in his forehead and then the pain seems to move all over his head until
it stops in his neck. Ever since he was a little child he has had to stay in the
darkness; even the slightest stimulus can easily annoy him. He has never been
able to tolerate noise and used to be afraid of the vacuum cleaner. ∂ His
headache has always been the same, except that recently it has become stronger
and more frequent, so much so that he misses several days at school each year.

∂ As a baby he was pretty cheerful, but would cry desperately when he saw an
adult he did not know. In that case he could cry for hours, and it seemed
impossible to console him. ∂ Can’t you see that even now he doesn’t want to say
anything to you and he remains silent? This is what he does when we meet
somebody that he does not know.

∂ He was always a difficult child. Now he’s a difficult young man. He can
become really stubborn about some things, sometimes very absurd things. You
can see that he’s irritated but he’s not able to express his anger. If you don’t
know him well, you can’t discern how angry he really is. I can tell you that he
has never been confident and has few ideas about what he likes or dislikes.

∂ I have the impression he becomes stubborn just to demonstrate he has his own
ideas about things. In reality, he mostly mimics whatever his friends say,
particularly his more popular friends. ∂ Even in kindergarten we were told that
he passively follows the more dominant kids, doing whatever they do. What has
always bothered us is that if another boy seems smarter or more popular, he
leaves his first ‘idol’ and attaches himself to this other. We have never really
seen him express an original thought that he came up with on his own.

∂ Sometimes these boys he adores can bully him. His teachers have pointed this
out more than once. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of grit. He worries that he will
be excluded. He does the same with us at home; he avoids conflict. Even my
friends point out how very different he is from their kids during adolescence.

With these brutally honest descriptions, Luigi continues smiling, though it seems
to require more effort than before.

∂ His dyslexia became apparent in first grade. Fortunately he had a good teacher,
and she did what she could not to make him feel so different from the others.
Despite this he was nevertheless beset by the idea that his classmates were in
fact better than him. Meanwhile, he would complain about everything in terms
of whether it was fair or not. He would always be giving advice to everybody
about this, but no one would listen much to what he said. That would make him
angry and resentful inside, but he wouldn’t express this.

Because it is impossible to get a single word from this boy with his mother
present, I ask her to leave the room. Luigi blushes and mild perspiration appears
on his face. His attitude does not change much. I have the impression that he
speaks only because he is obliged to do so.

I ask him what he likes to do during his free time and he answers in a very soft
voice.
§ I am in touch with my friends. I upgrade my profile on Facebook. I try new
programs for chatting, but the coolest ones are the same ones that I was using
before, so in the end, there isn’t really much of a need to change anything.

What do you mean? I have the impression that this somehow presents a problem
for you.
§ Yes. My parents used to get really angry with my chatting, but with my
savings, I was able to buy the phone I wanted; I’m even able to pay the monthly
fee now that I’m an adult.

§ I’m always in touch with my friends. § We talk a lot with each other. If you are
not connected, then you’re out; so I always stay connected.

What would happen if you were not connected?
§ I think I would go crazy. What would I do? I remember when I was young they
said something about this millennium bug. At that time I realized it was
impossible for something like that to happen. Those Internet connections are too
important for the entire planet. § Without a cell phone you can’t connect in real
time. What would you do if you were going out with your friends and needed to
know which disco to go to? We always decide at the very last moment.

Would you mind telling me something about your experiences in the disco?
§ I have never gone to a disco.

Luigi clearly sees my perplexity and tries to explain himself.
I don’t like to go to discos because I can’t stand all the noise and confusion, but I
must know where all my friends are. I am the one who keeps all the contacts. I
don’t belong to just one group of friends; I belong to three different groups. I’m
the one who keeps the people in each of those groups connected to each other.

Let me understand; is it a problem for you not being able to go to the disco?
§ It’s not a problem for me. For that matter, I don’t even go to the gym, which I
would like to do, but my parents don’t want me to. § They say it’s better to do
something outdoors. § But I’m always too cold to stay outside. I’m not like my
friends; they were never sick when they were children like I was. § I think it’s
unfair that I’ve been so sick, but then how much injustice do we have on this
planet? § I think this is an injustice, but then no one thinks about my injustice. § I
think a lot about the injustices I have suffered, but then I think that thinking
about this is completely useless. § It could make me even angrier than I already
am and I don’t like to be angry. § Being angry is completely useless because
afterwards you feel even worse.

[After a long pause he does not want to talk about this anymore. I ask him what
he thinks about his illness and his experience of living with this.]
§ I am not a doctor. You are the one who should know about illnesses. § I don’t
think about it. I can’t. I undergo exams and then adjust my medicine. What else
is there for me to do? § They say my bowel issues are my worst problem, but to
tell you the truth, my headaches are much more troublesome for me.

§ My headache always starts on one side of my head and then moves to the other
side. § The pain is always different and when it moves, it’s not the same kind of
pain. § I think I get this headache because my digestion is not really good. § I’m
not really able to think much during this headache and so I feel very confused. §
In recent months my headaches come more often and are more annoying. One
time when I was driving home, this strange feeling came over me and I couldn’t
tell where I was. § It was really bad because I felt so lost. After this it happened
several more times. § I felt horribly confused; I was not able to recognize
familiar streets and my way back home. § I wanted to go back home. In those
moments I immediately get a bellyache and am scared that I won’t be able to
find a bathroom. § I could never use the toilet in a bar because my bathroom is
my bathroom. § I never told my parents I lost my way. Maybe once—and now
they are scared I might get lost if I leave home by myself.

Did you ever think about the day that you might decide to leave home and live by
yourself? [Luigi looks at me as if I had said something unspeakable.]
§ Who knows? Maybe I could eventually live in another house and take my
bathroom with me or maybe I should never leave my house in the first place.
Why should I? § I think the medicines that I’m taking work for my bowels, but
nothing works for my headaches.

§ You know, the other students continue with their programs. They don’t wait
for me and I get behind. When I have those headaches I’m not able to do
anything; I’m not even able to go to school. § If my friends remain home it’s not
the same. They don’t have the same problems that I do. If they miss one or two
days of school, it’s not a problem, but it happens so often to me and for such a
long time.

I also have this other problem [dyslexia] that my mother told you about. § It’s
hard for me to read. I have to write in capital letters and I write poorly. Then I
get confused with the letters I read, mistaking one letter for another. It’s very
troubling and I don’t do it on purpose. § When I have to read out loud, I think
that what I say will surely be wrong, so I just stand there silently thinking about
all of this while the time keeps passing by.

[After saying this Luigi closes down and becomes silent. I wait for a long time
before asking him if he ever fantasized about his future as an adult.]
§ I would like to be an actor but not have the starring role in a movie; I could
never do that. But I’m sure I could be good in other roles. § I think that the
protagonist can’t manage the main role without the help of the supporting actors;
they help the protagonists do their best.

I understand what you’re saying about the stars and the supporting actors. Do
you have any thoughts about the private lives of these actors?
§ Who they are? [He replies with his voice raised.]

[After a long pause I ask what he thinks of them, whether there is a difference
between what they do and who they are.]
§ You know who they are and what they do is not the same thing. Even if they
play different roles, in the end it is always the same thing, just a different role.
Even if they lose weight, even if they get fat, they are always the same person.

Have you ever thought about these people outside the setting of the film?
§ What do I care about who they are off the set? They are nothing—leave them
in peace when they are home.

After this question Luigi cloaks himself in a silence that seems to say this was
enough for a first meeting.
Commentary
This case displays compelling Milk themes: his immaturity and pronounced
irresolution; his deep-seated bond with his family and home; his problematic
individuation; his extreme difficulty integrating his anger and most likely other
instincts as well. Also convincing is the alternating and symmetrical modality of
his headache along with the clear impression that his headache is connected to
his digestion. The fact that he has such difficulty with milk is also important.
Linking these elements points toward a homeopathic Milk remedy.

His complaints of unfairness and his strong obstinacy are similar to Lac glama,
but this remedy does not tend to get lost, nor does it tend to idolize and imitate
more popular people (who then take advantage of their followers). Also none of
the Milks I am well familiar with have the issue of wanting ever more to belong
to a group the more this group devalues you. His precocious and degenerative
symptoms of diarrhea, the dryness in his skin, his salivation, and being so
monothematic in his food habits are also not characteristic of Lac glama or the
other Milks I routinely think of.

As this was one of my first cases of Lac ovis, I did not have much information
about the remedy to rely on. There was as yet no proving and my previous use of
this remedy was quite limited at the time. What was most compelling to me in
choosing this remedy was the adaptive strategy of sheep to stay in such close
contact with their flock. This aspect of the animal seemed quite resonant with
what I observed in the case. Knowing that this was likely a Milk remedy, I decide
upon Lac ovis.
Follow-up
I prescribe Lac ovis 30c daily for a few days, then switch the dosing to every
other day. Ten days later Luigi has one of his usual headaches; this time
however the headache is accompanied by significant diarrhea, but without blood
or pain. I have him stop the remedy and continue with a placebo for a few days.
After half a day the diarrhea stops while the headache continues for another
couple of days. I advise him to slowly reduce his steroids.

Two weeks later Luigi has an eruption on his cheek that is diagnosed as eczema.
I ask him to continue with the placebo and a few days later an eruption appears
in the bends of his elbows and knees, and then on his neck and behind his ears. A
few days after this, the eruption becomes itchy and his mother wants to start an
antihistamine. When he resumes Lac ovis 30c the itching improves. The next step
is to have him ‘plus’ the Lac ovis 30c in water, but there is no significant
improvement. Only after beginning Lac ovis 60c do his skin symptoms begin to
improve. Once the eruption is completely cleared, I have him continue with Lac
ovis 60c once a week.

After three months we meet again. This time Luigi refuses to come into my office
alone. His mother seems on the verge of losing her patience with him, but in
contrast to the previous consultation, Luigi interrupts his mother more than
once.

I have the impression that he is less pale than before and that he can endure my
physical exam without the giggling contractions he had before.

It seems that the last three months were much better than usual. I did not tell you
that Luigi considered his headache more bothersome than his bowels. So to be
without a headache for almost three months is a remarkable result for him.

[Luigi interrupts his mother.]
Of course it is. I know how annoying my headache is, and I’m so happy that I
have not missed any days at school. Since I am feeling better, I would like you to
tell my mother that if she and my father want me to get better, they should let me
go out with my friends at least once a week. I understand they are trying to
protect me, but I also understand that I am 19, and if I really want to go out, I
can do it anyway.

I don’t want to have wars in my house, even if I am in the right. I am of legal age
to do what I want, but it wouldn’t be as much fun if I have to worry the whole
time about my mom and dad not sleeping.

Do you mind if we continue our consultation just the two of us?
§ No, I want my mom to stay here.

[His mother is impatient and after a long pause steps in.]
∂ I read something about homeopathy and it is remarkable that his old skin
symptoms reappeared and then improved without using antihistamines or
cortisone. He’s had similar reactions in the last few years, but never this violent
or long-lasting. He also told me he no longer has anal burning which he used to
have at times.

The follow-up is now more than five years during which Luigi has had no
significant symptoms. He has taken the remedy occasionally for headaches. I
tried giving him placebo without results. However, each time Luigi took Lac
ovis, the headache went away. His colonoscopy shows no evidence of rectal
colitis.
Case of Lauretta

Lauretta is a 53-year-old woman. The first thing that strikes me about her is the
sense of innocence and simplicity. She is persistent in professing not to know
things or remember, and repeatedly asks me to be specific with my questions.
The comments she shares are seemingly soon followed with a ‘but’, as if she
wanted to offer another perspective. Rather than broadening her scope, these
amendments serve rather to indicate her uncertainty.

In telling her story she rattles off one symptom or event after another as if
reading from a list. She does not show evidence of any reflective self-
observation. In describing herself, she relies heavily on clichés, as if everyone
would react similarly to the same disease. When I try to explore the context
related to her symptoms, or if I ask subjective questions, she becomes irritable,
as if I should automatically know what she feels.

Lauretta works as a clerk in the municipality of the little village where she lives.
She comes at the advice of her hairdresser and friends who pursue many curious
and expensive kinds of treatment that do not appear to yield results.

[Lauretta begins:]
I often suffer from headaches and have since I was very young—and probably
before—but I don’t remember that time so well. The pain is related to my
cervical region. § They are cervical pains, the kind you have whenever you have
a problem in your neck. You should know this because you are a doctor, not me;
I am the patient. § My headache is all here and then it goes there. [She shows
with her hands first the frontal and then the occipital region.] Then I have this
pain in front and even on top. Sometimes I have pain in my temples. I don’t have
the impression that I eat so much and then I hold on to fluids and I have a lot of
cellulite and heavy legs and a lot of joint problems.

I have been in menopause for one and a half years; at night I have sweats. I had a
blood test that showed high blood sugar. Both my parents have adult diabetes,
and my cholesterol is beginning to rise. For this reason I eat the yogurt they
advise on television, but nothing has really changed. My friend told me that I
must persist, but she takes pills to reduce it. My friend had the same problem,
and even though she is not a doctor, she said that I don’t need any pills.

[What is interesting is that she trusts TV commercials instead of seeking more
reliable advice. I ask her what she thinks of her friend who takes pills, but
advises her not to.]
§ Who knows? I don’t know.

§ My blood pressure is pretty high and probably this is why I have these
headaches now. § Perhaps my blood pressure goes down too much if I take the
pills the doctor tells me to take. § Last summer it was really low and I felt dizzy.
The doctor said I had to continue taking the pills but I was not able to stand on
my feet. Then sometimes I have this pain in my neck and also a pain in my face.

Can you tell me about the pain in your neck and your blood pressure?
§ It comes and goes. The pain in my neck and face can come on suddenly and
continue for some period of time. I usually have this pain in winter, and if I take
a little pill it goes away. At the beginning of every autumn, I go to pranotherapy.
This man has great powers in his hands and after his manipulation I feel better. §
My pain is not as strong and I feel better after he treats me. I don’t have this pain
for at least ten days afterwards. § Then I go to see him again and I feel better for
another ten days. § For the last month or so I have this pain constantly and for
this reason my hair dresser advised me to see you. § My eyes also hurt because
this pain pushes them outward and then the pain goes all over my head. § Yes,
this pain even goes to my stomach because I always have nausea with my
headaches.

For years I have had buzzing. It gets so strong as soon as I lay my head on my
pillow. My father suffered from this kind of noise, and my mother suffered from
tinnitus. [She says this as if they are two different pathologies, when in fact they
are the same.]

§ I remember it very well. My father had this buzzing and my mother had
tinnitus. § I’ve had it for nearly two years. It started all of a sudden. I went to the
otolaryngologist. It felt like when you go to the mountains. I just thought I had
too much wax in my ears. He told me it was not the case. He was not able to
convince me, and so I went to see a much better doctor who said it was
something else, not wax.

It seems like you do not trust doctors.
§ I did not trust what the first one told me. Years ago I used to go to someone
else who told me I had too much wax. I had to visit this doctor every six months
to clean it out. It’s very important for me to have clean ears. Then I saw another
doctor who told me my ears were clean and that the wax production is absolutely
normal, so I didn’t know what to do.

§ The buzzing was very strong at the beginning and moved from one ear to the
other, more or less like my headache does. But I have just two ears while my
headache moves to many parts of my body, not just two. Then for a few months
it went away, but now I have it back again. I don’t know if this has to do with
my cervical problem but I think so. Everything is because of my neck. I read
somewhere that cervical pain is the disease of this century.

§ I have periods where the noise in my ears can be more or less, but I have not
understood if this is tinnitus or just noise. I have not paid attention to what it
could be linked to. § If I lay my head on a pillow I don’t hear this. Now I have
these noises in both of my ears, but it’s worse on my left side.

In summer I perspire a lot since I am in menopause and my face is really
dripping and I perspire over nothing, even when I’m not moving at all. § Like all
of my friends who have hot flashes. § I have the same that everybody has. In my
case they start from my stomach and then my head starts to spin. It’s a kind of
vertigo and then flashes arrive at my head. § On my whole face and at night I
feel a lot of heat in my body, too. § I happen to feel hot and I have to take my
blankets off. I get wet from perspiration and as it dries I become chilly. Luckily
it does not happen so frequently. You know, before menopause I was okay and
then all of a sudden…

What do you think about this problem of perspiration?
§ I think this is related to my cervical problems because I have some pain in my
neck, in my occiput and then this pain moves to the forehead, in the front part of
my head. [As you can see, her descriptions are extremely confused.]

Can you tell me more please?
§ Sometimes I have a pain here in my back, sometimes in my forehead because
overnight if I have so much pain in my neck it’s so bad that of course I have to
perspire. § Any kind of pain makes you perspire, isn’t that true? I wanted to buy
those special pillows they sell on television, but last year my bed set on fire
because of my electric blanket and now I am afraid of using anything electric. A
friend of mine has a pillow and some socks with tiny copper rope inside to keep
the bacteria away and to heal many other bodily problems. § This way your
socks don’t stink, and while you’re wearing those socks, you are healing
yourself.

[She suddenly changes topics.]
I am losing some of my hair. § I used to lose my hair. § Sometimes, when I don’t
take my iron treatments. Years ago I went to see a hair disease specialist who
sent me to someone else even better than him who treats hormonal diseases.
Then this guy sent me to a blood disease specialist because I am anemic and my
stomach does not absorb iron. This is what they told me.

§ If I take my iron treatments, then my hair is better, but then my stomach feels
worse. And then because of this, my neck hurts even more and so does my head.
So I don’t know what to do.

[I ask about her medical history.]
§ I had my appendix removed, as did all the girls in my family, and I had my
tonsils removed when I was a child. And the exanthematous illnesses—I had
them all! [She said this as if it were a kind of duty to experience these illnesses.]
Then I was more or less pretty sick. I was always fragile and whenever there was
a disease going around I got it.

When I was small I had rheumatism. And I was told that it was very strange for
this illness to come on after my tonsils were removed, since for other kids, it
always came before they were removed. Anyway, they told me this was very
strange. § I don’t remember anything about that time. I can only tell you, it was
a very bad period in my life. My grandmother died and then my grandfather.
They both had cancer and my mother was always in the hospital. First, she was
there for one, then she was there for the other, and then she was in the hospital
because of me. I was always sick when I was a child. You know, as I told you, I
used to get every disease that was going around.

I would have liked to become a nurse when I was child, but then when I became
an adult, I was too scared of infectious disease. § I read in some books that those
infections in the hospital are the worst ones.

§ My pregnancy was really okay. I was 43 and I had to decide, otherwise it
would be too late. § I got married pretty late and I decided to have a cesarean.
It’s a painful operation, but I was the one who asked for that because I’m a
coward. I was afraid and they accommodated me. § I read it’s much less risky to
have kids in the hospital and we choose the most expensive and best private
clinic in our town and I was really okay.

In Italy our medical service is free; most people go to the hospital to deliver
their baby without a problem. But she wanted to go to a very fancy and
expensive place.

What can you remember of your experience in becoming a mother?
I felt nothing because of the operation [and related anesthesia]. When they put
the baby on my chest it was just beautiful. I wanted to make sure I would be
awake at that moment. You never know. I dreamt for years that I delivered and
when I went to get my baby, she was together with many other babies, and I
couldn’t tell which one was mine. Everybody was crazy in that hospital because
the head nurse died, and she was the only one who knew the names connected to
the numbers on their wrists.

Can you tell me something about your dreams?
§ I am somebody who dreams very little, but if I have a bad dream, do you think
it means that it could really happen?

Why do you ask me something like this?
§ Once I was on vacation and told my husband that I had a very bad dream, so
bad that I was worried. Two weeks later my sister learned that she had breast
cancer. I connected this experience to the bad dream. I prefer not to give much
importance to my dreams, because after that, I got really scared. It’s better if I do
not remember my dreams.

§ I like to eat and I eat a lot, all kinds of food. I have to be careful with sweets
because my blood sugar is a little bit high. I am not diabetic but surely I will
become diabetic like my mother. Even my husband’s mother is diabetic. Ever
since I was a child, my digestion has been very slow.

I ask about her food preferences.
§ I do enjoy pasta, but not cooked with broth. You know, I retain fluid and I
have a lot of cellulite and I seem to keep getting more. I read somewhere that
you have to be careful using different kinds of grains, so I use very little flour.
But this is a problem because if I don’t eat enough pasta, my constipation gets
worse. But if I eat too much pasta, I get really bloated, and I never know what to
do.

My legs are very heavy all day long. I also often have dry eyes.

What do you mean? We were talking about food.
§ I feel they are pretty dry and so I use these drops that you put in your eyes that
they advise on the radio. Even when my hairdresser suggested that I see a
homeopath, I immediately thought about this eye medicine, which is so good,
which is homeopathic, and so I thought it was a good idea.

Sometimes I have some pains in my hip. The left one is worse but I am generally
much worse and weaker on the entire left side of my body. Despite this I do
whatever I have to do; I’m not really resting. I have some uncles that had surgery
on their hips and they told me it’s a family disease.

§ If I have a sore throat it takes at least two or three weeks before I can feel
better—it was the same when I was a child. Even after my tonsils were removed
I still got sick—with my throat and many other things. As I told you I am pretty
fragile.
Follow-up
After careful consideration this case seems to present themes belonging to a
Milk remedy, with some specific themes I had seen in two previous cases of Lac
ovis. I prescribe a Q1 of this remedy, which Lauretta takes for a couple weeks
before developing an annoying and painful abdominal distension. This is
accompanied by an aggravation of hot flashes, which become more frequent and
intense. I suggest that she stop her remedy for a few days, but four days later she
decides to restart the treatment.

A few days after she starting the remedy, Lauretta has a gnawing feeling of
heaviness in both her breasts, with pain in the dorsal region of her back, first in
the right scapula, and then in the left. At this point she phones me again.

It is not easy to make her understand why I want her to stop the remedy. I think
she would feel more at ease to continue taking something, so I arrange for the
pharmacy to provide her with a placebo. After a few days her symptoms
disappear. Three weeks later Lauretta phones me to say that the drops (verum)
are more efficacious than the pellets (placebo). I ask her to come in so I can
better understand what is going on.

This time our encounter is more satisfactory; Lauretta seems more centered,
able to follow our discussion, and more coherent in conversation. Above all, she
is more open to talking about herself. Her sentences are more thoughtfully
constructed and she no longer interjects ‘buts’ and alternate thoughts.

[Lauretta begins:]
§ I visited a forum of women on the Internet who treat themselves with
homeopathy. I even became friends with some of your patients who prefer to
remain anonymous. They told me it’s normal at the beginning of homeopathic
treatment to have pains reappear that one had years ago. I realized that I forgot to
tell you something; it was not done on purpose.

§ First of all, the pains in my breasts were identical to the ones I had before my
menses when I was still menstruating. I had the impression I was young again,
and for a few days I even had some bleeding—a kind of menstruation—which
made me think that my menses were coming back. § My menses used to start
with some dark spots, and then good, strong red blood would start. This time I
only had dark spotting at the beginning and then a little bleeding which was
pretty red, nothing more.

I have the impression that menopause was an issue for you.
§ Like all women, you think you are still too young for this to be happening.
Inside I don’t feel like a 50-year old lady. § I feel there are so many things inside
of me that are not fully grown. § I feel that most of my friends are so much more
independent than I am. [Though still reluctant to talk about this subject, she is
more forthcoming than previously.]

§ I’ve never taken a train by myself and I get lost when I visit towns I’m
unfamiliar with. I’m so happy they invented GPS. I always have this on, even
when I drive to my office, so I know exactly where I’m going § I don’t know
why, but I feel more secure this way.

Can you tell me more about your sense of security?
§ I listen to too many things. I think I am a very anxious woman. I discovered
when doing homework with my daughter that I am dyslexic. For years I thought
I was stupid;

I suffered a lot in school because I had so many problems reading and writing.
Even
now my writing looks like chicken scratches. I can’t even read my own writing.
I’m really ashamed about this. § I think I am a very sensitive woman. As a child
I used to complain about noise that did not bother others in the family. I was
sensitive to light; I got carsick; it was difficult to try new foods even if I was
sure I would like them.

§ For years I ate only bread and pasta and little slices of meat. § Finally, if I was
able to try some new food that I liked, I would eat it until I became sick of it. I
went on like this for years. § I always felt that I matured later than my friends.
On the other hand I felt very comfortable with my family and did not understand
why my friends wanted to spend the night out or stay out late. I never liked
going out dancing when I was an adolescent. I’m very grateful to my family for
the way they raised me. § My friends wanted to go to another town to study; I
thought it was because they did not really enjoy their home. § I was really okay
at home. Who could love you more than your own family?

§ Then I realized what a hold they had on me; whatever was a problem for them
was twice the problem for me. § I think that today things are not quite right. If
you think about the past, it was normal to be a carpenter, a farmer, or even an
artist, with the sons and grandsons following in their father’s footsteps.
Especially for a poor family, there was already a profession to take over and try
to do better. § Now the world runs too fast and there are no points of reference. §
The older generation knows nothing of the world today and cannot offer advice.
My mother could ask her mother the best way to make tortellini, but I cannot ask
my mother about the best websites for recipes.

Why did you continue with the drops when I asked you to stop?
§ I’m sorry but I had to pay a lot of money to see you and those drops made me
feel stronger. You seemed afraid that I was not able to endure your treatment,
but you always have to make sacrifices in life. If medicines are bitter, then take
some sugar with the pills. § I think you don’t understand what kind of person I
am. If you tell me to do something, I do it and don’t get scared. If I came here to
see you and I pay all this money, I’m not afraid because of a little bitter taste.

Can you tell me about your headache?
§ This is exactly the point I wanted to talk about. It is less frequent and milder,
but a few were really strong and I had to stay in bed in the dark. I read on the
Internet about an anechoic chamber [void of sound and electromagnetic waves].
I didn’t know what it was so I read about a beautician who also does this
treatment, and I didn’t even have to drive that far. It’s a kind of emotional
bathtub. You are closed inside a shell, in the dark, and float in water at body
temperature. It is surrounded by natural sound that you choose.

§ It was a beautiful experience, something I cannot explain in words. § After that
experience I tried to remember how blessed I felt in there. § I thought about it
when I had a headache. § I cannot explain why, but it’s a beautiful sensation to
be in a place like that where you can have seclusion—sometimes at least. It’s not
something that you can do every day. § I don’t know why I’m telling you this. It
just came to my mind.

What about your blood pressure?
§ I tried to follow your advice. It was not that easy. § I’m not one who is able to
change her mind so easily especially if I trust what another person tells me and I
trust my general practitioner a lot. I managed to reduce by half the amount of
medication I take. I checked my blood pressure, and despite it being winter, it is
better than before. So I can begin to trust you, but you must also trust me.

§ The pain in my neck, good question. I forgot I had those pains. I haven’t
thought about them in recent weeks, which means they were not annoying me. §
It’s strange considering how strong they were before. Probably, you’re right, my
headache had very little to do with my neck.

§ Unfortunately the tinnitus has not changed that much. It is exactly like it was
before. Probably I am less disturbed by it. If I pay attention, it is the same noise
as before. But before I was very irritated with it, and it was difficult to control
my anger with this noise. Now it is a more bearable nuisance. But I don’t know
yet, I’m not that happy about this for the moment. Let’s see.

§ My hair is improving. I did not lose much last month and I felt as if I were
getting the same positive effects of iron treatment without all of the bad side
effects. So it was really nice. I was anxious at my last visit and was unable to tell
you how much this issue of my hair really worries me. The idea of losing my
periods—and then my hair! § These are not things you can easily talk about with
a man. I got married late and I met only two men in my life. You give me the
impression that you are not somebody like me, so I don’t know if you can really
understand what I mean. § I think I’ve always been a bit hidden. § When I have
the impression that somebody is looking at me I used to ask myself what’s going
on? What makes me different from the others? Why me and not others? Even if
a woman looked at me, I thought the same. § I’ve never used any make-up in my
life, not even lipstick, because then they look at me. I have not done anything to
be looked at. § If I really were to lose my hair and then if strong hot flashes were
to make me turn red and perspire, certainly people would look at me!

What would happen if people were looking at you in the way you describe?
§ What could happen? What kind of question are you asking me? Nothing would
happen to me but I would feel quite embarrassed.

Can you tell me something about another moment of your life when you’ve been
very embarrassed?
§ Can I tell you something which is not even about my real life? I was really
ashamed when I had those dreams. § The dream was that I had to go to the toilet
to do something important. [She becomes very red in her face.] § I mean that I
was not even able to have a very quick pee, and I needed to take my time to do
whatever I had to do. I was sure that somebody was always coming close to the
door or noticing my odor—even after a few days. It was as if the smell had my
signature. The worst thing was when I had to change my tampon and my dark
blood smelled… and I was even outside. Luckily I do not have those dreams any
longer. § I decided they were too bad and one day I decided to stop dreaming.

§ I did not realize my joints were better. Even my hips, which bothered me the
most, are okay. I even had a nice walk in the mountains on the snow and it was
okay. § My husband used to walk in the snow and carried our daughter in the
backpack. I was happy to stay home on my own. § I decided now that my
daughter can walk on her own, I can go too. § Before it was distressing to see
him carrying our daughter while I was not able to. Now we are more on par with
this. § The best thing about our walks is being out in nature. § We even saw a
couple of snow hares. It’s incredible how their color is exactly the same as the
color of the snow. You can get very close to those rabbits and hardly see them.

I suggest that Lauretta continue with Lac ovis Q3. She takes this for almost three
weeks before having a new pain in the dorsal region. This time the pain does not
move to the other side and remains on the right. It is not a stabbing pain but
seems to move all around the scapula. A scan of her gallbladder is negative. I
advise Lauretta to stop all dairy products for a while. She feels much better in a
few days, but this pain returns if she eats any dairy.

Two months later we try stopping her anti-hypertensive medication. After three
weeks of good blood pressure readings, Lauretta reacts enthusiastically, starting
a blog to inform others about her homeopathic experience.

Five months after the second consultation Lauretta is no longer taking any
drugs, and only a few drops of the Q1 and Q3 together for an occasional
headache.

§ What can I tell you? I’m very satisfied with your treatment. The pain in my
hips, the pain in my head, the weakness, even my anemia is significantly
improved. My general practitioner was really astounded because he has known
me for many years. Even my mood feels better. I feel stronger overall and this
makes me feel more safe and secure.

§ I don’t know how to tell you. It’s as if all of a sudden I thought about how my
daughter could see and judge me. It’s a long story, but you made me reflect on
my relationships with my family and the issue of lagging behind other people.
Even the issue of my dyslexia, something I had not been aware of, came to the
fore when I discovered that my daughter has this too. She is currently being
treated for it.

§ I started to wonder how I would be if my parents had treated me for dyslexia
when I was a child. I also thought I would not love my daughter less if one day
she decided to leave our house and study in another place. I would not love her
less if she decided to go far away to a special school for children like her.

§ I don’t know if I’m able to explain this properly. Before I thought there was no
other place in the world better than the atmosphere of my own home, but I don’t
want to give that same impression to my daughter. I felt so bad when my
husband asked me to marry him. We were engaged for almost 12 years and my
mom cried when I decided to leave home. My father still has problems talking
directly with my husband. They know each other very well. They get along very
well, but I know that my father was never able to forgive him for taking me
away from their house.

Lauretta begins to weep and after a pause, she resumes.
I feel as if I lost some security and some points of reference. In the meanwhile, I
feel better and cannot fully understand how this is possible. § I think with the
last drops you gave me, or maybe because I stopped the drugs for my
hypertension, I am now remembering my dreams. I cannot really tell if I enjoy
this. § Years ago, as I told you, my dreams bothered me. § Now I don’t have bad
dreams but you never know… § I can remember something, but perhaps I still
don’t want to remember my dreams when I wake up.

Lauretta doesn’t wish to continue talking. I am in a quandary whether to
continue with the same potency or raise it. In the end I prefer to be patient and
respect her pace. Her problems appear to be improving and it seems she needs a
bit longer to continue her work. I ask her to take the remedy every other day, but
she finds that she feels better taking it daily, before bed and in the morning.

Three months after the second consultation she starts to salivate. At first this is
not too bad, but after a few days, becomes annoying. She phones me and recalls
that she had this problem during her pregnancy. I advise her to stop the remedy
and a few days later, the salivation goes away. She is fine for the next several
weeks until the appearance of a strange drowsiness. Occasionally she has to
close her eyes and sleep for just a few minutes. She does not notice any relation
between the drowsiness and her digestion or the amount of sleep she had the
night before. This too is a symptom from her past, in her adolescence. I advise
her to move up to a Q5 but it takes several days until this drowsiness resolves.
She is reluctant to come back and see me. I see her again a few months later.

§ I would have preferred not to come and see you again but it didn’t feel quite
right. On the one hand, I really feel that I need to be appropriate toward you and
thank you for all you’ve done for me. Before I started this treatment, I had a
headache every day and it really disturbed me. Then I started to have many
dreams and felt confused. On the one hand, my body has gotten better. I feel that
I’m stronger. Even my blood tests have never been so good. But then I had to
ask myself a lot of things that I think I had no desire to ask. I don’t know if it
was because of the treatment or because of something else, but I feel I’m not the
same person as I was before, and I’m not really sure that this makes me feel
better.

§ My husband says that I’m different, that I’m less dependent on him. I am not
always on the telephone with my family, and he says that something is really
changing inside of me. Some days I am afraid that I am a bit stupid, and I feel
the weight of responsibility in caring for my daughter. I would like to be a good
mother and I would like it to not be too late. There is also the issue of old
problems I had previously in my life that are coming out again. § On the one
hand, I have the impression that I’m getting younger. On the other, it’s like life
is having me repeat some years at school.

Perhaps what is important is that you have an opportunity to review some
aspects of your life.
§ You’re right. Now when I talk with my friends I have the impression that we
are talking about silly things. I have never been snobbish. I would like to
understand what’s going on. I have been considering seeing a psychologist.

I don’t know if it is important to decide whether the treatment or something else
has helped this change to occur. But I think it’s important you are now able to
see some aspects of yourself more clearly.
§ I think you’re right. It’s not because of your medicine; it’s the way I reacted to
your treatment. It probably means that I can do it on my own. My life was
always pretty simple, and I would like it to continue like this.

I had a dream that really shocked me. I thought it’s not a matter of dignity, but a
matter of duty being a mother, a wife, a daughter and probably also a patient.
[She opens a paper and reads me her dream.] § I preferred to write it down
because I was afraid that I might forget it on purpose; this time I wanted to
remember it. Try to consider that the day after I had this dream, it came to my
mind after so many months which remedy it was that you gave me. I don’t know
what you think about sheep, but I can see that you often wear very nice, soft
wool sweaters. Please don’t tell me your opinion about sheep, I don’t want to
know, but keep in mind your lovely sweater.

So this is the dream: I was living in a house where the water was pretty dirty and
the only way to make it drinkable was to pour it, many times, from one pot to
another. Every pot, every container has its own filter and it was not sufficient to
filter it just once. I was the only one at home who could do such important, but
also annoying and repetitive work. I considered myself stupid while they thought
that I was not stupid at all. And everybody at home depended on my filtering
work. If they tried to do what I did, they lost too many drops on the soil; but
when I did this work, not even one drop fell out. Time passed and I realized that
my hair was becoming white. One day all the women of the house told me it was
the moment for me to stop. I had done enough and now a child, a young girl,
who had observed me for a long time, would do my work for me. I didn’t know
if I could really trust this young girl, but she had my face and beautiful, long
hair. She was even stronger than me and this child could do my job better than I
could. It was as if I could finally take a rest. As soon as I sat down, she told me
that I could rest, but it was better to go outside because it was a wonderful day.
She said if I stayed outside in the sun my bones would improve and I would feel
stronger. I went outside and felt the warmth on my skin. I felt like the sun was
going inside my body. I was not perspiring. All around me there was a beautiful
village with many women, each one of them doing something different. They
were walking all around the beautiful streets in this village: one with a bag full
of all the stuff she needed for cooking; another bringing kids home from school;
another sitting on a bench knitting; another one washing her clothes at a fountain
as was done many years ago. § When I woke up I felt so serene.

I like to think that I remained serene after that dream. You should be very happy
how I feel; my general practitioner would have been very content if he had
accomplished just a small portion of what you did.

The follow-up is over eight years. She has almost none of the symptoms she had
in the beginning. She came through her menopause gently, and I see her more or
less a couple of times per year, along with her husband and daughter. I’ve had
to occasionally repeat the remedy for some headaches, always related to an
intake of dairy or stress with her daughter. The remedy has continued to work
well.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Conformity ; Immaturity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Conformity (3); Self-devaluation (2); Submission ; Immaturity ; Sacrifice (2);
Protection ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: migrating & changeable ; Pain: extreme ; Headache: digestive ;
Digestion: difficult ; Hyperphagia ; Disorientation ; Vertigo
Common Ailments
Alopecia, universalis Anemia, megaloblastic Arthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile /
Attention Deficit Bronchitis, severe recurrent, since childhood Calculi,
salivary Constipation, obstinate Cysts, ovarian Dyslexia Food intolerance,
milk Gastritis, atrophic Insomnia Panic Thyroiditis / Uveitis
Milks: Submissive: Lac caninum
Other: Conform: False-self: Chromium, Niccolum, Palladium ; Kalis ;
Psorinum ; Silica ; Immature: Aluminas ; Barytas: Baryta bromatum , Baryta
carbonica , Baryta silicata

Lac suis

SUS SCROFA DOMESTICUS OR SUS DOMESTICUS

The pig, or Sus scrofa domesticus, is a member of the Suidae family of even-
toed ungulates. Its primitive ancestor was the wild boar. The time of divergence
is estimated to have been approximately 500,000 years ago, with domestication
occurring around 9,000 years ago. The wild boar is native to the forests of
Europe, Asia and northwest Africa.

Pigs are omnivores and are highly social and intelligent animals. They are self-
sufficient and need little care; however, without management they can be
destructive and reproduce excessively in the wild.

A sow’s gestation period is colloquially noted as ‘three months, three weeks and
three days’ and she can mate twice a year. A litter usually consists of seven or
eight piglets.

Pigs are not herd animals but enjoy living in groups, eating and sleeping
together. When their social bonds are broken, pigs suffer psychological stress.
They moan and groan, and with sufficient distress, will squeal and run back and
forth or in circles. Recent studies have examined this problem of ‘the last pig in
the pen’, where a pig will significantly harm itself as a result of being separated
from its social group.

Their snout serves as an acute sense organ, as observed in the truffle hunting pig.

The pig was a symbol of fertility and was sacred to Isis, Ceres and Demeter. The
Egyptian goddess Nut was depicted as the mother of the night, with the stars as
her piglets. American Indians believed the pig represented fertility, as did the
Celts, who also believed that she represented good luck and prosperity. Those
born during the Chinese Year of the Pig are thought to be happy, honest and
fortunate. In Buddhism, the three unwholesome roots responsible for humanity’s
suffering are ignorance, attachment and aversion. In this iconography ignorance
is depicted as a pig.

Pigs are also used to represent greed or lack of manners (he eats like a pig), or
dirtiness (a house like a pigsty). To be a pig can mean to be prejudiced or
boorish (chauvinist pig) or obstinate (pig-headed).

For centuries the pig’s image has been plagued by an association with filth. This
reputation is not altogether unwarranted. Though pigs roll in the mud to protect
their skin and lower their body temperature, they also are used to consume feces
in rural China and Goa. Islamic and Jewish religions prohibit contact with pigs
or consumption of their meat (as well as other animals that do not chew their
cud) as they are considered unclean.

Provings of Lac suis (alternatively Lac suinum or Lac suilinum or Lac suillinum)
were performed by Stephen Kohlrausch, Kees Dam, Sylvia Zeising and Otmar
Neuhöfer in 1997. The milk came from a Sus scrofa domestica, a crossbreed of
marshland pigs with Yorkshires and English Middle Whites. The sow was able
to come and go from the pen at her leisure. The fresh milk was potentized.
COMMON AILMENTS
Asthma Bulimia Constipation, obstinate Cyclothymia (Bipolar) Eczema, atopic
Eczema, dry Epilepsy Food intolerances, milk Headaches, with aura
Hyperthyroidism Masturbation, infantile / Nystagmus Panic Ptyalism of
pregnancy Sinusitis, chronic Strabismus / Trauma, spinal / Valvular heart disease
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Lac suis typically complains that their family does not understand them, leading
them to feel forsaken. Similar to Lac caprinum, Lac asinum and Lac glama, they
can fear being encaged and suffocated by a family that seemingly won’t allow
him to change and become their true self. On the one hand, they seem detached
and indifferent to expectations, on the other, they stubbornly insist on being
‘difficult’, and provoke people into rejecting them.
Refusal
Lac suis are rebels who refuse to conform to social standards or to what others,
especially their family, want them to be. They think, “Instead of my changing to
accommodate them, they should change to accommodate me.” Lac suis can be
close to the Ammoniums, but with the (pretended) pride of being
unapologetically different, a resolute and intentional outcast.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
As with other Milks, Lac suis feels a tremendous pressure from family to do
what is expected, and reacts to this with vehement opposition. Their protest is
not a declaration of who they are, because they have little sense of this
themselves; rather, it’s a declaration of who they refuse to be, namely, a
perfectly well-behaved member of the family. They think that being oppositional
makes them more independent and less identified with their family, but all Lac
suis’ behavior, even though rebellious, is in reaction to or directed toward their
family. So in actuality, they are still mired in the family, and their many gestures
to the contrary just show how entrenched in this mud they really are.
Abandonment
As with other Milks, Lac suis fears being forsaken by their family. The family is
often stiff, unemotional, detached. Lac suis doesn’t feel seen or recognized by
them, and so in a way, already feels abandoned. It’s as if the Lac suis child
cannot make their mother smile. The child might say: “I’m a little stinking pig in
the arms of my mother, and of course she doesn’t like me, but what can I do?”
Often they push the envelope to get a reaction or test whether they are truly
loved. The family does not generally abandon their child, but non-family
members may, on account of Lac suis’ poor behavior. Though Lac suis goads
others into rejecting the relationship, they are still pained when this actually
occurs.
Lac suis likes to make a show of being libertine. They can appear sexually
provocative and gluttonous, as if intent on indulging all of their instinctual urges.
Meanwhile, like other Milks, they struggle to experience any genuine pleasure or
satisfaction, which suggests that they are not truly attuned or coordinated with
their instinctual side. Their primary motive is to transgress social morays in
order to shock, offend and embarrass as well as provoke rejection. They may, for
example, talk brazenly about masturbation in a context where this is clearly
inappropriate. In some respects, Lac suis can resemble the hippie counterculture
stereotype of long hair, free love, and inconsistent hygiene. Metaphorically, it’s
as if they want to splash around in the mud and make a big mess for everyone to
see.
Irresolution
As with other Milks, Lac suis is extremely irresolute. On the surface, their strong
opinions would seem to suggest otherwise, but these are just an attempt to
appear confident when they don’t really feel that way. They act more adolescent
than adult and have great difficulty making mature decisions. Oppositional by
reflex, they often have no idea what is truly important to them; let alone how to
make up their mind.
Avoidance (3)
Lac suis intentionally defies all the expected rules in a way that is even stronger
than Lac asinum. He uses this oppositional behavior to create some distance
from his family and to avoid too much family contact. If his behavior is so
offensive, he reasons, maybe they will give him some space. He may produce
symptoms like bad odors that make it difficult for people to be physically close
to him. He may avoid expectations by acting less competent than he is. As a
child, he might act as though he cannot walk, for example, so that his parents
don’t pressure him to do so much.
Outcast (2)
Through his repellant behavior, Lac suis turns himself into an outcast or pariah.
And he acts as though he is defiantly proud of being this way. “You consider me
a pig, so what? I’m proud to be a pig!” From his perspective, at least he is being
honest about who he is, whereas others just conform to society and are not being
true to themselves. He takes a certain perverse pleasure in being so egregiously
incorrect—eating indigestible objects such as pencils, chalk or earth provoke a
reaction while suggesting, “I do what I want.” Essentially, he wants to shock and
offend to gain negative attention while making a riposte for having been
demeaned by others.
Impotent Anger
Lac suis has an extreme sense of rage. This is quite different from most Milks,
since they often suppress their anger. Similar to Lac caprinum, Lac suis cannot
control his anger; it must come out. The difference is that Lac suis goes beyond
words to act out this rage. But in the end, it doesn’t accomplish anything except
to create friction and bad feelings with other people. This leads to being
criticized, rejected and feeling victimized (which could make him even angrier
than before). Lac suis doesn’t seem to get any satisfaction or relief from
expressing his anger. After all the drama, he tends to be just as angry as before.
Though rage gives the illusion of strength, and he may take some pride in it,
more often than not he feels guilt and remorse after expressing himself this way.
Victim
Lac suis feels like a victim, but he also chooses to be a victim. In the first
instance, he feels poorly understood, poorly recognized and over-controlled by a
family that feels rigid and inflexible in their demands and expectations. From his
perspective, they seem fixed and immovable, like granite. They seem unwilling
to adapt to his needs, and insist that he adapt to theirs. Thus he feels like a victim
under their dominion.

He also chooses to play the victim role for a number of reasons. First, it
expresses how awful he feels as a member of this frigid family. Second, he does
this to gain some sympathy, attention and recognition from whomever he can, to
replace what he didn’t get from his own family. Third, he acts like a victim in
order to make his family change. He hopes that they will stop being so rules-
bound and finally warm up enough to give him some love and acceptance. His
plan is to act outrageously offensive. This way he challenges the rules that keep
them in a stuck place while calling attention to his needs. He sees himself here as
a kind of sacrificial lamb, victimizing himself in order to help the family change.
He may accomplish this by developing awful symptoms after contracting a
serious disease. His system seems to choose whatever would be most offensive
and unmanageable to his family. But whether he chooses to behave poorly or to
become sick, his plan of self-victimization does not change his family; it only
hurts himself.
Opposition (3)
Lac asinum, Lac caprinum and Lac glama are very oppositional Milks who like
to protest and complain. Lac suis goes a step further by being truly antisocial and
adding provocative actions to his words. With his parents, he will often choose
to disturb them in the way they find most upsetting. Whatever is expected, he
must do the opposite. For example, if their chief anxiety is about drug use, he
will develop a drug habit. If it’s progress in school, then he will be sure to fail.
To some degree, this behavior represents an extreme protest against how others
treat him and feel about him.
Overactive-Apathetic
Lac suis is versatile in manifesting a state of hyperactivity or apathy, depending
on what is most upsetting to his parents. If they are aggravated by his being
hyperactive, then he will be hyperactive. If being apathetic makes them worry
about his future, then he will be apathetic. Both states are useful for being
oppositional and annoying. When hyperactive, he can do myriad things to bother
them. When apathetic, he can refuse or ignore doing anything asked of him.
Laxity / Rigidity
Lac suis tends to be too rigid or too lax, related to muscular or neurological
issues. These tendencies can lead to physical symptoms and syndromes as well
as injuries. As a result of performing dangerous feats (for shock and awe) spinal
injuries are common, and as a bonus they generate much parental worry.
Recovery from injury can also be a problem. These issues contribute to his
feeling uncoordinated and ill-at-ease with his body, particularly in sports, and
may affect his posture, his ability to stand and walk, and his ease with bodily
movement in general. On a somatic level, this polarity is a reflection of his
irresolution and not knowing who he really is. Similarly, his inability to stand or
walk points to his inability to stand on his own or to move forward with his life.
Finally, his physical challenges give him an opportunity to be difficult with his
parents and with the health professionals who are trying to help him.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
In Lac suis, the lower part of the abdomen, anus and reproductive organs are a
strong focus area of the corpus. This area can be perceived as transgressive,
difficult to cope with, and in conflict with the rest of the body. This is similar to
how Lac leoninum concenters symptoms in one area, in this case, the chest
(rather than the pelvis in Lac suis). The headaches in Lac suis generally alternate
from side to side.

Hypoesthesia-Anesthesia
When compensated, Lac suis acts as if he is too tough to feel any pain. Physical
issues that should cause significant pain don’t seem to bother him at all. As a
child, his numbed reaction is so out of sync with the pain that he should feel, it
can cause serious consequences and concern for his parents. In the case of
Marcello he arrived at the hospital with severe life threatening peritonitis yet
without typical signs of appendicitis.
Extreme Pain
When the strategy of ignoring one’s pain no longer works, then more severe
pains may appear. Whereas before, he made no complaints about pain, now he
over-complains, cannot manage the suffering and becomes extremely vexed. He
cannot stand being victimized by pain, particularly the fact that he has no control
over his suffering and must simply endure it.
Digestive Headache
Lac suis has the same kind of digestive headaches as other Milks, except that
they are associated with overeating, rather than to a specific food that is difficult
to digest. As with all his pains, he has difficulty discerning the type of pain, its
location or modalities that affect his condition. Similar to protopathic remedies,
all he can say is that it hurts, and the pain is severe. It’s as if the pain impairs his
ability to think about his symptoms. If asked to provide this information, he can
become annoyed.
Difficult Digestion
Lac suis frequently has indigestion but can’t seem to describe his symptoms.
What is most specific is how there seems to be no rhyme or reason to his eating
pattern. He may eat when he’s hungry until he’s full, or he may skip meals when
he’s hungry, or overeat when he’s already satiated. His eating is erratic, perhaps
as another way to be outrageous and defy what is normal and expected. This way
of eating tends to only worsen his digestive problems.
Hyperphagia
In some cases, Lac suis cannot control how much he eats and so he eats to
excess. His eating is impulsive, capricious and chaotic. He has no discernment
about what he likes or dislikes, or perhaps even what he is eating. He has no real
relationship with food; it’s just a kind of slop and swill. His hyperphagia
typically leads to becoming overweight or obese. This can cause yet another
concern for his parents. A less positive physical appearance helps him look more
like a victim and outcast.
Vertigo
Lac suis complains of having vertigo that comes on quickly and may lead to
falling down and injury. This generally only happens in public, however, which
raises the question of whether he truly feels dizzy or is just doing this to play the
victim and get attention.
Indigestible Food
Lac suis sometimes eats food or objects that are dirty or indigestible which
causes concern for parents and peers. He may, for example, eat pencils, soil,
stones, etc. Part of the issue is that he just wants to shock others. Another issue is
that he wants his stomach full and doesn’t really care what he puts into it. Just as
he is undiscerning about pain, he can be indiscriminate about what he puts into
his mouth or what foods he likes. All that’s important is to eat. Thus he may
inadvertently mix foods and flavors together in an atypical way that might upset
others
Malodor
Lac suis can produce a stench that often smells like rotten eggs. It’s a big
problem for other people, but he doesn’t mind. In fact, he may love this stink as
if it is something to be proud of. The smell can come from any discharge: feces,
urine, perspiration, saliva, and it might be related to an infection, such as E. coli
in the bladder.
Milk
Lac suis has an intolerance or allergy to milk which may reveal itself earlier than
is typical of other Milk remedies. He may reject his mother’s milk at a very early
age, which reflects his frustration about his poor connection and a nascent
tendency toward opposition.
DREAMS
Lac suis’ dreams are dramatic and often gory, but it is difficult to know if they
are true or just fabricated to upset his parents. When recounting them in the
consultation, he seems acutely interested in everyone’s reaction. He has no
emotional response, which is unusual given the very disturbing content of his
dream. Meanwhile he flashes the cunning smile of someone who likes to shock
and tell stories. Whether dream or story, the content may still reveal something
of his inner world. A typical theme is about precious things like jewelry or
money. This may relate to his feeling that he is special but not properly
appreciated.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

In comparison to other Milks, Lac suis has a strong, stout constitution and good
stamina. When compensated, his body appears able to withstand anything. When
decompensated, it is the opposite and he is quite susceptible to pain and to
disease. Much of his emotional space is filled with anger and base, instinctive
pleasure. Intellectually he is often bright but very narrow-minded. His system is
poorly organized and chaotic which allows him to create a diverse range of
symptoms. This lack of coordination can also lead to injuries.

Like his temperament, his body can be reactive and sulphuric, producing acute
symptoms, inflammation, high fevers, and discharges.
VULNERABILITIES
Though Lac suis cultivates the image of being a victim, outcast or pariah, too
much negative attention from others can lead him to truly feel defective,
particularly when this leads to repeated rejection and abandonment. Though he
complains that his family will never change, he is as fixed and immovable as
they are, and as unsettled by change. Like most Milks, he feels vulnerable to his
family’s dominion but also if he tries to stand on his own or make an important
decision.
COMPENSATION
Starting out in life, Lac suis feels unsupported and constricted by his family.
Feeling victimized by their domineering control, and defective because he
doesn’t measure up to their standards, he chooses to embrace, rather than resist,
the role of victim and outcast. Meanwhile, his oppositional attitude provides the
illusion that he is more independent than he actually is. His anger allows him to
avoid more painful underlying feelings of rejection and inadequacy. He does
everything he can to shock, provoke and annoy, often by acting in a very base,
animal-like manner. His offensive behavior is meant to aggravate his family
enough that they might finally take notice of him.
COMPLICATIONS
Lac suis does the opposite of what his family wants, as if to say that he is his
own person. However, every move he makes is in direct response to them, so in
actuality, he is still controlled by them. Lac suis’ fear of inevitable abandonment
drives him to become practiced at it. The more he is rejected, the more he makes
himself an outcast. The more he makes himself an outcast, the more he is
rejected. At root, Lac suis wants support and acceptance, but his strategy of
becoming an outcast and pariah causes him to lose support and acceptance.

Lac suis plays the victim to gain sympathy, but his disgusting behavior makes it
more likely that he will be jeered. Lac suis’ main means of feeling powerful is to
repel, but this begets so much negative response from others that eventually it
causes him to feel disempowered.

Lac suis’ shocking behavior is meant to make his rules-bound family change and
warm up, but instead it further confirms for them the need for such rules. And
instead of becoming closer and more connected, they may become frustrated,
critical and eventually more distant.
DECOMPENSATION
With decompensation, his previous toughness and defiance wear down. He
begins to feel physical pains and becomes more susceptible to disease states.
These are functional to the extent that they gain him care and attention while
also providing yet another way to provoke his family. On the other hand, they
are self-destructive. And the illness, possibly with disgusting symptoms, can
make him less desirous to be near. As time goes by, he often finds himself more
and more alone.
RESTORATION
Compared to other Milks, Lac suis has an easier time learning how to become
independent. He can have a real compassion for other outcasts as well as an
appreciation and space for the darker side of our human nature. Over time, he
can learn to endure relationships without pushing people away. He can become
more flexible and turn his opposition in the direction of assertiveness.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
Lac suis’ family of origin is generally very rigid, rules-bound and unemotional,
and can appear very Kali-like in this respect. They are outwardly formal and
enjoy little emotional connection or conversation. Appearances are important,
and everyone is supposed to smile and pretend that all is well, even if it’s not. In
some cases, the parents are still together only because of religious or societal
rules that say they should.

The Lac suis child does not feel warmly loved or well-received into the world.
His mother seems cold and detached, and as a baby, he can’t seem to make her
smile. So he grows up feeling that something is wrong with him; that’s why his
mother isn’t affectionate. All along, he has the painful impression that his family
doesn’t recognize or accept him for who he is. All they care about are rules and
correct behavior. But it’s difficult to behave well when one doesn’t feel soothed,
loved or reassured. Inside he’s in terrible emotional turmoil; outside he’s
supposed to toe the line and pretend that everything’s just fine. Meanwhile, he is
harshly scolded every time he misbehaves. All of this together creates a pressure
cooker that eventually explodes and gives birth to a professional rules breaker.
Nuclear Family
When Lac suis forms a family of his own, he and his spouse are always in
serious conflict. The children are usually more conservative, more like Lac suis’
parents, and don’t appreciate the mayhem generated by a rebellious parent or
fighting parents.
In romantic relationships, he wants the stimulation of conflict, drama and
intensity. He doesn’t want a conventional life or relationship; that would be too
boring. He may have a few good friends. He may not see them very often or
cultivate the relationship, but there is a connection around being unconventional.
Even so, Lac suis’ tendency to be so provocative can be upsetting to his friends.
He may throw insults at them while stating that he’s simply being ‘sincere,
honest and authentic’.
Child & Adolescent
Even as an infant, Lac suis can be oppositional. As an adolescent he can get
quite out of control, driving his family crazy with his extreme provocation,
defiance and self-destructive, borderline-like behavior.
Adult
As an adult, Lac suis tends to be failing or on the verge of failure. Ever an
adolescent, he is overly oppositional at work and makes constant complaints. He
struggles to follow the rules and respect authority. He may find it difficult to stay
gainfully employed and find his place in society
Elder
In the elder years, he may decline before his time and become dependent on
others for his care at a relatively young age. He can act a bit awkward as if he is
autistic. He may develop senility early or a severe, painful disease. In all these
cases, he is frustrated to be so feeble and dependent and may be awful toward
whoever must care for him.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac suis has many issues with authority so it is important for the doctor not to
come across this way. Because Lac suis is so oppositional, one has to be careful
about giving advice or he may do the opposite. Hopefully, the doctor can be
careful to avoid creating an antagonistic dynamic as can easily happen with
people who have traits of borderline personality disorder.

Because Lac suis likes to go against the current, he doesn’t have a problem with
homeopathic medicine being unconventional; in fact, it likely makes it more
attractive to him. On a practical level, it can be difficult to get some of the
detailed information one needs for a prescription because the patient is not very
discerning, and if pressed on this, he becomes irritable.
Of the Milk remedies delineated in this book, Lac suis most closely resembles
Lac asinum, Lac glama, and Lac caprinum. Lac suis shares with these three an
avoidant attitude. Lac asinum is avoidant by appearing unable to comprehend
and therefore being less present in the classroom. Lac glama is avoidant by
being an oppositional adolescent who removes himself to just outside the inner
circle of family. Even so, Lac glama remains within the social system, launching
protests from this vantage point. Lac caprinum’s antisocial behavior is slightly
off-putting and can lead others to avoid him. His transgressions are primarily
against family, whereas Lac suis’ are directed against society as a whole. Lac
caprinum, on the other hand, is not openly against society. Though brash and
crass, she does not egregiously cross social boundaries like Lac suis.

Another issue that most of these remedies share is a sense of victimization. Lac
asinum can feel like a helpless victim who can’t get along well enough (though
some of this is affected). Lac glama can feel like a victim of injustice (from her
point of view). Lac caprinum is the only one of this group that does not feel
victimized. Lac suis certainly does, to the point of being a pariah, though he
largely brings this upon himself.

He uses the avoidant and oppositional strategies of all three of these remedies,
but in each case, goes further than they do, since everything he does is extreme.
Lac asinum can appear slow; Lac suis can appear autistic. Lac glama wants to
lodge verbal protests about social justice; Lac suis lodges protests through
shocking actions meant to tear at the social fabric. Lac glama comments on
family and society’s unjust transgressions; Lac suis commits social
transgressions (as if to say all social conventions are negative and unjust). Lac
caprinum is naturally coarse, crude and crass; Lac suis intentionally breaches
social propriety, taking pride, for example, in his malodor and his ability to repel
others.

Through these behaviors, Lac suis tries to appear free of social confines. In the
end, most of this is for show—his unique way of manifesting some individuality
—and not a reflection of his true identity. For example, he might pretend to be a
playboy who brags about deviant escapades when all along, he may be both
impotent and unable to experience sexual pleasure.

This remedy can be compared to the Ammonium salts who can be quite negative,
critical, offensive, and defiant about society. Within this family, the most notable
remedies for differential are Ammonium bromatum and Ammonium sulphuricum.
In addition to these traits, both of these fanatically insist on how they are victims
and how they are so very different from other people. Their tone is shockingly
negative and caustic; Lac suis is shocking in a more flamboyant, dramatic way.
Even so, Lac suis, as a Milk, is still bound to family and therefore not truly an
outcast in the same way that Ammonium remedies are.

In terms of avoidance, one might think of Ammonium iodatum. Iodum salts are
used for problems of hearing, talking and feeling, and Ammonium iodatum has a
benumbed quality, though she is not generally a victim like Lac suis. Another
difference is that Lac suis’ avoidance does not necessarily take the path of literal
benumbing of the body. If anything, Lac suis is more of a body-oriented
sensualist, or at least he wishes to appear so. Perhaps the autism-like appearance
could seem benumbed. More importantly, Lac suis acts disinhibited, though this
may be pretended, and is generally different from the numbing attitude exhibited
by Ammonium iodatum. In Lac suis’ case, the disinhibition is not so much in the
service of sexual or other desires, but rather to allow an expression of anger and
provocation against whatever system he happens to face.

There is no affected disinhibition with Medorrhinum, who truly enjoys real
sensuality and pleasure through body contact. Lac suis, as with other Milks, has
poor integration of instincts and much inhibition of genuine pleasure. Both
remedies can be sensual, though it is more natural and sincere in Medorrhinum;
more to push the envelope in Lac suis where the pleasure may not always be
genuinely felt.

Like Lac suis, Medorrhinum is also close with her family, but rather than feeling
encaged by this, she feels a strong, positive affection. With Medorrhinum this
affection is immature and evokes pleasurable memories of being intensely loved
as an infant in the arms of her parents. Medorrhinum offers close contact, be it
purely physical or imbued with emotion, toward all those who are close to her.
With this group, she shares a kind of omnipotent loving feeling and she wants
others to know how beautiful this contact can be.

Finally, both remedies can have a certain wild streak, though it is more organic
in Medorrhinum, more for protest and show in Lac suis. And there is no sense of
opposition or being a victim in Medorrhinum.
Case of Marcello

Marcello is a 17-year-old boy who comes with his parents. Before the
consultation I have a long phone call with his father who doesn’t believe in
homeopathic treatment, but has heard of other boys with similar problems
getting good results with this approach. Having tried other treatment methods
without success, he feels desperate enough to take a chance on homeopathy.

Marcello stubbornly refused to see the last doctor, a specialist in adolescent
problems, for a second visit.

His father informs me that Marcello is adopted and that his son does not like to
discuss this topic at all. In fact, Marcello has told both his parents that if the
subject of adoption is brought up in his treatment, he will refuse to participate.

During our initial phone call, Marcello’s mother asks to speak with me. She
says, “I want you to know that our boy is adorable. Surely he has some reason
for behaving this way. We understand that he needs help and we want to help
him, as we always have. When he’s in a good mood, Marcello is the sweetest,
most affectionate boy you will ever meet. At the same time he knows how to hurt
us. I know that whatever he does to us, and especially what he says to us,
probably causes him as much or more suffering than it does us.”

Once they arrive at my clinic, Marcello sits between them as both parents, little
by little, edge closer to him. The impression is of two policemen carefully
guarding a criminal they have to keep close watch of.

Marcello has a different body structure than his parents. He is very tall and
strong, blond with blue eyes. He seems cold at the beginning of the consultation.
Once we are alone, he becomes sweet and almost yielding. He is overweight.
Despite being only 18 years old, he appears to have the body of a full-grown
man.

∂ Marcello has been allergic to milk since his first months of life. He was always
seriously underweight until we realized that we needed to eliminate dairy
products from his diet. Even a little biscuit made with milk powder is enough to
immediately bring on a strong diarrhea. So we are very attentive to his
stomachaches. A few years ago he had a peritonitis that was almost
asymptomatic.

∂ I was the one who realized that it was not his typical stomachache. Marcello
never expresses any kind of pain. His pediatrician did not understand what
Marcello’s problem was so I insisted on further investigation. I decided to go to
the hospital but they didn’t have any real understanding of what was going on
either. Only after seeing how high his white blood cell count was doing they
appreciate he was truly sick. The surgeon was astonished to see such a severe
case in a child who was not complaining. When they opened up his abdomen
they found a very serious problem. After the surgery Marcello stayed in the
hospital for several days with a drain in his abdomen. His recovery was
complicated by a hospital-acquired infection that was antibiotic-resistant. Even
so, they said he behaved like an adult, acting very stoic, and showing almost no
signs of his health problem.

∂ While some of his issues are not so easily discerned, one is crystal clear: he
has an obvious problem with anger which he expresses in quite an oppositional
way. He is very persistent and tenacious about demonstrating how much he
doesn’t fall in line with others his age. His teachers have noticed this since
kindergarten.

[The father joins in the conversation:]
^ So far, this is what everyone has told us. To be honest, my wife and I had to
reconsider our beliefs about educating our child. So many different ways have
been suggested to us, so much so that we were obliged to give it more thought.
But I have to tell you that we are not open to changing certain things. Otherwise
we would not be who we are. We are strong believers. You can discuss the law
of humans, but you can’t discuss the law of God.

[While he is speaking his wife makes some sign with her hands as if to say,
“Please don’t insist on that topic.” She interrupts him and changes the subject.]
There is another problem. Physically speaking, it is the most important one.
Marcello had some kind of rheumatism when he was younger and sometimes
this issue seems to come back for a few days every now and then. It’s almost
always accompanied by a fever. ∂ We realized this when he was almost three
years old. At that time we had a strong suspicion that dairy products were an
issue. We saw an iridologist who advised us to eliminate milk products, and
Marcello improved dramatically. We had been considering a more severe
alternative, like Methotrexate, because the cortisone wasn’t helping consistently
enough.

∂ It started one morning when he did not get out of bed. We thought he was
being contrary, having one of his ‘No!’ moments. But then I realized that his
wrists and hands were very swollen, and he was not able to bend his knees. The
pediatrician diagnosed rheumatism immediately, but Marcello did not respond to
any drugs. We even went to a center for pediatric rheumatic disease, but nothing
helped. For that reason we decided to see an iridologist who had treated some
other people in our group and had achieved good results. ∂ These days Marcello
gets a fever a couple times a year but we’re not seeing any more joint issues. But
when he’s in the middle of an episode, he can’t even walk or leave his bed.

Considering this contrary behavior, how does Marcello react to his dietary
restrictions?
∂ It’s been very difficult…

[Marcello interrupts:]
§ I’ll tell you how it is, not how it was. I crave milk and cheese. The only reason
I don’t eat them is because they’ll make me sick, not because the doctors or my
parents don’t want me to eat dairy.

I can make my own money, doing chores for our neighbor. With my own money
I can buy whatever I want.

§ Eating is very important to me. I am really hungry and they don’t understand
this. I start thinking about food when I wake up in the morning and sometimes I
even dream about food. § I like having a full belly. If it’s not full, I get nervous.
To fill my belly—anything goes. I love many different kinds of food, but what I
really enjoy is polenta with meat sauce. I saw in a movie that farmers used to
pour the polenta from the pot directly onto the dining table. Then they took a pot
of meat sauce and poured it on the polenta. It was done like this by all the
farmers in Italy in order to serve large portions to an entire family. This should
give you a picture of how much I can eat.

§ I want to eat like this because I want to be big and strong as soon as possible
and then we will see if they continue to give me orders or if somebody dares to
make fun of me. If you’re really big they think twice.

I have the impression that Marcello is angry, and I consider that it may not be
easy for him to talk in front of his parents. I inform them that I would prefer to
continue my consultation alone with Marcello unless they have something more
to add.

[The father is appalled:]
^ I have never heard of a physician visiting alone with a child.

[The mother seems more understanding, but worried:]
∂ What happens if you ask questions that Marcello cannot answer? What do we
do? Will you be calling me later?

They leave the room though they are not happy about it. At that moment,
Marcello starts to smile (under his moustache) with satisfaction.

[Marcello begins:]
I am sure they told you that I was adopted. I ask them not to talk about this
whenever we see a doctor, because this is my issue, but apparently that’s
impossible. § This is a really big problem for me. I am grateful to them and I
know I’ll feel gratitude my whole life to my Italian family. Even so, I consider
their love a kind of blackmail. § I can’t say I would have preferred a different
family. They have always showered me with love, affection and care. I sincerely
feel that I am in debt to them. Probably ‘in debt’ isn’t the right phrase, but
another one doesn’t come to mind.

I am always trying to make my father understand he treats certain things, certain
values as if they are facts that he can’t possibly give up. I can respect and even
appreciate these things. But if it’s true for them, why can’t it be true for me also?
However they always tell me that I’m too young to understand [and decide
things for myself] as if I’m an immature tree that could grow in the wrong
direction.

§ I think that I should have the right to make my own decisions. I will leave
home as soon as I turn 18, even if I have to do the most menial job in order to
support myself. [In Italy you are considered an adult at the age of 18.]

How do you think your parents will react to your decision?
§ If my parents can’t understand this, then I feel sorry for them. I could die from
all the sorrow I’ve caused them, but they must understand.

§ I don’t know anything about my birth family. I have some memories from
around the time when I arrived in Italy. [This happened before he turned three
years old.] I read that it’s normal not to remember anything at that age, but I
think I have some recollection. It’s even possible those memories could be
harmful to me, so maybe it’s better not to remember them. § I don’t like Italy
and I don’t like Italians. I think they are hypocritical about many things. They
call themselves religious and say you should love your neighbors, but afterwards
they talk badly about anybody who doesn’t see things the same way as they do.
My mother was divorced. I discovered that she had been married and the
marriage was annulled.

One day, a few years ago, I was looking for some documents in the house while
my parents were out. I don’t remember what they were, possibly papers about
me. That’s when I saw the document, so I asked her what it means to annul a
marriage. You can’t imagine how angry they both were. I did some research on
the Internet and I read a variety of opinions.

Whenever I read something on the Internet I start with the sites whose opinions
differ from the majority. The priest of our parish says that newspapers are full of
lies. § So I went to see this priest. § He was clearly embarrassed by my question,
but in the end, I understood that the Catholic Church is against divorce. Yet if
you pay a little something they will annul your marriage and then it’s not
considered a divorce.

You know, it seems that there isn’t much difference between these, but it’s a
typical Italian way to manage things. I don’t know if they do the same
elsewhere. § I have the impression that there is hypocrisy everywhere. Some
laws that exist so that shrewd people can take advantage and use them for their
own purposes.

§ I would really like to just be myself. § I mean I’ve tried in every way to be
myself. § I don’t know if I’m able to explain what I mean. I’m sure you
understood what I meant by moral blackmail. § If my parents wouldn’t suffer so
much from my leaving in a few months, which makes me suffer too, we would
all be better off. § They are terrified to think that I will leave home, but I have no
choice. If I stay in that house and do as they want, I would have to make them
suffer more.

Even their supposedly ‘good friends’ would probably look at my family as a bad
one then. It’s much better for me to be the ‘bad son’ of a ‘good family’. Do you
know what I mean? I’m not willing to explain this twice. I think you understand,
but you act like you don’t in order to make me talk more. What else do you want
to know?

I observe how critical he seems of our conversation and my efforts to get to
know him. He can’t stand the idea of not being who he is and yet he is contrite
about not being adequately appreciative of his family and all that they have done
for him.

§ I think my parents understand me, but as the English like to say, ‘The show
must go on’. I think they are in a rigid mindset they can’t get out of. Without
their faith community they would feel like infidels. This is even more important
to them than the love they feel for me, and what I want. § But I understand. And
they have done so much for me.

§ I have always had to study a lot in school and I really struggled. § In primary
school, they made me feel stupid. Then the school realized I was dyslexic. My
parents wanted to send me to a private school, but I didn’t want to go. § I wanted
to show that even if I’m different, I can still manage to make it work and keep up
with everyone else at my school.

§ I have felt different since the time I was born. I think it’s in my blood. I don’t
feel Russian and I don’t feel Italian. § I feel like someone without a country.
You know there are those who don’t have a country just as there are those who
don’t have a home. § I don’t want to belong to a country and I don’t know if I’ll
ever want my own house.

§ I have been incazzatissimo [an extremely vulgar term to describe being
enraged] ever since I was born; I feel it in my blood. § If I could be a really good
person, I wouldn’t be so incazzato; I would just be incazzato when I needed to
be.

§ I’ve done a lot of things all along the way. My parents didn’t tell you that,
according to the surgeon, I got appendicitis because of all the crap I was eating
all the time. § I ate little stones and chalk at school, even paper and salami skin
just because I wanted to shock my classmates. § I had to prove that I was
fearless, and you have no idea how many times I hurt myself.

Isn’t it a little bit senseless to eat something that could injure you?
§ I think that the most senseless thing in the world, in addition to all the lies they
tell us, is huge amount of anger that I’ve had for all these years.

I have the impression that you are conflicted about your anger?
§ I wished I weren’t so angry, but most of the time I am. § It’s stupid to say I
feel ‘rejected’, which I’m sure is how it’s always seen. But what is it I believe?

§ What can I tell you? I’m a fanatic of the movie trilogy, “Matrix.” If you
haven’t seen it, you won’t understand. If you did, it’s possible that you still don’t
understand its real meaning. The majority of people don’t want to leave their
comfort zone or change their way of thinking. § Me? I don’t know how to get
out of it, but I certainly don’t want to stay! § I know it's not my fault, but I don’t
feel good here. The people around me have never tried to understand me or be
on my side.

What do you mean, people around you? [He is very critical and angry.]
§ Do you want to begin with my teachers? With all their education wouldn’t you
think they should be able to tell the difference between a child with severe
mental challenges from one who just can’t read and write like the others? Shall I
continue? Would you like to hear something about my parents’ friends and their
idiot kids?

I can continue with what I was told at home and what I was told by the spiritual
father they saddled me with after I had been honest with them as always.

[Instead of sending Marcello to a therapist when they are not able to manage
him, his parents often send him to their priest.]
I spoke with my parents and told them I was in love with my girlfriend. I said
that I wanted to make love to her and had already bought condoms.

Considering your parents, it seems by being so open you are also being a bit
provocative?
§ Well, maybe you’re right. I do like being provocative, but I don’t think it’s just
that. I think that I’m extremely honest although I’m not yet really free.

Would you like to work together so that I can try to help you?
§ I can tell you that I really enjoy talking with you but now what happens? You
want to give me a medicine? For what? I’m not sick. § Even when I was in the
hospital they were not able to give me something decent. And it was an ordinary
iridologist who gave me the best advice. Do you think that you could do
something for my headaches? If you can, then perhaps, eventually, I will believe
that you are telling me the truth.

For me this is an issue. My parents think that nothing can be done and this
headache will only go away when I grow up, but I am almost 18. How much
more do I have to grow?

§ I read that this headache is called a migraine and not a headache. It is always in
one temple, then it moves to the other one, and then to my forehead. It’s as if this
headache is taking aim. § First a bit on the right, then more to the left, then it hits
the mark!

§ My mother is right. Whenever I have a headache, I do whatever possible to
ignore it. Often this works. I don’t want to give this headache the power to crush
me. § But truthfully, the headache often wins in the end. § Even my parents
know this, that my way of trying to show the headache didn’t completely defeat
me, didn’t just take a piece of my life, is to at least be the one who decides when
I go to bed and go to sleep. § It’s me who decides to go to sleep, not the
headache that is obliging me to do so.

§ I agree with my mother that these headaches come when I eat too much. I
realize now I get this headache immediately because of my bad digestion. The
odor of my breath could kill someone. In fact, when I go out for dinner with my
girlfriend that’s why I eat very little.

I get a bad headache at least once a week, which is a real problem for me. My
parents regard it as insignificant and insist on believing that it will go away on
its own.

Do you really have a feeling that you stink?
§ I don’t like to stink but I can’t help that I have an awful perspiration. This
bothers me a lot. § If we could all just honestly acknowledge that stinking is not
so pleasant, perhaps we could better manage living happily enough even with
our bad smells. I’m sure that for centuries everybody lived like that without
thinking about it as such a big problem. It’s only recently and in our Western
culture that soaps and deodorants have been overused and abused. I read on the
Internet that toothpaste is useless; all we need to do is brush our teeth. I also read
that a great majority of soaps are not good for our skin. The same for the
deodorants we use under our arms. Everything is just a social convention.

We go back to the same issue. § If I were really free, I could be at peace with my
odor, after eating whatever I wanted. But I would feel sorry if my girlfriend were
disgusted enough by my smell that she wouldn’t even want to kiss me.
Follow-up

A few days later I call his father while Marcello is in school. I explain that
Marcello’s ‘contrary behavior’ is only a symptom of his discomfort and not a
disease. I suggest that we try to understand what is contributing to Marcello’s
behavior.

I try several remedies without results. The first is a salt of Antimonium. The last
is Lac caprinum. Despite the poor results, Marcello and his family feel that I am
doing my best to help him. Finally, I decide to try a daily dose of Lac suis Q1.

A few days later Marcello has a strong headache that does not improve by
going to sleep the way they usually would. Then I suggest he put a few drops of
the Q1 in water, take a spoonful of that solution and put it in another glass of
water to sip from. His headache improves, but only temporarily. Next, I suggest
he stop the remedy for a few days and then to start it again after one week,
taking only two or three doses weekly.

Within a few weeks his headaches improve significantly. His mother calls to say
that there is also a reduction in his voracious appetite. Marcello sends me a
letter, saying, “It’s too early to talk, but if it goes on like this, you will win the
bet we had about my headaches.”

About three months later he has some light episodes of migraine, and I suggest
Lac suis Q3. On the second day of the remedy his headache generally improves.
Almost five months after our first meeting, he requests a consultation. It is just a
few days before his 18th birthday, his anticipated date of leaving home. He has
lost a significant amount of weight and appears more muscular. Clearly he has
been going to the gym with good results.

[Marcello begins:]
My migraine is much better. Probably it’s too early to claim victory, but usually
with the arrival of the first cold of winter, I get a major sore throat along with
joint pain. Despite the cold we are having, I haven’t had this problem.

So we are both happy, you and me, because I feel better. I have to excuse
myself. The last time I was not so friendly, because it was not my decision to
come see you. The way we have talked and the good results have persuaded to
be more positive about this treatment.

Right now I have a more urgent problem. I have decided to leave my house in a
few weeks. My parents still don’t believe it, but I am very motivated to do so.
The problem is that I have already found work, but I’m not stupid. I know that if
I don’t continue studying, I can’t become independent. And that will be a
problem. Unfortunately, money is a necessity.

§ I’m really at a crossroads and I don’t know which way to go. I would like to
continue to be treated by you, but I don’t know if I will have the money.

You do not have to worry about paying me. Are you sure this is your only issue?
§ Yes and no… My girlfriend will go to university and it’s really hard for me to
think that she will have a career path and I won’t. But then, it’s not that easy to
leave my family. When I told my parents that I found a job, my father stopped
sleeping and my mother started taking pills for anxiety. One night when they
thought I was sleeping, I heard them talking in their bedroom. They were telling
each other that they had done everything wrong as parents.

How did you react?
§ My first impulse was to go to my mother and hug her and tell her that she was
a wonderful mother, even if she pisses me off more than anyone else.

Why didn’t you go and hug her?
§ I don’t know why I didn’t go to her room. Maybe it was the risk of turning into
a piece of marble [emotionally frozen]; there are probably other reasons too.

Have you ever thought about taking a middle path that is not so black and
white?
§ I never think about taking a possible middle position. I’m not someone who
thinks like this.

Although you seem to have strong opinions, you also seem to have difficulty
making decisions at times.
§ It’s not nice what you are saying to me, but it’s true. I am indecisive. I told you
that I am at a fork in the road and that I don’t feel free. It’s not nice to rub my
face in the fact that the problem is with me for not making a decision. I’ll have to
think about this. Generally, I like talking to you…

It looks like you have lost weight.
§ I did! Did you notice that? I started doing some martial arts. At first I wanted
to learn something more aggressive, but the teacher, whom I really like
suggested that I would probably prefer Aikido. The teacher said that before
learning how to attack others, I should first understand how to use my anger—
not just express it, but use it in a better way.

§ I really enjoy that perspective, though I didn’t understand it at first. But I
wanted to follow his advice because I liked him. § I think that he is absolutely
right. If I were to depend upon my anger [to get me through life, like I’ve been],
I would feel like the most useless person in the world. How will anger help me
to change my life? What’s the point of being so angry at the world? I don’t want
to feel like a victim anymore, but someone who can participate in life. I think I
can do that with some help, but I think I need some help to get there.

§ Last time I didn’t say anything about my dreams because I’m a little bit
ashamed of them. But I do have some recurrent dreams. The most awful thing
about them is that there are almost always animal sacrifices. The animals are
dedicated as a gift to God and I never understand how God could be so grateful
for gifts of dead animals.

§ It pisses me off that something as beautiful as a wafer made of bread is called
the body of God! God can’t be content enough with bread? Why doesn’t he just
elevate bread to the level of the divine? What is better, more simple, more
fragrant and symbolic of something beautiful made by man… instead of thinking
that the bread is a body? I’m sorry, but this issue really pisses me off.

§ Returning to the topic of dreams, I was very ashamed to have dreamed about
such ugly things. I don’t know why. I probably thought there was something
inside me making me dream about that. They’re not pretty. Please don’t ask me
why…

Did you have any other kind of dreams?
§ There was one dream that made me think. Again, someone was bringing an
animal to the altar, but in this case, it was a lamb made from almond paste,
something I saw at my father’s village many years ago. Delicious! I’m not sure
what I think about all this but it seemed positive.

I speak with Marcello’s parents after this consultation. We discuss the progress
we have seen in Marcello. I encourage them to allow Marcello to live
independently in another town and continue his studies. After a few days, they
agree to this plan, with the stipulation that they choose the town he will live in
and that Marcello must take his exams at the required times and no later.
Eventually he graduates with a degree in philosophy with honors.

During the last six years I occasionally prescribed the remedy when he had a
recurrence of the headache or a cold. The joint pain never came back nor did
any other type of inflammation. The last prescription was a Q6. He is now
working in a university abroad where he is well regarded for his intelligence. He
lives there with a different girlfriend than the one he had before. We continue to
see each other twice a year whenever he comes back to visit his parents.

Case of Bruna

Bruna is 41 years old. Her behavior and dress are decidedly unconventional.
Clearly overweight, she nevertheless wears a tight and colorful dress that
accentuates rather than helps cover her large body shape. Her makeup and the
way she wears her hair is more appropriate for someone who is 20. In her
language, she utilizes expressions common to teenagers from forty years ago,
peppered with vulgarities.

As soon as she sits down, she gives me a compliment about my office, saying, “I
didn’t imagine that a medical doctor could consult with a patient without sitting
at a desk. This is really cool.” She says she works as an actress and a movie
director, but I have some doubts about this based on how she carries herself, her
dress and her financial concerns about my fee.

[Bruna begins:]
When I was little, I had rheumatic heart disease and my poor, ignorant family
did not realize how serious it was. I remember a lot of stomachaches, although
my mother recalls that I always had a sore throat. One day I got out of bed—I
remember it vividly—my knees were not able to support me and my entire body
was in pain. They thought I just didn’t want to go to school. I did hate school,
beginning with kindergarten, but that obviously wasn’t the issue.

Long story short, I was hospitalized. They found out that I had a heart murmur
and a problem with my aortic valve. Ever since, I have annual checkups. Several
different cardiologists visited at the time. Some told me that I had to have an
operation; another suggested I wait until they improved their surgical technique;
still others said I should wait until there was a clear sign of disease. As always,
patients have to take responsibility for their own lives. I decided to treat myself
in a natural way as soon as I was able to make my own decisions.

§ I quarreled with my family because they didn’t want me to follow a
macrobiotic diet. Then I became vegan a long time ago when very few people
even knew what that meant. I did many other kinds of things too. I even saw a
shaman. And, you are not the first homeopath I’ve gone to. The issue is that I
would like to be treated with a single constitutional remedy, but it doesn’t seem
that easy to find the right one. So far I’ve taken Lachesis, Tarentula, Ignatia,
Pulsatilla and Calcarea carbonica. There are others too, but I can’t remember
them right now. My last homeopath suggested I see you because he was sure I
was a clear case of Lac caninum but after he gave me that remedy, in different
potencies, he told me that he was not able to understand what was going on. At
least he was honest, a rare quality, especially among doctors.

§ In the intervening years sometimes the pains would flare up. Please,
understand, I’m not a person who typically complains. I don’t like taking
medicine, even painkillers. My mother said I frighten her because she can never
tell if I’m sick unless it’s something really serious. § I was operated on for my
appendix, but at the time I already had a serious peritonitis. Before that, I went to
the hospital with rheumatism and was basically unable to move. Another time I
complained of a pain in my throat and it turned out to be an abscess of my tonsil.
Then they took me to the hospital because of a headache that turned out to be
meningitis. I may be forgetting something but those are my clearest memories.

§ I understood early on that conventional medicine wasn’t for me. Their
treatment would always come into play too late [because she had not
complained about symptoms until the condition became rather severe.] § It’s
true that I don’t complain, but in my opinion it’s also true that a good doctor
should understand what is going on before you get so sick. It’s easy to make the
right diagnosis when a disease is already evident, don’t you think?

§ Early on I was interested in alternative treatments—and had some interesting
results. As soon as I could, I left my house, started to live my own life, and eat
what I wanted to. My mother always controlled my life and would do it now, if
she could. § The doctors said I should not gain weight because of my heart
problems. My mother put me on a diet that included a lot of fish and meat. § I
eat everything but I prefer cereals. I don’t think humans are really designed to
eat so much meat.

§ As time goes on I have become aware of my joints, especially my hips, knees
and ankles. My fingers are often swollen and the nodules make my fingers
appear larger than normal.

§ What a question! I cannot describe these pains. § I won’t acknowledge my
pain unless my body hinders me. § Then, when I’m not able to go on, I suffer
even more because my anger makes me feel even more pain than I would
otherwise. § In these moments I complain but I also ask myself why bother? It’s
useless to complain.

§ I decided to live as a free woman as soon as I was able to leave my house. At
home I could not complain too much—I hated to see my parents suffering
because of me. Then I met several men. But you know men, they want to see
their women in a good shape, not as overweight as I am. And they like to have
women who are submissive and willing to serve them. No, thanks! § That’s not
who I am.

§ I’ve had several partners but they all took off because they couldn’t stand my
lifestyle. In the beginning they were attracted by a woman being so unusual and
uninhibited and independent. But in the end I was probably too overwhelming
for them. § I’m not willing to change myself. I already make too many sacrifices
for my family as it is; I’m not willing to make more for some man or for anyone
else.

§ My family is poor. They are humble but have a big heart. Their way of loving
suffocates me. They are the typical southern Italian family that morally
blackmails you. They get sick if you don’t do as they want and they make you
feel guilty. § I have felt enough guilt for a lifetime. I had some years of
psychotherapy and stopped when I realized that I was beginning to feel guilty if I
didn’t behave properly with my psychotherapist. § I regret that. I’ve never
forgotten that woman but it was enough to have one mother. A second one
would have been really too much.

§ Coming back to my joint pains I can tell you there is definitely a relationship
with food—especially how much I eat, not what I eat. It’s a matter of quantity. §
I tried many different diets and styles of eating. I eventually came to realize that
the real problem, which I couldn’t previously face, is the way I eat.

Let me be honest with you, this time at least, if I can. I was almost anorexic and
then bulimic. I eat and then vomit. Sometimes I can control myself. Sometimes I
overeat and vomit, other times I don’t vomit, but I always eat too much. When I
exceed a certain weight, I always get pain. I should know this before I get to that
point because there are signs, but typically I ignore them!

§ The first signs are my headaches. I have had them since I was a child. § The
pains have never changed over the years. I’m sure they have to do with my
digestion—if I eat something wrong or if I eat too much. § I’m told that this is
not a classic migraine, because my head doesn’t hurt all over. This is a general
characteristic of my pains, something conventional doctors don’t want to
understand. And I am fed up with talking about this.

§ What I mean is that the pains are generally on one side of my body and then on
the other. § My headache is the same—always first on one side of my head,
usually the left. Even before I get my period, I would have extreme pain in my
left breast and then in the right. On the other hand, the joint pains start on my
right side and then go to the left. The pain is never all over my body. First one
half of my body is affected, then the other half. It can be right or left.

§ I don’t know what to think. I think it’s as if one part of my body cannot be
independent from the other. Let me try to explain, but please, try to listen to me
without thinking like a doctor.

§ Think about it, some people become paralyzed on half of their body and the
other half works. It can be up or down, one side or the other. Not me. If
something hurts me on one side, it’s the other side that suffers.

I think I’ve told you enough. I’m not closed up; I’m an open book, so you should
be able to understand me clearly. I have always thought that talking too much is
meaningless. § I understood early on that I have strong opinions. I am who I am
and I will continue to be who I am. Eventually I can improve myself but only by
following my own path.

§ I have been fighting with my family and with this planet my whole life. When
I wake up in the morning and I see a certain dawn, or a sunset, beautiful woods,
the sea, the sky... But you know, we’re entering into a difficult subject.

§ According to some people, there are certain areas that are affected by what is
going on in the rest of the planet. Other ones are just what they are. They remain
beautiful, like beaches and woods located a few kilometers from a nuclear
reactor. So, like I told you, if I have a pain in my head or anywhere in my body,
it comes on the right and then on the left or vice-versa. So contrary to this planet,
my body is not able to keep those wonderful seashores or those fantastic woods
separate and unaffected.

It seems that metaphorically those nuclear reactors are able to affect you?
§ Bravo, this is exactly what I mean. My own reactors are able to overwhelm the
rest of my body.

Since we are talking about nuclear reactors, I have the impression that this
could be related to anger. Are you an angry person?
§ The fact that I’m talking about nuclear reactors makes you think that I am
angry? God, this is true. § I would define my anger as self-referring, impotent,
obstinate, and contrary.

§ I grew up with my grandparents because my parents went abroad for work.
They went to Switzerland and I stayed with my father’s parents. Then my father
died young, and my mother consulted lawyers to get me back. My grandparents
did not want to give me back to the wife of their son—such a beautiful story.

§ Many people suffer too much from having one family, and to think that I had
two, and one even more difficult than the other. § I adore them all but they made
my life impossible because of their suffocating love. I don’t think that you can
be interested in my life. I think that I am really different—and there are many
reasons for this. Since I was a child I felt like I was out of place. I was strange
not only because I didn’t have a father and mother, but I was from the south and
living in the north. Also, I had serious problems at school. I think that I didn’t
want to study, and I never had teachers who tried to understand. I was
discriminated against and they created obstacles to my development and
learning. Now I should thank them all, because I am who I am partly because of
them. And I say this because I’m extremely proud of who I am. I am very proud
of being someone who goes against the common stream.

§ I think your surname Lavori comes from the south of Italy, so I think you
probably know something about the culture of the south regarding the training
and education of children. Instead of having just rigid, severe parents, I had very
rigid, very severe grandparents, and then a mother who was even much worse
than this. My grandparents were old and ignorant but at the bottom of their
hearts they were as ‘good as bread’. But imagine! They wanted me to address
them using voi. [Voi is the formal and seldom used word for ‘you’, and a sign of
extreme respect.] I actually did this up until a few years ago.

My mother thought of herself as a kind of father figure for me too, since my
actual father disappeared from my life quite early. In the end, I think their
rigidity was really just the result of ignorance.

So my rebellion, my contrary attitude, started in my family when I tried to make
them understand who I was—and yet I secretly cried any time I did something
that hurt them. § The result is that I was not able to be ‘the good daughter’ or
even ‘the good woman’. I did what I did and I’m still paying for the
consequences of my actions. Maybe this is why I never put myself in the
situation of having a family of my own.

That’s another reason men fear me, even if they get drawn in by my intelligence,
my uniqueness, and my being so sexually free. But I make the same mistake
every time and fall in love. I should have known by now, but I can’t help it. I’m
an incurable romantic. That’s the reason I’ve been so heartsick since I was a kid.

§ I don’t remember that much about my childhood except that I injured myself
many times. § I had to prove that I was better than the boys, and I used to do
things that not even boys dared to do. You know how many times I broke my
bones? I still ride a bike today instead of a car—a 50-year-old Triumph, a real
jewel. I ride it as much as possible. But I had to learn how to turn it on…

These old bikes didn’t use a key for ignition; they had to be kick-started which
required a lot of strength.

§ Please, I’ve already talked about my dreams and if it’s not absolutely
necessary, I would prefer to skip it.

[I was thinking about a Milk remedy and even about Lac suis, and so I ask if she
has any problems with milk.]
§ Please don’t talk to me about milk. I’ve read everything about this food and
frankly, I have hated it since childhood. The fact is, whenever I binge, the first
thing I eat is always cheese, usually ricotta from cow’s milk. That sheep’s milk
is for pussies. I can even eat half a kilo—I’m one of the people!
Commentary
I prescribe Lac suis at the end of our visit. Based on the experience of other
cases, the fundamental themes of this case and this remedy seem obvious and
significant: the double bind with her family, her inability to feel independent and
emotionally mature. Also important is her stubborn, almost mandatory
insistence on being ‘different’, while paradoxically feeling victimized by this
very difference. In addition, she has very strong anger that is ultimately impotent
and does not help her to be more assertive.

On the corporeal level, she tries to negate her pain but is victimized by a variety
of symptoms nonetheless. Her digestive headaches, as is common for Lac suis,
are often linked to bulimic episodes rather than eating poorly tolerated foods.
Last but not least is her notable tendency to be seriously injured. Cardiac valve
disorders also seem to be a recurrent and characteristic disease of this remedy.
Follow-up
I prescribe Lac suis Q1 to be taken daily, and ask her to eliminate dairy
products from her diet. Bruna says she cannot eliminate cheese, but is still
willing to go forward with treatment. She is curious and delighted that the
prescription is related to pork.

[Bruna comments:]
This is my totemic animal. You may not remember, but years ago there was a
book called Pigs with Wings. It describes the alternative lifestyle of some people
including their open sexuality. You can’t imagine how I was struck just by the
title of the book. The story is something I could easily have written.

Two weeks later she calls me complaining that she was not able to get me on the
phone when she was having a terrible headache.
This was one of the strongest headaches in my life. I did as you suggested and
put a few drops of the remedy in a glass and took a sip every 20 minutes, but it
did not get better. And I did not have any cheese, and I did not eat very much.

So I suggest that she stop the remedy for several days and then take it two or
three times a week. After another couple of weeks Bruna phones me to say that
pain has reappeared in her joints, but without the fever and throat pain that
usually precedes this. I suggest a daily dose of Lac suis Q3, and in a few days
the pains go away.

The second consultation is three months later. She has lost some weight. Her
hairstyle is more feminine and typical of someone her age. The overall
impression is of someone more mature and pleasant than how she originally
presented.

[Bruna begins:]
I read about the myth of the homeopathic aggravation. § I thought it was a myth
because neither I, nor others I know, had ever experienced it. Well, if what
happened to me is an aggravation, I guess I’ll have to reconsider a number of my
thoughts and suppositions. § Starting with my belief that I do not complain
unless I am very sick. § My God, I was so sick. It was like an artificial pain
because of the way it appeared and disappeared. It was not the usual pain; it was
so intense.

Another thing that really shocked me were my dreams, including the number and
type of dreams. I had tried to forget them. I didn’t want to think that I was
capable of dreaming about something so disgusting.

Bruna uses the word porcheria which is derived from ‘porco’ meaning ‘pig’. It
translates as ’muck, hogwash, filth, rubbish’.

§ A recurrent theme of my dreams are animals that are killed and every single
piece of their body is utilized. I remember a song by Angelo Branduardi where
the deer gave his eyes to the hunter to make a mirror, his ears to make goblets,
his hair to make brushes—all of the animal’s parts had a purpose. § That song
made me shudder. That poor deer could not return to Mother Earth because it
was used in such a way that no part of him could reenter the cycle of life. It was
simply horrible!

It made me think about how many of us don’t want to be a part of this filthy
world. Then the idea that you are reduced to little pieces that they don’t care to
let come back to Mother Earth, not even a little part of self. Not only do they
exploit you when you’re alive, but they continue to do so when you are dead!

§ I had these same types of dreams again until you changed the remedy to Q3. A
few days later, I had a dream about Pumbaa and Timon from the Lion King. I
hope you have seen this movie. § For me it’s a cult film and a narrative about
life even if it’s a fairy tale—and definitely not realistic given that in actuality,
kings are usually the bad guys. § The dream was just like the movie except that
the king was my father and Mufasa’s awful brother was my grandfather. § Of
course there was also Timon—the nicest part—he represents my first love—a
boy I left because my mother did not like him. He understood and didn’t want to
put himself between my mother and me. He left for Canada a few months later,
with his family. We still write to each other and in less than one month he will
visit. Apparently he would like to come back to Italy, and still thinks about me.

§ I am not going to tell you the end of my dream. It is something as private as a
wish. If you reveal what you wish for, it won’t come true.

Apart from that, I have been OK—no more migraines or joint pains. I don’t
know if it’s because of your remedy or because I’m following your advice and
not having any dairy at all.

§ I don’t know how I was able to stop eating dairy. Could you see how much
weight I lost? I was not expecting that the treatment would help with this. You
didn’t even notice; you’re just like every other man. § I can’t tell if I’ve changed
my relationship with food, but certainly there is some kind of temporal
coincidence, if nothing else, because right after I took the Q3, I was able to go
on a diet. I think it’s interesting but it’s too early to say anything more—I’m
superstitious about things like that.

Bruna continues with the Q3 daily. After a few weeks she calls to say she is
having bulimic episodes that previously were controlled without much effort. I
suggest she take the Q5 as needed, giving her the responsibility to decide how
often. I want to show her that I am depending on her and not just on the remedy.
One month later she phones to inform me that after the first dose of Q5, she was
able to resume eating normally. She is now taking the remedy three times a
week. The next consultation is four months after this call.

[Bruna begins:]
Surely I was more motivated in my decision—in my attempt to do something for
me—and for my problem with food. I must admit that I would never have been
successful without your help. I must also say that admitting this to you is
difficult: first of all because you are a doctor; secondly, because you are a man;
and third, because it’s hard for me to recognize that we all need some help from
other people sometimes.

Anyway, the idea of seeing Giovanni again is important. More than once I’ve
wanted to visit him in Canada. I even bought the ticket, but before leaving I ate
so much I couldn’t stand to look in the mirror. § This time it was not like that.
He decided to come to Italy and then I also told my mother. She apologized for
what happened before and told me that she knows he is a good guy, someone
who is serious and studious, but in her opinion, I would never be able to stay
with someone so normal.

It seems like you are pretty serious?
§ So how many things must I admit to this afternoon? Perhaps you are right, who
knows? The fact is he came back and came to my house the night he arrived and
is still there now. He wants to stay in Italy and he wants to stay with me.

§ How can I say no? Secretly I have been thinking about him all these years. But
how can I say yes? You cannot completely change your life from one day to the
next. Or maybe you can. Something I dislike about myself is how indecisive I
am. You know it’s much better to be sure and make a mistake, instead of
doubting whether you are doing something right and do nothing. I’m a specialist
at that!

I mention that these results are likely attributable to her own efforts. The remedy
gave her a push that allowed her to make the most of her own resources. Bruna
almost starts to cry, reacting to this comment as if it were a revelation.

§ I had some very interesting dreams but at the moment I only remember one.
There was something sad, though it didn’t feel that way in the dream. Do you
remember that horrible song of the Alpine soldiers, about the captain who left
several pieces of his body to different people as a legacy? In my dream this song
was playing in the background. I was in front of a judge, but I was still me. And
then I realized that it was not a judge but a notary who was waiting for me to
write my will. I realized that I have no children, no grandchildren, nobody to
whom I can leave anything.

Then I remembered the lyrics of the song about the deer I told you about last
time. But I didn’t know whether to leave my body to the water, to the sky, to
Mother Earth or to fire. I let this judge/notary decide. He told me the best
decision would be if he or she could eat me. He said that I shouldn’t worry, that I
would be eaten while I was still alive, but there would be a gentle technique like
that of a snake that requires a very long time to ingest and digest. But there was
still a lot of time left before this was to occur and we would be talking calmly
about this.

After five years Bruna has not had a recurrence of her physical problems. She
lives happily with her first love. She gave up her work as an actress and art
director and he left the university in Canada. Together they opened a restaurant
in a lovely part of Italy.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Refusal
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Avoidance (3); Outcast (2); Anger: impotent ; Victim ; Opposition (3);
Overactive / Apathetic ; Laxity / Rigidity ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Hypoesthesia / Anesthesia ; Pain: extreme ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion:
difficult ; Hyperphagia ; Vertigo ; Food: indigestible ; Malodor ; Milk
Common Ailments
Asthma Bulimia Constipation, obstinate Cyclothymia (Bipolar) Eczema,
atopic Eczema, dry Epilepsy / Food intolerance, milk Headaches, cluster
Hyperthyroidism Masturbation, infantile Nystagmus Panic Ptyalism
(excessive drooling) of pregnancy Sinusitis, chronic Strabismus Trauma,
spinal Valvular heart disease
Milks: Avoidant, Oppositional, Victim: Lac asinum ; Lac caprinum ; Lac
glama
Other: Outcast: Ammoniums : Ammonium bromatum , Ammonium
sulphuricum ; Avoidance: Ammonium iodatum ; Disinhibited: Medorrhinum

Lac lupinum
Canis lupus

Canis lupus, the gray wolf, is a member of the Canidae family. It largely resides
in North America and Eurasia, and is identified as endangered or extinct in
Western Europe and Japan. Its only predatory threats are humans and tigers.

Canis lepophagus, the Miocene era Hare-eating wolf, is the gray wolf’s most
likely ancestor. True wolves began to appear approximately 1,800,000 to
240,000 years ago alongside even-toed ungulates.

The gray wolf is a gregarious and expressive social animal traveling in packs
and mating in pairs. Unlike the lion, the male wolf remains with the pack and
mates with a member from within this group. If the male wolf is unable to
establish a territory or find a mate, he becomes what is called a ‘casanova wolf’
and does not form a pair bond.

The pregnant wolf gives birth during the summer months. Prolactin rises in the
spring in both sexes and seems to encourage mating, parental behavior and
female lactation. All members of the pack are involved in the care, feeding, and
protection of the pups. Relatively early in their life, pups begin to establish their
rank. The assertive ones are called alphas and those that are submissive, betas.

Wolf milk is higher in protein and lower in fat as compared to the milks of dog
breeds like beagle and husky.

The wolf is an important totemic animal of ancient peoples. Two wolves
accompanying Odin, the Norse god of war, is an iconic image in early Northern
Europe. Alaskan tribal people revered the wolf for its hunting and survival skills,
while the Pawnee of the Plains believed the wolf brought both birth and death.
Many Native people thought the wolf could give wisdom. Chechens saw the
wolf as ‘free and equal’ and have many tales of Wolf Mother, as do the
Mongolians. The wolf is often seen as a playful spirit who has well-attuned
senses and intuition.

Modern archetypes of the wolf, like those of the past, have positive and negative
associations for both genders. The male can be the big bad wolf of fairy tales,
representing sexuality and aggression, or the lone wolf, a rugged survivalist,
alienated from the surrounding community, who chooses to live on his own. The
she-wolf can represent the positive images of nurturance as seen in tales like
Romulus and Remus or of sensuality as with the Lithuanian forest goddess
Medeina. Alternatively, she can be associated with unbridled passion and lust as
seen in the Latin word for prostitute, lupa (from lupus, wolf).

And then there are the tales of lycanthropy, of humans changing into wolves.
Werewolf imagery can be found as early as the second century BC in Greece and
in the late Middle Ages in Europe. Central Asian shamans were believed to
change into wolves; a positive image that allowed for the performance of long
and demanding rituals.

Clinical lycanthropy is a psychiatric syndrome characterized by the delusion that
one can transform into an animal, often at the full moon, exhibiting uncontrolled
howling, biting, and taking refuge outside.

The homeopathic remedy was made from the milk of a gray wolf living in a
forested enclosure in British Columbia. Melissa Assilem conducted the first
proving; Nancy Herrick, the second.
COMMON AILMENTS
Abuse, ailments from, sexual / Anorexia-bulimia Back pain, cervical spine
Cysts, ovarian, right / Fainting Fibroids, uterine Food intolerances, milk /
Gastritis / Incontinence, urinary / Mastodynia, severe / Motion sickness / Nausea
/ Pancreatitis Prolapse, uterus Sjogren’s syndrome / Spasm, masseter muscle
MOTIFS
Abandonment
As with other Milks, Lac lupinum tends to have a strong connection to their
original family, but because of likely abuse there, they also want to get away and
start a new life. Even so, they carry elements of this family system inside them
and repeat these patterns wherever they go. Lac lupinum often will abandon
others before they can be abandoned themselves. This fear is so deep that they
may prefer to live alone rather than risk being abandoned one more time. For
this reason, they can superficially resemble Natrum muriaticum and other
Natrum salts.
Excluded
Lac lupinum often feels excluded from others as if they are ‘bad’, an outsider, a
pariah. Similar to Lyssinum, others may sense that this person is internally
different and not trust him or her (perhaps for good reason). Lac lupinum also
feels ‘I am not like the others’ which can lead to self-devaluation.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
As with other Milks, Lac lupinum tends to identify not just with their nuclear
family, but also with their extended family across many generations. In this case,
this larger family may have been very dysfunctional, with poor boundaries.
Though they may be affectionate, often relationships are confused, eroticized
and inverted: a daughter or son may also feel like a spouse of their parent, for
example. In many cases, there is emotional and possibly physical incest repeated
generationally, and the impact of this pattern of violation is often what brings
them into treatment. They often have very conflicted, confusing feelings about
the family, being repulsed and mistrusting, but strongly attached nevertheless.
Often the bond is strongest to the parent of the opposite sex.

At some point they can no longer remain a silent victim and begin to voice rage.
Similar to Lac felinum, they tend to become very rebellious, leaving the family
at a relatively early age, intent on proving that they are not like their parents. In
this way, they may be the first to break the generational cycle of abuse and
dysfunction that their parents were also likely exposed to as children. Lac
lupinum may refute the family, which can lead to being pushed away, rejected
and disrespected by them. All this may contribute to feeling like an outsider,
even though they are the ones who choose to leave. In any case, despite their
rebellion, they generally seem unable to truly escape their strong ties to family.
Abandonment
In many cases, Lac lupinum was neglected and violated by family members. In
many ways, this may have robbed them of their childhood. To cope, they often
try to become as emotionally autonomous as possible from an early age.
Breaking away, they attempt to build a life separate from their family. But
without an appropriate model, they often don’t know how to create healthy
relationships. They can be needful in relationship, and often choose unfaithful
partners, giving up their own identity and acting submissive to win that person’s
love, no matter the cost to self. Though no longer physically abused, they may
have to endure awful situations to ensure that their partner does not leave them.
Often they do not recognize the extent of the psychological abuse that can
sometimes border on violence. Longing to be wanted and cherished, to be ‘first’
in the other person’s eyes, usually their relationships instead lead to a sense of
being abused and betrayed, ending in abandonment, similar to what happened in
their family of origin.
Lac lupinum tends to live in their senses in an instinctive, intuitive way, which
makes the world very immediate and alive for them. They can often see and feel
things that others cannot, but because their rational side is often less developed,
they may not have a rational understanding of what they perceive. Instead they
are immersed in the moment of experience, and usually rely on intuition to try
and find their way. They often have a remarkable sixth sense that guides them,
but can also overwhelm them at times. In some ways, these special qualities can
also make them feel deficient, different and give them cause to be abandoned.

Speech doesn’t usually feel direct enough for Lac lupinum; they want to
communicate through touch. So they are tactile and touch a lot. Though their
intent is not seductive, their predilection for touch and tactile connection can be
misread as a sexual invitation.

Lac lupinum can have a special connection to the animal realm, and often prefers
animals to humans. They dream about a whole bestiary of different animals,
especially vulnerable young animals, like puppies, that are defenseless. In other
cases, the animals may be angry, almost rabid (symbolizing their own anger
from having been mistreated). Lac lupinum feels deeply connected to these little
ones, as if they know better than others how to take care of them.

Lac lupinum could potentially relate well to children, if only they didn’t come
with parents in tow. As soon as Lac lupinum perceives that the parents do not
understand their children, it is too activating and spoils the situation. In general,
Lac lupinum has an easier time relating to animals than humans, but can feel
caring toward children, who like themselves were abused by their parents.

Lac lupinum can feel rage about having been neglected and violated, but they
don’t often express this rage for fear of endangering relationships. They are
more likely to react defensively on behalf of someone else, usually a more
fragile person with whom they identify and want to protect. They are less likely
to be defensive on their own behalf. Dream images that describe this suppressed
anger include gritting their teeth until they crumble.

Sexually, Lac lupinum tends to have poor boundaries like their parents. In
households that have two parents of the opposite gender, Lac lupinum tends to
vie with the same sex parent for the affection of the opposite sex parent, and may
achieve Oedipal victory (emotionally and possibly physically as well), becoming
a kind of spouse substitute. In other words, they want to be the favorite, if not
the sole object of love and attention, by the opposite sex parent. Such dynamics
can occur within same-sex couples as well if there is some differentiation
between mother and father functions in the two individuals.

These patterns are later played out with their friends, where they may have a
strong, unconscious impulse to compete for their best friend’s partner, with little
sense of accountability or remorse. “I couldn’t help it; I just fell in love. If
you’re my best friend, you’ll understand and let me have your partner.” Unable
to recognize how inappropriate this is, Lac lupinum may be thoroughly surprised
when this long-term friendship abruptly ends, and then feels excluded and
rejected as the one at fault. Soon after, their interest wanes, until the cycle
repeats itself with someone else.
Irresolution
Lac lupinum can have a dualistic way of thinking. Their world is broken up into
conflicting opposites: dark and light, intuitive and rational. They can struggle to
manage gray or a middle road; much of their life seems to involve conflict,
polarization and extreme feelings and sensations. In this treacherous world of
opposites, doubt could lead them to feel weak, paralyzed and vulnerable to more
victimization. So they act opinionated, determined, even dogmatic. In truth, they
are not so resolute, but rather suffer from an interminable internal conflict of
opposites.
Repudiation (3)
Lac lupinum was often raised in a dysfunctional family with terrible boundaries,
in which case she may have felt intruded on even as she didn’t get her core needs
met. She tends to feel very different from the other members of her family, and
this can make her feel like an outsider who doesn’t really belong. Based on this
early training, she recreates these same dysfunctional patterns with other people,
which lead to multiple rejections and failed relationships.

Part of the problem is that Lac lupinum can be nearly impossible to satisfy. She
knows in absolute terms what her truth is, what she feels inside, though she
doesn’t know how to express this very well. Her perceptions are so clear,
intense, and one-sided that she can seem overly opinionated. Everything is black
and white, with no room for gray, or for compromise. Understandably this can
be quite off putting to others.

Unfortunately she tends to over-idealize what a relationship can reasonably
provide. She simply demands too much, and this leads unavoidably to
disappointment and a likely break-up. She often needs to be special, ‘the best’,
particularly in the eyes of a romantic partner. It is not about being haughty,
rather she just gives so much to her partner, treats him or her as so precious, that
she wants the same in return. In essence, she wants to be the other person’s
entire universe. She must be first, otherwise she feels as though she were last,
and in the latter case, she will often leave and have nothing further to do with
that person. And though she is the one to initiate the break-up, she can’t help but
feel terribly rejected in the aftermath.
Self-harm (2)
On a physical level, her tendency toward self-harm is expressed through frequent
injuries. In childhood particularly, she may put herself in dangerous situations so
that she becomes ill or injured as a way to get preferential attention. This theme
of self-sabotage may also extend to relationships that are often set ups for
failure. First of all, she usually chooses unreliable people as partners who are
destined to be unfaithful. She may give herself the impossible task of winning
them over, of trying to be ‘the most favored’, but then annoys them so much that
they are forced to push her away. She may simply be too needy, demanding and
paradoxically, to the other extreme, obsequious for others to tolerate her. It is as
if this were all part of some test: if she can annoy people to extremes and still not
be rejected, this must prove that she is special after all. But this strategy
generally backfires and ends with her feeling rejected and alone.
Self-devaluation
Lac lupinum can feel as though she is significantly different from other people,
particularly because of her intense feelings and perceptions that don’t seem
related to a rational or logical understanding. And this intuitive, sensate way of
living in the world does not fit well with traditional education. She usually needs
to learn in a different way, and if this is not addressed, school can become
difficult. She does not know how to solve a problem with reason, she just
intuitively knows the answer, but can’t make sense of how she arrived at that
conclusion. She just feels it. Her brain doesn’t build a logical memory, a catalog
of experience. She lives in the moment as if each experience is fresh and new.
Being so different creates problems with her teachers who label her ‘learning
disabled’ and students who think she is not like them. Though she tends to be
stubbornly proud of her intuitive abilities, all this negative feedback from her
environment can cause her to feel poorly about herself.
Sensitivity
In most cases, Lac lupinum can feel the world around her with an incredibly
sharp, accurate ‘sixth sense’. Metaphorically, this quality relates to the moon, the
feminine, water, nature, instinct, the body, nurturing and compassion. She often
can’t cope with reason and the pragmatic world. Nature is her home, and she is
rejuvenated in the presence of trees and animals. In part this is a defensive
strategy: nature is not as confusing as people are.

Her extreme sensitivity can make her feel very vulnerable, as if she were
skinless, porous and without boundaries to repel the outside world. This hyper-
acuity of the senses can also cause her to feel too many strong sensations at
once, which can become confusing and overwhelming.

Lac lupinum can feel intense compassion for those who have, like her, been
ostracized or rejected, and she wants to take care of them. She has an intuitive
sense of connection to others that is not verbal, but direct. She wants a direct
connection: to touch their skin, to feel their feelings. When connecting to and
healing this wounded other, it is as if she is connecting to and healing her own
wounded inner child. Often she offers too much and goes too far, not adequately
appreciating the need for boundaries and how such intimate concern and touch
can create dependence. Meanwhile with her mate, she often wants to be cared
for in a way that she should have been by her parent.
Suspiciousness
Lac lupinum’s family may have violated her boundaries. This can contribute to
her mistrust of others, including doctors and therapists, even medications. For
this reason, she may try to act overly independent as if she doesn’t need
anybody. If she must go to a doctor, she wants someone who understands her
intuitively, who understands her sophisticated metaphorical language of images
rather than words. Asking too many questions tends to make her skittish and
suspicious.
Emptiness / Fullness
Lac lupinum may have felt neglected as a child. This can create a terrible
vacuum inside her body, especially in her chest, and she might not feel any
emotions there. When this state comes on, she feels robbed of energy and faint.
At other times she feels intense emotions and fullness in her chest. Her digestion
can alternate between different states as well. And though she is mostly
gluttonous, she can also be anorexic at times.
Hypochondriasis
Lac lupinum probably did not get the support she needed early in life. Because
of this, she may not have learned how to cope with physical pain as a child, and
therefore still fears it as an adult. In general, she trusts no one, wants to be
independent, and hates being sick because it might force her to rely on someone.
She doesn’t want to rely on practitioners either, and tries to be knowledgeable
about medications and therapies so that she can take care of more things by
herself.
Laxity / Rigidity
Lac lupinum can alternate between rigid opinions and an obsequious ‘follower’
mentality. On a physical level she can be the same, alternating between laxity
and physical stiffness. In both cases, she makes up for her underlying weakness
with rigidity. But this cannot be maintained indefinitely and eventually her
structure gives way and she becomes atonic. In many cases, her spine is
especially affected by this polarity and will produce a range of painful
symptoms.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
What is specific regarding the asymmetry of Lac lupinum is that one part of the
body seems clearly antagonistic and oppositional toward another. For example,
she may have a headache that requires lying down in a dark room at the same
time as she has back pain that requires moving around. And the pain can change
from one modality to its opposite. In both cases, it’s not easy to find a balance.
Lac vaccinum defloratum has a related dynamic of attempting to balance pain in
one area with a similar pain on the other side. The situation is worse for Lac
lupinum given that the two pains actively aggravate each other. In terms of
somatization the symptoms seem to move from the head to the viscera where the
center of the belly represents an opposite pole to the head.
COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUP

Pressing Pain
When compensated, she can experience crushing pains, as if a large, heavy rock
were sitting on her. Most often she feels this in her chest and upper abdomen,
with accompanying dyspnea and squeezing pains that prevent easy breathing.
The feeling of being crushed can inhibit her ability to move, function or defend
herself. Pains are worse with every change of position or movement. As with her
parents, she may feel defenseless against this intrusion and have no idea what to
do.
Extreme Pain
With decompensation, her pains tend to become more extreme and intolerable.
(This is also influenced by her worsening hypochondria.) She may feel utterly
alone, as if no one could possibly alleviate her suffering. Meanwhile, her
difficulty with being needy can make her suffering all the more intense.
Digestive Headache
Like other Milks, poor digestion often leads to head pains. For Lac lupinum, they
tend to come on when not busy or working, on the weekend, or when relaxing.
They might also appear with menses.
Difficult Digestion
Lac lupinum can have long, slow digestion. As with other Milks, the pancreas is
weak and does not produce enough digestive enzymes; generally carbohydrates
and milk are the most difficult to digest. She may also be pre-diabetic. She can
have strong cravings to the point of gluttony, with a preference for heavy foods,
and an equally strong tendency to be anorexic (which can further complicate
digestion). Her slow digestive process mirrors Lac lupinum’s difficulty to
‘digest’ her emotions. Like food stuck in the digestive tract, she can brood over
the same stuck emotions for years.
Lack of Appetite
As a child, Lac lupinum may stop eating to get her parent’s attention; she might
even become fully anorexic. At any age, she may deny herself the satisfaction of
food, even though she feels a desire for it: “I want it, but I can’t have it.” This
reflects a more general struggle to experience satisfying pleasure in all aspects of
life.
Motion Sickness
Lac lupinum can have motion sickness, particularly on the water, for which
reason this remedy is often given symptomatically for seasickness. Her unease
with movement may be exacerbated when she is not in control. In a car, she
tends to mistrust other drivers, and so her discomfort is greatly increased if she is
not behind the wheel.
Adult Food
In general, Lac lupinum has trouble with the typical foods of childhood because
of pancreatic problems: milk, dairy, starches. As a result, she tends to prefer
more adult foods and often craves protein, especially fish.
DREAMS
Lac lupinum’s dreams often include a bestiary of animals, with each type
representing a different aspect of her instinctual life. Many may appear as baby
animals that need to be rescued, cuddled and pampered. And they tend to be
rather angry, representing the anger that Lac lupinum feels but doesn’t express.
This can also be symbolized by images of teeth clenched so hard that they
crumble.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS
Lac lupinum usually has a strong, solid physical structure. From an early age,
she tends to have an excellent relationship with her body. Even so, because she
relies on it so heavily, she worries that it may someday let her down. Her
intellect is probably more intuitive than logical and linear, and her language may
be metaphorically sophisticated and tied to visual images. She may have extreme
emotions and be quite reactive and expressive. Nevertheless, she can generally
cope well with this by identifying and engaging the feeling, and letting it move
wherever it wants to go. The problem is not necessarily her emotional intensity,
but that she cannot seem to balance this with reason, and can’t describe what she
feels (which can drive others away).

Her corpus tends to be highly sensitive and sense-oriented, as if her entire body
were a hand that could touch and feel every aspect of the physical world. She
can become overly confident about her body’s efficiency and neglect to feed it
properly, which may cause problems. On the other hand, her sensitivity can
easily lead to somatization and even hypochondria.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac lupinum can be vulnerable and begin to decompensate whenever she is alone
or feels abandoned. In relationship, she can decompensate if she is not the
favorite of the other person. In general, she has a strong need to be appreciated
and understood for who she is, and struggles when this doesn’t happen. She may
feel completely crushed if she cannot restore a lost or broken relationship in her
original family before that person dies.
COMPENSATION
Lac lupinum tries to repair from early neglect and abuse in several ways. She
tries to care for others as a way to feel a tactile, intimate connection to others
(making up for what she never received herself). She lives in the world of the
senses as a way to cope, and resists rational thought. She wants to be seen as
special, rather than defective. But she tends to seek love in the wrong places,
such as the partners of her friends. This replicates the parental model of betrayal.
In terms of compensation, it is an attempt to keep underlying feelings of pain
and emptiness at bay by constantly seeking attention from potential partners.
And yet these relationships are often doomed from the start and don’t last very
long either.
COMPLICATIONS
Like most Milks, Lac lupinum can feel internally dependent on others, even as
she wants to separate and become more independent. She simply transfers this
dependency to other people.

Lac lupinum may set herself up for failure by choosing partners who like to play
the field and who are therefore destined to leave her in short order. She generally
wants to be this person’s favorite, which doesn’t usually last long with this type.
Meanwhile, she tries to be whatever they want her to be, which makes her less
attractive. She may also test their affection, which can drive them away.

Lac lupinum may steal her best friend’s boyfriend or girlfriend, which generally
destroys the friendship. If she gains the object of desire, she may lose interest
and then lose the relationship too.

Lac lupinum seeks a direct experience of connectedness to others via touch in
order to help heal her inner child. But this is often misinterpreted by the other
party as a sexual invitation, which can lead to boundary confusion and further
injury to her fragile inner child.

Lac lupinum tends to feel different from others: less important, unrecognized,
refused and rejected. This can lead to a negative self-worth that further alienates
her from other people, condemning her to a kind of perpetual loneliness. Even if
she becomes ill, it is likely that she will have no one to take care of her.
DECOMPENSATION
Over time, Lac lupinum tends to become more alone and less communicative,
and her relationships may fall away. Even in this state, she may continue to long
for an idealized relationship.
RESTORATION
When Lac lupinum becomes healthier, she can usually better manage her anger
and her fear of abandonment. She may stop choosing the wrong type of partner
and stop acting like a servant to gain his or her attention. Instead she may be able
to find someone who loves her for who she is and is capable of managing a long-
term relationship. She may develop her rational side as a complement to her
intuition. She may become a healer and a point of reference for other people. In
her professional work, she may be able to keep better boundaries and not need
her clients to become so dependent on her.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
Lac lupinum probably grew up in a family with inadequate rules and poor
boundaries where many of the relationships were eroticized, and roles were
confused or inverted. As a child, Lac lupinum may not have felt seen or loved,
and so grasped after the attention of the opposite sex parent especially, if one
were present in the household. This relationship may have had sexual overtones
or may have included sexual molestation. Children may have shared the bed
with their parents well into puberty, and they may have inadvertently witnessed
the sexual activity of their parents or grandparents.
Nuclear family
Lac lupinum might not create a traditional nuclear family. More often, she
creates a substitute family made up of various same-sex friends. These people
may come and go based on their need for a new lover or whenever some rift or
betrayal occurs.
Lac lupinum tends to idealize her few important relationships. In general, she
can have a strong sex drive and yet may struggle to be sexually mature in how
she lives out this side of herself. She generally talks better with her body than
with her words and puts a premium on direct touch (feeling rejected if her
partner refrains from this). In some cases, she may look toward her lover to
provide some parental function. On the surface, she may be servile and does
whatever she can to avoid being abandoned. She is extremely demanding and
gets very jealous if her lover does not give her enough attention and reassurance.
Child & Adolescent
As a child, Lac lupinum may be precociously independent. She might be well-
behaved in school, but not in her family. If there are problems in school, these
are likely the result of her very unique learning style. She can be athletic and
enjoy active, aggressive competitive sports such as wrestling and boxing.

As a physically developing adolescent, she may be at greater risk of sexual abuse
in the family. She is likely to become extremely oppositional and opinionated
during this phase. And despite her sense of loneliness, she is generally anxious
to leave the family.
Adult
As an adult she tends to be lonely and without real intimacy. Usually she lives in
a group situation, surrounded by people who are dependent on her. She often
chooses professions like being a healer where she can rely on her intuitive
abilities while engaging in physical contact with others.
Elder
Lac lupinum often decompensates toward the end of her life. The body she has
relied on as her one stable source of strength finally starts to give out. If her
relationships were very dysfunctional, they probably did not last, in which case
she may be alone and feeling abandoned.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac lupinum can be very ambivalent about therapy. Though basically mistrustful
of doctors and people generally, she may be hungry to be seen and cared for. She
generally loves her doctor if she feels that he really understands her, and she
might like to become his favorite patient. She can be very demanding of him,
and as a test of his caring, may enjoy seeing him struggle in how to treat her.
Owing to her intuitive nature, she often has a very sophisticated language of
metaphors, and uses such images to describe her experience.
What is most characteristic for Lac lupinum is the sense of being excluded,
repudiated, different from others, and non-social. Interestingly, Lyssinum has
many of these same traits. In any case, these are not typical Milk characteristics
and are helpful for differentiating Lac lupinum from other Milk remedies.

Lac lupinum is a loner and victim who does not feel close to her family. She
would like to have a better relationship with them, but feels pushed away.
Blaming them for her victimization tends to create even more distance. Lac
felinum, on other hand, does his best to be independent and prove that he can
live on his own, without the need for family.

The closest remedy in this family is probably Lac caninum. Both remedies are
extremely sensitive and have tendencies to devalue and injure themselves. Like
Lac caninum, Lac lupinum is irresolute and unable to make good choices in life.
Lac caninum is fragile emotionally, acutely aware of what others want, and
always willing to change himself and make amends. Lac lupinum is
comparatively more sensitive, intuitive and perceptive. These skills allow Lac
lupinum to be extremely empathic, though the intensity of the other person’s
pain can be wounding to her.

Lac lupinum can be compared with some Cupressaceae, especially Sequoia or
Taxus. Like these remedies Lac lupinum is likely to be a healer and associate
with people who need her help.

Pix liquida also has some similar qualities to Lac lupinum. This remedy has
overwhelmingly intense feelings and feels rejected by his family, despite
working hard to satisfy them. Pix liquida shares with Lac lupinum pressing
pains, headaches and digestive problems as well as self-destructive attitudes.
What is different is that Pix liquida has a stronger propensity to withdraw. When
decompensated, he can become isolated and autistic and demonstrate severe
communication problems. In this state, he becomes preoccupied with his inner
world and does not allow others to get close. Highly sensitive, he is likely to
overreact if someone tries to penetrate his wall. Comparatively speaking, Pix
liquida seems reasonably able to manage his retreat from the world. For Lac
lupinum, on the other hand, withdrawal brings on a terrible feeling of
abandonment. Even so, she tends to affiliate with powerful, dominant supporters,
where she is destined to feel rejected.

Lac lupinum is like Medorrhinum in terms of her need to be sensual and have
physical body contact. Medorrhinum tends to be drawn to two different types of
people—those who are sexy, intriguing, and compelling and those who are less
typically attractive, but somehow touch his tender heart. In the latter case, he
may want to become deeply involved in an emotional rescue. Lac lupinum, by
contrast, does not experience a connection as close or satisfying unless there is
touch.
Case of Elide

Elide is a buxom woman, who seems well aware of her sensuality; her clothes
and makeup draw attention to her eyes, mouth, and curves in an elegant rather
than extravagant way. At the beginning of the consultation when I ask her name
and occupation, she stops, looks directly in my eyes, and very seriously asks,
“Do you want to know the real one or the official one?” I answer that I am
obviously interested in both.

[Elide begins:]
For years I worked as a physiotherapist, developing my own personal approach,
integrating various techniques that I learned over the years. I’m not married and
I love my work. I studied a lot and I continue to study. I’m wealthy enough that I
can afford to do that. I had to leave the hospital and other centers where I used to
work because they didn’t like what I did even though I achieved excellent
results. I assure you I’m not saying this to brag, only to inform you.

I don’t like to work in a mechanical way. What’s important for me is to do what
I can to help others live better, primarily by focusing on their body—how it
moves, how it breathes. I value the natural beauty expressed by each body.

§ Regarding my ‘unofficial work’, I feel very fortunate to be a medium; it’s what
most interests me in my life. And I don’t do it for money. I’ve had to work hard
to make room for this part of me. It’s been a long road but I’ve gotten there.

§ I can tell you there are two Elides. § I live in a village on the Italian border
where I work as a physiotherapist. I work as a medium across the border. I don’t
like to mix these two approaches. § I’m sure I could be misunderstood if I did
these two types of work in the same place. Obviously I’m expecting the utmost
discretion from you, knowing that some of my patients are your patients too.

[I ask her jokingly which of the two Elides she is referring to. She smiles in a
radiant way and answers cunningly.]
§ I’m referring to physiotherapy, but honestly, even when I work as a
physiotherapist, it’s impossible to prevent my other part from coming through. I
don’t reveal this to my patients, but some are sensitive enough to notice anyway.

I’m seeking a good homeopath who can appreciate how my physical self, and
perhaps more than just this—these two parts of me—are not integrated very
well. I don’t think I could talk about this issue with another type of doctor—
especially not the ones who only focus on physical problems, nor, unfortunately,
those who should have more interest in psychology. § Neither doctors nor
psychotherapists seem open to listening about how I need to bring these parts of
me together. I really need help with this. § Its very difficult to keep these two
parts of me separate from each other, even for me.

§ I have suffered with awful headaches since I was a little girl. It started during a
difficult time in my life. My parents separated pretty early, and both my mother
and father took other lovers. I lived one week with one parent and the next week
with the other. At both homes I slept with a parent and their lover in the same
bed. Each told me not to tell the other about this, because they both had many
lovers; it was someone new every week. It was like living in a bordello.

Bordello?
§ There are so many things I don’t remember—maybe I don’t want to remember
—but surely this influenced my sexual life, particularly my having been sexually
abused. I went to psychotherapy for many years to try and work this out.
Originally I felt responsible for allowing the abuse to happen, for not behaving
appropriately. Later I realized that I was just a child and it was the adults who
were ultimately responsible for what happened, not me. And there was no
justification for what they did.

[She says all this without affect in a very normal voice. I comment that this
seems strange to me; that I expected her to be quite angry.]
§ Of course it makes me very angry, but I have a difficult relationship with my
anger. § I cannot allow myself to get angry. I’ve only gotten angry a few times in
my life and I regret it still. I’m not able to control myself and I arrive to a point
where I become violent, where I hurt people.

§ I put one of my father’s lovers and one of my mother’s lovers in the hospital.
But I would rather not to talk about this if you don’t mind. We were talking
about my headaches. I also had neurological consultations and surgery because
of an angioma that persists as some kind of cyst that they prefer not to touch
because of where it is. § My headaches did not change at all after this surgery; I
was assured they would completely disappear.

§ My headaches are always the same. The pain starts behind my left eye and
then it moves behind my right one. When it’s not that strong, it goes to my
forehead and remains there. Otherwise, if it is stronger, it moves from the
forehead to the top of my head, and then the pain gets really intense. If I have to
be honest, this pain scares me a lot. After so many years, I should know what it
is. My psychotherapist tried to help my hypochondria with little result.

§ It’s an awful sensation, a kind of pressure from the outside, as if something
were pressing on my head. Then it moves to my digestive tract and remains
localized in the lower part of my chest at the opening of my stomach. § When
it’s strong, it’s as if I’m being crushed under a heavy weight. It’s hard to explain.
As I told you, I’m quite a hypochondriac—I know this about myself. In each and
every instance I worry that it’s something serious.

§ When I have a headache, I have to go to bed in the dark and try to sleep. When
I wake, it’s still not gone, just a little less strong. If I can throw up right when it
arrives, sometimes I can block it from going further, otherwise it must take its
course.

§ From an early age I’ve had the distinct impression that these headaches are
related to poor digestion. I’ve told all my doctors about this but none of them
seem interested. The few who listened only did so to give me the impression that
what I said had meaning, but clearly they thought I was an idiot.

§ Ever since I can remember, I have always had awful digestion. There are
certain nutrients I cannot tolerate at all. § I had to stop drinking milk when I was
very little. Even now if I accidentally have some dairy, I must immediately run
to the toilet. My diet almost exclusively consists of protein because I can’t digest
grains, including pasta and bread, spelt, barley and rice. I have little tolerance for
any of it. I would be a vegetarian if I could because I love animals, but that
would really be impossible for me.

§ I don’t know if this is related to my Italian culture but I adore wine—even if I
have to be careful not to overdo it. § I don’t get drunk easily; I can drink a lot but
then my digestion gets upset. In the region where I live [northern Italy near the
mountains] we start drinking alcohol as a child. I only like excellent wine. For
that reason I attended sommelier school, although I haven’t finished it yet.

Can you tell me something about your relational life?
§ This is another big theme in my life. I often find myself in situations where I
have the impression that I can trust a man, but in the end, he only wants to have
sex with me. § This is what happened with a teacher at the sommelier school. §
It’s happened many other times in my life too. § My love life is a mess, but to be
honest, in the end it doesn’t matter that much to me. I have my own life, I like
what I do, and what I study really touches my soul.

I would like to have a relationship but I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not
able to manage it. § My solitude weighs me down, but I feel even more weighed
down by trying to live with people who only make me suffer. I did everything
not to make them suffer.

§ Unfortunately, even this aspect of my life has two parts. On the one hand, I’m
very independent and a loner, but when I meet someone I really like, I become a
kind of slave, like a slipper on his foot [conforming to him, doing what he wants,
and getting stepped on the whole time].

I basically become his doormat. I always seem to put myself in a position where
I end up getting abused. But I know I’m the one allowing this to happen. § If you
don’t mind, I prefer not to talk this; it makes me feel bad.

§ I was subjected to neurological investigations for years. First it was the
headache, then the aneurism, then the cyst. When I was a child they wanted to
treat me for a form of epilepsy, but my father refused and brought me to see a
good homeopath. § The remedies he gave were completely useless but at least he
didn’t give me anti-epileptics.

§ I used to faint very easily. These days too, I can pass out. I really hurt my back
and my head when I suddenly fainted on the floor. I can faint for any number of
reasons: if I feel bad, if I feel sad. I faint when pain becomes too intense to bear.
§ The interesting thing is that when I wake up, it’s as if I’ve been disrupted from
being in a pleasant place. It was these experiences that made me want to
investigate the existence of other dimensions. This is another typical example of
being split in two.

§ In the end I don’t know if it would be better to be in another dimension or
here. § Or as you suggest, maybe it doesn’t serve me to be here or there, but to
live in the middle between these two.

I also have some physical problems. I’m not sure if it’s more related to my
ankles or my back, but I can fall down very easily. I haven’t figured out if it’s
from stumbling or if suddenly my back and legs don’t support me and give way.
I would like to know your opinion about this.

[I tell her that I can share what I’m thinking, while noting that it’s not easy for
her to trust what doctors say. She reacts as if I found her weak spot.]
§ Good shot! You’ve touched on a weak spot of mine. It’s true that I don’t trust
anyone. Once again we are talking about something double, see? § I mean I have
a great need to be listened to and understood and hopefully cured, but I can’t
trust people enough to share openly with them. When I do take that risk, it’s
usually with someone who’s not trustworthy, and so it becomes a vicious circle.

What do you do to try and overcome this problem?
§ I can only tell you that I have a very strong intuition, that I feel what’s going
on. So I decided to investigate further and I met some psychics. It was not that
easy because the psychic world is full of junk—but there are also some very
serious people who have this ability. They can be reserved and shy and not really
interested in making money from it. They can’t avoid being who they are.

You said that you have had to work hard to overcome this problem?
§ Yes. At first I was crushed by these visions and sensations, by all that had
happened and was happening (that I was not directly involved in). § Little by
little I started to trust what I was feeling. I started to recognize that I have my
own way of decoding.

I must tell you that my therapist was not helpful with any of this. I was expecting
something different from psychotherapy, but I came to realize she had nothing to
offer, and there was no point expecting that she should. I mean it’s not possible
for one individual to satisfy all my needs. This is one of the greatest problems of
my life.

§ When I meet someone with whom I sense real potential, because of my
proverbial mistrust, I tend to run in the other direction. Meanwhile, I believe too
strongly in the vision of who I want him to be—someone he can’t possibly be in
reality.

Only in the last few months have I begun to understand this. It had to hit me on
the head a few times before I got it. § I broke off so many relationships; if only I
could have accepted what was good instead of always being disappointed. My
therapist tried so many times to help me with this, but I’ve only recently
understood the difference between disappointment and frustration.

What about your parents? Were they a disappointment or a frustration?
Good question! I was very disappointed by both of my parents but thanks to my
relationship with them, I came to understand the difference between frustration
and disappointment. § In the end it was easy. They were the most disappointing
people I’ve ever met in my life! But while I was able to erase other people from
my life, I could not erase them. Despite what they did, I could not help but love
both of them a lot.

§ Yes. Again I’m talking about my duality. You are right. On one hand there’s a
powerful love, an unavoidable love, and this made me feel ungrateful, given that
they had given me the greatest gift in the world, namely, the ability to exist in the
world. In the meantime there’s the fact—I choose this word deliberately—the
fact that I was made to feel rejected and abandoned, even though I’m their
daughter. I saw how my friends’ families were and I could never understand why
my family had to be the way that it was. § But because I lived with them, I only
understood their way of being a mother and a father. It took many years for me
to recognize that it could have been done differently after all.

§ My grandparents were not that great either. Lately I’ve come to realize that for
my parents to be the way they were, they had to learn it from someone else,
right? § They made me feel that affection and love was dirty. § Obviously this
belief has created a lot of problems for me in how I relate to men. It still does
today. I don’t want to talk about this anymore, but I think you already
understand what I am trying to say.

§ I feel the victim of a strong need, a carnal need, which only leads to problems.
§ I know there are other ways to handle things, but for right now, this is how I’m
doing it.
After saying this, she is not able to continue.
Commentary
This is my third case of Lac lupinum. What I learned from my first two patients
(who would not allow me to publish their cases) guided me to this remedy
choice.

Starting from the level of her corpus, it’s very specific for this Milk to produce
pains perceived as crushing. Whether acutely or chronically decompensated, the
pain becomes extreme.

Unlike other Milks that often indulge in food, such as Lac caninum, Lac lupinum
tends more toward anorexia. They are more likely to over consume alcohol,
especially very fine wines.

The milk of the she-wolf allows for sensitivity and openness to other dimensions,
another characteristic theme not encountered in other Milks. Especially
interesting is their difficulty integrating and communicating these ineluctable
and clear perceptions. This often exacerbates their feeling of being odd and
estranged from others. This is a different strategy of avoidance than employed
by Lac suinum or Lac asinum. They are in close contact with a reality that most
do not see or hear, for which reason their perceptions are considered
hallucinatory or delusional.

The family conflict tends to involve close, incestuous bonds with both parents
and grandparents. The relationships are often eroticized, confused, ambiguous,
and transient. Often the parent seems to prefer the lover of the moment over the
child. When the child grows up, they repeat the pattern, looking for their unmet
parental need to be fulfilled in the form of a lover, and being bitterly
disappointed again and again.

As with all Milks, the link to family must be maintained, if only internally, and
even in the instance of incest and sexual abuse. The anguish of separation and
fear of abandonment is too strong to do otherwise. This paradox of familial
closeness amidst abuse contributes to a hypochondria more severe than in other
Milks.

The anger and rage and the relationship to the instinctual world is quite specific
in this remedy. They rarely act out their anger, but when they do, it is usually
violent and uncontrollable.

In terms of modalities the headaches are similar to those of other Milks as is the
relationship to digestion. Interestingly in this case, there is a need for protein-
rich foods and an intolerance of carbohydrates.
Follow-up
Elide begins with Lac lupinum Q1.

A few days after starting the remedy, Elide contacts me because of a strong
headache accompanied by intense vomiting. I have her stop the remedy and her
symptoms improve. For about three weeks she has no migraines and in her
opinion her digestion is significantly improved.

Following this her previous symptoms reappear and I suggest she take the Q1
just two or three times per week. She feels better for a couple of months until her
symptoms reappear, but with less intensity. I move her up to a Q2 and she
continues to improve.

Her second consultation is four months later. This time she seems more open to
talk and less suspicious, and she has put on some weight.

[Elide begins:]
I’m really satisfied with the results in terms of my headache. I am increasingly
convinced that the headaches were related to my digestion because now I digest
much better than before. As you can see, I put on some weight because I tried
eating foods like sweets, pies and bread that usually cause a lot of digestive
problems for me. I still have to be careful because if I eat bread every day, I can
get very distended. Previously, as soon as I ate some bread, I would feel sick for
days and immediately get a headache. I even tried dairy but I still cannot tolerate
it. The same problems appear immediately as before.

§ I’m surprised how little it bothers me to have put on weight. § I care a lot
about my appearance and want to be thin and nice looking. I’m not able to give
you an explanation as to why I don’t care. § If I were to think about it now,
without ruminating about it as usual, I would say it’s more about the pleasure of
eating something that I wasn’t able to before, rather than the disappointment of
seeing myself get fatter.

§ Oh yes, my pain. If the pain before was 100, now it’s 20 and it’s not nearly as
frequent as before. Now I just go to bed and even a short sleep allows it to pass
away altogether.

§ As I told you, I can eat foods now that used to make me sick. The fisherman
who lives close to my house asked me if I were angry with him. Before I was a
very good customer, probably because I was trying to eat more fish than meat.
Where I live, the meat is not as good as fish, and then there is my love of
animals; my ethics prevented me from eating meat.

To be quite honest, I adore animals. While it may seem trivial, I prefer them to
humans. Animals are more sincere and you always know what to expect from
them. I have relationships with plants too, and frankly I’m not sure that plants
aren’t also living creatures. Not to get too philosophical, but I think that
vegetarians don’t generally consider the fact that they are killing plants. We
oblige nature to grow more of the plants we like, and then we kill those plants
just as we do animals. I can feel what happens to plants; I can talk with them. I
hope you don’t think I’m crazy. I just wanted to say in principle that I should
only eat fruits that can be eaten without killing the tree. I would only choose
trees that naturally produce fruits vs. those that are artificially pumped up to
produce more. Thinking this way runs the risk of becoming a fanatic. Years ago
I almost became anorexic because I kept finding new excuses not to eat. That’s
why it surprises me to be so happy about putting on weight.

§ Why do you ask me about my work? I have thought a lot about that recently
and I think I’m starting to be more aware and confident in myself. § Increasingly
I have the courage to think that I don’t have to cross the border to do my work.
Maybe I don’t need to have two different lives. § It would be really nice if I were
able to have just one life that integrated my work and spiritual path and interests.
§ I have always done what I wanted in my life. I have always gone against the
grain, but in the end, it felt very lonely.

§ I have never been able to really trust what I felt, what I was able to see.
Helping people is the most important issue in my life. For me it’s like praying.
It’s a way of being in contact with everything that surrounds us. It’s a way of
giving sense to all the pain I’ve felt in the past. I believe there must be a reason
why things happen. This is not such an original idea. § Had I not suffered so
much because of my family then I never would have become who I am now.

§ My plans for the future? I would like to feel that I’m not such an alien. I
realize this depends on me, just me. Little by little I am regaining my
relationship with my parents. I truly forgive them and am starting to feel that
they did what they could. And I can’t help other people without helping my
parents.

§ I always made choices different from what my parents would have liked, but
inside I always hoped that they would understand and approve, that they would
be proud of me. § Not so much because I was good, but because I did more than
they expected of me. I was never able to make a choice for myself without
hurting my parents. § My psychotherapist pointed out that I have not been as
free and independent as I would like to believe. § My solitude is a kind of
compulsion. § I also think that each of us needs to accept our personal limits.

§ I have to tell you that I had three very important relationships in my life and I
can’t say that what went wrong was entirely their fault. I think it’s better if I stay
by myself and see if I can be happy on my own. I haven’t been able to do this
yet, but I’m working on it.

§ I’m saying this because a few days ago, I was shopping in the market and
came to an important realization. Before, whenever I saw a happy couple, I
thought that’s what I want in my life, to be like them. I was deeply envious and
asked myself what this woman had that I don’t. § A few days ago, for the first
time in my life, I said to myself that I have something this woman probably
doesn’t. I am who I am and actually, I don’t want to be somebody else; I want to
be myself. Maybe it’s not possible for me to have the life I want and share it
with someone else. § If this happens someday, great. If not, I’m learning to find
the pleasure in the moment, like when I eat some bread or pizza occasionally and
am able to digest it (so long as I don’t overdo it).

Elide took Lac lupinum for another couple of years after this last consultation.
Seven years after her initial prescription, most of her symptoms have cleared
except for the occasional mild headache or slight digestive problem, in which
case she takes another dose of her remedy.

Currently Elide works as a therapist, integrating her special skills, and teaching
other therapists with similar interests to do the same. Three years ago she had a
severe loss. She had started a romantic relationship with a very nice man who
died suddenly in a car accident. Shortly after, she developed a small carcinoma
in situ of the cervix. After taking Lac lupinum Q6 regularly for a few weeks, this
lesion disappeared.
Case of Edoardo

Edoardo is a 48-year-old male who works as a lay healer. His well-developed
musculature combined with being slightly overweight suggests that he is a
former athlete. Considering his burly physique, his features seem a bit feminine,
with long eyelashes, a delicate nose, and full lips. His fingers are long and thin
and it seems that he must spend a good amount of time manicuring his nails. His
voice lacks the deeper resonance typical of most men. His eyes are deep and
magnetic and he looks directly into my eyes.

[Edoardo begins:]
Contrary to many who profess to do alternative therapies, I take my work very
seriously. I have studied a lot, and still study a lot so that I can work to the best
of my ability. I know that you are also a very serious professional. That is good
because I have very serious problems.

Do you prefer I start with my physical or my psychological problems? I’ve been
looking for a homeopath for a long time who can treat both.

§ The last homeopath treated me at length with Lac caninum. I must say my
chronic headaches are not as frequent as before, but when they come, they are
still very debilitating. But since I started Lac caninum, my way of eating is much
worse and some old problems I had as a boy have returned.

§ I have started to faint. At the time this was diagnosed as petit mal seizures, but
after many exams they could not verify this. At any rate I was prescribed anti-
epileptic drugs. I went abroad to a homeopath who simply eliminated a few
foods from my diet and, over time, I improved a lot. After a while he gave me
Belladonna, but every time I took it, my headache reappeared. He continued to
insist it was my remedy. § I thanked him for the advice to eliminate dairy, but I
had to change doctors.

§ I would like to start with my relationship with food. You know how rare it is to
find a boy with anorexic problems, but I was like this. Not only that, but several
of your colleagues have told me I am feminine, and it really disturbed me
because I do like women, even if… but first things first.

§ When I was an adolescent I began to restrict my eating. At the time I was
chubby but I saw myself as huge. I decided to lose the 20 extra kilos. Everyone
is obese in my family and I have tried in every way to keep myself on a diet. But
at one point I decided to go to another town to attend school. I needed to
distance myself from my family, even if my parents were divorced. I asked my
family if I could go to collegio and they sent me.

In Italy a collegio is a private religious boarding school. Children are usually
sent there if they have behavioral or academic problems and are followed
closely by the staff. This is usually viewed more as a punishment than an
opportunity.

§ While there I went to the gym every day, I started to practice different sports
and ate very little. At one point they called my mother because they no longer
wanted to take responsibility for my health, even if I was excellent at school. § I
lost weight and attained my ideal weight, but they were afraid I wouldn’t stop
losing. § They were right, but only partially; they were wrong too. I did not stop
losing weight because I was sent home; I didn’t want to go home. § I continued
to lose weight because it felt good to do so and it was also my way to express
annoyance at being sent home.

§ Later on I had to follow a diet because I developed pancreatitis. Even before
the pancreatitis I had problems with eating but afterwards everything got worse.
§ First of all I have to be very careful with wine, which I love but it really makes
me sick. This applies more to wine than spirits. Then I have to follow a nearly
protein-only diet. § I don’t mind because I love fish; I’m not as fond of meat and
eggs. § I cannot eat different kinds of grains; even rice is bad for me. § As a
child I knew that milk made me feel bad but my mother insisted. And so did my
paternal grandmother. With cheese I swell up right away and cannot digest it at
all. Now I alternate days of fasting and others where I am really hungry. But you
know, I am a very contradictory person and I am the first to recognize how
contradictory I am.

§ My mother lost a son at the age of six because of an illness. At the same time
my father was seriously injured in a car accident with debilitating consequences.
So my mother and my maternal grandmother forced me to eat. I did not feel well
but I continued to eat a lot because I wanted to make them happy.

§ My parents separated when I was little and my house was really a mess. § I
would have liked to attach to some of the partners of my parents, but they
changed partners continuously. Sometimes I had the impression that they were
changing partners as soon as I started to become close.

§ I’m not at all angry with my parents. Experiences like this—the loss of a child
—are difficult to overcome. I did what I could at the time to show them how
much I loved them, but despite this, it was still pretty difficult. My father is
wealthy and yet makes me pay him rent. My mother has a shoe shop, and since I
started work, I have to pay for my shoes. Sometimes she might offer me a small
discount.

I did a few years of psychoanalysis and I think this was the best investment of
my life. To be honest, I hoped that my physical problems would have improved
as well. It was my psychoanalyst who suggested more than once to seek
homeopathic treatment.

§ I don’t remember when I started having headaches but I think I was really
young—only a few years old. I always remember having headaches. § They
have not changed much except to become more debilitating in the last few years.
§ The headache always starts on one temple for a few hours. Then it goes away
and reappears, the same kind of pain on the other temple. It has always been like
this. With almost every headache I have to vomit. If I’m able to make myself
vomit at the very beginning I can reduce the intensity of the pain but the pain
never goes away completely. § I have to go into the dark and try to sleep. I can
do this if I’m able to vomit in time. § I have no idea if there are triggers; all these
years, I have never been able to figure it out. Surely I will get a headache when
I’m really angry, but at other times I have headaches without anger.

§ It’s not that easy to make me angry. I worked a lot during psychoanalysis on
this issue because my psychoanalyst said that I ate like an angry person. He
believed that my sexual problems too had to do with my anger. § I was most
angry with my wife, but this did not last long because we separated after two
years.

§ After we married she started to refuse me sexually; at best we did it once a
month. After one year of abstinence, I asked for a divorce. I learned only after
we divorced that she had an abortion without informing me—only a few months
after we married. As it turned out, the child was not even mine.

It was really awful! I put on a lot of weight, going up to nearly 100 kilos. I felt
really ill. I began to look at her differently and my love for her started to
crumble.

§ About my weight—there are moments when I’m able to control myself and
others where I can eat the most disgusting things. § Literally if I don’t eat, I
become a beast and can even punch someone and really injure them. § These
people had not really done anything, maybe said too much to a friend of mine or
a girlfriend. Only once did I react to defend myself but I prefer not to talk about
that.

I am ashamed of myself when I eat too much. Once I went to the market and saw
some fried bread and bought all of it. When I got to my car I gobbled it all up—
it was disgusting. It was full of fried oil. I remember that one of the pieces fell
on the ground and I ate it anyway. The next day I decided to fast and only had
water.

I can fast for two weeks. § While I am fasting I am able to maintain my normal
life—I just need to sleep a little bit longer. But I live by myself; I’m a single
person so I can do what I want.

§ Every time I’m with a woman, I put on weight. Surely I want to punish myself
and I keep getting into relationships with women who betray me. § My wife, my
mother, my father, all betrayed me. I know that they will always love me, but
meanwhile, I don’t feel accepted or that I’m completely a part of this family.

§ I put on weight because I want my girlfriend to leave me and then if, despite
my weight, she still wants to stay with me, I will take her on trips to areas where
we can explore sophisticated wines and local delicacies. I always look for a
special kind of woman: a strong woman, a woman who already lives with
another man or woman. And I behave like her doormat.

For a time it was impossible for me not to fall in love with the girlfriends of my
best friends. These men were not mere acquaintances but truly my best friends. §
It was really awful, but this force was much stronger than me. § And then when I
got into a relationship with these women, the mechanics of the situation were
always the same. They leave me because I become very difficult, very obsessive
and without a shred of dignity. The last one told me that I’m not a man but a
doormat. § It’s true. At that moment I am willing to do anything so she won’t
leave me. I’ll even share her with other men, even though I am extremely jealous
and possessive.

§ Another big problem of mine is that I’m really afraid to die. I’m so attached to
life and so afraid of dying. I know perfectly well how hypochondriacal I am. I
treat and help many people. I meditate and have my own spiritual quest. § It’s a
search for the ethical sense of life. I would really have liked to further my studies
in philosophy. My passion is ethics; it’s extremely important for me. My word is
like a mountain.

§ Despite my spiritual research, I can’t avoid being afraid of disease. When I get
sick I feel lost and I don’t trust anyone. I think that this is the real reason why
I’m interested in health and trying to help others. § I can tell you that when I’m
sick, I literally lose my mind. When I have any kind of symptoms, I make them
huge and immediately think about the worst. I lose control. It’s so humiliating.

§ I remember my dreams very well. For years I have had a dream where my
teeth are crumbling, as if I have sand in my mouth. I feel a sense of despair
about losing my teeth. There is another dream that I have had since I was a child
where I fly and see rivers and lands down below. I talked about that dream for a
long time during my last psychoanalysis. I imagine you understand how much
this psychoanalysis underlined my internal rage.

Dreams of crumbling teeth often have to do with anger that cannot be easily
expressed; flying away in dreams often has to do with a desire to escape this
anger rather than live with and integrate it.

I forgot to tell you something else very important. I often have a kind of double
vision. Probably this has to do with my whole life being double: the life of
someone who wants to be lean and who is fat. The life of the therapist who is so
welcoming and giving comfort to other people and yet so hypochondriacal and
untrusting; the life of someone who is so calm and yet can be a beast who sends
people to the hospital.

§ Well maybe I can tell you about that time. The person I sent to the hospital was
my father’s woman. As a boy she approached me and said she could teach me
something. You have no idea how disgusting this lady was. She was a real
whore: a woman who does it just for money. Possibly in her way she wanted to
be affectionate. She told me what all whores say, that I was the cutest, and even
nicer than my father. After saying that she wanted to have sex with me, I lost my
temper and started punching her.

[I start to think to myself that that this could be a case of Lac lupinum and I ask
him directly if he has any kind of special perception of other dimensions or
clairvoyance.]
§ What a strange question! But I think that if you’re asking me this you must
have a good reason. I’m really curious to see what led you to think that it’s
important to cultivate that part of myself. § But you’re right; this is a part of me.
One side is psychic and the other side of me is a very rational, even if I do not
consider myself an intelligent person. § I feel. I have very clear visions, but I do
not like to talk about it.

§ I’ve never talked about it. Since I was little, I have limited myself to
investigate what others thought, what they said, what they felt. § I had to come
to grips, very quickly, with how different I am from other people; how
impossible it is to tell others what happens to me. § Even with my own parents?
Especially with my parents! Even when I was in my home I felt different from
the rest of them; there were so many things there that were not my own, but
belonged to my family. § I mean this thing [other dimension] is not only
important in my work, it is also the meaning of my life—and of life in general, if
you will permit me to say so.
Follow-up
I interpret this last sentence of Edoardo’s as the ‘icing on the cake’ confirming
that this is a case of Lac lupinum. My only direct question probes whether he
has the unique ability to perceive another dimension, like my other Lac Lupinum
cases. I consider this an important feature for confirming the case; it’s also an
important part of Lac lupinum’s identity though it makes him feel different from
others.

Edoardo takes Lac Lupinum Q1 for almost one month before reacting with a
strong headache and vomiting. Only after three days of continuous pain and
vomiting, Edoardo contacts me. I ask him to stop the remedy and within a few
hours his symptoms improve, despite being quite dehydrated because of all the
vomiting.

In the following weeks Edoardo declares that he feels much better generally, but
is not able to describe the improvement of any specific symptom except for the
absence of migraines.

After six weeks the first hints of a headache reappear. Edoardo knows to take
sips of Lac lupinum Q1 every 15 to 20 minutes and within a few hours this
episode aborts. In the next weeks he continues to have hints of a migraine that
do not evolve due to his taking frequent sips of the remedy.

I have him start Lac lupinum Q2 and the next consultation is two months later.
He has lost weight. His face is not as pale as before and he seems to have a
better mood.

[Edoardo begins:]
I’m really impressed by a couple of things. First of all my headaches are even
better than when I was taking the Q1. I can say that basically after that time I
never had one as bad as before. And if a headache tries to come on, it goes away
if I take a few sips of the remedy. Since taking the Q2 I don’t have even the little
beginning of a headache; there’s no headache at all! What was really surprising
is that I eat and digest very differently than before.

§ I mean that in the beginning, I thought it was a reaction to our visit. I must tell
you that I was really shocked about what happened. I came back home and I did
whatever I could not to think of you as a special person, because I have always
had bad experiences with people I consider special. I did not want to condition
myself in that direction or to feel I was the victim of a placebo effect.

I even experimented and I put this remedy in another bottle. I took an identical
bottle and put just alcohol and water. I did not label these two bottles and did not
know which one was the bottle with the remedy. At the end if I took one of these
I was better, if I took the other I had no reaction. I’m sorry, but I was really
curious to understand if it was my own reaction. I need to trust in special people
and when I do, it always goes wrong. I did not want this to happen in our
relationship. Since taking the Q2 I did not want to repeat the experiment of the
two bottles. I wanted to trust. As you remember I told you that my words are like
a mountain. [He was unable to keep looking in my eyes. He looked down and
started to weep silently.]

To be honest, I don’t know if you can really trust me to be sincere. As I told you
I fell in love with women I really shouldn’t have. But I wanted to trust you and
your remedy. When I felt how good this remedy was for me I woke up and I said
to myself, this is a damn wolf’s milk and the previous homeopath gave me dog’s
milk! § I did not realize that at first; I thought it was the lupine flower. § If I am
a wolf after all, it helps to explain many things about myself, but maybe it’s too
soon to talk about that yet.

[He stops crying and says,]
I was saying that I eat and digest in a different way. I don’t have to eat that much
in order to fill my stomach. I feel satisfied. I even tried to eat pizza and it was
not as bad as it was before. But if I continue to eat bread or pizza for a few days
in a row my belly gets really swollen. I tried to perform the same experiment
with a little bit of milk, but I get diarrhea immediately.

§ I feel that I am much calmer than before, even serene, and I really don’t know
why. I had this dream again about my teeth and I realized it was important for
the teeth to crumble like bread, like sand, into little pieces so I could swallow
them without choking. Then I realized that under those teeth were good teeth.

§ It’s hard to say but that last dream was as if I was losing baby teeth because the
adult teeth were pushing through. I don’t know what to think. I think it was a
good dream. That morning I woke up feeling well, as if I had reached a turning
point in my life.

§ I go to work in a different way. It is as if I feel more in control, as if I can see
more clearly, as if I can allow myself to do my work in a better way. I don’t
know why but that’s how it is.

§ We have not spoken about my love life recently. § I think I figured out that it’s
better for me to be alone, at least until I am able to not jump into the kind of
relationship that could kill me. § Not really ‘kill me’ but where I end up feeling
dead. And I know that in the end it is also me contributing to this; I do what I do
so that I will be left by the other person. I must tell you that before I started your
treatment, I wouldn’t allow myself to even go out to dinner with an
acquaintance. I was too afraid that my romantic saga would repeat itself yet
again. § I was able to have a date with an old friend of mine. It was a beautiful
experience. Probably for the first time in my life I expected nothing and then a
lot happened. § It was a beautiful evening together. I thought that if I were to die
in the morning, I could die happy having spent such a nice evening with such a
beautiful person.

He wants to change topics.
As I was saying, I’ve noticed a difference in my work. I feel more confident, as
if what I say and what I do is coming together. § In recent weeks it seems as if I
have the capacity (which I never had before) to review my entire life as if I were
reading a book. § I have a tendency to ruminate about everything, and yet many
times I don’t want to think about things because I get stuck in the mud. § Now
it’s different. Instead of having to return to the same page again and again or
having to devour the entire book cover to cover, I can leisurely read one page
after another, assimilating it and enjoying it along the way.

§ I don’t know where those images and perceptions come from, but I’m starting
to think that they are coming purely from me, and not from anywhere else.

§ I’ve thought a lot about my family, whereas before I avoided this. I have
thought about them so many times and it always makes me feel bad. Now it’s
just like reading a book. I guess I’m moving forward.

Did you notice anything else about your reading?
§ Great! I wanted to talk about this! I visited a new eye specialist because I
thought I needed new glasses and this doctor told me that my eyes are much
better than before.

He asked me what I did. He said he didn’t expect my eye muscles to recover and
work so well together. He was not expecting my ocular muscles to work
together. He said that I have a very slight strabismus that you can hardly notice.
But I’m not at risk of losing my sight in one eye any more. It’s as if this eye
woke up. Previously this eye was able to see, according to him, but it was as if it
refused to work properly [the vision just turned off]. I do not understand
anything about eyes, but I understood what he meant, and I liked that.

After five years Edoardo has not had any significant migraine episodes. His
work has gone well and he has collaborated with other professionals who value
what he does. His weight has remained stable and his relationship with food has
not been problematic, even when he had to face the death of his girlfriend whom
he had started to live with.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Excluded
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Repudiation (3); Self-harm (2); Self-devaluation ; Sensitivity (3);
Suspiciousness ; Emptiness / Fullness ; Hypochondria ; Laxity / Rigidity ;
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: pressing ; Pain: extreme ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion: difficult ;
Appetite: lack of ; Motion Sickness ; Food: adult
Common Ailments
Abuse, ailments from, sexual / Anorexia-bulimia Back pain, cervical spine
Cysts, ovarian, right / Fainting Fibroids, uterine Food intolerance, milk /
Gastritis / Incontinence, urinary / Mastodynia, severe / Motion sickness /
Nausea / Pancreatitis / Prolapse, uterus / Sjogren’s Syndrome / Spasm,
masseter muscle
Milks: Lac caninum ; Distant from Family: Lac felinum
Other: Healer: Cupressaceae: Sequoia, Taxus ; Sensual: Medorrhinum ;
Rejected: Pix liquida ; Lyssinum

Lac leoninum
Panthera leo

Panthera leo is a member of the Felidae family. Its ancestor, Panthera leo
fossilis, lived 500,000 years ago and was larger than today’s African lion. The
lion can be found in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia but was, until 10,000 years
ago, geographically widespread.

The African lion inhabits grasslands and savannahs and is more social than most
other cats. They usually live in prides of five or six related females, along with
their cubs and one or two males. Another social organization is the nomadic
male who lives alone or in pairs. Each of these alliances hunts and grooms
together.

The lioness leaves the pride when it is time to give birth, delivering litters of one
to four cubs. She returns to the pride when the cubs are several weeks old.
During these first weeks she leaves them alone in hides whenever she needs to
hunt, resulting in less than optimal nourishment, even potential dehydration and
starvation. Once reunited with the pride, their care is more consistent and
nursing can be shared among the other lactating mothers.

The composition of lion’s milk resembles the protein bands of cow’s milk and
the fatty acids of human milk. The high fat content of lion’s milk suggests that
cubs have a critical need for this nutrient from the moment they are born.

The oldest known figurine of an animal—an upright lion—was carved from
ivory some 40,000 years ago, the same period as the Venus of Hols Fels, both
found in the Swabian Jura of Germany. Lions were painted in the Chauvet Cave
some 32,000-36,000 years ago.

The lion is a symbol of the sun, royalty and strength, while the lioness is
considered to be lunar, emphasizing motherhood and sensuality. She is an
animal sacred to the goddess-mother as seen in the Egyptian Sekhmet, a goddess
of retribution and war. She is the wrathful form of Hathor, a goddess of
motherhood. There are many mythic creatures that share lion attributes such as
the sphinx, griffin and chimera. The lion was thought to sleep with one eye open
and so were placed as statues in front of palaces to guard their inhabitants.

The lion stands as an ambivalent figure in Christianity. Its powerful voice is
sometimes associated with the word of God, at other times, with the devil. The
lion has symbolized chaos and pride as well as resurrection, due to the belief that
cubs were born dead and come to life after three days.

Lac leoninum was made from the milk of a nursing African lioness, living in a
nature sanctuary outside Mumbai. The encaged lioness was injected with a
hormone to increase milk production and then manually milked. The proving
was performed by Nancy Herrick and later by Rajan Sankaran, in 1994.
COMMON AILMENTS
Aphthous ulcers, oral and painful Bulimia Food intolerance, milk Herniation,
lumbar disc Hypercholesterolemia, familial / Hyperhidrosis / Insomnia Motion
Sickness Otitis, recurrent / Urticaria, nervous

Note: Lac leoninum does their best to complain as little as possible and hide their
physical ailments, since these are seen as a sign of weakness. Thus fewer clinical
ailments tend to be reported for this remedy compared to other Milks.
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Despite Lac leoninum’s attempt to have a strong, commanding presence, they
nevertheless suffer from the same insecurities about being abandoned as other
Milks.
Egotism
Lac leoninum can have a big ego and may do whatever they can to be recognized
as an important, powerful person. In many cases, they may seem a little
embittered and vexed (just below the surface) for not being acknowledged as
they would like.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
As a Milk, Lac leoninum usually has a warm, loving nature and needs a strong
emotional connection to their family. They can’t seem to help the feminine
characteristics of their personality, such as the need to give and receive affection.
Perhaps they had a very loving, caring father. Even so, their parents seem to
have extremely high expectations for them, including the need to succeed at all
costs. In other words, the parents of Lac leoninum demand they develop their
masculine side and become powerful, strategic, ambitious and competitive, even
ruthless. They must be the winner; second place is not good enough. So Lac
leoninum may struggle back and forth between giving time to nurture their
relationships and working hard to succeed. Their soft side seems to make them
too mild to compete at the highest levels; and relationships, especially to loved
ones, seem to demand too much time away from work to be really successful.
It’s as if they’re running for president, and all the family demands keep them off
the campaign trail and spoil their chances of winning. They can feel castrated by
this, though the bigger obstacle to their career is their own pressing need for
warmth and affection. If they give in to this, it slows down their career progress,
but if they don’t, they start to decompensate.
Abandonment
Lac leoninum often lives with the quandary of doing everything they can to
cultivate power and success while trying to maintain their most essential
relationships. And they just can’t seem to do both. Part of them desperately
wants to stay close to the more significant people in their life (or else they feel
abandoned). But this gets in the way of their career and doesn’t let them shine as
brightly as they would like. And so they are often the ones who initiate distance
and injury to their important connections.

Lac lupinum constructs romances destined to fail. Lac leoninum often chooses
work over people. What is common to these remedies is generating a situation of
being rejected by others. Though they bring this on themselves, it hurts
nevertheless and it doesn’t stop them from feeling unjustly victimized by the
abandonment.

Initially, Lac leoninum can put so much pressure on themselves that they
become stressed and irritable. Over time, this tension can push people away. As
this starts to happen, Lac leoninum may be frustrated, “Can’t they appreciate my
dilemma? Why can’t they understand that I’m not mad at them, it’s just the
predicament I’m in.” Even so, these people can sense that Lac leoninum is
preoccupied and annoyed and doesn’t seem to want a close relationship. And so
the connection diminishes, and then Lac leoninum feels disappointed and alone.
Lac leoninum can be angrier and enraged than any of the other Milks. And this
side of their personality is quite evident to everyone around them, including their
practitioner. As with Aurum and Nux vomica, their outbursts are often directed
toward the more important people in their life, though afterwards they may feel
terribly guilty about this. Some of this rage stems from falling short of overly
ambitious goals and feeling underappreciated by others. This anger and
frustration can lead to overeating, and outbursts may be followed by hives or
other kinds of skin rashes.

If Lac leoninum doesn’t seem able to earn others’ respect, they may start to
simply demand it. In other words, they may try to impose themselves on other
people in a very domineering, dictatorial way, as if to say, “This power is mine,
and I will take it!” Like actual lions, Lac leoninum may feel the need to ‘strut
and roar’ in order to impress. Along these same lines, they often have dreams
about big, aggressive animals, including lions, that need to be larger than life in
order to seem more threatening.
Irresolution
Lac leoninum struggles with irresolution like the other Milks, though it may be
less apparent because they try to look so strong. To their mind, being unsure
about anything seems weak, so they generally pick a position and stick to it no
matter what. This insistence makes them perhaps the most rigid and opinionated
of all the Milks. Beneath this mask of certitude, however, they can often struggle
with decisions, especially urgent ones that don’t offer an easy solution. In this
instance, they can feel completely paralyzed and start to decompensate, even as
they try to maintain appearances. In some cases, instead of making a choice, they
will simply impose their authority.
Self-affirmation / Self-devaluation (3)
On one hand, Lac leoninum tries to appear a kind of good, mild king and parent
who can govern without needing to raise his voice. On the other hand, he can
become instantly irritated if people are too friendly and familiar, as if they are
not giving adequate deference and respect. Then again, if the tone is too formal,
this can be problematic as well. Basically, no matter what the other person does,
there’s a high probability that he or she didn’t get it quite right. A joke that
makes him laugh on one occasion may cause aggravation the next time it is told.

Often it is the people closest to Lac leoninum whom he feels most offended by.
He can turn the smallest comment into a supposed slight of grand proportions.
Were another person in his situation, he or she would likely not even notice or
would let the comment slide. But to him, these are grievous affronts to his
authority, painful narcissistic wounds that injure his fragile, inflated ego.

The more he fails in his ambitions, the more insecure and reactive he can
become, almost to the point of paranoia. He may constantly second-guess
himself, “What did they mean? Was that an innocent joke or were they mocking
me?” He may ask himself, “Should I be more familiar with others or will they
lose respect for me? But if I’m formal, will they think I lack confidence?” He
may develop different rules for how he should be in different settings. At school,
for example, a Lac leoninum child may be well behaved, but at home, he may
grab the best piece of meat or the biggest slice of cake without asking.

The more he decompensates, the more he tends to do whatever he wants no
matter the context. Somatically, he may develop malodorous discharges like
Sulphur, acting as if this is a sign of distinction.
Resentment (2)
Being so easily offended can cause problems in nearly all of his relationships.
He expects too much recognition and respect and is nearly always disappointed.
In some cases, he thinks people are out to sabotage or betray him. As a result of
all this, he can become quite resentful and may cut off the relationship, acting as
if the other person had never existed. Once this occurs, there is usually little
chance of getting back into his good graces and, sometimes, he can be quite
vengeful and malicious.
Ineffective Communication
When compensated, Lac leoninum works hard to communicate with precision,
paying careful attention to word choice, body language, and charm (even as a
child). He’s not always sure how to do things in order to hit the right note with
other people, for example, “Should I be more friendly or formal?” He often
comes across as a friendly, distant person. All this over-thinking can make him
stilted instead of spontaneous. When people don’t respond in the way that he
wants, he can become quite angry.
Rigidity / Laxity
Lac leoninum can be quite rigid and formal, strictly adhering to rules as a way to
seem strong and resolute. He may seem overly opinionated and unable to be
persuaded to the other side of any argument. When having to make up his mind
about something, he wants to appear solid in his reasoning, to such an extent that
he doesn’t afford himself any fluidity or spontaneity. Instead his thinking must
be methodical and linear. And once he comes to a conclusion, he demands that
others bend their knee to his brilliance.

Somatically, Lac leoninum lacks fluidity in his movements. Often he has
stiffness in the lumbar region that can affect his whole spinal column, making it
too painful to move much at all.

Like Aurum and Lycopodium, he tends to decompensate when severely criticized
by others or obviously failing in his endeavors. At this point, his body may
become atonic and flabby, as if all his previous power has been lost.
Fullness / Emptiness
Lac leoninum generally wants to appear big, full and larger than life. Whether he
walks into a room, a courtyard or a theater, he wants to project a commanding
presence where others instantly think “He’s quite impressive!” When
compensated, he may eat a lot to appear more solid and stout, as well as to
provide the fuel for his ongoing pageantry. Even so, he takes pains to remain fit
(though he can’t endure an empty stomach) and likes to show off his strength.
As a child, Lac leoninum often eats heavier foods so as to seem more adult.
When grown, he has a preference for foods that fortify and stimulate, like meats
and strong spices. When decompensated, he tends to lose his muscle tone and
become flabby. His presence becomes smaller and he seems empty and devoid
of his former power. He may become less able to control his appetite and may
drink excessive amounts of water as well.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Lac leoninum’s symptoms go back and forth between one part of the body and
another, along a vertical rather than horizontal axis. In other words, they tend to
alternate between superior and inferior zones rather than from side to side, left
and right. As with Lac lupinum, the affected area is where the system exerts
particular strength and control. The intense degree of pain and suffering in this
region tends to draw all of his attention there and further underscore its
importance within the corpus. For Lac leoninum this zone is the heart, with
pulsating symptoms that are impossible to ignore. These chest symptoms can
fluctuate with symptoms in the abdomen, the back, or the head.

Superficial Pain (2)
When compensated, Lac leoninum may want to appear invulnerable like Arnica,
as if he were made of iron. And he manifests similar pains to Arnica: sore and
achy at their worst, but mostly just superficial and barely felt. He wants to show
that ‘what bothers other people doesn’t bother me.’ By anesthetizing himself in
this way, he maintains the illusion that his system is untouchable, incorruptible
and runs perfectly. If he happens to be sick or suffering, he tries not to show it.
For this reason, it is difficult to generate a full list of clinical symptoms for this
remedy.
Penetrating Pain
With decompensation, Lac leoninum’s pains tend to become more penetrating
and profound. They can appear anywhere, but headaches are especially common.
Subjectively, these pains seem to burrow deep into the system, as if something
alien were taking up residence in his core.
Digestive Headache
Lac leoninum tends to have worse, longer-lasting digestive headaches than the
other Milks. Generally, he tries to fend it off as long as he can, but when it does
come, it can be quite severe and hard to overcome. Often it appears right after
decompensating emotionally, for example after an embarrassing outburst of
anger. (His anger can be explosive and strong, as with the Solanaceae.) As
dramatic as this display might be, he might actually like to do much worse, but
restrains himself. When compensated, his headache tends to be frontal; with
decompensation, it seems to go deeper into his brain.
Irritability
Lac leoninum tends to have a sensitive system that can easily become irritated.
He seems to be innately reactive, in part, because he denies his problems to the
point that they build up and fester inside him. This can lead to both emotional
and physical irritation. The more decompensated he gets, the more reactive his
system becomes, in part, because like Arnica and similar Compositae, he wants
to think of his system as untouchable.
Painful Eruption (2)

When compensated, Lac leoninum does not usually feel pain, but he can still
have skin eruptions. Most typically, he gets urticarial or other rashes that
suddenly appear on highly visible areas such as the hands, ears and face. These
eruptions can be long lasting and subjectively more painful than one would
think. The real suffering stems from the fact that they are difficult to hide and
contradicts the image of a body that is perfectly intact.
Foreign body
When Lac leoninum cannot avoid pain altogether, he may attempt to encapsulate
it within a specific location. But once he begins to decompensate, he doesn’t
have much control over this process, and this ‘pocket of pain’ may go much
deeper into his system than he would like. He prefers to think that this pain is a
foreign object or entity coming from the outside, rather than an indication that
his constitution is starting to break down.
Offensiveness
Lac leoninum can produce offensive discharges, smelly sweat and bad breath. At
first, he may try to cover this, but if this doesn’t work, he may act as if it’s a sign
of distinction and strength. He thinks, “Perhaps it’s better to stink than to have
no smell at all.” What he can’t stand is to be just like everybody else. He would
rather be extraordinarily good than extraordinarily bad, but he would rather be
extraordinarily bad than not extraordinary at all.
Hyperphagia
When compensated, Lac leoninum generally wants to consume a lot of food to
keep his body big (though well-toned) and have enough energy to seem larger
than life. With decompensation, his consumption can become more excessive
while he stops exercising, becoming overweight and flabby. Either way, he
wants to be big and noticeable.
DREAMS
Lac leoninum commonly dreams of animals that are passionate, powerful and
threatening because he wants these qualities for himself. He may dream of lions
specifically because they so fully embody these qualities. (On the other hand, a
faltering lion may symbolize ‘the weak king’ who is humiliated, vexed and
defied.) Lac leoninum has a strong will and wants to keep his high position. As
with other remedies that parade their big egos by day, Aurum and Sulphur, for
example, at night they experience their insecurities and dream of falling down
from a high place.

Like the Magnesium salts, Lac leoninum can dream about communication
problems with one key difference. Whereas the Magnesiums dream of small
bridges (to symbolize contact with another), Lac leoninum dreams of giant
bridges like the Golden Gate or big radio towers (to show how impressive he is).
Soon after, however, these grand structures come crashing down. This failure to
communicate can be taken as a narcissistic injury that more likely leads to rage
than disillusionment. (And rage may actually contribute to more authentic
communication, though there is fear that rage may occasion abandonment.) Like
the Magnesiums, he may also dream of being lost, wandering around with a
compass that is demagnetized and useless.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Intellectually, Lac leoninum tends to be very linear, logical and methodical
because he wants his reasoning to look solid to others. Usually he has a strong,
well-developed emotional structure. He likely has a softer, regressive side
common to Milks (that he disdains because it seems weak). At times, he would
prefer not to have feelings at all, but his nature is too emotional to accomplish
this. Like Lac felinum, he tries to suffocate and control his emotional side in
favor of what is more logical and effective. Physically, Lac leoninum usually has
a large, strong constitution.

When compensated, his corpus works well and he feels untouchable and
incorruptible, and able to ward off any enemy. Having a strong body helps him
to feel better about himself generally.
VULNERABILITY
Lac leoninum is vulnerable to whatever might weaken his power, put his
position at risk or make him look bad. He tends to invest a lot of energy in
power-seeking but seldom attains what he wants and, generally speaking, is not a
truly powerful person.
COMPENSATION
In most cases, Lac leoninum copes with his insecurities by following an
ambitious life plan set up for him by his parents. He wants to be the supreme
champion, the king of the savannah, and can’t tolerate being second best in
anything—to him, that’s the same as losing. In support of this, he wants to have
a big, impressive, imposing presence and gain lots of notice. Even so, he also has
a softer side that needs closeness, warmth and affection, particularly from his
family. He may try to suppress these needs because they get in the way of his
fast track toward success. Though he can accomplish much, he rarely achieves
what he sets out to do.
COMPLICATIONS
Lac leoninum inadvertently destroys relationships and then complains that he is
alone.

When Lac leoninum acts formal to gain respect, it actually makes him seem a
little stiff and awkward, rather than relaxed and natural in his power. This may
actually cause him to lose some respect.

Being so suspicious toward people and believing they are against him tends to
reduce people’s confidence in him. When he starts to lose his authority, he may
become more dictatorial, which makes people more resistant to his leadership.
When he gets angry about this, he roars and growls and often loses the
relationship. In each of these situations, whatever he does to make himself more
powerful tends to have the opposite effect.

Lac leoninum has a paradox about his male and female sides. As a Milk, he
wants a warm, nurturing connection to other people, but this interferes with his
aspirations to conquer his world. Emphasizing one over the other doesn’t work
because the other part is too neglected. Doing both doesn’t seem to work either,
because each side seems to undo the other.
DECOMPENSATION
With decompensation, Lac leoninum may become much more isolated from the
most important people in his life. In retrospect, he may complain that these
people were nothing but an obstacle on his path to success, and so he pushed
them out of his life. As his power slips, he becomes more unbearably
authoritarian, and as a result, more alone.
RESTORATION
With treatment, Lac leoninum can learn to relax and let go of being so big and
important. He may become more accepting of his weak side and his need for
warmth and affection. He may become less formal and suspicious and start to
show a more natural, fluid way of being, and demonstrate a sense of humor. He
often has natural leadership ability and if he avoids being too imposing or
authoritarian, he can actually do a lot for other people. Most importantly, he can
forgive himself for not being perfect and not achieving all the goals laid out for
him by his family.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
His parents tend to be very demanding with high expectations. They may have a
black and white way of looking at the world that says: ‘This person is good, that
person is bad’, with no in-between. They also idealize being a winner where
second best is the same as last. Lac leoninum tends to internalize all this and
demands that he be better than everyone.
Nuclear Family
Lac leoninum tends to be competitive with his spouse and have ongoing quarrels
about money, power, responsibility, division of labor, etc. As a parent, Lac
leoninum wants to be viewed as a good parent and have a strong connection to
his children. (Being viewed as deficient in this role would be devastating.) He
can have tremendous difficulty when his children become adolescents and start
to criticize and question his authority. This seems to wound his feminine and
masculine side at the same time. These challenges are all the more difficult if
they happen to occur during andropause or menopause.
Relationship Patterns
Lac leoninum typically starts forming affectionate connections early in life. And
he uses this skill later to charm followers. Unfortunately, once he establishes a
relationship in this way, he may damage it with his anger, insecurity and
suspicion, sometimes past the point of repair. And he is not very good at
reopening doors to relationships once they have been closed. It doesn’t help that
he can be so competitive and has to be the winner, the leader, the ultimate
authority.
Child & Adolescent
From the very beginning, Lac leoninum struggles with the conflict of fulfilling
an ambitious plan laid out by his parents while meeting his needs for closeness
and affection. Often these come into conflict during his childhood and
adolescence. He might say, for example, “I was accepted to Harvard but I can’t
leave my poor mother and father alone. So I guess I’ll have to give up on being
really successful.” In a sense, the family creates this double bind: “I want you to
be successful and I want you to stay here. I want you to achieve great things so
you can make me proud, but I don’t want you to surpass my achievements.”

As with other Milks, Lac leoninum does not express a strong adolescent
rebellion. His aggressive, rebellious tendencies may be taken out more against a
sibling, often one that is younger. He may try to model himself after his father or
father-function, trying to follow in this person’s footsteps and making
improvements (in a competitive way).
Adult
In adulthood, Lac leoninum can look similar to remedies like Aurum. He must do
whatever is possible to reach his goals. If he feels close to failure, instead of
facing this, he may prefer to up the ante (denying that he is unlikely to succeed).
Elder
In the elder years, Lac leoninum can be very lonely unless he has previously
incorporated some kind of a restorative strategy into his life. Otherwise, by this
time, he may have destroyed too many relationships to have any real connection
to friends or family. And he may not have any audience left where he can
demonstrate and exert his power.
TREATMENT ISSUES
The practitioner must be careful to give Lac leoninum due deference and respect
and not force him to view his weaknesses before he is ready. Because symptoms
and particularly diseases can represent ‘chinks in the armor’ he may not be able
to confess these so easily to his doctor. From the very outset, he may feel a sense
of contradiction about being a patient, since to his mind, this means that he is
somehow sick and defective. But if everything were truly going so well, he
probably wouldn’t be seeking treatment. In the end, he tends to hide his true
suffering from himself and his doctor. He is not usually so motivated to work on
himself and doesn’t want the doctor to get too close (and perceive his real
vulnerabilities).
One must look deeply to discern that the Lac leoninum patient is actually a Milk
remedy. The presentation leads in a different direction. While first prescriptions
of other Milks are often within the Milk family, not so in this case. This is
largely because Lac leoninum seems so powerful, self-centered and strong-
willed, with the potential for great achievement. The fundamental themes of
irresolution and submissiveness so standard in other Milks are less apparent
here. This remedy will never be mistaken for the more typical Milk, Lac
caninum, who always aims to please with her ‘I will be what you want’
plasticity.

Lac leoninum might be compared with Lac felinum since they both consider
family to be an obstacle in their lives. Lac felinum attempts to be self-sufficient
enough to avoid the confining ties with family members. She appears to have a
strong individuated ego, but in reality, is still enmeshed with the family she
carries inside her and who impede her development. Lac leoninum openly speaks
about the connection to his family, but he doesn’t want others to see how much
he loves them for fear it will make him look too soft and weak to be truly
successful in this hard-edged, competitive world. Despite being felines, it would
be unusual to confuse these two Milks in practice: the remedies that most
resemble them—Aurum (Lac leoninum) and Silica (Lac felinum)—could not be
more different from each other.

Physically, Lac leoninum is more apt to have circulatory symptoms, which is
rare for a Milk remedy. These include hypertension and high cholesterol. Most
Milk remedies have headaches, sinusitis, and digestive symptoms, and these are
not as evident in Lac leoninum, either because they are not present in this
remedy or he hides these maladies to appear more invincible.

Lac leoninum can look obstinate but in way that is different from Lac caprinum,
Lac asinum and Lac glama. While these latter are reactive and vexatious in their
obstinacy, Lac leoninum is simply forceful and assertive. He wants to appear
decisive so won’t look at both sides or take time to consider a problem, but
plunges ahead so as to seem strong.

Aurum, Nux vomica and Lac leoninum are leaders who can easily be confused
with one another. They all surround themselves with a well-selected team to help
them realize their goals. They invest in their team and have high expectations.
They care about their team members but can be dictatorial and want to be
obeyed. For Aurum, these people are not just colleagues, but friends, for which
reason she feels so betrayed when a team member leaves. Even so, Aurum tends
to keep some distance from her team. Nux vomica, on the other hand, has more
direct contact. She rolls up her shirtsleeves and works alongside her team at
times, like a general who joins her soldiers. Meanwhile Lac leoninum can be
indecisive and unsure whether to be familiar or stand apart. He wants to do
whatever is most likely to gain respect.

All Milks, including Lac leoninum, have a difficult time with their anger.
Comparatively speaking, however, Lac leoninum is much less reluctant than
other Milks to express his anger, at least toward underlings. He does not
generally express anger toward his more formidable colleagues. Regardless,
whenever he does display anger, he has a strong sense of guilt afterwards.

Outside of the Milk family, Lac leoninum is most easily compared with Aurum
metallicum. A more decompensated case of Lac leoninum can be similar to
Aurum arsenicosum. Aurum metallicum is generally more secure; if things have
gone well in her life, she can proudly hand over the reins to the next generation.
The Arsenicum component of Aurum arsenicosum adds suspicion, making it
difficult, when the time comes, to hand power over. Lac leoninum can be
similar, having difficulty stepping down because he still needs the honor and
recognition associated with being in charge.

The main difference between Lac leoninum and Aurum salts has to do with the
latter’s capacity to be truly assertive, genuine leaders able to realize their
ambitions. Aurum can collect and lead a large group of people. Lac leoninum has
ambitious ideas, but is less able to lead a team. He also lacks the assertiveness
and creativity necessary to bring these ideas to fruition. His ideas are sound but
he cannot actualize them, and so others will often be the ones to do so. Not
surprisingly, Lac leoninum is likely to react quite begrudgingly in such a
situation. His intuition and ideas go unrecognized, while competitors, whom he
considers less intelligent, steal his ideas and get better results. This creates
extreme jealousy and enmity.

Zea italica bears comparison to both Aurum and Lac leoninum. Zea italica can
be quite competitive and jealous, fighting for the expansion of her business. In
contrast to Lac leoninum, Zea italica is extremely assertive and competitive,
invading and displacing others in her quest to be the dominant company. These
three remedies can have cardiac as well as skin symptoms, and Zea italica is
especially known for psoriasis. Aurum is often prescribed first before arriving at
a correct prescription of Zea italica. Both Zea italica and Lac leoninum are
particularly concerned with their image and can have symptoms that affect the
exposed part of their skin. Lac leoninum has eruptions (such as urticaria) that are
perceived as painful—an unusual clinical presentation.

Adonis vernalis, similar to Aurum and Nux vomica, is a responsible, caring, hard
working, dutiful beloved parent and leader. From this perspective, she is
somewhere between Lac humanum and Lac leoninum. Like the latter, Adonis
suffers if she is pushed to the point of expressing anger or irritation toward those
she cares about. She also finds it difficult to be assertive if this generates
conflict. Whereas Lac leoninum is capable of showing much irritation to his
family (despite the bad feeling this engenders later), Adonis wants to be more
like Cocculus: sweet, nice and able to adjust without conflict. A physical
similarity is that both Adonis and Lac leoninum can have painful skin eruptions.

Lycopodium is another remedy that can be dominant and aggressive toward
weaker personalities. The difference is that Lycopodium will act as the valued
and trusted support of a more powerful person. Lac leoninum is unlikely to put
himself in such a position. Lycopodium seldom generates, proposes or acts on
her own ideas. Lycopodium finds it difficult to be in the limelight where she
might be judged, whereas Lac leoninum can hide his insecurity and appear
comfortably assertive.

Lac leoninum can consume large quantities of food. If we look only at this one
aspect, other binge-eating remedies come to mind such as Capsicum,
Dulcamara, Niccolum, Kola nitida or Aurum iodatum. (Of course, in other
respects, these remedies are quite different.) Lac leoninum overeats to maintain
his large appearance. Dulcamara, like Capsicum, overeats to control feelings of
grief and anger. After binging, Dulcamara is likely to vomit so as not to gain
weight. Kola nitida eats like a bottomless pit to compensate for an empty feeling
inside.

CASE OF AUGUSTO
Augusto, aged 44, is a muscular man, who has recently gained weight because of
a sudden reduction in sports activities. His behavior is extremely formal and the
combination of posture, gaze, and voice indicates someone intent on proving his
prowess. His wife made the appointment for him, almost forcing him to come see
me. They are worried about his weight and his lack of success in following a diet
plan.

His family history is significant for hypertension, early heart attacks, and
dyslipidemia. Augusto is a very ambitious executive manager and his job is full
of stress, which only contributes to his cardiac risk. He has been very successful
in his career, but because of recent clashes with shareholders, he was asked to
step down from his post. His company had been in severe financial difficulties
and he worked for years to turn it around. At this juncture the owners want to
sell it, which angers him because he feels it is still possible to succeed, but no
one will follow his advice. I have this information not from him but from his
cardiologist.

When I meet Augusto he gives me an envelope with his exams and a letter from
his cardiologist, without the slightest mention of my colleague’s concerns.

[Augusto begins:]
I have an insatiable hunger that I am unable to address with diets or
psychotherapy. I tried two different types of targeted therapies for this without
the slightest result.

Since I stopped smoking, I have attacks of compulsive hunger that come at all
times, even at night. I also suffer from insomnia. I fall asleep right away—my
wife says like all men—but then I wake up around 4 am and cannot get back to
sleep.

§ I started to eat a lot when I was an adolescent. I followed a diet and lost
weight. As my studies were being completed at the university, this problem
reappeared, and only with extreme will was I able to lose the weight again. I
also got fat before I got married, but again I was able to lose the weight I
wanted, so that on my wedding day I could fit into my suit. I cannot continue to
change shape like an accordion.

Then I started to sleep badly. When I was at the university, I was not able to fall
asleep easily, so I took some anxiolytics, but without much effect. It helped
when I was able to lose weight. I started to take Melatonin but I don’t see any
real benefit from it. My wife sleeps well with it, even many friends of mine, but
I have mixed results.

§ When my daughters were little they disturbed my sleep a lot and I felt guilty
because of it.

§ At that moment I became a beast. Certain nights I would really want to throw
them out the window. The next morning I regretted so much what I thought,
what I said. I thought that I was an unfit father.

§ The birth of my daughters came at an extremely important moment in my life.
I was at the peak of my career. I studied my whole life for that moment. I had
recently advanced and had to prove that I deserved the promotion. I understand
why some managers say you can only have a lover, not a family, with this job.

When I got married and more so when I became a father, things changed. It was
clearly a different way of life and it affected my sleep.

Another serious problem of mine are the aphthous ulcers that have become really
annoying in recent years. They don’t allow me to even talk properly, or eat or
swallow peacefully.

§ In the last few months they have become more frequent than usual, more
painful, and there are more of them. I have suffered since I was a child, but
they’ve never been this virulent before.

§ Our old family doctor, who was also a great mother to many children in town,
knew immediately that I had a milk intolerance. Over the years, even after
childhood, I tried every now and then to consume dairy products, but each and
every time I became sick. I have to follow a diet completely free of dairy, not
only for this reason but also because of another longstanding disorder.

§ The most annoying problem are these ulcers that are so painful it’s difficult to
eat. I can’t even move my tongue and recently they involve the pharynx, making
it difficult to swallow.
§ They’ve become smaller but more painful. I can’t even go to work because I’m
ashamed to appear this way. § I used to go to work anyway, but I stayed closed
in my office all day. If I had to talk on the telephone, I would talk, while I
suffered outrageously. When I have these ulcers, I can lose a kilo because they
typically last a week or more.

§ I have no idea what might make them disappear or get worse. § Surely if I’m
in periods of stress at home or at work—but you know, with my kind of work,
I’m always under stress. Then, because of my temper, I take everything to heart.
And I am the worst judge of myself.

§ Recently my relationship with food has changed for the worse. When I am
more nervous, which is practically always, I pass the kitchen and find myself
eating even if I’m not hungry. I have my secret stash in locked drawers in my
office that only my secretary knows about.

§ Honestly I’m really a little ashamed because I realize that I stock food that is
out of proportion to what I really need. But you see that I have other needs, not
just energy or metabolic needs, which require me to do this.

§ I store junk food—peanuts, dried fruit, but mostly coppiette, which is luscious.
I have a butcher who prepares it for me. [This specialty, dried horsemeat, is
slowly chewed and consumed for taste, not to satisfy hunger.] I also eat ciccioli
frolli (pork crackling).

But beyond this I like to eat everything—usually with a good amount of spice.
At home I have a collection of different kinds of red peppers from around the
world. I also have my personal garden where I experiment with crossing and
then cultivating different kinds of red pepper.

§ I really hate artichokes and most vegetables in general. If it were up to me, I
might eat a piece of cheese sometimes. And sometimes I do, but then I have to
pay for it.

§ If I eat some cheese I immediately have ulcers and then a headache. § This is
an old problem of mine. I think it’s my typical way to somatize. I remember
having headaches ever since I was a child. They came on for two reasons: dairy
products or anger. Now any kind of anxiety brings them on. They will come on
with sleep loss, tension at work, and especially if I have to do something
important. In the past I would get headaches before an exam at school or if I
worked in front of the computer too much.

§ It was always the same kind of pain. It would start in one temple and then
move to the other one. Then it involves my whole head, starting from the
forehead, moving back to my neck (which becomes stiff) and then down my
whole spine.

§ I have to go in a room in absolute darkness and silence. I have to suffer on my
own, by myself. They always last several days. Usually I have two or three of
these headaches every year that force me to stay home at least three or four days.
I also have other kinds of pain, not so intense, and if I am able to use a powerful
suppository in time, these can resolve within a few hours. However, then I am
extremely weak, irritable and my digestion is poor for several days.

§ I have to be very careful about which kind of painkiller I use because some of
those can produce severe urticaria, which is not as painful as my headache, but it
is annoying and I look like a monster. I feel them coming on, and what changes
me into a buffalo is that I can’t do anything to control them.

This is the second time he describes himself as a wild angry beast.

§ It takes a couple of hours for them to pop out of my system and meanwhile I
do whatever I can, not only at work, to appear as though nothing is wrong. But
lately this problem grips me.

§ I feel impotent, completely under the power of this headache, which I hate!

§ I would like to lean my head somewhere. § I try to lie on something which
might make me feel better, but after a while I have to change. § I could lay my
head against a wall, on a pillow, on the back of an armchair. § It’s as if I’m
struggling to hold my head up. Otherwise I feel something penetrating my head,
like a pickaxe.

§ I’m really much more nervous since I stopped smoking and I snap more easily.
Before when I was nervous, I would light a cigarette, which was a useful way to
relax and get away for a while.

§ Urticaria is another serious problem of mine. They say I have allergies, but
beyond milk they were never able to figure out what makes me sick.

§ I suspect several drugs, but I don’t have a clear cause-effect relationship.
Usually aspirin makes me sick but sometimes it does nothing. It depends which
aspirin I use, the effervescent one is less likely to affect me negatively, and the
American one is better than the Italian one. The other drugs, I’m not so sure.

§ When I’m really angry, urticaria is a common reaction. § This anger is a big
issue for me; I hate getting angry. I also become hungry when I get angry, but I
don’t want eating too much to get confused with rage. I’m transformed by this
anger and I hate it, but I’m not really able to control it.

§ Unfortunately, the first part of my body affected is always my face. It gets
swollen and red and then my hands always become so swollen and painful.

§ I have a huge problem controlling my rage. § It’s been a serious problem of
mine since I was a child. I grew up in a wonderful family, but they were very
demanding in regard to education and behavior. § In my home, anger was
practically forbidden. No one ever got angry; I was the only one who exploded
and they always pointed that out to me. This provoked a pain that was much,
much worse than if they had simply reprimanded or punished or spanked me;
this never happened to me, but did to my classmates and friends.

§ None of my teachers ever believed my mother’s poor reports of my behavior
because my comportment at school, like work, was always impeccable. The
worst that would happen is that my face would get all red; I used to be able to
control that much better.

§ Now the worst anger is with my wife. This is practically the only circumstance
that makes me very angry. § I have never liked arguing since I was a young
child. I have never been an argumentative person. I prefer to win my points in a
relaxed way, but with my wife, this is not possible. We can either be loving and
agreeable or we fight and I explode and scream and this can go on for half an
hour! Somehow it all ends and my wife is fine, while for me it’s heavy and I’m
not fine. I feel belittled, as if someone were pulling out my hair. She provokes
me with a red flag as you do with a bull. I try to resist but then I cannot control
myself—I explode—and then inside myself I go into a crisis state for days on
end.

§ I cannot accept this. I feel guilty because I should be able to resist. § Because I
change… I say terrible things and offend others. I’m even afraid of physically
hurting someone, which has never ever happened. I am afraid of myself. A voice
comes out of me. Even my mother told me I appear to be another person because
of this voice. And I’m always left with the worst feeling that I can’t make myself
understood.

§ I prefer not to talk about my personal issues and my family, if you please.

§ I don’t sleep well, as I told you, and I have many nightmares. § As a child the
only recurrent one was a dream I had for the first 14 years of my life. I was
being chased by a bear, but it was not a normal bear. It looked prehistoric with
very thick hair like a mammoth. It also had a kind of mane—like a lion. This
animal was running on four legs but as fast as a feline. This animal appeared
suddenly on the driveway to my house and I would close the door at the very last
moment. Sometimes I could smell his awful breath from under the door; or I
closed his nose in the door; or his nails would come through the door. I can
never forget that odor. § It smelled like something wild. It wasn’t a bad smell—it
was like a sign of strength, of majesty.

§ Even now I can dream of flying in various circumstances. I am in control of
the situation and I fly away with my mind and even my body; those are always
peaceful dreams.

§ Everything concerning the medical problems in my family – infarct,
hypertension, dyslipidemia—is written in that letter from our mutual friend, the
cardiologist. I know I could live life differently, but these problems are
inevitable.

§ I cannot change my family of origin... and I cannot change my life. I really
love my job and this work cannot be done differently. If you want to obtain
certain results, you must apply yourself. Otherwise, people like me can jump
from the stars to the stables in a heartbeat! § I mean until you’ve really earned a
profit and things have gone well, you’ve only been doing your duty. And if you
are fortunate, you’re rewarded financially, but not according to merit. § If it goes
wrong, regardless of what you did, and especially if the owners don’t like your
advice—then it’s your fault. If word gets around the firm that you were
responsible, you’re finished!

§ Outside of work I have a great passion for music—classical obviously. I can
tell you that this is the one thing that can really calm me. Unfortunately in my
house I cannot listen to this music as I would like. My wife hates it and my
daughters prefer something else. I dream of a room devoted exclusively to this. §
I’m a fan of Wagner but I also listen to other composers. The only ones I have
trouble listening to are 20th century composers. Please don’t touch Ravel; after
Wagner he is my hero. § I am terrified thinking about the end of Ravel’s life!
Such a genius! To have been the victim of a stupid accident and years later,
submit to brain surgery—that seems like a form of suicide.

Ravel suffered a minor head injury in a traffic accident in 1932, which was not
considered serious at the time. Later he began having difficulties writing music.
In 1937 he consented to experimental brain surgery and died from this
procedure.

Initially I prescribe Angustura vera Q1 which does not produce any results.
Three weeks later he tells me that he feels more nervous and his sleep is worse,
causing him to remain awake starting at 2 AM instead of his usual 4 AM.
Fortunately Augusto understands that ‘one cannot always succeed on the first
try’. He says, “This also happens in my work. It means you have to study the
problem more and do what you feel is right. If it did not work in my office, I tend
to react very badly. I can get angry with myself or I get depressed.”

I thank him for his understanding and maturity. I study his case again, taking
into consideration his difficult relationship with his rage and aggression. I have
many cases of Milks where the problem of suppressed anger, or more precisely,
the inability to cope with anger, is important. In addition, I recognize
similarities to the headaches of a Milk remedy. However, none of the Milks that I
know seem to correspond to his way of expressing his discomfort. Then I run
across symptoms suggestive of Lac Leoninum: his narcissistic injury around the
issue of being dismissed from his job; violent rages; dreams of flying and of wild
animals chasing him; his relation to music; headaches radiating to the back;
urticarial reactions; mouth ulcers; and the desire for spicy foods and meat.

I decide to try Lac leoninum Q1.
Follow-up
Two weeks later Augusto phones me because he has a strong headache with his
typical characteristics. This time he does not take the painkillers and his
symptoms are getting worse. I ask him to stop taking the remedy. He really
wants something so I give him a placebo. Within three days—his usual time
frame—his headache is gone. The number and clarity of his dreams astonishes
him during this time. After this episode he notices a decrease in his appetite.

Forty days later he has a new episode of headache. This time much less intense
than usual and it resolves without any painkillers and only a few sips of the
remedy every 20-30 minutes. After this we agree that he continue to take his
remedy twice a week.

The next consultation is three months after he first started Lac leoninum.

[Augusto begins:]
The result in the headache seems very interesting. Rarely, in recent times, have I
spent such long periods without pain. I have never had anything other than my
strong painkillers produce such good results.

I am really astonished, but what gives me the most satisfaction is that without
even thinking about it, I am eating less. I’m not even able to use the same
amount of spice that I used before.

§ I’m not sure what to think. Perhaps the spices were a way to lessen the taste of
my food. § In the end, I only tasted the red pepper and not the food; it was
important to have something strong and then my stomach felt full. § Not only am
I eating less, but I am satisfied with much less. Instead of using a lot of spice and
devouring my food, I am more interested in tasting what I eat.

[I ask him about his anger, and this time he is very open to say more about his
family problems.]
§ I needed to clarify something with my wife. We had a serious crisis in our
marriage a few years ago and at that time I really suffered and had serious
headaches. So I was really astonished how I reacted so differently this time.

§ I’m really ashamed to talk about it. You know, according to my values, the
family comes first. But when I got married and became a father, I had to deal
with reality. I faced a terrible dilemma: on the one hand my professional
achievement, on the other, my family.

§ I always know what to do probably because I can’t even consider the
possibility of not knowing what to do. I’d rather be wrong than indecisive; and I
prefer to make decisions quickly. I do this with my employees. I never give the
impression that I have any hesitation, any doubt. I take my time to think, to
study, but in my work you have to know what to do. Sometimes you have to
make immediate decisions, knowing that you are the one responsible.

§ I never get angry at work. Sometimes I might write with a ‘poison pen’—
precise and sharp words—but I never get angry. I have always had one boss
above me, not a whole hierarchy. There was no need to get angry. If an
employee could not accept my point of view, there was only the word, the
decision, of the boss. I was always very frank. I became an executive manager
when I was less than 30.

When I decided that I wanted to become a father, I wanted to be a father! But my
wife did not understand. She wanted to have a husband who was a successful
manager, a strong, capable man, a beautiful lover, as well as having a husband
and father at home. But there are only 24 hours in a day.

§ I did what I thought was right. It’s not possible for me to do otherwise anyway.
I am rooted in my family’s values and truth. If I have to be sincere I reacted as if
my wings were cut forever and this was just another anger added onto my old
anger. I’m just angry with myself. I’m very angry for what I did, for what I was
not able to understand, for how I am not able to act differently, for having
chosen my family and in the meantime losing them and also losing my work.

§ I lose out being a husband and father. I miss the challenge, the results and the
gratification of being able to do what I want. And then I live with my family in
the hope that gratification will come in the future. Then my wife told me that she
has a lover and not for just a few months.

§ I did not even get angry when I learned about this, but I don’t think I deserved
it. § She told me that I’m no longer an authority; that others are just as
authoritative. And that making love with me, even if I’m a strong man, is just the
same soup re-warmed—there’s no feeling in it—and that my apparent passion is
just meant to make me look strong and capable. She humiliated me so deeply
that I was not able to get angry. I felt an awful rage but this time I was only
angry with myself.

I want to tell you that this happened last week. I lost my appetite before this and
I never suspected a thing. Now I am really deflated—I’ve lost all the air in my
tires.

§ Isn’t it strange? I lost my job, my position, my family, and I don’t feel bad
physically. If I had come to see you last week, I could have told you that I finally
slept well. But since last week, I’m sleeping on the couch and it’s hell. I won’t
set foot in our bedroom and I’m not the kind of person who runs back to his
mother.

§ I can’t remember my dreams very well. Often there are situations where I
slide, fall, plummet, and on the ground there are dying animals around. For years
I used to dream about wild animals and now I’m dealing with little kittens that
are starving or strays that depend on the generosity of old ladies because they
don’t know how to hunt any more.

I suggest he take a Q3 every day.

After a couple of weeks he phones me again, enthusiastic to have miraculously
started sleeping again. “I finally slept well! I wake up and I’m not so tired, but I
don’t remember much of what I dreamt.” After a few weeks he decides to start
looking for a new job. In the meanwhile we have a long telephone call in which
Augusto wants to reconsider the issue of diet—mainly to target his metabolic
problems. He’s less busy than before and can now follow a proper diet because
he is cooking his own food.

His next consultation is four months later. He is losing weight and his blood
tests are improving even without medication. His cardiologist is happy,
especially considering Augusto’s current situation.

[Augusto begins:]
I must tell you that I am amazed at how my body is reacting! I feel very lucid
and, despite my wife showering me with insults, I have learned not to respond.
To be honest, I do not answer because I’m worried about what I might say. I
cannot change my wife and would not, even if I could. I want to do something
for me and for a new relationship, which I need like bread, but feel completely
unprepared for.

§ I don’t think I could permit myself permission to begin psychotherapy right
now. I don’t know where I will live, what work I will do and what will be
required of me. An old client of mine who always valued me, asked me to help
him rebuild his company. Obviously, this is flattering and very stimulating. It’s
an exciting adventure and it will pay well. But I will have to travel a lot and
don’t want to lose touch with my daughters.

§ My wife took the house; she even moved her new companion in with his
children. Can you imagine? It feels like a mouse gnawing your ass, little by
little. It really makes me sick! I built such a beautiful house and just to think that
this man’s children are swimming in my pool! I’m worried that there is even
more I don’t know because of the immaturity of my wife! My bed is still warm
—and she brings in another man! What kind of example is she giving to our
daughters? How was I not able, in all these years, to understand the kind of
woman I married?

I did whatever I could to avoid a fight in court. When I realized I only had to
give her a bit more money in order to come to an agreement and be allowed to
have more time with my daughters, it was enough. [He says this with great
bitterness.]

§ I thought that I was a good manager even with my wife but what a dreadful
experience! I never would have imagined something like this.

§ For the moment I am too dedicated to my daughters to think about another
woman—and too busy with my work. I have made too many mistakes to risk
making others. § I do have a great desire to start something new but first, there
are other priorities.

His follow-up is now more than four years. During this time he has not shown
any significant symptoms. Occasionally he has a mild headache after a long
airplane trip or prior to stressful events at work. During these occasions he
always takes the remedy and it works very well. He has been living with his new
girlfriend for a few months now.

CASE OF VIVIANA
Viviana is 10 years old and comes with her parents as well as her paternal
grandmother who, at the last moment, agrees to remain in the waiting room. My
small office is not large enough and I don’t see the need to have 3 adults
accompany one child. The grandmother reacts to my suggestion rather testily, as
does the father who moves his chair far from mine and does not utter a word
throughout the consultation. The mother seems disoriented as though waiting for
her husband to be the first to talk. I have the impression the mother paints too
sweet a picture of her daughter, making only pleasant observations and insisting
that her daughter has a special character. I have the impression it is difficult for
her to address Viviana’s more problematic aspects in front of her.

My impression of Viviana is that she looks a few years older than her age. She is
sturdy and tall and has a very serious face. Viviana seems unwilling to talk
about herself, and when she does finally, she does so with a piqued tone, as if I
had somehow offended her.

[The mother begins:]
∂ There are several fears that worry us and we don’t understand why. Viviana
has always been a very good girl whom we are really pleased with despite her
little character, which is not always the easiest.

Her mother stops talking and I ask her to continue, which she does hesitantly.
∂ For a few months now she has had a great fear of insects. And, now she’s
afraid to go to school. She also has some other fears.

[Again, the three people in front of me are not talking, so I prompt with a
question.] You say that she has a very nice character. What do you mean?
∂ They used to call her the pearl. She’s a very special and obedient person. Since
kindergarten her teachers keep telling us such good things about her, and nobody
believes me when I tell them how she behaves at home. She’s the idol of her
classmates. She’s a leader because the kids look up to her and not because she
imposes her will. She’s always happy; she always likes to make others smile and
laugh. She wakes up in a very good mood, and it’s a real pleasure to be with her.
She was always a very obedient child, the most obedient child in the world. She
was born in a just few hours and didn’t cause me any pain at delivery. She
immediately started to nurse and always slept all night. Wherever you put her
she was able to stay there; she was always very independent and able to play by
herself. If you were close to her, she was happy. If not, she was able to play on
her own or even to sing by herself.

∂ She started cooing and vocalizing early. My husband is a musician in his spare
time. When he realized that her la-la-la’s were tonal, he started singing with her.
She started singing before she could speak. We could not help but notice what a
loud voice she had, and truthfully, not just when she sings. [Her voice can be
quite loud when she is irritated, but the mother doesn’t want to say this
explicitly. She continues to hint at problems while mostly overemphasizing the
positive.]

Can you tell me something about her fears?
∂ The only difficulty has been her relationship with water. She never takes a bath
willingly and never wanted to learn to swim. Her sister, on the other hand, is a
great swimmer. [As the mother says this, Viviana blushes conspicuously.]

∂ When she was an infant and we tried to bathe her, our neighbors could hear her
voice. I remember that our first attempts to give her a little bath were so dreadful
that my neighbor knocked at my door just to ask me if something was wrong.

∂ She could really scream. She would become red like a tomato. Washing her
head especially was a problem. It’s really embarrassing how she can scream,
even now. She’s really afraid of water.

I have the impression that something more is going on but it is a problem for this
family to talk about it.

Is there anything else? [The mother responds hesitantly, looking at Viviana, as if
asking her permission to talk.]
∂ It’s a little problem because…

[Viviana clearly understands what her mother is about to say and turns her back
to all of us.]
∂ We really have to say this to the doctor, Viviana. Her perspiration has a very
strong smell and even her hair, after a few days, smells very strange. My
husband, in a very sweet and kind way, used to call her ‘little skunk’. Only he
gets to call her that, but not in public!

She’s always warm, even in winter and really perspires a lot—even when eating,
and perhaps especially after eating. I have to wash and change her clothes
because it’s really a strong smell. I can smell her armpits one meter away.

The mother then decides to change the topic because this seems really difficult
for the whole family.

∂ The other big problem is her headaches. These started around the age of four. I
think they actually started even earlier, but she was not able to explain what was
going on, even though she learned to talk at an early age.

∂ We remember how, every now and then, especially after eating, she would
perspire and then go to her room on her own. She would put her sister’s sock on
her eyes and another under her nose. I would have liked to give her something
else, but she only wanted to use her sister’s dirty socks.

∂ Now she does the same but uses her own socks—always dirty.
∂ She is starting to say she has nausea and often has to vomit, but we don’t
understand what is causing this. She’s never demonstrated any particular
problems with specific foods. She suddenly stopped drinking milk one day; she
let us know, and we have respected that.

∂ She’s a big meat-eater but she also likes vegetables. After my husband, who
loves old cartoons, showed her Popeye, she started to ask for spinach and even
now eats it with great fervor. The problem is we really have to be careful about
pepper and spicy food.

∂ We don’t know if these foods are really okay for such a small child. My
husband is from Calabria [a region in the south of Italy, known for their spicy
food] and is a major consumer of red chili pepper and she would like to do the
same. So when my husband seasons his pasta this way—he’s the only one who
can tolerate such spicy pasta—she always wants a taste of it. She has done this
ever since I can remember; it’s not something she just started recently.

[Viviana speaks, even though her back is still turned to us.]
§ I do like fish.
∂ Oh, that’s true. She’s always liked a lot of fish since she was a small child.

Oh you have such a nice voice, Viviana, do you mind telling me something about
your headache? [She responds in very short sentences.]
§ I feel pain here [she points to her right temple], but then my pain moves
around my head, and then it goes down my back.

[Her mother interrupts her.]
∂ Yes, this is true. Very often after her headache, she asks her Papu to massage
her neck and back, and it is actually quite tense. Her muscles seem as hard as an
adult’s!

[I ask her mother to allow Viviana to talk.]
§ I feel like vomiting before I get the headache. § So I eat even more in order to
make it better [her stomach]. § It works, but then I eat too much and I feel really
full.

[Again her mother interrupts her.]
∂ This sensation, to feel so full or empty, is something she has been telling us for
a long time, but we allow her to eat because she’s small and she has to grow. But
now she is taller and larger than her sister who is two years older.

[Again, I make a sign to her mother indicating I would like to talk with Viviana
as this is the second time she has interrupted her daughter.]
§ With my headache I have to be in the dark and stay calm—I don’t have to
sleep—I just have to stay calm. § I don’t know what would stop me from being
calm, but if I knew what they were, I wouldn’t do them. I’m not stupid! [After
saying this, she does not want to talk anymore.]

∂ Her sleep is always very good, but she often she has bad dreams, and more so
recently. It’s hard to believe because she seems to sleep so well. And when she
wakes up in the morning, she seems relaxed and rested. But that’s one of her
distinctive traits.

∂ It’s really difficult to understand what’s going on. As I said before, even as a
small child she would go to her room and want to be alone, saying she has a
headache. We’ve marveled many times that when she would fall off her bicycle
or otherwise hurt herself, it was always as if nothing had happened. She’s very
tough and never complains. If she does, then it must really be bad! ∂ Only a
couple of times has her pain been so strong that she complained about it.

[So again I make a sign to the mother that I would like to talk directly with
Viviana.] Viviana, do you mind telling me something about your fears, those bad
dreams, if you can? [She is open to talk and turns around, looking directly at
me.]
§ These days I’m often afraid and always have bad dreams. Sometimes I dream
that I can swim and that I’m at the beach with my dad, my mom, and my granny.
I’m happy that I can swim so well, and then I’m able to leave the water and keep
swimming in the air. But then a volcano bursts or there are bad animals that
come into my house.

What happens with those animals?
§ The animals make bad jokes. For example, they put a bear in my bed. Before
he was a friend of mine, but then he starts to scare me, and I don’t know what to
do because I allowed him to stay in my bed, and now I can’t push him out.

What do you do?
§ I try to swear at him. I know I shouldn’t, but I hope he will be bothered enough
to just go away. For example, I tell him that he’s stinky, fat and disgusting, and
that his fur is disgusting, and that even his breath is disgusting, and that he
shouldn’t stand so close to me.

And how does he react?
§ He’s really cross and starts to raise his voice. And I scream even louder than
he does. But inside myself, I’m terribly afraid. I don’t know what will happen
next and I don’t want my voice to upset the other animals.

Can you tell me something about your school?
§ I remember, even though I was really little, that on the first day of
kindergarten, I was punished because I screamed at another child. He was much
bigger than me, and he wanted to take my toy, and he was also a boy. § That
teacher was being mean and unfair and didn’t take into account that I was only a
little girl. So when I came home I told my parents! [After this she did not want to
say anything else.]

On examination it becomes evident that Viviana actually does produce strong
odor; her perspiration and even her breath are unpleasant. I’m really struck by
the muscle tension in her neck and upper back, which seems exceptionally stiff
for a child this young.

[I ask Viviana if she would like to go to the waiting room with her granny and
leave me alone to talk with her parents. She reacts with great irritation:]
§ I will not go out there by myself, only if Papu comes with me, then you can
talk with my mom. Then if you don’t need my mom anymore, I will allow my
father to come back into the room. I will not stay out there by myself.

[I point out that there are two other children in the waiting room and also her
granny. Once she leaves I ask her mother about the relationship with her sister.]
∂ Viviana’s relationship with her older sister has never been good. She’s always
been extremely jealous of her. Whenever there is something on the table, she
wants the bigger slice of the pie, the largest piece of meat, always something
more as if she were entitled to it. She’s extremely arrogant and dictatorial with
her sister. This is why I told you she has a unique character. Certain things she
[keeps to herself and] won’t even share with us. Some days she tells us that she
adores us and other days she says that as soon as she is old enough, she will
leave this house because our family is not rich enough.

∂ She used to tell us that it takes a ‘mountain of love’—this is what she would
always say when she was a little girl. But then after thinking about it, she said
we should bring home even more than this. She used to point out that other
daddies have nicer cars and other mothers are more elegant than me.

How does she react when reproached?
∂ It’s a real problem if you contradict her. I really don’t know where she learned
some of her expressions and especially how she can get so intense when she’s
cross. § She says certain things and with such an arrogant attitude, it’s as if she
were a general who’s been disobeyed. But she’s only ten! We really don’t
understand her anymore.

She has the capacity to be the sweetest girl in the world and then it’s as if there’s
something inside her that she just can’t control. And yet there are many times,
even though she can be proud, that she comes to me and says she’s sorry, mostly
with her father, rarely her sister. Instead she says that because her sister is older
and supposedly more mature, she’s the one who should have to apologize.
Despite her sister being two years older, Viviana dominates her completely. She
started to get physically aggressive with her as soon as she was able.

∂ If she’s reprimanded and finds it unfair, then things go downhill quickly. She’s
a good observer and knows how to say things to make you feel a certain way,
because she’s figured out the ups and downs and lefts and rights of you, and
even in adults, she knows how to find your vulnerabilities.

∂ For example, her teacher scolded her one time. Two years after that episode,
she changed classes and changed teachers. And even though it was a full two
years later, she
still carried a grudge and would not say goodbye to that lady. When her teacher
came to say goodbye, she resolutely stated in front of the class that she would be
happy never to see her again.

∂ She can get very, very touchy even to her grannies if they say something [that
offends her]. And she doesn’t spare sharp words for anyone. ∂ First of all, I had
to be careful how I spoke with you in front of her because you can’t imagine
how strongly she would react on the ride home [if I had been completely
candid]. ∂ She’s capable of not talking to me for an entire month.

I forgot to tell you something else very important. We suspect that Viviana has
some allergy because every now and then she inexplicably breaks out in hives.
This has happened a few times, but the pediatrician doesn’t believe in allergy
tests. We did them anyway but it seems the test only shows a mild reaction to
milk, and she never consumes milk. ∂ The eruptions mainly occur on her face
and her hands. Her face swells and can become almost purple. It happened at
school a couple of times, and she immediately wanted to hide. She was really
ashamed. Viviana complained of feeling such a pain in her face that we
immediately took her to the pediatrician. It was pretty strange, especially
considering how little she usually complains.

∂ Fortunately she has always had a normal weight, but she eats like a pig. We
have the impression this might be a nervous condition, but she’s been like this as
long as I can remember. She used to attack my breast and her teeth appeared
early and I had to stop breastfeeding much earlier than her sister because she was
biting me.

∂ We really don’t know what to think about her fears. I think a big problem for
her is that she knew there would be a new classmate in her class. This girl is her
sister’s friend’s sister and she is very smart and shows great promise in
gymnastics and violin. ∂ Viviana does not like her at all, even if she never did
anything bad to her as far as we know. I tried to talk with her, my husband too. ∂
She tried gymnastics when she was younger. That was my sport, but I had to
stop because I injured myself. ∂ Both my parents play violin professionally. I
would have liked her to play the violin as well, especially considering how good
she is in music. But Viviana says that the violin disgusts her. Although the other
night she seemed very interested to watch a TV program about the Suzuki
method of teaching violin to young children.
Follow-up
I had not yet prescribed Lac Leoninum for a child, but on the basis of my
experience I prescribe Lac leoninum Q1. Viviana reacts a few days later with a
strong headache, requiring her to be picked up from school. It continues for a
couple of days, and causes her to vomit every couple of hours, even during the
night. I ask the family to stop the remedy for a few days, and afterwards, to give
it two or three times a week.

In the following weeks the family notices a spontaneous reduction in appetite
and progressive improvement in the quality of her sleep. Viviana no longer
complains of her nightmares.

After nearly two months of therapy, an incident occurs at school. Viviana is
verbally aggressive with the girl she considers her nemesis. She is reprimanded
in class and in response to this, immediately develops urticaria and rapid
swelling of her throat. As a result, the headmaster is required to call an
ambulance and accompany her to the hospital. There is no time for the parents
to get there first. She is treated with steroids and antihistamines and sent home.

After this episode I suggest that she continue with the Q3, which she takes
without any significant results. Her headaches begin to reoccur every other week
alternating with occasional skin rash that disappears within a few hours, with or
without steroids and antihistamines.

I suggest that she go up to the Q5. I try to explain to Viviana why I would like
her to completely stop any dairy products for a few weeks. She does not drink
milk, but I want her to strictly avoid any dairy ingredients. She is very adult-like
and responsive during our conversation. Within a few days she has no more
headaches or urticaria.

The next consultation is three months from the time of her hospitalization. She
seems more open to talk, and even smiles at me sometimes.

[Viviana begins:]
§ I no longer have headaches! I don’t think it’s just because I stopped all dairy. I
think those drops are really useful.

§ We went skiing and I left them at home for a week, and I can’t explain to you
how much better I felt when I took the drops daily. § I’m very happy. With that
headache I couldn’t study as I would have liked, and if I don’t study, then… §
Then I’m sorry because it’s not fair that somebody who studies less than me
should get better marks because she doesn’t have the headache that I do.
Are you talking about somebody special?
§ I’m not talking about anybody special. It’s something in general in my class.

Tell me about your class.
§ In a couple of classes I was elected head of the class. I think it is a beautiful
thing—I do like to talk with our teachers. [As ‘head of the class’, it is her
responsibility to talk for the class with the teachers.] § Even though they are
teachers, I think they should listen to us because we are the reason they have a
job and so we are actually as important as they are.

§ I’m so happy that I no longer have this rash on my face. I was so ashamed.
Why on my face? Why me? Everyone can see it! § I do have a friend who has
urticaria, but she has it on her buttocks. In that place nobody sees it.

§ Dad lets me taste his spaghetti but now it seems too strong ... § I only like the
taste of chili, and then my tongue really starts to burn; it’s a bit too much. § Do
you remember that at one time, my tongue was burning, and you told my mother
to give me the remedy more frequently? That worked perfectly.

§ Now I’m sleeping pretty well and I don’t have any more nightmares. § I dream
sometimes about kittens. I was feeding them, but I have to be careful and not
give them too much. § These cats were a little strange because if you continued
feeding them they would become big like a lynx. And then I don’t know why but
all of a sudden you had to run for cover. § It’s better if they don’t get too big—
otherwise their parents would seem too small, as if they were a different breed,
unrelated to them.

§ I go to school more willingly and I am delighted to have become the head of
the class. And lately, I am quarreling less with my sister. § A friend of hers tried
to steal her bicycle and I intervened, even though I’m younger than her and not
as tall as she is. § I threw her on the ground and took the bicycle before it fell
over and got damaged. § That girl’s mother told me that I am rude and I should
have kept her from falling instead of the bike. But I told her that to repair the
bicycle is expensive, to repair her daughter is not. I told her that she wanted to
take my sister’s bicycle and that was what she deserved.

Do you remember anything about the day that you had to go to the hospital?
§ I only remember I was scolded in front of the class. § I’m the head of that class
and I had spoken many times with this teacher and helped her do many things in
class. § There was no need to make me look like that in front of everybody. I
was always very kind to her.

What is your relationship now with this lady?
§ I say hello but I just say hello. She is no longer my favorite teacher. She really
does not understand what kind of person I am. She treated me as if I were a
small child, but we are no longer in primary school.

Do you remember what you felt in your body after that?
§ I only remember that I felt something in my throat. It was as if I were
suffocating. § I had had that kind of feeling in my throat many times, mainly
before I have headaches.

Did you ever tell your parents?
§ I never told them because it goes away. What’s the point of telling them? Even
when I had a stomachache some time ago and I felt something in my gut, I was
hoping it would just go away with my poop, as it does for whales when they
push out those big amber balls. § I saw that on TV and it was a very interesting
program. I know they produce wonderful perfume from this amber.

§ My mother says that I’m a little less smelly than before. § This is not true. And
to prove it, I decided to wash myself without her help. You know, if I do it
myself it’s fine. At my age, I don’t really want my mother to wash me anymore.
It’s for me to do. And if I don’t, well I have my own reasons for what I do or
don’t do—that’s for me to decide.

I’m not so hot as I was before. Even at night I don’t perspire as much as I did
before. § I don’t care. But if I don’t really stink that much anymore, then I’m
happy for Mom who was so concerned about this. Me, I really don’t care:
everybody has their own odor!

It’s now been more than four years. Viviana has not had any significant episodes
of headache. She declares that she prefers to follow a diet without any dairy
products; she eats dairy only when she goes to a party or special event and does
not get the strong symptoms that she had before. Occasionally I prescribe this
remedy for an episode of cold or flu, and she has always reacted well.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Egotism
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Self-affirmation / Self-devaluation (3); Resentment (2); Communication:
ineffective ; Rigidity / Laxity ; Fullness / Emptiness ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: superficial (2); Pain: penetrating ; Headache: digestive ; Irritability ;
Eruptions: painful (2); Foreign body ; Offensiveness ; Hyperphagia
Common Ailments
Aphthous ulcers, oral and painful Bulimia Food intolerance, milk / Herniation,
lumbar disc / Hypercholesterolemia, familial Hyperhidrosis Insomnia /
Motion Sickness Otitis, recurrent Urticaria, nervous
Milks: Family as Obstacle: Lac felinum ; Obstinate: Lac glama; Lac asinum;
Lac caprinum
Other: Leader: Aurums : Aurum metallicum , Aurum arsenicosum ; Nux
vomica ; Adonis vernalis ; Competitive: Zea italica ; Dominant: Lycopodium ;
Binge eat: Aurum iodatum ; Dulcamara ; Kola nitida ; Niccolum

Lac humanum
Homo sapiens

Mother’s milk begins to be produced the week following delivery. Colostrum, a
substance that helps the infant’s digestive system and provides passive
immunity, comes first, acting as a mild laxative, which helps to expel meconium
and manage bilirubin.

It is soon followed by creamier milk that both satisfies the baby’s hunger and is
nourishing. Human milk contains about 600 different beneficial bacteria strains
that are fed by the oligosaccharides in the milk. Cannabinoids are also present,
helping to stimulate and regulate the baby’s appetite.

Two hormones play a particularly important role in breastfeeding. Prolactin is
important for many physiological actions including milk production and the
reduction of estrogen levels promoting a sexual refractory period. The second
hormone, Oxytocin, which is present in human milk and increases with nursing,
promotes uterine contraction, the ‘let-down’ reflex, as well as social bonding.

The protein in human milk is higher than in the milks of other primates because
the human baby is born at an earlier stage of development. Lipase aids in
digesting milk fat and there is no loss of fat in the stools of the breastfed infant.

Psychological advantages are more difficult to clinically document, but most
mothers who successfully breastfed their children report great enjoyment of this
natural process, which fosters love, closeness and bonding. Oxytocin, or the ‘let-
down hormone’, produces wellbeing and relaxation in the mother who can then
better attune to her infant’s need. Nursing also brings comfort to the infant, not
just improved nutrition and immunity.

Mother's milk has been and is still used as a remedy for infant conjunctivitis,
otitis media, and sore throats.

Maternal love has been considered the highest form of love and the most sacred
bond of affection, and milk has long served as the primary symbol of this love
and care bestowed by a mother.

The remedy was prepared from the milk of a mother who was chosen
specifically for the close bond she shared with her 5-month-old child. The
proving was performed by Melissa Assilem in 1991, by Elisabeth Halahan and
Jacqueline Houghton, in 1993, by Sankaran in 1995, and Hatherly in 2001.
Common Ailments

Agalactorrhea, secondary Arthritis, TMJ Conjunctivitis, chronic Constipation,
chronic Depression Diabetes, juvenile Eczema, atopic Fatigue, chronic
Fibrocystic breast disease Food intolerance, milk Food intolerance, various /
Gynecomastia / Headache, chronic Hemorrhoids, prolapsed Herniation, cervical
spine Herpes, recurrent Hot flashes / Hyperhidrosis / Hyperprolactinemia
Incontinence, urinary Insomnia / Mastodynia / Ménière's disease Photophobia
Prostatitis, chronic / Pyorrhea / Rhinitis, allergic Sunburn Vulvodynia
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Like most Milks, Lac humanum is tightly bound to their extended family and
would feel lost and abandoned without them. This connection is based on a
shared ideal. Lac humanum craves something more tangible and affectionate, but
is afraid to ask for it, and suspects that it’s not available anyway. Part of the
reason they may cling to their family is that they already feel abandoned inside.
False Oblativity
Lac humanum is noticeably oblative from the outset of the consultation, making
frequent comments about all they must do for others, with a special focus on
their family. Even so, this service is generally based on a strategy of growing
and improving their family, rather than truly hearing and attending to the other
person’s needs.
Ambition
Lac humanum has a strong ambition for their family to succeed and keep
improving, and for their children to be much better off than they were.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial identity
In Lac humanum, the family is usually perceived as a kind of giant living
organism that has been in existence for a very long time. It is sycotic and needs
to keep growing and enlarging itself, perfecting its way of doing things. When
Lac humanum is well compensated, this tendency seems to have momentum and
acceleration like a big rock rolling ever faster down a steep mountain.

Being a member of the family means they are on this fast ride too with no way to
get off. And they must contribute to this by fulfilling obligations to their parents,
and setting up even bigger expectations for their own children (who will do the
same for their children and so on). This ever-expanding entity swallows up
family members and anyone associated with them: distant cousins, spouses, in-
laws and family friends.

When compensated, Lac humanum, like Digitalis and Cocculus, may set
themselves up as a ‘good parent’ who offers service to bring others into the
family and into their debt. They turn on the charm, seeming warm, affectionate,
‘all smiles’, but their true motive is Machiavellian. The family, like some
imperialist enterprise, must grow at all costs, in all directions: wealth, power,
intelligence, capability, ethics and spirituality. Lac humanum can be a little like
missionaries in this regard who seem kind and caring, but whose real agenda is
to convert a population to their way of thinking.

Despite their apparent altruism, they may not be very empathetic. They gave up
their sense of self for the family and expect that others should do the same. In
general, they don’t know how to listen and understand individual needs (in part,
because no one ever provided this to them.) To their mind, they don’t lack
empathy; it’s just not on their radar. They are simply following the model
provided by their parents. The ultimate goal is to bring more people into their
family.
Abandonment
Lac humanum may have been emotionally neglected as a child because their
parents were likely preoccupied with pursuing their own ideals. This can create a
compulsion to ‘stay in good standing’ so as not to risk further separation. To this
end, they can be fanatical about behaving exactly as the family expects.

When they have the impression that a relationship is not going as planned, rather
than working it out, they may simply cut it off. If the wife of a beloved son, for
example, is taking him in a direction that is unacceptable, they may turn their
backs on both rather than enter into a long, painful conflict. In essence, they
abandon the other, before the other abandons them.
Lac humanum’s difficulty integrating their instincts can be recognized in a few
ways. First, they can be a bit conformist. Metaphorically speaking, they may
resemble the citizens of a one-party state that all wear the same uniform and
adhere to the same ideology. In this way, they may know what they’re supposed
to feel, but not what they actually feel. When a strong impulse of anger comes
into their conscious awareness, they may think, as is typical in many Milk
remedies, “I can’t express this anger (or how I feel in general), because it will
make others suffer.” Like Carcinosinum, Lac delphinum and Saccharum album,
they squelch this feeling and direct it toward themselves, as if the mere impulse
to anger were somehow wrong and shameful.

They may have dreams of infants and toddlers or young animals that are in some
difficulty. When compensated, these vulnerable beings may receive some care,
but especially when decompensated, they may be abandoned, abused or even
killed. These images represent the poor state of Lac humanum’s neglected inner
child. This can also represent the anger they have toward themselves,
particularly the part that has wants and needs that gets in the way of serving
others. These dreams are very upsetting because children must be well cared for
so that the project of growing the family can succeed. If children are in jeopardy,
so is the future. Related to this, Lac humanum can feel tremendous guilt if the
children in their circle do not receive all that they need, or worse, if Lac
humanum happens to have aggressive urges toward them.
Irresolution
Similar to Lac leoninum, Lac caprinum and Lac asinum, Lac humanum
overcompensates for their indecision by being very opinionated and resolute, as
if they have little or no doubt about their position. They often espouse rigid
ideals that have not been critically examined and don’t seem related to their
inner experience. In everyday decisions, however, their irresolution is obvious. If
their food is not prepared by someone else, they don’t seem to know what to eat.
In general, they haven’t developed their sense of pleasure to know what foods
they like. When forced to make a choice—about food or anything else they
might like—Lac humanum may stall and act as if they didn’t understand the
question. In some sense this is true; it’s not a question they would ever ask
themselves, and so they don’t know how to answer it. If they were to have an
inkling of what they might like, they may feel that it’s too self-indulgent to
express this. Life is about pursuing ideals, not selfish desires.
Ambition / Dissatisfaction
When compensated, Lac humanum’s strong ambition is to leave her family (and
the world) in a much better state than when she arrived. Her ambition is not to
empathize with others; it’s to realize an ideal. Part of this involves repaying a
debt to her parents for all they did (while expecting even more from her own
children). Like Carcinosinum, she thinks that she doesn’t do enough to achieve
her ideal. This theme of ‘nothing is enough’ tends to be pervasive in her life and
constantly leads to dissatisfaction, particularly as she becomes more and more
decompensated.
Undeserving
Lac humanum is generally not able to accept compliments because she doesn’t
feel deserving of praise; she ‘should have done better’. If she got an A, she
should have gotten an A+. Because she feels this way inside, when people give
her praise, she feels as though she is being mocked. Like Carcinosinum, she was
likely a model child who received compliments for being calm, positive,
assertive, wise and well behaved. Upon hearing these, she probably felt
uncomfortable, thinking to herself, “I don’t deserve this compliment. You’re just
saying this because we’re family.”
Rigidity / Laxity
Lac humanum can be quite rigid physically, mentally and emotionally. In her
body, this stiffness is felt most in her spine, particularly in the cervical region
and in the muscles that connect from the neck to the occiput. This contributes to
tension headaches and occipital pain. In terms of her personality, she has rigid
ideals where only she knows what is best for others. Like Kali salts, she follows
the principals laid out for her by her family, rather than exploring different
possibilities and coming to her own conclusions.

With decompensation, her rigidity—a false kind of strength—can give way to
underlying emptiness (which the rigidity was compensating for). At this stage,
the body seems to lack internal structure, for which reason she depends so much
on external structure or ideals rather than her own internal strength. Her structure
—physically, mentally and emotionally—is weak and empty because she doesn’t
really know who she is. When she realizes how bankrupt her strategy was in the
end, her rigid convictions can give way to deep depression and a feeling of
giving up.
Passive Congestion
Lac humanum can have a lot of passive congestion that makes her feel weak.
Her system seems to move too slowly and she becomes over-full, like a
container with too many things inside. She has energy inside her but it’s as if it
can’t be utilized. With this much congestion, her system is unable to flow or
discharge, leading to various symptoms and a feeling of overwhelm.
Lac humanum can feel empty inside, especially in the viscera: stomach, small
intestine, bowel and bladder. This sensation may compel her to fill up her system
with whatever she can, eating and drinking without regard to taste or pleasure.
This empty feeling is often accompanied by an inability to urinate, defecate,
vomit or pass much menstrual blood. By contrast, with decompensation, she may
have excessive excretions.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Lac humanum’s expression of symptoms tends to be asymmetrical, where there
is a difference in the number and type of symptoms manifested in the head as
compared to the rest of the body, as if there were a bottleneck between the two.
In the head, there are symptoms of vertigo, light-headedness and confusion.
Pains in other parts serve to bring Lac humanum out of her head and back into
the reality and experience of her body. In other words, they help her to feel more
grounded. While headache symptoms in the Milks often move from right to left
and vice versa, in Lac humanum they generally alternate between front and back,
moving for example between the forehead and the occiput (extending to the
cervical region).

Pressing Pain
When compensated, Lac humanum tends to have outward pressing pains from
passive congestion. Her system backs up, gets too full, and pushes to go out.
Mostly, this issue is systemic rather than local, although it is typical to have
these pains in the chest (or breast area in women), in the head (as with other
Milks), and in the genital sphere of both men and women.
Penetrating Pain
When decompensated, the previously pressing pains that moved in an outward
direction tend to change course and become penetrating. They may sting badly
and pierce deeply into the system like an arrow or thorn that is hard to extract.
Digestive Headache
Nearly every Milk remedy has the same type of digestive headache. What is
characteristic in Lac humanum is that it starts in the cervical region and then
moves all over the head with a strong feeling of being blocked and congested.
There is a clear duality too, as is common in this remedy family, though in this
case, symptoms are usually in the head or the body, not both. Even in casual
conversation, she might say that the head is doing one thing and the body doing
another, or that the same pain moves from the head to the body or vice versa.
Meanwhile the neck functions as a kind of border or bridge between these
regions, and can itself become symptomatic as pains travel up or down. She may
have a strong headache and then the pain leaves and enters the neck, traveling to
the back, chest and digestive system. Or a digestive problem affects the mouth
and throat with reflux and irritation, then this tension moves to the head.
Dryness / Hypersecretion
When compensated, Lac humanum tends to be dry; but when decompensated,
she may discharge so much fluid that she can barely keep what she needs inside
her body. Thus the mouth can be chronically parched or produce too much
saliva; the eyes can be dry and irritated or constantly watering; the skin can be
dried out or wet with streaming perspiration; in the bowel, there can be
constipation or diarrhea.
Tenacious Secretion
Lac humanum tends to exude strong, foul-smelling odors and thick, sycotic,
glue-like secretions. All of her discharges—stool, urine, perspiration, saliva,
earwax, leucorrhea, etc.— seem to have these qualities that last a long time. It’s
as if she were marking her territory, much like an animal might, as one of the
few ways that she has to define her individuality.
Vertigo
Lac humanum often feels that she must be active and on the move, serving
others, and never stopping (even after she runs out of energy). She can start to
totter when she pushes too long and hard without taking adequate care of herself.
This vertigo is troubling because she doesn’t know how to slow down, and it
prevents her from standing and continuing her good works. Even when she lies
down, the symptoms continue and so it’s difficult to rest.
Physical Contact
Similar to Medorrhinum, Lac humanum is affectionate and has a strong tactile
sense and a need for skin-to-skin contact with another person. Whereas
Medorrhinum allows himself to feel the pleasure of this, Lac humanum doesn’t.
So there is an incredible urge followed by an immediate inhibition and possibly
self-recrimination. Despite her desire for touch, somatically her body may create
repulsive skin conditions that prevent touch from happening.
Hyperphagia
Like Carcinosinum, Lac humanum is all about serving others and doing what she
would like, rather than figuring out her own needs and desires. This is true with
food as well. She generally eats what is offered or what seems appropriate to
others without taking much pleasure in eating. All she wants to do is fill her
stomach. In addition to milk, she may have other various food intolerances—
more than most Milk remedies. She can have a difficult time determining which
food makes her sick because it seems to change every day.
DREAMS
Lac humanum has a variety of interesting dreams. In some, she takes care of
babies and children as well as small animals. When more compensated, she takes
care of defenseless creatures that have been abandoned or badly treated by
someone else. When less compensated, these little ones may appear neglected,
injured, abused or destroyed by others. She may feel guilty about their lack of
care, particularly if she senses her own aggressive impulses toward them. Such
dreams are also concerning to her because the image of damaged or deceased
children automatically threatens the idea of viable future generations and an
ever-enlarging family.

The reason for her vexation is that she invests so much in caring for children that
it leaves no room to develop herself. Though angry about this, she can’t
acknowledge this to herself because such feelings do not fit with her strategy.
Alternatively, the fact that the children are neglected, abused or abandoned
suggests this is how her inner child feels.

Other dreams feature movement and fast travel, like vehicles that go quickly
from one place to another. This represents how fast she goes and how much she
wants to accomplish. These and other dreams can have the quality of quest and
invasion related to her desire to expand the family empire.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS
Lac humanum can be intelligent. As a child she was often considered calm, wise,
well behaved—in short, a model child. On the other hand, she doesn’t generally
take the time to develop an independent mind, but simply adheres to her family’s
way of thinking. Like most Milks, she has an emotional temperament, but most
of her emotions, needs, instincts and impulses are suppressed. Her physical
structure is fairly strong, though it can be a bit stiff and rigid, like her thinking.

Because she may not like who she is, she may not like her body or her
appearance. This can result in a poor relation to her corpus. Often there is a split
between her head and body, where the head represents the family to whom she is
devoted, and the body represents personal needs that are undervalued and
overlooked. She has trouble getting these two parts to work together and this can
generate numerous symptoms.
VULNERABILITY
Lac humanum has many vulnerabilities. Chief among these is the fear that she is
not doing enough. Conflict with her family can be disconcerting, particularly if
she believes that she was not an effective parent. In general, she doesn’t cope
well with conflicts because she isn’t flexible in how she understands or responds
to situations. She only has her conventional family view and if that isn’t
working, she doesn’t know what to do. Finally, any significant loss can be truly
devastating to her.
COMPENSATION
Lac humanum strives to be a model child and adult, zealously, tirelessly
providing oblative service to further the project of helping enlarge and better her
family. Ignoring her own needs, she focuses exclusively, like a missionary, on
the task at hand.
COMPLICATIONS
Lac humanum often feels empty inside from not receiving enough emotional
care as a child. Anything that might fill this hole—affection, pleasure, play—is
considered self-indulgent and abjured, which makes the hole grow bigger, as
does her tendency to ‘just serve others’ and ‘just work harder’.

Lac humanum can be affectionate and giving toward her children but she often
doesn’t recognize who they really are and so can’t appropriately respond to their
needs. This leads to the paradox that despite being so focused on their care, her
children may feel emotionally neglected or misunderstood, and then decide not
to follow in her footsteps (which undoes her whole project). In other words,
over-zealous pursuit of her goals can disaffect her children and preclude her
goals from being realized.
DECOMPENSATION
Lac humanum can decompensate when she realizes that the many sacrifices
made for her children—and others whom she deems to be members of her
family—didn’t improve their lives very much at all. She also may come to the
painful realization that she failed to be an inspirational and effective example to
others. Facing the prospect of failure tends to make her even more rigidly
adherent to her idealization, which leads to further dissatisfaction. In turn, she
then attempts to further expand her family in order to find this satisfaction
elsewhere, though this too, tends to be ultimately unsuccessful as well. The
problem is that she ambitiously wants more than she can achieve.
RESTORATION
With treatment, Lac humanum can give more of her abundant energy to herself
and less to everyone else. In this way, she can develop a more solid sense of self.
She can begin to recognize her children and grandchildren for who they really
are instead of who she would like them to be. With new empathy and a more
genuine altruism, she can have more balanced, fulfilling relationships and make
a more positive difference in others’ lives.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
Lac humanum usually comes from a family that was very demanding where
conflicts were hidden or forbidden. They tend to have high ideals and believe
that the sum of who you are is reflected by your ethical choices, service and
behavior. Rather than focusing on the complexities of each individual’s
emotional life, the family is more like a business where everyone has a job, a
role, a duty to be a cohesive, communicative, affectionate, empathic family. The
parents tend to over-emphasize good behavior and service to others. Emotions
that don’t fit with this are not well accepted and go underground. On the surface,
there may be the appearance of everyone getting along, but underneath, things
may not be so rosy.
Nuclear Family
Lac humanum often expects her nuclear family to be just like her family of
origin, though it seldom works out that way. Her dream is to have a partner who
is equally committed to her vision. To this end, she carefully selects the person
for this role, preferring responsibility over passion and fun. She seems content to
settle into a boring life so long as her partner is reliable (in which case a well-
done life seems guaranteed).

She may give her children smiles and affection, but her expectations of who the
child should be may get in the way of their feeling truly loved, seen and
supported. In other words, for all this care, the child may not feel fed. The teen
years can be difficult since Lac humanum doesn’t know how to navigate through
adolescent rebellion and wasn’t this way when she was younger. She may act
pleasant without really engaging, meanwhile showing signs of subtle
disapproval. Ultimately, she just wants her children to be like her and is not so
interested in learning what they actually feel or who they truly are.
Relationship Patterns
Lac humanum often uses oblative service to gently but effectively invade the
lives of others and impose her way of thinking on them. If they happen to bear
some relationship to her family, she may want to make them members of this
ever-growing entity. She wants the other person to think as she does, and can’t
seem to get past this if they don’t. (She’s not someone, for example, who can
say, “We can agree to disagree.”) Instead, she just gives up on the relationship.
She may be disappointed however that the other person ‘spoiled it’ and couldn’t
‘do as he should’.

When dating, Lac humanum tends to be less interested in passion than purpose.
She wants to meet a potential spouse who is responsible and reliable rather than
explore the exciting but potentially painful arena of sex, courtship and falling in
love. She may be too afraid of emotional intimacy and possible abandonment to
take the plunge.
Child & Adolescent
Lac humanum can be the ideal child that everyone wants in their family. Similar
to Carcinosinum, Medorrhinum, Saccharum album and Cyclamen children, she
can be extremely affectionate, well behaved and eager to please her parents.

As an adolescent, Lac humanum is noticeable for her lack of rebellion. She may
believe that with a smile, a caress and a loving gesture, any problem can be
overcome. Whereas Carcinosinum tries to collect different kinds of people into
his life and do what is possible to please them all, Lac humanum, like Kali salts,
only tend to focus on family members or others who are somehow coherent with
the idea of family.
Adult
The adult Lac humanum is usually not that different from the child. She tends to
be overly responsible, fairly inhibited and insufficiently individuated. There is
often a sense of melancholy hiding behind the façade of ‘everything is fine’. In
reality, her life may be rather flat and unsatisfying.
Elder
The elder Lac humanum may be discontented with her life. As with many other
Milks, when the idealized image of her family loses its shine, she may regret
having invested so heavily in this family after all. Her children may not be
talking to her, and she asks herself, “What did I do all this for?” as if all her
sacrifice was for naught.

She may succumb to dementia as a way to avoid facing this. It’s easier to say, “I
can’t think” than to say, “I was wrong.” Dementia is also a way to stay
connected to her family by making them care for her.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac humanum may not like working with the doctor if he doesn’t meet her
expectations. And she has a tremendous resistance to change, even more than
Lac leoninum. She can be tenacious about her ideals, and the practitioner has to
be careful not to challenge these. If she has the impression that the practitioner
doesn’t respect her, she will, in a kindly way, end her treatment. The extreme
focus on family and how things should be can accidentally steer one toward
remedies like Carcinosinum or the Kali salts.
Like other Milk remedies Lac humanum has strong family ties, but with a
fundamental difference. Most of the other Milks are concerned with their family
of origin and their ancestors; Lac humanum is much more focused on the family
she creates and the generations that follow. Lac humanum appears oblative; she
sacrifices her life for her extended family, but the ultimate goal is to guarantee
its future success. Lac delphinum, on the other hand, is more deeply sympathetic
to helping misfits and others outside his family without concern for personal or
familial gain.

Both Lac humanum and Lac leoninum are quite ambitious. Lac leoninum is self-
centered in his ambition, striving to further his personal goals of wealth and
power. Lac humanum’s ambition is for the future success of her family; this is
what she works toward so tirelessly. (This family represents an idealized
community living in peace and prosperity, inclusive of her children’s spouses
and friends.)

Nux vomica, another ambitious remedy, is intent upon his own project. He is
usually in a situation where he has to respect and help others in order to achieve
his goals. A differentiating factor is that Nux vomica is very competitive, and
when more decompensated, he can worry that others are vying for his position.

When young, Carcinosinum can seem similar to Lac humanum, since he works
hard to please and honor his family and other community members who have
supported him. With time however Carcinosinum develops individual interests
that are different from those of his family. This is not often achieved by a Milk
remedy.

Another remedy, Calcarea phosphorica, like Lac humanum, seeks to maintain
close ties to family as a secure base, the difference being that he feels trapped
unless seeking new experiences away from home. Additionally, Calcarea
phosphorica explores and develops his individuality outside the family sphere.
In doing so, there is some natural flexibility and adolescent transgression toward
family rules, which is not the case with Lac humanum, who strongly adheres to
family values.

Lac humanum can be compared to the less egotistical salts of Aurum, such as
Aurum sulphuricum and Aurum phosphoricum. Aurum salts work for a group
they consider to be like family. Their work is principled and moral, larger than
life, moving the group forward in some significant way. This is similar to the
work of Lac humanum, except that her work only concerns her family
community. She may compete with other families, while these Aurum remedies
actively welcome other team members into their little kingdom to enhance their
work and reach their goals. These goals tend to be more idealized than realized,
and are meant to be appreciated the world over. But Aurum sulphuricum is too
confused and disorganized to achieve his theoretical vision. Similarly, Aurum
phosphoricum’s beautiful utopian ideas are too idealistic and naïve, and his
leadership is too immature and inefficient to make adequate progress. In
contrast, the leadership of Lac humanum is generally strong and leads to real
results. In addition, Lac humanum, emulating the archetype of the good mother,
is usually very understanding and forgiving and able to make adjustments.
Aurum salts are not so forgiving, and when his kingdom has behaved
improperly, he feels personally betrayed and cuts off ties.

Another remedy, Cocculus, shares Lac humanum’s strong sense of family. But
whereas Lac humanum wants to move the family forward toward wealth and
improved social connections, Cocculus would prefer to keep the family as it is,
frozen in time at its most idealistic moments. Cocculus is like the soft, accepting
love of an amiable grandmother. Lac humanum loves by working for the
family’s future and helping others correctly follow this plan.

CASE OF TATIANA
Tatiana is 39 years old and has been referred by her gynecologist. When I see
her in my waiting room, I ask my secretary if she correctly informed me about
the next appointment. I see Tatiana sitting on a couch with three children, all
four arranged in order of height. I ask who is to be consulted and she replies,
smiling, “Me, obviously. Don’t worry about my children. I know how long it
takes for a homeopath to have a first consultation. They will remain here without
disturbing us. They have their books and toys. Rest assured!” As she leaves the
couch, she smiles at her children and seems so proud of her little family and the
results of their training.

Tatiana is a tall, large woman with sizable breasts and wide hips, reminiscent of
Juno, a Roman goddess depicted as a sturdy matron and imperious warrior. Her
voice reminds me of a professional opera singer. She immediately smiles but
with a formal expression. She rises from the couch stiffly as if her back is tense
and painful.

She has seen other homeopaths and doesn’t want to take any hormones or
allopathic drugs.

[Tatiana begins:]
My family has used homeopathy forever. My grandmother used to go to
Switzerland to see a homeopath and I think her mother also went. I did not have
the pleasure of knowing her, but I have a lot of pictures of her in my house. She
was a hygienist, concerned about cleanliness, food, and did everything in a
natural way. Perhaps she used homeopathy, too.

But I’m here because my gynecologist, after so many years of problems and
after so many doctors, suggested that I be treated homeopathically. I also want to
be treated homeopathically, but I am beginning to falter because the results are
not there.

To be honest I have neglected my health. My life is dedicated to my children and
family and I also do volunteer work. I had to leave my work as a kindergarten
teacher because with three children it’s not that easy to have a job.

Our last child is adopted and has several learning problems, so requires a lot of
my attention. In the afternoons I work for an association of mothers who have
similar issues to mine. Adopted children are rarely free of problems.

We have been searching for the fourth child for some time. The idea to adopt
one or two was decided long ago when we married. We decided to adopt another
one… but my prolactin level is really high, and this is not my only problem.

They surely made a precise diagnosis. I don’t have any cancer or serious disease
in my brain, even if I have a lot of nodules in my breasts. I have had a lot of pain
in my breast since my first menstruation. Now it seems that everything is
crumbling.

I also have serious back pain—from my cervical region down. You surely
noticed how stiff I am. I also have some problems of urinary incontinence and
vaginal dryness.

My headaches, which I was able to control until a few months ago, are now
intolerable, so much so that I should probably just go to bed, but I can’t do that
with three kids, and now possibly four.

I also get one herpetic eruption after another. Before it was only on my face,
now it’s also in my genital region. Lastly—surely I am forgetting something—I
was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and I cannot get any rest. Even if I
had three babysitters, I could not rest because I would be thinking of my
children. So where do you want to start?

§ I had my first period when I was 11. I remember it very well because I was the
first in my class. I developed early. I was the tallest in my class, and the first to
have breasts. I have always had very large breasts and they have always been
painful before my menses. There was another classmate of mine who, like me,
had large breasts early on, but she was much smaller and so her breasts looked
even larger, and she was really ashamed. When my teacher realized I was so
proud of my breasts, she asked me to help this girl.

§ I think this is when I started to enjoy taking care of other people, but to be
honest, this is a kind of family sickness because in my family we are all engaged
in social issues.

§ After I discovered the first nodules in my breasts I always check them, because
my mother and grandmother had cancer in their breasts. But they are alive and
well and they were able to overcome this problem pretty easily. If you consider
that years ago more or less all the women with breast cancer died, I think that
they are still alive because of the alternative treatments they had.

§ My breasts really hurt a lot. I cannot run and when I have to go downstairs I
hold my breasts with my hands. This past month I even had to change my bra to
a larger size with my period.

§ My menses have always been regular and I always had severe pain in my back,
but not in my belly. It is my back that signals that my periods are coming; even
when I gave birth, the pains were strong only in the back. But I was so happy
that I did not notice. For three years now my cycle is not regular and comes
when it likes. My headaches often come with my period. Around this same time,
my headaches started getting much worse and this scared my doctor friends. But
we did all the possible exams and I don’t have a pituitary tumor. Needless to say,
my sexual desire is completely gone, but I do love my husband, and I still make
love to him with a lot of tenderness, but...

§ But you know, the head is one thing; the body is another. § I want to do it, but
you know, I’m so dry, and sometimes I simply can’t bear the weight of his body
on my chest. And so I have to do it in positions I don’t like. I would prefer to
look at my husband’s face.

§ I’ve also started to lose control of my bladder, and I can easily lose a few drops
of urine in the typical situations. This is really annoying at my age.

§ My headaches—I don’t even consider those a problem. My maternal lineage
has had headaches forever, and my father also has serious headaches. The first
time my parents met was at the neurologist’s office. So what can you expect?

§ About my headaches, there have been many different kinds of diagnoses and
drugs, but I haven’t taken any allopathic drugs for years. To be honest I did try
them years ago because my husband couldn’t bear to see me in such a state. He
didn’t believe in natural treatments at first, until I proved that I was right about
it. I tried the drugs, but I felt numb. And then we were trying to get pregnant,
and I could not take medications anyway.

§ I think my headache is mainly a digestive issue, but there must be some other
aspects to this. § If I don’t digest well, I get a headache; I have become a kind of
medical manual of food intolerances. Since I was a child, there have been many
foods I can’t digest. With any stress my neck immediately becomes so stiff. It’s
really painful and this pain then rises from my neck to my forehead. And I
always get a headache before my menses.

§ The headache feels like a pressure that becomes more and more intense from
the inside—not only in my head but also in my neck moving up. As the pain
becomes stronger, it feels as if there is a stake being driven through my temples,
entering one side and coming out the other.

§ When they had a headache, I always saw them—my mother, grandmother, and
father—go to bed, in the dark, in complete silence. Between the pain of one or
the other, my house seemed like a confessional; we had to whisper and wear
slippers not to make noise. It was a wonderful family, but this was very
challenging.

§ In my case I can’t ever stop. I think my neck hurts so much because of this. I
have to feel really dreadful in order to stop and go to bed. And when that does
happen, everyone gets really concerned. When I give birth I want to go back to
my house that same evening, and they practically want to tie me to the bedpost.
But do you really think that years ago women didn’t immediately go back to
work?

§ My back always hurts, beginning in my cervical area down to the lumbar
region. Lately it’s worse and I have to use all my strength to continue. My
physiotherapist says that my posture is awful, and I make this pain worse
because instead of relaxing I stiffen. I don’t know why I do this. Probably it
happens automatically, but I don’t realize I’m doing this because I just keep
going. Now it’s really becoming harder to keep going.

§ I’ve had herpetic eruptions since I was a girl. If I’m in the sun, they come out
immediately—and I burn easily. The herpes also come out if I’m very tired;
they’re the first sign I’m getting a fever. Before they used to go away after a few
days and came only two, three times every year. Now they’re almost continuous.
The ones on my face are just ugly to look at, but the ones in my genitals, can you
imagine? And if you consider what I told you about the dryness, it makes this
area pretty painful. And since we’re on the subject, I just recently got a vaginal
infection.

§ I’ve always had profuse discharge, but my gynecologist said that’s just how I
am; it’s not an infection. But the discharge I have now seems like some kind of
glue because I can stick to my underwear. It’s really sticky but it doesn’t smell
bad.

§ I could sleep better. The last child, the adopted one, has a lot of nightmares.
She came to our family just as the first two started to sleep better. So I can tell
you that I haven’t slept well for years. Before I just didn’t sleep well before
exams.

§ I remember my dreams very well. But it seems like when I dream, I wake up
very tired in the morning.

§ I have recurrent dreams, most commonly about travel. Years ago, I dreamt that
I was traveling in a horse and buggy—pretty funny. Then I started using other
means. The constant theme is I have to move pretty fast. Other recurrent dreams
have to do with children. I think about them often since my prolactin has been so
high, though I had those kinds of dreams even before. Usually there are children
with various problems that I have to help—and I suffer because I’m not able to
help them.

§ Years ago I used to dream of breastfeeding very young children. I had special
milk that was extremely nutritious. The hospital would use my milk for
premature babies who could not tolerate artificial milk and there was nothing
else really that the hospital could offer them.

Lately my dreams have been about donating blood. I was impressed by a movie I
saw on television where a soldier transfused his blood directly from his body to
another. After this I dreamt I was giving my blood to babies.

You said that your family members are all interested in social issues?
§ It’s in my family culture to care a lot about each other and about the unity of
our family, and even all the significant others who join our family. We’re old
fashioned where family ties are concerned. Our family values are of primary
importance. At Christmas and religious holidays we all meet together for a
special meal. Each year it’s at a different house, and every year there are more
and more of us. It’s so beautiful. We also try to invite a few others in need, even
if there are more than enough people within our own walls already.

Can you tell me more about your family values?
§ They are to see my children—all of our children—grow up well; to know that
they can count on their cousins and their true friends. Those are the values that
form the very structure of a society. I studied pedagogy, the science of teaching,
for this reason, and then stopped working so that I could apply what I learned to
my home, to my extended family, and the adopted children I work with—even
the mothers of those adopted children. Often those mothers need more help than
their adopted children do.

§ I don’t believe in this chronic fatigue syndrome. My husband is a biologist and
he explained to me that it’s just a label.

§ I think my problem is just hormonal. What I know is that our brain regulates
all the hormones. So I know that I can heal and I want to heal. I feel old, and I
still have a lot to do, and there are too many people counting on me, depending
on me.

§ I have always had major digestive problems. My mom says that after nursing
from her breasts, I never wanted to try any other kind of milk. Cheese makes me
feel really bad; I become constipated for days. I need a low-carbohydrate diet
because I can’t tolerate different flours and cereals. Not even rice is good for me
because, again, I get really constipated. I feel better if I eat a lot of meat, fish and
eggs. I mainly eat vegetables and fruits after the headaches because my stomach
is really a mess. Certain fruits, especially citrus, can make me throw up and
provoke diarrhea. For that reason, I’ll sometimes eat fruit to make me vomit
when I have a headache—and then it goes away quickly.

Also I have to drink a lot, ever since I was a child, I’ve really needed that.
Follow-up
Based on other cases that seem similar, I believe this to be a case of Kali
carbonicum. I am struck by the strong sense of family, her need to idealize them,
and the rigidity of her perspective as if it were carved in stone. Her ambition and
competitive zeal is sublimated into service for her larger family; yet doing so
appears to stifle her own individuality and self-development. Her back pain,
stiffness, digestive problems, food intolerance and fatigue (to which she cannot
surrender) all seem to point toward Kali carbonicum.

Four weeks later the stiffness in her back improves but her constipation is the
worst it’s been for years. Her breast pain is much worse and she now has a
milky discharge from her nipples that she did not have before. She has many
more disturbing dreams affecting her sleep, including dreams of children that
are in the process of dying and sometimes these come to her just as she is
leaving on a journey (so that she can’t attend to them). She says, “I was just
leaving, just closing the door to my house, and they arrived from the hospital
saying that they need me.” She feels that she must care for these children and yet
she has nothing to cook for them.

Kali carbonicum no longer seems like the right prescription. I consider Lac
humanum, but I have no direct experience of this remedy, as this was my first
case. Reviewing the proving, I could see that the dreams are similar as is the
relationship with family. Also pointing to Lac humanum are the many food
intolerances in someone who doesn’t appear to be underweight.

I have her take Lac humanum Q1 daily.

After nearly three weeks, she has a headache, so severe that it forces her to stay
in bed for several hours. For nearly the first time in her life, her husband has to
leave his job to come home and look after the children. Repetition of the remedy
does not improve the situation. Unlike her previous headaches she is unable to
drink anything, and vomiting is so severe that she is at risk for dehydration.
After a few hours of taking Lac humanum Q3, her symptoms are much better.

In the following days Tatiana begins to sleep better and wake up more refreshed
in the morning. Progressively the pain and the stiffness in her back significantly
improve.

Four weeks later she starts to feel contractions and spasms in the cervical spine
along with her usual headache symptoms. I suggest that she stop taking the
remedy and keep me informed. The headache does not progress and the neck
pain goes away. A few days after this her breast pain improves significantly and
she is able to have sexual intercourse with her husband without the usual
problems. A few weeks later she has her period. The bleeding is profuse with
fresh, bright red blood, but without the typical tension and swelling in her
breasts.

We decide to wait a bit more. A few days after terrible quarrels with her mother
and with some of the mothers of the adopted children’s association, she has
another severe headache. It’s not as debilitating as usual, and the main symptom
is neck stiffness. On repetition of the remedy, her symptoms resolve, and she
continues with two doses of the remedy weekly.

We meet again about four months after our first consultation. She comes to the
office unaccompanied by her children. She has lost weight and moves with more
fluidity.

§ What can I say? I had experiences with other homeopathic remedies but never
like this. The other times it was as if one thing would feel better but this was a
revolution!

§ It not only seems that my whole body reacted, but that my whole being reacted.
I have the impression that my self gave me a kick in the pants, removing the
prosciutto from my eyes, and allowing me to have various sensations in my skin
as well.

§ I say this because I made love with my husband as never before, as if he were
another man. § I really don’t know what’s going on. The worst thing—the best
probably—is that I don’t know if I want to go along with this. But what he was
able to give me!

§ I don’t know how to explain it better.

The fact is, for years I thought nothing could be done for my headaches, and
now I don’t have headaches anymore. My cycle is back and my prolactin is
almost normal. I digest much better. My back feels more relaxed but… § But I
still don’t feel right.

I had a historic fight with my mother, and few days later another serious one
with my friends, colleagues—I don’t even know what to call them. § When I
told my mother that I had my period again the first thing that she told me was
that I could finally fulfill my desire to have a fourth/third child.

The grandmother does not accept the adopted child as her own, so refers to a
potential newborn as the third, not the fourth child.

I don’t know what came over me. Surely she was being nice, but it made me feel
as if I were just some machine to churn out babies. I was talking about my
health, and she probably, poor woman, was thinking about how I had
complained about this before. I really don’t know why I got so angry. I’m
suddenly acting like a teenager—or even a child.

§ I prefer not to talk about it, but if that happened, evidently those issues were
there under the ashes.

[I try to make a joke:] Under the ashes? Considering what you told me, it seems
to be under something much bigger than just a fire.
§ Bravo. It was the ashes of a volcano.

And so what happened with your mother?
§ I had to tell her sorry, sorry, sorry, in every way but I worry that something is
broken between the two of us. You know, some time ago I could not endure
even the idea of this. Now I am afraid of my own reaction, that we could remain
angry and cross for a while. § When I heard my friends talk about how they can
quarrel with their relatives and family, it was as if they were talking about
something I could never even imagine.

§ And my colleagues pointed out a problem I have with this other association.
They had asked us to collaborate with them a long time ago, and my colleagues
were willing—me, much less so. They made me realize how important it is for
me that our association be recognized as the best.

§ I’m much more interested in the idea or goal for which we are all working
together. § I would do backflips for the kids in our association; I’m not so
concerned about the other kids.

§ I felt very bad when this was pointed out, because they were absolutely right,
and that put me into a deep crisis.

[She was almost crying.]
I understood that I got sick, and after adopting the third child, it was not only a
big effort, a tremendous fatigue in the past, it is still extremely stressful. She is
not my daughter. I know that I will do whatever I can for her. I do even more for
her because I feel there is a difference between mine and this adopted child.

[She starts to cry and is silent for a short while.]
I have to reflect; I have to understand; if I knew that your bloody remedy could
cause me such conflict with myself I would never have taken it.

[I tried to calm her down.] You know, I don’t think it’s the remedy.
§ Yes, it’s as you say, this is my stuff, this is my volcano but before it was a nice
dead volcano, and now it’s exploding! Fuck it!

This is not a typical expression for such a formal, polite, and stiff lady, but it was
very freeing for her to use such strong language.

I suggest that she continue with the Q5 and keep me updated.

During the following weeks her periods become more regular and without the
typical pre-menstrual symptoms. She complains that because she can tolerate
more types of food than previously, she is eating more and putting on weight.
Even so, she seems to have no intention of following a diet and has meanwhile
enrolled in a cooking course. Eventually, she leaves her volunteer job. And it’s a
family scandal when she attends her first yoga class, something her family of
origin considered ‘esoteric’ and ‘not in line with faith’.

§ I waited for our usual Christmas dinner. For their presents, I gave everyone
books about yoga written by priests and other religious people, and western
mystics who are trying to integrate East and West, who have a true ecumenical
spirit.

After five years Tatiana has had no significant symptoms. Her husband and she
decided not to have another child—whether through conception or adoption.
Last year, because of a favorable economic situation, they hired a babysitter so
that Tatiana could work part time in a private school. Tatiana continues to take
the remedy with good results when she experiences occasional complaints.

CASE OF MARCELLO
Marcello is 19 years old and has been sent by his doctor, who often collaborates
with me on complicated cases. Marcello has been diabetic since the age of 6, the
illness appearing after a ‘nasty gastrointestinal virus’. Marcello presents a letter
from his doctor that describes a long series of disorders that he feels might be
better addressed by homeopathy rather than various specialists.

The letter reads: “Marcello suffers from hemorrhoids that have been prolapsed
for several years. His surgeon proposes surgery since both parents have a similar
problem starting from an early age. Years ago this boy started therapy at the
headache center because of intensive muscular headaches which are becoming
more debilitating, causing him to miss school. Unfortunately he did not respond
to the treatment as our colleagues expected. He also has many food intolerances.
In my opinion this is predisposing him to the development of an eating disorder
that I would characterize as pre-bulimic. In the last several months, Marcello has
developed gynecomastia, and he wants surgery for this as soon as possible. He is
a Boy Scout leader and uses a backpack that rubs against his breasts, causing
pain.”

Marcello is a big boy with good muscular structure, although he carries a few
extra pounds. From his appearance, I would never guess that he would have all
the medical problems listed in this letter. He sits politely, but asks how long the
visit will be because he doesn’t want to miss an important class at the university.

§ I have not read that letter, but I can imagine what my doctor—who is very
precise—wrote you. What can I add?

§ If we start with my latest problems, I don’t understand why they advised
against surgery. I was told it’s a simple procedure that decisively takes care of
the problem. I don’t have great trust in medicine. I’m not saying this to offend
you, nor to discredit my doctor who is really attentive… but my history speaks
for itself.

§ I remember that flu very well. I was really sick and told my mother how sick I
was. But my pediatrician was not so worried until I started to drink a lot and lose
weight.

[I ask him how he felt having such a serious illness at such a young age.]
§ You know, those are the things that mark your life. I had so many other
problems even before that: headaches, digestive troubles, being so fragile and
underweight. I could never have the same life as other kids. They gave me so
many medicines and different diets during those years, and nothing ever changed
my problems. So honestly, I understand it’s not my doctor’s fault or even my
own fault.

Now I am almost 20, in the prime of my life. I have to take daily insulin and I
am waiting for medicine to advance in this field. I should have surgery for my
hemorrhoids. I would like to have surgery for these glands in my breasts. I have
intense headaches that are becoming worse so that I’m missing classes at the
university. There are times when I cannot go out to dinner with my friends, or
even go camping with my Scouts.

§ I am a Boy Scout leader and go camping with boys much younger than me. At
times I really have to force myself not to stay in my tent for days.

§ I don’t allow myself to get overwhelmed by my ailments, but now I’m really
tired, and I’m not sure I can take it anymore.

§ At first I thought it was an infection because some of the axillary lymph nodes
were swollen. For years I had dermatitis in my armpits that would come and go,
especially in the summer; then it became inflamed and painful. It became red
especially if I used my backpack and now I can no longer use it at all. You
know, I am a Scout leader, and I don’t use a car, I only ride my motorcycle
because it’s faster and I like it. My father and grandfather also ride and
sometimes we go on rides together. I can tell you that my grandfather is still
pretty good, and on certain kind of trails in the mountains, it’s pretty difficult for
me to follow him. So I would just like to get rid of this gynecomastia, that’s it.

§ My hemorrhoids are another big annoyance. They burn and I continuously feel
the pressure. § Sometimes I go to the bathroom thinking that I have to defecate
and it’s nothing. § Both my mother and father were operated on before the age of
30. I am not sure I have any other choice. § Until now I always ignored it, as I do
with my other problems. But lately, even if I am only 20, it’s as if my body is
starting to have too many problems, and they all impact what I would like to do.

§ I love to study and I am pretty ambitious. We have a little family company and
I am the one who will continue what my grandfather and father started. § I have
to and want to study but my headache limits me; some days I just can’t do it. I
started school one year early (at 5 instead of 6) and in high school, I did two
years in one. But then I lost one year in university and also missed some exams
because of this pain.

I love to ride my bike, but my hemorrhoids are becoming a serious problem.
They often hurt and can open if I’m on a long ride. I’m less than 20 and have
bloodied my pants more than once.

I love my commitment as a Scout leader. To be honest I chose a group of Scouts
where there are many non-EU kids from poor countries and others with serious
family problems, poverty, and educational problems. My role as an educator is
extremely important to me, and the gynecomastia does not allow me to use my
backpack.

Should I go on? Should I continue with my complaints? I do love to eat and I am
diabetic and there are so many things that I would like to eat that make me sick.
Do you think a girl would ever be interested in a boy given the condition I’m in?

[He seems irritated and mortified. I ask if he has issues with girls.]
§ Girls are not even the most important thing now, but I want a family. How can
I be the father I would like to be if at the age of 20, I have all these problems?

§ I do think about having a family. I even dream about my future family often. §
I don’t know why, I don’t understand anything about dreams, but very often I
dream I am traveling far away with my entire family. § No, I have had this
dream since I was a boy and I love having this dream. § I dream that I travel
with my family, and it could be in any kind of vehicle. I’m always the driver.
Sometimes it’s even an airplane that I fly by myself.

§ In my real family everybody was a Scout, even my mother. § They tell me that
I am good but they also tell me I am too competitive, that my team does not have
to be first, but that it‘s a game to play all together.

§ It’s a little difficult for me to remember this. As I told you I’m a guy who likes
to win; I enjoy seeing the results of the boys that I help. But I’m not so interested
in my gaining the victory myself; I’m more interested in seeing their victories, in
them becoming winners in life. § Obviously if there are winners there must also
be losers and this is exactly what my mates and my family point out. They tell
me I am too competitive.

§ There are many foods I cannot tolerate. My mother says that as soon as she
tried to give me formula, my skin reacted immediately, followed by diarrhea that
would not stop. Then pasta and bread made me sick. In general I don’t much like
eating carbohydrates because I swell up and feel sick. I’ve also had a lot of
problems managing my blood sugar.

§ I eat very few carbohydrates, but when I eat them my glucose jumps
immediately. § I should follow a diet full of protein, which is OK because I love
fish, eggs and meat, but I would still be overweight anyway. It’s not easy to
control my eating, especially if I’m under stress with my studies or with my own
issues. § On certain days I really eat a lot and if I’m reading or studying, I don’t
realize how much I eat. § It’s a problem because I put on more weight and
makes it harder to control my blood sugar.

§ My headache, what can I do? I ignore it. § They are like my hemorrhoids.
Almost everyone in my father’s family has hemorrhoids. My father and my
grandfather have a lot of headaches, too. They keep on going with the aid of
suppositories and strong painkillers, but they never miss a day of work. My
grandfather tells me that his father had the same problem but only found out
about it as an adult because his father never talked about it.

§ I went to the headache center, but if I use the suppositories they gave me,
which are similar to the ones that my father and grandfather take, I become dull
and numb and my glucose goes up and down. Until a few months ago, I was able
to keep doing what I wanted despite this headache, but recently, I’m missing too
many classes and I really dislike that.

§ The headache always starts in my neck and goes up to my head, and
sometimes it tries to go down my back. § I feel as if I were two [people]. § I say
this because my head’s a disaster, while from neck down is OK. § You know I
can keep going like a robot because I haven’t lost physical strength, just
concentration.

§ Yes, it’s similar to my hemorrhoid pain. It’s beating, driving from the inside of
my head. And then it becomes a kind of pain as if a spike is stuck in my skull,
entering one temple, and then coming out the other. Only recently I’ve had to go
to bed in the dark—I never had to do this before.

§ I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m in a bit of a hurry because I have to get
to class.

OK, just a little bit longer. You said that you don’t have problems with
girlfriends. Can you tell me a little more about this?
§ I would like to have a girlfriend but I don’t have one. I had one but she left me.
It was very painful, especially the way it happened. § I think I behaved—I’m not
sure how to say this—‘like a gentleman’. We never had sex or intercourse. I
didn’t insist, even if I had a lot of desire. § For a long time we would lie in bed
hugging each other. I was content to feel her body, her skin. § For me, physical
contact is important. It’s really a pleasure. I even enjoy touching my friends, but
please don’t think I’m gay. I just mean it’s a pleasure to feel the skin of someone
else. It’s nice.

Anyway, I respected all the desires of my girlfriend. Then we had intercourse a
few times and it was beautiful (I thought) for both of us. [He was really moved
and it was difficult for him to talk.] One night she went out with somebody else,
the typical disco playboy, and she told me the entire story. She thought she was
in love with him. He betrays her a lot but evidently he must be better than me in
doing certain things.

How was that for you?
How would it be for you, if you were me?
Follow-up
On the basis of the symptoms he reports and the little experience I have with
three other cases, I prescribe Lac humanum.

Marcello takes Lac humanum Q1 for four weeks before reacting with one of his
usual headaches, but without vomiting. He does not inform me as he should
have, but his headache goes away in less than 24 hours. The next day, with his
headache having resolved overnight, he wakes up feeling something warm
between his legs and discovers his hemorrhoids have bled. This clears, on its
own, after a while.

In the following days he notices that he is concentrating better with his studies,
his sleep is more refreshing, and he has a sense of lightness in his back. I
suggest that he continue with the remedy a couple of times a week, and as
needed.

[Three months later he wants another appointment. He has lost some weight and
seems more serene and open to talk.]
§ If things continue like this, I would be satisfied. The gland under my nipple
has deflated. It’s not gone but it’s much less swollen, and it’s not painful at all
when I use my backpack. I don’t know how but before, my armpits were
inflamed, and gradually this redness went away until one day I realized, I no
longer had that irritation. I have had this problem on and off for years. What’s
amazing is that symptoms improved that I did not think were being treated.

§ After that night of bleeding, my hemorrhoids completely resolved. They don’t
annoy me anymore and now are almost completely gone. My digestion is much
better and there is something else I’m not able to explain.

§ Before I had a sense of emptiness in my stomach. I had to eat to feel better, but
after eating I felt bad. Now, it seems that gradually my need to eat has decreased,
especially when studying. Before I always had something to eat on my desk, and
now I don’t—just my books and computer.

And then my headache! I don’t understand how those drops could have such a
painkilling effect!

§ My blood sugar is more stable, and I don’t need as much insulin. I’m also
eating better.

§ I don’t remember anything about my dreams but it is probably because I sleep
much better. I wake up refreshed. § I have the impression that my digestion has
changed. I don’t know how, because I didn’t change anything in my diet, but I
eat less now without even trying.

I suggest that Marcello continue with the same dosage and frequency. After a
few weeks I receive a telephone call. He wants to see me urgently as his
hemorrhoids have prolapsed again and he has new episodes of headaches from
emotional stress. I am able to see him in a few days.

§ I wondered about many things in recent weeks. Despite feeling much better
physically, I did not feel okay. § I felt bad because I thought about all those boys
in the Scouts from dysfunctional families, without education, without a future…

§ I wondered why I don’t feel well inside. § I don’t know if the life I have is one
that I really enjoy. I met a friend of mine who first went to the USA and then to
Australia. He also comes from a good family and surely he did not need to have
those kinds of experiences, at least that’s what I thought. When he came back
from Australia, he phoned me. We went out for a few beers together. I saw that
he had transformed into a man, a mature person who had made a choice, even if
he were only working as a waiter and at the fish market.

§ I have to ask myself why I never thought about this before. And so I looked at
myself and realized that I do everything that is expected; it’s my duty. I feel the
responsibility to do much better than my parents did. Now I look at them in a
different way. Both of them were Scouts as I am, but they don’t really give a
damn about those who are less fortunate. They are caring toward the employees
and workers in our little company. They are even communists or ‘Catholic
communists’ as my grandfather likes to say, but only with the workers and the
employees of our company.

But if I do something that is loving and unexpected…

§ And this is what I did. I told them that I fell in love with a beautiful girl, and I
wanted to accompany her on a trip and be with her for a few months. I’m still
one year ahead in school than the other boys my age. You can’t imagine what
happened.

§ I had not really met a girl (though I would have liked to). I was interested to
see how they would react. They behaved as if I were a thief or a drug addict.

§ I know they are the most beautiful parents in the world and I’ve grown up in
the best, most beautiful way. They adore me, and my grandparents do too. I
know that what I’m saying is rather routine, something that happens in every
generation.

§ I decided to deceive my family. My father loves Cat Stevens—at least until he
became a Muslim. But my father had a band when he was pretty young and
some nights he still gets together with his friends and they play. They have an
acoustic group and they’re pretty good. You probably know this song, “Father
and Son.”

So one night my father and I were talking and, as usual, he was very
compassionate. He listened closely to me, but in the end, whenever we talk, I’m
always wrong, or at least, I don’t understand; I’m too young and they know
what’s best for me. I listened to my father and could have predicted every
sentence that he said. Then I took a piece of paper and read, in Italian, his
favorite song, which is “Father and Son.” I asked him to tell me what he thought.
I told him the song might reveal the root issue for why Cat Stevens decided to
become a Muslim. [There is a debate in the song between the father, who would
like his son to stay home, and the son, who would like to leave his family.]

§ I don’t have all the facts about this, nor do I really care. I told him and
everyone it was as if I already did know this girl, simply because I would love to
meet such a girl—and as if I had actually made a trip, because I wanted to so
badly. I told them that I really love them, but they have to let me live freely [as
my own person]. So I decided to live by myself in another town.

§ There was a furious quarrel, but my grandfather understood and told me
secretly that he would help if I needed it. I thanked him a lot with a big hug but
told him that I would like to do this by myself relying on my savings. It’s thanks
to them that I have so much.

§ That same night I had all my old ailments and I understood why you seem like
a psychologist to me. Maybe I would have liked to talk with a psychologist or
maybe I think that what happens in my head is separate from my body. When I
had this quarrel, I understood that my whole body was suffering; it wasn’t just
my emotions. And then it’s in my back, my neck, and even my ass.

Marcello is currently working abroad after achieving a master’s degree. Most of
his original symptoms have resolved and not recurred, though he is still
intolerant of milk and certain carbohydrates. His digestion has significantly
improved and he is able to eat a broader variety of foods. His glucose is stable.
He no longer has hemorrhoids. He occasionally gets a headache, mostly before
an important examination. At this point he has been taking the remedy for five
years and it continues to yield good results.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Ambition ; False oblativity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Ambition / Dissatisfaction ; Undeserving ; Rigidity / Laxity ; Congestion:
passive ; Fullness / Emptiness ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: pressing ; Pain: penetrating ; Headache: digestive ; Dryness /
Hypersecretion ; Secretions: tenacious ; Vertigo ; Contact: physical ;
Hyperphagia
Common Ailments
Agalactorrhea, secondary Arthritis, TMJ Conjunctivitis, chronic Constipation,
chronic Depression Diabetes, juvenile Eczema, atopic Fatigue, chronic
Fibrocystic breast disease Food intolerance, milk Food intolerance, various
Gynecomastia Headache, chronic Hemorrhoids, prolapsed Herniation,
cervical spine Herpes, recurrent Hot flashes Hyperhidrosis
Hyperprolactinemia Incontinence, urinary Insomnia Mastodynia Ménière's
disease Photophobia Prostatitis, chronic Pyorrhea Rhinitis, allergic Sunburn
Vulvodynia
Milks: Oblative: Lac delphinum ; Ambition: Lac leoninum
Other: Ambition: Nux vomica; Aurums : Aurum sulphuricum , Aurum
phosphoricum ; Tied to Family: Calcarea phosphorica ; Cocculus ; Oblative:
Carcinosinum

LAC LOXODONTA AFRICANA

LOXODONTA AFRICANA

Elephants’ closest relatives are the manatee, otherwise known as sea-cow, and
hyrax, a rodent-like creature that resembles a guinea pig. All of these likely
evolved from moeritherium, tapir-like animals that shared the niche now
occupied by hippopotamuses. The proboscideans evolved from this lineage.
These trunk-bearing animals became widespread, living on nearly every
continent. More than 300 different species evolved over thousands of millennia
with only three remaining: the African bush and forest elephant and the Asian
elephant.

Loxodonta africana, or bush elephant, appeared about 1.5 million years ago. It is
larger than the Asian elephant and both the male and female have tusks.

The trunk of the elephant has allowed these large and tall animals to reach for
food and water easily while remaining upright and vigilant for danger. The adult
elephant has no predator other than humans, and they are endangered in part
because their habitat is shrinking, to south of the Sahara, and because of the
ivory trade. The African elephant is endangered because of this highly profitable
but illegal black market. Central Africa lost over 100,000 animals between 2010
and 2012. In 2012 one of every twelve African elephants was poached.

The African elephant is an herbivore eating 500 pounds, or 225 kilograms, of
plant matter and 50 gallons, or 190 liters, of water, daily. Herds are comprised of
related females (cows) and their young, headed by the matriarch. They are one
of the closest-knit family structures of all creatures with only death or capture
separating them. Males leave the herd at adolescence, staying nearby, but living
in bachelor herds. When a mother gives birth, the rest of the herd acknowledges
and touches the new calf with their trunks. When an elephant dies, the other
elephants remain by the corpse for some time, touching it with their trunks, and
burying the animal with leaves and dirt. They can also be keenly interested in the
bones of the deceased they come upon in their travels. Cows have been observed
helping fallen family members, as well as feeding members who are unable to do
so themselves. Elephants have also been observed to be altruistic toward other
species.

Elephant milk has a lower concentration of fat and a large amount of capric acid
present. Vitamin A and carotene appear to be almost negligible.

The elephant archetype can represent many qualities: strength, dignity, patience,
wisdom and longevity. The elephant personifies memory, as in the phrase, ‘an
elephant never forgets’.

The elephant is considered sacred to many African tribes and is named the
‘forceful’ or ‘unstoppable one’ in Zulu, Tswana and Tsonga. The Shona tribe
talks about the ‘wisdom sticks’, or ivory tusks, of the elephant. They believe
these allow the elephant to know the time and place she will die. Hunters
believed that the elephant would know of secret sorrows, resentments or
infidelity and these would prevent a successful kill. However, the elephant is
also thought to be too kind, feeling pity for the dishonest.

A favorite African children’s story is how the elephant got his trunk. The
elephant used to have a small nose but one day he was drinking at the river and a
crocodile seized him by the snout. Each pulled—the elephant trying to get away,
and the crocodile trying to get his meal. As they fought the elephant’s nose
stretched and stretched.

The milk used to make the homeopathic remedy was obtained from an African
elephant who formerly lived in the wild in Zimbabwe, but was later brought to
the Oakland Zoo. Named Donna, the 16-year-old cow was milked after she had
lost her calf. Described as a healthy animal with some arthritis and stiffness in
her movements, she could be aggressive with other elephants, but was gentle
with people. Nancy Herrick conducted the proving in 1996.
COMMON AILMENTS
Allergies, food, milk Anemia Arrhythmias, cardiac Arthritis hands, distal joints
Blepharitis Bulimia Cicatrices, poor granulation Cough, hacking Diabetes,
juvenile Diplopia Dyslexia Edema, lower limbs Fatigue, chronic Fibrocystic
breast disease Gynecomastia Headache, digestive Hot flashes, climacteric /
Hyperhidrosis, axillary / Food intolerance, milk Insomnia Keloids / Mastodynia /
Myopia Sinusitis, chronic Sjogren’s syndrome
MOTIFS
Abandonment
Lac loxodonta africana has an issue with abandonment similar to the other
Milks. They feel a need to remain under the protection of their large and
powerful family—a family that may enjoy some importance within its
community. Without the support of this family, Lac loxodonta africana may fear
that they will lose this power, resulting in their feeling very vulnerable: ‘I am
nothing without them’.
Curiosity
Lac loxodonta africana tries to give the impression that they are stable, secure,
and powerful. Intellectually, they are open-minded and curious about the world.
Like a good journalist or sociologist, they want to keep learning and enlarging
their knowledge base. They tend to be interested in many different areas and
ideas, and truly appreciate the meaning of diversity.
Concreteness
Lac loxodonta africana has an active, curious mind that enjoys intellectual
inquiry, but only if the results of this investigation have practical value. They are
not drawn toward philosophy or esotericism; to Lac loxodonta africana, ideas
must have a concrete application, improving life in a tangible way, like when
healthcare workers try to find an immediate resolution to an outbreak of cholera
at a refugee camp. They must see results or the information seems useless.
FUNDAMENTAL THEMES
Familial Identity
Lac loxodonta africana’s family tends to be extremely protective and caring. It
is hard not to agree with the family’s way of doing things—it seems so correct,
appropriate and respectful. In some ways, this reminds one of Kali salts, with
their insistence on doing things the right way so that people can live and work
together in peace. In Lac loxodonta africana there is a special care and concern
for the weakest members, including not going faster as a group than the slowest
individual. And each person’s voice has the right to be heard. (This attitude is
opposite that of Insects and Parasites.)

This family seems so correct and accommodating, it becomes difficult to justify
any rebellion against them, even in adolescence. Instead, Lac loxodonta africana
feels that they must follow the family’s example in all things. Because they do
things so well, they also seem to draw other people into the family, which keeps
growing as a result. It’s as if they were saying, “We do things the best way;
come join us.”

While Lac loxodonta africana has some desire to become independent, there are
also some advantages to being weaker and less powerful. Namely, it helps one
receive special protection and attention from the group.
Abandonment
Like other Milks, Lac loxodonta africana tends to be overly reliant on their
family and fearful of abandonment should this pillar of support be removed. Lac
loxodonta africana may find it difficult to become a true adult, wanting to
remain like a child who keeps receiving a lot of attention and support.
Lac loxodonta africana can be one of the most angry and aggressive of all the
Milk remedies. Even so, in most instances, Lac loxodonta africana’s aggression
is severely inhibited and repressed, similar to remedies such as Saccharum
album, Cyclamen and Carcinosinum. They generally seek to avoid all friction
and quarrels and rarely disagree with anyone. As a result, they don’t seem to
have a single ounce of rage inside their being until it finally comes out with
force.

Often their family asked them from an early age to be responsible and mature.
They try to live according to these expectations, while unconsciously there is a
desire to rebel. This internal conflict can lead to violent dreams that represent
their anger, perhaps in the form of aggressive animals or physical injury. One
prover had a dream that he cut off his penis and put it in the refrigerator,
symbolizing anger related to the suffocation of phallic power.
Irresolution
As with other Milks, Lac loxodonta africana may only do what the family
approves of, and so they follow the family’s rules in all practical matters, even if
they want to do something different. This can contribute to some eventual
rebellion inside, despite their initial desire to suppress this, and some irresolution
related to their inner conflict.
Regression
Lac loxodonta africana tends to be regressive throughout his lifespan, acting
much younger than his chronological age. As the body grows and matures, he
may resist this, since he equates maturation with a loss of family support.
Because of this, he generally dislikes physical signs of development, as occur in
puberty. During periods of physical change, for example during adolescence or
the change of life, he may develop common childhood diseases like exanthema,
as if this pathology could somehow keep him from growing or aging. In general,
he seems to have an altered sense of time; it runs too fast. Ultimately, he would
like to stop the clock altogether.
Solidity / Fragility
When compensated, Lac loxodonta africana wants to appear strong. When
decompensated, he generally gives up on this and reveals his fragility. His skin
may have many problems and telegraph how vulnerable his system really is.
Easily damaged by the sun, it seems paper-like, easily broken, and difficult to
repair. Both men and women may use a lot of skin cream, and they may wear
strong, thick materials like heavy denim and leather to make up for their weak
skin.
Inexpressible Anger
Lac loxodonta africana does what he can to hide his anger, even from himself.
It’s an absolute rule for him that he not express his anger. He wants to be
respectful and well-esteemed by others for his good conduct. But below the
surface, this anger may build into a rage. The only place it seems to be openly
expressed is in his dreams. If and when this anger must finally break through, it
can be one of the most difficult moments of his existence. This anger can feel
dangerous to him.
Slowness
Similar to Milks like Lac asinum, Lac loxodonta africana wants to be special
and unique, not like everyone else. But rather than seeking this through being
exceptional, he may do so by being slower than the rest. This brings him
attention and gives him a certain amount of control since it forces others to slow
down to his pace. He may be the child who is always late and drives his mother
crazy waiting for him. He may insist that slower is better, but it is quite irritating
to everyone else.
When compensated, Lac loxodonta africana can feel heavy and full, especially
in the stomach. He may eat and drink excessively in order to fill his digestive
tract and be as big as possible. In a similar way, he consumes information with
his insatiable curiosity in order to expand his knowledge. Some of this resembles
Sulphur, though he tends to be more concrete and his focus on appearance is less
extreme. Similar to Arnica, he wants to show how strong he is. As with
elephants in the wild, that have no natural enemies besides humans, appearing
big is a way to prevent any potential problems with predators.
Retention / Dryness
Dryness is a common complaint when decompensated. This dryness and lack of
water represents deprivation, and thus weakness or a loss of power. To counter
this, he has a desire to retain and accumulate, even physically, with swelling and
edema, and right-sided heart failure, elephantiasis, and swollen lower limbs.
Lightness-Heaviness
One might expect someone so stout to have awkward movements, but he is
surprisingly nimble, flexible and facile. And he tends to have good awareness
about his body. In dreams, his body is often that of a light, fleet animal. Like
Lycopodium, he can have flying dreams. In Lycopodium’s case, these dreams
represent a welcome escape from the strategy of being competitive, assertive and
macho. For Lac loxodonta africana, on the other hand, flying represents an
escape from conflicts where he might need to express anger or power. When
such situations occur in real life, he must make himself big, heavy and grounded.
Dreams allow the opposite: lightness and grace. There is a kind of contradiction
in that he would like to be both heavy and light at the same time. He wants to
have the power of being big, but the quality of being light and lofty, being above
others and admired.
Symmetry-Asymmetry
As with Lac leoninum, the strongest part of the corpus is the heart and chest. In
this remedy, one area of the body undergoes retention and congestion with the
impression that it is becoming bigger and more solid. This alternates with
another part of the body that by comparison feels quite weak and fragile.
Headache symptoms can move from one part of the head to another rather
without necessarily switching sides.

Superficial Pain
Like a Kali, when compensated, Lac loxodonta africana has a strong sense of
dignity and wants to show that he is too strong and powerful to suffer even if not
always healthy. “These symptoms don’t disturb me; they don’t impact my
quality of life.” His symptoms seem only on the surface, the skin being the main
localization of suffering. He acts as though untouched by the pain, as if it were
too light to disturb him.
Cramping Pain
With decompensation, Lac loxodonta africana tends to create uncontrollable
spasms. This pain does not arrive slowly and give time to adjust to it (and keep it
inside). Rather it comes on strongly and feels unavoidable. Furthermore, these
symptoms make the suffering easily visible to all.
Digestive Headache
Lac loxodonta africana, like other Milks, tends to have poor digestion combined
with a tendency to overeat, leading to headaches in the frontal region.
Chilliness
Lac loxodonta africana can be seriously affected by the cold, which is surprising
given how stout he is, though he pretends that it doesn’t bother him. His
problems with chilliness can contribute to sinusitis.
Vertigo
Lac loxodonta africana can have vertigo. Like Borax, this tends to happen when
moving downhill rather than when in a high place.
Hyperphagia
Lac loxodonta africana tends to have issues with food. He may over-consume
food and liquids to fill up his stomach, but this can make him feel uncomfortably
heavy and full. This can also worsen his relatively poor digestion. Often he will
eat more when alone, and less when others are present. He may deny that he has
a problem or if he acknowledges the issue, he may feel guilty about it. With
decompensation, his intake can become quite excessive. Like some Solanaceae,
his underlying anger and rage may be what drives his hyperphagia, and the act of
eating can have a quality of aggression and violence.
Milk
Lac loxodonta africana often chooses foods typical of childhood, including milk,
though it is not well digested and can create various symptoms including
hyperhidrosis.
DREAMS
Lac loxodonta africana has extremely strong anger that is severely suppressed.
Because he is generally unable to communicate such feelings openly in his
waking life, they are primarily expressed through his dreams. In his oneiric life,
he may witness aggressive animals drawing blood or experience himself having
an uncontrollable outburst of anger. Lac loxodonta africana is so averse to
aggression that even admitting such dreams can be difficult and may lead to self-
criticism.

Phallic castration is a possible theme related to an inability to integrate anger and
power. Another common theme is escape, often by flying away. In these
instances, the form is light and facile, whether bird-like or a floating zeppelin. In
the proving by Nancy Herrick one individual dreamed of being in a bar fight and
left the scene quickly on a magnificent three-wheeled motor-trike as big as a
lorry. Another patient dreamed of a woman seducing him. Feeling that it was not
right to have sex with her, he escaped on a giant hydroplane the size of the
Titanic. Symbolically, Lac loxodonta africana is escaping the confrontation and
internal anger. The large transports used to escape suggest an intensity, depth
and breadth to what has been suppressed.
STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Lac loxodonta africana can be intellectual and open-minded with a focus on
what is practical and concrete. He’s happy enough to be the consolidator and
facilitator of others’ ideas, rather than their originator.

Emotionally, Lac loxodonta africana can be very caring of his family and larger
entourage, but a little cold in the expression of emotions. Underlying anger is
deeply suppressed, and he can be a harsh critic of himself, feeling guilty about
any possible feeling or action that seems to go against the family’s strict code of
behavior.

On a physical level, Lac loxodonta africana has a strong body, a strong system,
and it is not usual for them to suffer from severe symptoms or illnesses. Even so,
it seems that there is always something that doesn’t work quite right and
moderately disturbs their functioning.

In terms of his corpus, Lac loxodonta africana would like his large, powerful
body to be light and graceful. He may have extraordinary coordination, control
and athletic ability given how big he is. Even so, he may not feel good about his
body and instincts, and is constantly trying to control himself in all aspects, and
feeling guilty that he may not have perfect self-control.
VULNERABILITIES
Lac loxodonta africana is deeply affected if the ‘glue’ holding the family
together starts to weaken, even when it does not concern a close relative like a
parent or sibling. For example, if a second cousin whom he barely knows is
distancing herself from the family, Lac loxodonta africana can feel as if the
whole granite-like structure of family might start to collapse. It’s as if this single
weak link could cause everything to unravel. Similarly, if a cousin’s wife failed
to call an older uncle as expected, this minor matter could signal an impending
catastrophe (much as a small wound for Arnica is intolerable). Lac loxodonta
africana feels the need to conform to his family’s expectations and can feel
uncomfortable like a Kali with any rule-breaking behavior. Lac loxodonta
africana needs to know that the family works well together, and that no single
member is ever lost.

Lac loxodonta africana also wants to control himself by not getting angry or
showing any disrespect or violence. Though provings evidence some aggression
below the surface, in his actual life, Lac loxodonta africana tends to be terribly
afraid of showing any anger. He would feel extremely vulnerable if he were ever
to lose his temper.

Lac loxodonta africana also feels vulnerable if he needs to make a choice,
particularly if it seems to go against the family’s party line. He can also be
troubled if some distant family member does so, for example, if a second cousin
wants to study literature when the family recommends science or engineering.
COMPENSATION
Lac loxodonta africana’s strategy involves caring for everyone around them,
especially family, in a controlling way. While Cocculus takes care of her family
with obvious emotion and affection, Lac loxodonta africana does so in a colder,
more controlling way. He doesn’t generally acknowledge or express his
emotions, and may have difficulty communicating in general, even with close
friends and relatives. He gives the impression that everything is fine; ‘I am
untouchable’. Meanwhile he may try as much as possible to reassure others that
he is solid, trustworthy, ‘a rock’ that one can always count on: a lighthouse in
the storm; a raft in the sea.
COMPLICATIONS
Paradoxically, Lac loxodonta africana is invested in family relations, but he
lacks the emotional presence to make this bond stronger. Underneath he is a very
emotional creature, but his strategy is to suppress most of these emotions,
especially anger. Being mad could make him seem less respectable; following
desires could divert him from his duty; succumbing to feelings could make him
too weak and soft for his higher calling. It’s as if he must steel himself, to
overcome his ‘milky’ nature, to be what his family expects, what he expects of
himself. Thus, despite being very giving to others and making himself readily
available whenever needed, his relationships tend to be superficial and formal.
Hugging him is like hugging a piece of wood. As a result, he simply can’t reveal
himself to others and let them get truly close.

Despite his conservative nature, he can paradoxically, be quite open to new ideas
if they have practical value. Though he wants to be the best in some
circumstances, he is also humble enough to say that others may have better ideas
than he does and that there is always something to learn from others.
DECOMPENSATION
Lac loxodonta africana may decompensate in adolescence, the moment of life
when strong, previously suffocated, emotions can no longer be suppressed.
Another moment of decompensation is when he cannot realize his ambitions
between the ages of thirty and forty or fifty, when one has the energy to do
something big and important. It’s hard to be truly exceptional if one is too
doctrinaire. Though he can be open to innovative ideas, he may not give
adequate room to his own creativity. It’s as if Lac loxodonta africana’s phallic
attitude is too susceptible to castration. Additionally, the tendency to be so
‘untouchable’ suggests that some severely decompensated cases could
potentially appear autistic.
RESTORATION
With treatment, Lac loxodonta africana may be able to relax the need to control
and begin to experience and share his emotional life more easily.
FAMILY SYSTEM
Family of Origin
The family can be rules-bound and not so emotionally expressive. There is an
expectation that family members will conservatively follow the old rules and
serve as a model for others to do the same, perhaps in public professions such as
school principal, politician or journalist. Whereas Kali has a tendency to
conform generally, Lac loxodonta africana wants to conform in a way that is
stellar and provides a clear, high-achieving example to others.
Nuclear Family
Lac loxodonta africana’s relationship to his nuclear family may be rather cold.
His relationships tend to lack warmth and intimacy. The emphasis is more on
esteem than affection. Children often feel judged by a Lac loxodonta africana
parent.
Others may find Lac loxodonta africana rather predictable and boring because
he is so straight-edged, serious and controlling. He has trouble loosening up and
enjoying himself or being entertaining. He couldn’t bring himself to spend a
night speaking about frivolous things. Lac loxodonta africana can be envious
and competitive toward colleagues and friends. Whatever he does, he wants to
be the best and can be upset if this doesn’t happen. When others are forming
friendships in adolescence based on pleasure and play, he is busy trying to meet
his high expectations for himself. He may be a little awkward and uncertain in
courtship, unless he finds a similar type.
Child & Adolescent
The Lac loxodonta africana child can appear adult-like because he is serious and
doesn’t engage much in play. As is often the case in overly oblative family
systems, he is rewarded for being dutiful, which reinforces this behavior and
deprives him of a more typical childhood. From an early age, he is overly
responsible, and wants to avoid problems, satisfy others and win their esteem
and trust.
Adult & Elder

Lac loxodonta africana can struggle at these stages if unable to make adequate
achievements in life. Most important is to see that his children and grandchildren
are becoming good examples for others. If so, he has the feeling “My life (and
all my sacrifice) was worth it.” If not, this can be very disturbing and lead to
decompensation.
TREATMENT ISSUES
Lac loxodonta africana patients are not easy to cope with. It is likely that they
may not seek homeopathic care because it is unconventional. During the
interview, they generally don’t want to be investigated too closely, preferring to
keep the doctor-patient relationship at a more superficial level. At the same time,
when their homeopath has the patience to form a good therapeutic relationship,
they may be capable of doing deeper work after all. They are also quite
appreciative when they become able to let their feelings flow more easily.
Lac loxodonta africana is easily recognized as a Milk remedy. Differentials can
be made with other Milks who live according to an ethical code, such as Lac
equinum and Lac humanum. Lac loxodonta africana’s ethics, unlike those of Lac
equinum, are not in service to a strong, idealized, father-image. Physically, Lac
loxodonta africana tends to be stout and muscular, flexible and athletic, whereas
Lac equinum is generally weak and fragile (despite exerting so much energy).
Lac humanum’s ethics are directed toward enhancing her own family; Lac
loxodonta africana postpones the family phase of life until later. There is a
world to explore and he has too much to do, and he doesn’t believe that he can
be a good parent.

Lac loxodonta africana can be compared to some of the Aurum salts, especially
Aurum metallicum and, when well-compensated, Aurum sulphuricum. Both Lac
loxodonta africana and Aurum salts tend to be highly ethical. Both have big,
creative ideas, though for Aurums, these must be unique and individual and
enhance their sense of ego. Aurum sulphuricum, with her false image, can be
nearly bombastic about this, even though her ideas are not very well-organized.
By contrast, Lac loxodonta africana tends to be extremely concrete and serious
and very true to the image he presents. He tends to be less egotistical. And his
ideas, though synthetic and well-organized, are derivative and largely reflect his
family’s concerns.

Lac loxodonta africana is similar to some other Metals such as Ferrum and
Cuprum salts. All of these are ethical, loyal, much less egotistical than Aurum,
and devoted to an idea or project that is not their own. Ferrum tends to be
committed to high ideals, while Cuprum tends to embody the ideals of a
preeminent boss. Cuprum has less of a strong masculine side in comparison to
these other remedies and is less of a leader. She also cannot compete physically.

The major difference in these remedies is how they handle aggression. Lac
loxodonta africana has strong internal anger and aggression that he works hard
to contain. As a result, it can be difficult for the outside observer to detect. Lac
loxodonta africana’s anger appears in his dreams, which can be quite violent,
like a Quentin Tarantino movie. Unlike Lac asinum, who easily talks about her
bloody dreams, Lac loxodonta africana feels ashamed, making it difficult for
him to confess them to his homeopath.

The one way Lac loxodonta africana can express his anger is physically, through
sports, though he must do so with noblesse. He might be a rugby player for
example who is very physical on the field, but brings the teams together for a
friendly drink after the match. And in serious, heated disagreements, he feels
that he must, like Voltaire, uphold the civil liberties of the other person to voice
opinions contrary to his own, doing what he can to understand the other person’s
position, no matter how different from his own.

Cuprum and Ferrum are less tolerant, and will openly express their aggression
verbally but not physically. Cuprum seeks to injure those who contradict her
with sharp comments and caustic humor. Ferrum, like a lawyer, uses her
intellect to fashion a powerful argument.

Lac loxodonta africana’s emphasis on ethics could be superficially confused
with the Kali tendency to be dogmatic. The difference is that Kalis are quite
rigid whereas Lac loxodonta africana is very open—almost too open—and
willing to learn from people who are quite different from himself. These
remedies can be further differentiated physically since Kalis are not as strong,
solid and stout.

CASE OF LUCIANO

Luciano, 43-years-old, is a colleague of mine, a pediatrician, who travelled a
long distance to see me. He is an interesting man, very warm and charming. He
immediately informs me that he has a hobby that is more important to him than
his pediatric practice. Luciano enjoys traveling. He takes photos and writes
about the geography and culture of the places he visits. Nevertheless, he says
that children are his passion because ‘they are the future of the world, our
future’.

In spite of his large frame and bulk, Luciano moves with the agility of an athlete.

His demeanor is extremely calm and serious, giving the impression of someone
ethical and wise. He prides himself on his self-control and doesn’t lose his
temper. This image is so extreme I ask myself if it is affected. His speech is slow
and measured, as if he is always trying to find the right words, and his most
significant thoughts come after a long pause. At the same time, his facial
expression does not seem in tune with the rest of his character. If I listen to him
with my eyes closed, I imagine a mature man 60 years old, but when I open my
eyes, I see a boyish yet studious face—the visage of someone you expect to be at
the top of his class.

[Luciano begins:]
I played rugby for many years. It is a noble sport because respect for your
opponent and your teammates is fundamental. The first thing you learn is that it
is not about you; it’s all about the team.

For example, if you get angry with your opponent, you have only your
teammates to think of. Putting the team first helps to control your own behavior.
Although it may seem like a violent sport, we always have dinner and drinks
together after the match. You always meet people who are very different from
you, who have something to teach you, even if it’s something you'll never have
the occasion to use.

§ Seldom have I lost my temper, but if I did, my teammates have always helped
me to avoid making a fool of myself. § Respect for the rules of the game is
essential in sports. The issue is that everybody has to respect the rules.

I have some problems that are beginning to complicate my life, and I am still
young. I don’t want to take medicines because I don’t believe in them.

About a year ago I began to have recurrent episodes of cardiac arrhythmias. At
first, I was able to keep them in check with exercise and meditation, but one
night my companion had to take me to the emergency room where they did a
cardioversion. Since then I have had two more episodes and cardioversions.
Initially, I refused to follow the treatment, but then I gave in. But it seems that
my case is drug-resistant.

§ But, I don’t agree. At the time I was having serious family issues that stressed
me out. In my opinion, these arrhythmias are related to that.

§ Suddenly my chest feels too full. If I weren’t a doctor, I would say that it feels
like all the blood is blocked inside my chest. It's as if my heart were engorged
with blood and unable to pump it all out. My doctor is recommending ablation,
but I would like to try something else first, especially since I think it is all a
question of stress.

Like all the women in my family, I'm starting to have problems in my finger
joints. But it’s not the same. I am not a woman, and this problem began much
later in their lives than in mine. [He shows me his hands and I observe swelling
and nodules in the distal joints in 8 of his 10 fingers.]

§ For now I don’t have pain, but there is a loss of mobility. What bothers me
most is that it interferes with my photography. I lost several shots that I was sure
would be beautiful photographs. § Just at the moment of snapping the picture,
my finger did not react as it should. I think this is happening too early in my life.

§ The nodules do hurt some but I can’t tell how much of this is the result of my
irritation and worries as opposed to actual joint pain. If I knock my fingers, it’s
not really painful. But it’s also true that I do everything possible not to hurt
them.

§ I don’t like to complain. I always seek solutions, and complaining is not a
solution. § Is this strange for a pediatrician? § Children have the sacrosanct right
to cry and complain, but I’m not a baby. On the other hand, I feel like I am only
partly grown up. My girlfriend used to say that she understood immediately why
I became a pediatrician. She says there is something childlike about me, but she
means it in the positive sense of being tender and affectionate.

§ I think she’s right, but it bothers me that she can see this. However, she is a
very sensitive woman, and I don’t believe just anyone would observe this about
me.

I've had several tests done, and apart from high cholesterol, there is nothing
significant in the results. Everyone in my family has high cholesterol, and all the
women in my family have clear signs of rheumatic disease, which for the
moment, I do not have. [Long pause.]

§ I suffered with headaches ever since I can remember. This, too, runs in our
family on both sides. Even my father's family has a history of headaches. The
symptoms have not changed over the years, and despite what they tell me, I'm
sure there is a strong component related to my weak digestion.

§ That is the reason I became interested in pediatrics. Now I am an expert in
food intolerances, having studied this for many years. I was seriously allergic to
milk as a child, and had many other allergies too, from pollen to dust. But these
allergies all improved significantly by eliminating dairy from my diet. Milk and
I just do not get along. However, I travel a lot and I am not someone who makes
a fuss about food. I will eat whatever is available and often get headaches as a
result. I also get headaches caused by my chronic sinusitis. This too has been
happening since childhood, and I am afraid it will never go away.

§ It comes on if I am very tired or stressed, and I get stressed because I have to
live up to the very high expectations I have for myself.

§ I know when I am going to get a headache because a sense of confusion comes
over me and I feel dizzy. Sometimes I feel unsteady on my feet, as if I am
experiencing a real vertigo. Then my mucous membranes become dry. My eyes
feel dry and I feel a burning pain when they move in their sockets. Then the
typical pain starts in one temple. It is very strong. Then it disappears and moves
to the other temple. At that point, the pain becomes unbearable.

§ It is a clenching pain. [He demonstrates by grasping and squeezing his
kneecap.]

§ As a child I also suffered from an asthmatic cough and recurrent blepharitis.
Both of these problems resolved when I stopped drinking milk. It was not a
pediatrician who advised my mother about the milk. It was a homeopath who
gave her that advice. And he was absolutely right.

§ When I was studying to become a pediatrician, I had a venerable professor
whom I respected very much. However, he did not believe in homeopathy and
was not interested in studying how food intolerances can be a big issue for
children. § I, on the other hand, could not deny something so obvious. Even if
official pediatrics does not recognize these problems, it doesn’t mean they don’t
exist. I disagreed with him, even if he taught me everything I know about my
profession.

§ I am curious by definition. You could even say that it’s pathological. § I am
interested in everything, in too much. § This doesn’t mean that I believe in every
kind of nonsense that is circulating. But from an early age, my father taught me
that each and every person has something worthwhile to contribute. Even the
worst point of view represents not only a different perspective, but it also
confirms how, even if we all observe the same thing, our understanding of it is
not the same. Taking that idea further, now that I am more than 40, I can say that
all men, going back to the time of the Greek poet Homer, have always faced the
same problems. However, each man faces them in his own way.

§ This is my guiding principle. I believe that I am in the world just to learn. I am
sure that there is a collective awareness of the world, which is the sum of all of
our consciousness, and that every new baby adds his own consciousness. This is
the reason I love children.

Before you ask me, I don’t have any children. § I never found the right woman
to start my own family according to my understanding of what a family should
be.

§ This is a difficult subject. I have been in psychoanalysis for some years
because of it. My therapist says that until I can leave my status as a son behind, I
can never be a father. In brief, this is the issue.

§ I agree that this is the problem. I come from a difficult family and have
secretly worried about what my family would think of my wife or of me as a
father. If you don’t mind, this is a huge subject that I have been analyzing for
years, and I would prefer not to talk about it now if it is not absolutely necessary.

§ I mentioned that I have family issues, but maybe I should be more precise. I
am the administrator of a substantial family legacy, which is not just a financial
issue, but has to do with their expectations of me. § Thanks to my family’s
fortune, I have always worked only when I desired to, dedicating my time to
whatever was my passion.

This is also why I could never find a mate. Maybe I did not want one. Then
recently, I woke up and realized that one part of me wants to remain an
adolescent forever, an adolescent with a strong desire to change the world for the
better by making my own contribution. I also work for a non-governmental
organization in the role of doctor, and because I am interested in political issues,
as well, I really don’t have enough time to dedicate to a family.

§ At one point, my family reminded me, in no uncertain terms, that I am the man
of this family. My grandfather died. My grandmother is in a wheelchair. My
parents are tired. It is my turn now. [Long pause.]

§ I have no desire to face this situation. I don’t even think I have the talent to
take care of the family fortune, but I have to do it.

§ Obviously I am the one who has the final decision, and I have already made
some decisions. But a big part of me is irresolute. The truth is that I don’t feel
good enough. I doubt my ability to make important decisions. My grandfather
used to say that I am a cacadubbi [An Italian expression meaning full of doubts
and irresolution].

§ You are right. This is a strong expression. I would add that I am a constipated
cacadubbi. But at the same time, I would say that only idiots are unable to
change their minds about things.

§ Because of this, I started to sleep badly. To be more precise, my dreams were
disturbing me. I am embarrassed to even talk about them.

§ I am ashamed. After years of analysis, I learned how to remember them and
how to try deciphering the messages coming from the unconscious. Previously I
never had such difficult and disturbing dreams. § I wonder what could be inside
me to produce these kinds of dreams. [Long pause.]

§ Believe me, I'd rather not talk about it, but I can tell you that as a child my
dream life was always very significant. In fact, I would say my dreams have
been shaping my life. As a child I would wake up knowing that those dreams
were mine. They belonged to me and were very important.

I don’t know if this can be useful, but I have also been diagnosed with chronic
fatigue syndrome. § I consulted with a new psychotherapist when mine passed
away, and I also saw a good internist. It seems they all agree on this idea.
§ What can I say? I respect those colleagues but not their diagnoses. I am happy
that I am a pediatrician because those little ones are so much more direct.

§ The reason I felt a need to consult someone about this is because I realized that
periods of fatigue would come, and then after they passed, I would recover
perfectly. So it’s cyclical. It starts with a sensation of chilliness. Then I feel the
need to eat more, and I can’t control myself. This causes my headaches to
become more frequent and intense, and then I lose my desire to work.

§ In this case I wake up in the morning with a severe pain. My neck feels very
contracted. [Again he clutches his patella with the same clenching motion.] Then
my legs feel weak, and I have to modify my sports activities. Then I do
something more relaxing like stretching.

§ It’s not a problem. Luckily I can afford not to work too much and I can take
long vacations. But when I return to work, I make up for lost time.

§ I tend to eat too much. It’s a problem but I always do a lot of sports, not only
to stay well trained but also to maintain my flexibility.

§ There are times when I realize that overeating is linked to an emotional
situation. I will feel a big drop in blood sugar that forces me to eat. If I don’t eat
a big breakfast, I am not able to leave the house. If I were to eat a typical Italian
breakfast, croissant and coffee, I would not be able to work at all in the morning.

§ Fortunately, I consume lots of fruits and vegetables. I’ve never smoked or
drank except for the few beers I might have when I go out with my friends. I
never drink alone. I don’t really like it.
Commentary
I have the clear impression that this could be a Milk remedy but not one that I
know well. Some of the fundamental themes of the case drive me to think about a
Milk remedy, like Lac leoninum, while others do not conform to what I would
typically expect.

What is clear to me is his ambivalent relationship with his family, his difficulty
with individuation, and his compulsion to give back to his family in payment for
what he had received from them. I also observe his need for their approval, even
for his choice of a significant other.

Also evident is the conflict with his instinctual life, particularly his relationship
to aggression and to food, including an intolerance to milk. He tries to
compensate for an underlying irresolution with intellectual prowess and
professional success. His digestive headaches, characterized by an unchanging
symptomatology, and his history of sinusitis are both consistent with a Milk
remedy.

I decide to study the Milks that I am less familiar with and become interested in
Lac loxodonta africana. Various physical confirmations include: palpitations
and arrhythmias; sensation of heaviness; problems with the small joints of the
fingers; blepharitis; extreme fatigue; and his craving for vegetables. In addition,
the quiet way in which he faces conflict, the intensity of his oneiric life, and his
noble character also suggest this remedy.

If this were a case of Lac leoninum, I would expect to see a more egotistical
nature, a strong ambition to being well recognized professionally, and clearly
exhibited anger toward the family who are perceived by Lac leoninum as the
primary obstacle to achieving this ambition.

Lac leoninum’s irresolution is masked by the impression that he always knows
what he wants. This remedy tries to appear strong by adhering to rigid opinions.
For a type dedicated to seek high positions, he has insufficient curiosity about
the world around him and the views of others. Lac loxodonta africana, by
contrast, has profound interest in and respect for the diverse views offered by
other people.

On the somatic level, these two remedies have some similarities as well as
differences in the way that they experience suffering. During the first
consultation, it may be difficult to differentiate their relationship to pain and to
their corpus; it may take several appointments to make a more informed
determination. One difference is that a Lac leoninum headache generally comes
after clearly expressed episodes of anger followed by regret and shame. That is
not the case here. Missing also is Lac leoninum’s characteristic complaint about
the sensation of a foreign body. Another point of differentiation is appetite. Lac
leoninum has a voracious appetite for adult food as if to underline that he has a
strong digestive system.
Follow-up
I decide to give Lac loxodonta africana LM 2, the lowest potency I could obtain.
He takes it daily for a few weeks until symptoms appear, reacting with a very
strong headache that forces him to remain in bed for an entire day. The next
morning he experiences palpitations, which are less disturbing than usual.
Absent are the arrhythmias he typically experiences.

That afternoon his symptoms are gone. Ten days later, Luciano experiences
some headache symptoms, lighter than usual, that resolve with repetition of the
remedy. We decide to continue with a dose every ten days. In the following
weeks his fatigue improves progressively, and after two months his distal finger
joints show some inflammation. There are no further improvements with
repetition of the LM 2. We move to the LM 3 and little by little his pains and
inflammatory symptoms improve.

Our next consultation is 4 months later. Luciano has been taking the LM 3 on a
daily basis. Luciano appears less tired and more serene, and he has lost some
weight.

[Luciano begins:]
If I were not so busy, I would study homeopathy. It is much more interesting
than I had thought. However, the issue is that I am really very busy. I had to
make some important decisions—too many and very difficult ones.
I had to face my life: my family, my companion, my work as a pediatrician, and
my desire to be a doctor, as well as all the other things I do. I had to ask myself
what kind of life I would like to have in the future.

I don’t mean that I already feel old at 40, but the years have gone by too quickly
without my even realizing it. I don’t want to arrive at the age of 80 feeling like
time has run out and I haven’t been able to make any adult choices. [Long pause]

I realize that now it is easier for me to tell you how I feel emotionally, even if
during all these weeks we have been talking about my headaches and fingers.

My desire to speak about this is very important. I say this because I have been in
psychotherapy for many years, but it was not until our first consultation that I
understood the relationship between what is my body and what isn’t, even if I
don’t see my problem as strictly physical.

Even before becoming a doctor I was aware of the existence of the body, made
of flesh, and then something else, which is not the body. Whatever has transpired
in these last months has made me think, and given me the courage to make
decisions I was not capable of before. Physically I feel much better. This feeling
of wellness I am experiencing is not just in my mind. It is as if something is
moving in my whole being. This is something new and fascinating.

I have to admit that I am in love with my companion. She is a beautiful person
who respects me and loves me as I am. She would like to have a deeper
relationship with me, and now I want the same with her. I also have to admit that
I like my family and the freedom offered by my family’s prosperous
circumstances. It is stupid to suffer when life has been so generous to me. I do
not have the right not to live life fully.

I have begun making some serious decisions. I don’t have the feeling that I am
giving in, but that I have chosen to do something else. I spoke with my
companion and we agree that we can live together. We are pretty wealthy and
living together can allow us to fulfill who we are and what we really want to do.
Let’s say that we can not only ‘cut the grass of our garden’, but also do for
others who are not as fortunate. Strangely, my family accepted my decisions.

I say strangely because I was expecting them to judge me, and that is not what
happened at all. Something changed without starting a revolution. There were no
fatalities, nor any of the conflict that I was expecting.

I no longer run away. I wanted to tell you this, and I also wanted to thank you.
My fingers, my heart, my head, and my adrenal glands (if this were the location
of my fatigue), are all thanking you.

Let me be more precise. I almost feel as if I am in front of the credits of a movie.
All my body is thanking you, especially the main actor in this movie, my heart,
which will not have the ablation. My fingers will continue to take some good
photos and my head will not oblige me to waste too much time in the darkness if
I am unable to sleep. Do you prefer me to phrase it like this?

I don’t have much to add. My finger joints are almost completely normal. After
taking the remedy they slowly became swollen without ever becoming red and
inflamed. Now when I wake up in the morning, I no longer have a sensation of
stiffness. I have not experienced an irregular pulse for weeks. I will consult with
a cardiologist, a good friend of mine, who will follow me in my optimism. The
fatigue has improved significantly. Of all the symptoms that resolved, this is the
most surprising. I don’t know if I was right to think I ever had chronic fatigue
syndrome.

I worked as a pediatrician and studied medicine, but as James Hillman used to
say, “I experience the pleasure of thinking.” Certain kinds of diagnoses mean
nothing. Those that make these diagnoses should think deeply before criticizing
the shamans of Africa.

I forgot about my headache. Now it is light, occasional, and resolves by itself. If
I have the feeling that it could become stronger, I take some drops of LM 3 and
it goes away quickly.

I was afraid you would ask about my dreams. I have been thinking about this and
even spoke with my partner about it. See! Now I call her my partner—and refer
to her this way openly with my friends. I never did this before. I think I was
censoring myself. With my psychotherapist it took me a long time to speak about
this. I used to think there were two main kinds of dreams, but my analyst
suggested they could represent two sides of the same problem.

For a long time I dreamt that I was driving a tank and everywhere I went, I
caused destruction and ruin. I was in a situation where I felt like an avenging
angel. At some point I would find myself driving slowly and respecting the rules
to the letter. But if somebody were not respectful of the traffic light or were
parking illegally in the handicapped parking, I would cross over the median and
destroy them with my big gun. Sometimes I would find myself in front of
buildings that were symbols of power like the United Nations and I would take
great pleasure in shooting at the lower floors until the entire building crumbled. I
even pulverized someone who stole a bicycle from a little girl. I am not proud of
these dreams. They were disgusting. Blood was gushing out and little pieces of
brain were splattered everywhere.

The second stream of dreams concerns flying. I had many of these dreams and I
recall them with a sensation of lightness and relief. The main difficulty was how
high I could fly. More than once in the dream, I asked myself how it was
possible for me breathe at that altitude. I was able to veer and dive quickly and
then resume a normal level.

There was something strange now that you make me think about it. It was a
situation of trying to get something like a zeppelin off the ground, an enormous
feat. I thought it had to do with my body but my analyst disagrees.
She made me think about my desire to escape from anger and potential conflicts.
She was right. I preferred flying to driving my tank, even if I am ashamed to say
that I don’t really know which was more pleasurable or liberating.
The next month Luciano had some light episodes of pain in his fingers. During
the following years, he requested to move to higher potencies of the remedy. The
follow-up is 5 years now. He has yet to experience any more arrhythmias. The
finger symptoms are practically gone. His headache is only occasional and is
triggered by consuming something that he cannot easily digest, particularly
dairy. His problem with digestion is only occasional at this point as well.
Luciano married his companion and he and his wife travel together, returning to
Europe only when family finances require his attention.

CASE OF OTTAVIO

I am astonished when Ottavio informs me of his age. I thought he was at least 4
years older. His body language, his manner of speaking, the way he dresses, and
his general comportment are precociously mature. In addition, his vocabulary
and his observations about himself are impressive, even if Ottavio’s parents are
both university professors who have invested heavily in the education of their
children.

I have known the mother for years, having treated Ottavio’s sister and parents
for headaches. Ottavio’s health had not been a concern until he recently
developed recurrent and debilitating headaches. Ottavio complains that his last
few headaches prevented him from attending class trips and twice kept him out
of school, but on non-test days. Like his parents and sister, he is a little
overweight but nevertheless the family enjoys outdoor activities together like
skiing, golf, and canoeing.

Ottavio recently shared with his mother that he had been having nightmares for
years, but was able to articulate very little of what disturbed him. This worried
his mother because it coincided with a period of academic decline and
worsening mood at school and at home, where he became more irritable and
reserved. Ottavio had never presented these kinds of problems previously.
Feeling concerned, his father invited an old family friend, a psychotherapist who
works with adolescents, to dinner. Although Ottavio knew the woman a long
time, he preferred not to share the content of his dreams, saying that he could
not remember them well, though hinting that they could be violent.

[Ottavio and his mother come into my office together. His mother is the first to
speak:]
We want to address this problem right away. As you know, everyone in our
family has suffered from headaches. With your help we hope to spare Ottavio a
long list of unnecessary exams and treatments that we had to undergo. Until
recently he has only used gemmotherapy and essential oils; he gets colds easily,
but doesn’t really get sick. He’s a tough kid, who doesn’t complain much.

Early on we found him to be highly intolerant of dairy. We carefully eliminated
this from his diet and now he only has occasional episodes of diarrhea when he
eats something he shouldn’t. Even as a small child, he was very responsible and
careful about what he ate. Even at a party he is the first to say he shouldn’t have
a piece of cake.

∂ He never complains when hurt, even when he was little. If he falls off his
bicycle or falls while skiing, he gets up and starts again with even more
determination. His younger sister is the same.

I think it’s important to Ottavio to present a good image. His sister adores him
and when they play sports together, he likes to assume the role of the adult,
protecting her and keeping her safe. Since primary school his teachers have said
he is very diplomatic; he has the innate ability to mediate and diffuse tensions.
Even as a small child he was bothered by noise. Ottavio would purposely be put
in the middle of a group of boisterous children, and could always calm the
situation. It is the same with sports. The boys could be extremely competitive;
Ottavio competes, but in his own way. He is more interested in being a leader,
rather than relying on his physical strength. He will get physical if necessary, but
considers this a rather primitive, less intelligent way to be, and inconsistent with
our family model.

[I ask Ottavio to tell me more:]
§ Sometimes I go to the gym with my best friend. This is something that I really
enjoy. I think Aikido is a very elegant and intelligent sport. It is a way of
demonstrating to your aggressor that, with a minimum of effort, you can use his
imbalance to your advantage and make him lose face. I saw the master throw
people onto the floor, even people who were much bigger than he was, and he
did this practically without moving a finger. It was really impressive. This
master fascinated me, and I would like to know him better.

∂ We always did our best to stimulate him in different directions, but we cannot
propose anything too different from his plan. This would be perceived as
interference.

[I ask Ottavio about his headache. He replies politely, doing his best to be
understood.]
§ I have carefully observed it. It always starts on one side beside my right eye.
Then it goes away. Then the same pain starts on the opposite side. When it
becomes really strong, my neck [he means occiput] begins to hurt. And in that
case I have to go to bed because the pain is too much, and I cannot do anything
else.

§ Now the pain is worse. In the past, if I slept, it would go away. Now as soon as
I wake up, the pain comes back again. § I don’t know if I have it when I am
sleeping. When I sleep I never wake up. I am not like my Dad. When I go to
sleep, I sleep very well, but as soon as I wake up, it starts again.

§ Lately I’ve noticed when the pain is stronger I have to blow my nose a lot, but
the catarrh is thick and not that easy to blow out. It feels stuck in my forehead.
That’s just my impression. I don’t really know what’s going on inside. I’ve
looked at several websites, but it didn’t make much sense. § I would like to
understand. I enjoy studying science and learning how things function.

∂ He was always extremely curious and thoughtful. In the past, we thought his
sister was more intelligent, while Ottavio seemed to have more difficulty
grasping concepts we explained very well. Then we realized what he was doing
was taking the concept apart. He has an innate capacity to immediately spot the
weak point of whatever you propose. The issue for him is that nothing is ever
completely certain, and this concept has been clear to him since he was a child.
Furthermore, he understood this all by himself.

§ It’s not because I don’t believe what they tell me. I really respect my parents
and teachers, or rather, the ones who really deserve it. But I think it’s important
to understand things. § When you really try to understand something, you realize
nothing is what it seems to be, even if the teacher knows the subject better than
you.

§ Both my ski and golf teachers, even my teachers at school, put a lot of energy
into making me understand things as well as possible. But, after a few years,
someone new discovers a better way to ski requiring less effort; they are
constantly inventing new boots and new kinds of skis. It is the same at school.
My father is a professor at the university. He tells me they are always coming
out with new theories that could make the previous ones seem old. § You have to
trust in what they tell you, but you also have to know it is not completely true. It
is not their fault, but it is not my fault either if I want to understand better.

§ I have the impression that not all adults are able to accept this view. § I feel
sorry for them. I am still in school, but I realize that it is best to remember that
school continues forever if you want to stay well-informed. First you go to
school with your teacher, then with your professor; then you do what you can by
yourself. § Otherwise, our world would not progress. I see that you are using an
Apple computer so you must know how old Steve Jobs and Wozniak were when
they created the first computer in their garage. I think people should think about
these kinds of things.

Can you give me an example of an adult who doesn’t accept this kind of
thinking?
§ A friend of my mother’s is an architect and designs homes according to
organic and green architecture. She advised us to insulate the attic floor with
cardboard boxes. It works very well, but she became offended when I pointed
out the homeless have been using this stuff for years. § I think two things: she is
very intelligent but also the homeless have something to teach us.

∂ At home we would make jokes and say he looks like somebody from the
previous century because of his slowness and the way he relates to the world. He
has always been like this. I used to tell his sister to chew her food slowly, but
Ottavio pointed out that we finish our dinner first, and we cannot expect his
sister to finish after us. He is like Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio, the symbol of
good conscience. In the end, he is always right. Sometimes we would like to see
more of his childish side.

∂ Ottavio, do you think you could tell the doctor about your dreams? I will go
out so you can speak with the doctor alone.

From that moment on, the conversation becomes more relaxed. His expressions
are more colloquial and much less didactic. But he also seems embarrassed.

§ Truly, I don’t really remember what I dream. I have a clear impression that I
have very bad dreams, and I would like to wake up but I can’t. § The nightmares
started years ago but they are more frequent now. § They worry me because I
often wake the next morning with a headache. It means my sleep was not good.
§ I don’t remember them so well, but I think they are things I have never seen or
heard in my life or would ever think to do on my own. Maybe I have seen
movies with some of those things, but others, I have never seen. § I think that
someone else should have those kinds of dreams, not me.

Luckily, I also have nice dreams. § I often dream about flying. I don’t remember
them very well, but they are very relaxing dreams. The next morning I wake up
in a good mood. § I remember one dream where I was flying. But I had to be
careful, because there was an aerial battle; a plane was going down and the pilot
jumped out with a parachute, but they continued shooting at him. I know this
isn’t right; you shouldn’t do that.

What would you do if you were in that battle?
§ I don’t know what I would do; it depends on what the pilot did. § If I were
flying an airplane and I saw this pilot bombing and killing innocent people, I
would certainly shoot him. Someone like that does not deserve to live, even if
there are international conventions about this.

It seems that is what might have been happening with the pilot in your dream.
§ It’s what I meant to say before. It is right to have laws protecting someone who
does his duty and fights. He has to be protected if his airplane is shot down. But
I don’t understand the real difference between shooting him out of the airplane
or shooting him when he has landed, if he has committed a war crime.

And then there is something else. Who cares about the trial? If I saw someone
doing something like that, I would shoot him. In those moments, if you see
somebody bombing a school, you are not thinking about the trial. Someone like
this does not deserve to live.

[Ottavio looks as if he unintentionally let something slip and does not want to
continue this conversation. I ask him if he has something else to tell me.]
§ There is another little problem. I would like a diet. I play a lot of sports and
would like to lose weight. I have a lot of flab and dislike it. My parents don’t
take me seriously and say at my age, I should not be worrying about this.

§ I disagree. I went on the Internet and I saw what my weight should be
according to my age and height and I am heavy. Considering how much it runs
in my family they don’t notice it. I would appreciate if you could help me
without telling my mother, or if you tell her, then please convince her that this is
really important to me. I would really appreciate it.

§ I am really hungry. And I don’t understand why I should be that hungry if I
don’t need all the food that I eat. Something must not be working. My best
friend eats less than me without any effort on his part. When he reaches a certain
point, he feels like he’s had enough. For me, this happens later, even if I eat very
slowly.

§ I don’t know why… you tell me. I would like to have a clear idea about this. I
eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. I am lucky because I love this kind of food,
unlike my friend who is forced to eat them. My favorite is fruit with yogurt. The
Greek one drives me crazy because I like it so much. § I think it takes a long
time for me to feel my stomach is full. I can easily feel when my head is full but
almost never my stomach.

[Ottavio, feeling embarrassed, stops speaking, and we change topics.]
§ I would like to study medicine when I grow up – not research like my father,
but I would like to treat people, and eventually give tips to researchers. § I have
been thinking about this for a long time, what it will be like to grow up, and I
think that there are advantages and disadvantages. § The biggest disadvantage is
that it means my parents get old and die. It is really impossible for me to think
about – it’s too painful.

[Ottavio struggles to hold back his tears and becomes silent again.]
§ The benefit of becoming an adult is that you become more independent. I
would like to have a family with many children and a big dog. But then you have
so much concern for the people you love. § I would like a Saint Bernard or
Leonberger. I really love dogs but only the big ones that are useful and a little
aggressive. I have read a lot of things on the Internet about dogs. It would be
great to do my own breeding and learn how to select the best dogs.

During my physical exam, I observe that Ottavio has very dry skin and is
applying something to moisturize it. Neither his mother nor Ottavio mention this
problem, so I ask him about it.

§ I think the skin of humans is not as good as that of animals. This is why we
have to wear clothes and they don’t. § These days we use animal skin for
different purposes than before. I studied this on the Internet. Now we use leather
in sports; it was once used in battle, to appear stronger.
Commentary & Follow-up

Two previous experiences with this remedy allow me to prescribe Lac loxodonta
africana. The fundamental themes of the Milks in general seem clear in this case:
the identity with his family, the difficult integration of instincts (his anger), and
the characteristic irresolution. In addition he has the typical Milk headache that
moves from side to side.

I also consider specific features of this remedy: having to deal with a family with
high expectations; anger mixed with shame, seen mainly in his dreams; his
apparent irresolution, related to the need to feel more secure in the world; his
sense of solidity. His sturdiness is expressed both on the physical level as well as
the mental level. He needs to acquire knowledge and well-founded values to help
him become responsible and securely adult. No matter how big and substantial
he feels, however, he believes that his skin is not thick and protective enough like
an animal’s. And he is constantly asking himself, “Who am I?”

His own rhythm is significantly slower than that of his family and classmates. He
is protective of his younger sister and needs to be a good example to her as they
play sports together. His anger is rarely expressed, but I manage to get him to
talk about the duel between the two aviators. Physically he feels emptiness in his
stomach together with congestion in his head, but tends to hide his suffering,
even in the intimacy of his home. He tends to overeat and has a craving of
specific foods, yogurt and fruit, well known in the proving of this remedy. In the
meantime he is hyper-responsible about his food, even as a 9 year old, avoiding
cake that might contain the least bit of dairy. His food preferences are low in
animal protein and seem to translate to less aggressive behavior. These are just
a few examples which lead to consideration of Lac loxodonta africana.

I suggest that Ottavio take Lac loxodonta LM3, the only potency I am able to
obtain.

Ottavio takes the remedy for three weeks before getting a particularly painful
headache. He has to call his parents to bring him home from school. He is very
upset about this episode, especially since it occurs in front of all his classmates.
I suggest he stop taking the remedy for a week and continue afterwards with a
weekly dose. I tell him that he can also take five drops in a glass of water,
sipping every 15 minutes, as needed. The headaches become less frequent and
less intense over the next weeks. He is able to play sports and do his homework
without interruption.

[The next consultation is four months later. Ottavio asks his mother if he can
speak with me alone, but agrees his mother can meet with me first.]
∂ I must tell you that we are not only happy but astonished about his headaches.
∂ In recent months, he seems to be much more open. We have the impression
that Ottavio is less rigid in general. ∂ His behavior is more like a child. He feels
less compelled to be such a good example to everyone, especially to his sister.
She still considers him her idol, and the most important person in her life.

We are not surprised that he chose to practice Aikido. We always asked
ourselves how it was possible that Ottavio was seldom angry, and how, despite
his big body, he always tried to avoid imposing himself on his classmates, even
in terms of his strength. My husband and I have been questioning our style of
parenting since your suggestion to discuss this with our psychotherapist friend
whose specialty is adolescence.

∂ What you told me pierced me like an arrow. You said that some parents can
make mistakes unknowingly, even if they are open with their kids; so much
understanding is needed to know what’s going on inside them. It was like a
knock on my forehead when you suggested that we don’t allow our kids to get
angry and be normal adolescents. I am the kind of mom who always understands
everything, and didn’t know how much this might be a burden for both of them.

∂ Ottavio’s Aikido teachers have always acknowledged his ability to concentrate
and be very quick and present in the learning process. But his master suggests he
try something that will allow him to express his aggression in a more direct way
as in Judo, Karate, or Kando. He went on to say that Ottavio already knows how
to defend himself in a peaceful way.
How did Ottavio react to these suggestions?
∂ He was not very happy. However a few days later, when we were eating
dinner, he began telling us some of his dreams. Believe me, both my husband
and I were looking into each other’s faces and trying to make a big effort to
remember what our therapist friend had told us a few days before. You know, a
Tarantino movie looks like a children’s fairy tale in comparison to Ottavio’s
dreams. I know that he wanted to come here alone in order to talk with you more
freely about this. [to here]

We also notice that his relationship with food has changed but not in the sense of
controlling himself—he was already too controlled! He is able to eat food he
would never have previously considered, especially meat and other proteins. He
seems to be able to fill his stomach more easily. I don’t know how to describe it,
but I have the impression that his aggression is less directed toward his food and
that his health is being expressed on many levels. At least this is my own idea.

[His mother leaves the room and Ottavio enters.]
§ I’m very happy about my headaches, and I have to say that I didn’t notice I had
other types of headaches before. I thought they were normal. § It was as if I had
to endure those other headaches because they were a part of me, like the issue
that one hand is less strong than the other and so it’s normal that every now and
then my head could be a bit heavy and tired. § I feel more polished and bright—
as if a gray cap has been lifted off my head—or a heavy iron helmet. I don’t
know how else to describe it.

§ My headache is almost completely gone. I can get little hints of it, and then it
goes away by itself. Sometimes I need the drops in water as you suggested, and
they work. Slowly I started not to need them, and then, I preferred see how I was
doing on my own.

§ I realized that I often had a stuffy nose, something I also considered normal. I
had a heavy feeling in my forehead, that I also considered normal. Often I had to
remain still in the dark because I thought I was tired, but even this was a kind of
headache. Like a fool, I was not able to recognize it. § Now that the other
headache is almost gone, I see how you can feel better than what I thought was
normal.

§ My milk allergy was never a big problem for me. They explained it to me, and
I understood that it was more important for me to feel better than to drink milk.
That’s it. I did my best not to have anything with milk. I don’t think I actually
liked foods with milk. I think that each one of us can love something and have
something else that makes him sick. It’s an advantage to know this early on. You
don’t have to get sick in order to discover it. What do you think?

I think it’s something even many of my adult patients would have difficulty
doing.
§ Really? You know, many people tell me that I seem older than my age, and I
really don’t like it. It means I cannot act in certain ways because of their
expectations.

[There is a long pause. Then I ask him if he would like to tell me about his
dreams.]
§ I have been paying them a lot of attention because you asked me about this the
last time and also because you made me understand that this is something
important for me.

[Ottavio looks around, but says nothing. I point out that what he says is very
logical, similar to what he says about his relationship with milk.]
§ It is exactly like that, like talking about milk. If something has benefit to me, I
want to avail myself of it and use it properly. § Talking about my dreams has
even more utility than milk, but I don’t like to talk about them.

When asked how it is to live without milk, I expect him to say that he misses ice
cream. Instead, he gives a mature and logical response without any sign of
emotion. Although he does not like talking about his dreams, in a similar
manner, he understands it is important to do so.

Let me see, a few minutes ago you told me that you would like to and now you
say that you don’t?
§ I’m really ashamed of my dreams. In my house those kinds of things are
always considered primitive, something belonging to monkeys and gorillas, not
to human beings. If you could hear what my father says about the hooligans who
go to our Italian stadiums.

§ I could not bear the idea that my mom could consider me a gorilla. Nor that my
father would think I could do these things I’m not able to tell you about. Do you
remember last time I told you about those battles in the air? I realized a long
time ago that I feel as if I am another person in my dreams. § I don’t feel anger
in the dreams but something happens that should happen to people who are
really very, very angry. And if a person does things like that when not angry,
imagine what he could do if angry? It happens to everyone sooner or later to be
that angry.

§ It has happened more than once, that I dreamt that I could break people into
pieces with blood spurting everywhere. Think of the image of a watermelon
falling on the floor and splitting apart, or those beautiful Christmas tree balls
falling on the floor and breaking into a thousand pieces, or explosions like on
TV but inside someone’s belly. Sometimes in the dream I very calmly go wash
myself and everyone says that I am completely covered in blood. No one will
come close to me for fear that I could do the same to them. In those dreams I feel
their eyes on me.

You know, I was not completely honest when I told you about my flying dream
last time. The terrible issue is that I often try to fly away but I’m so big, like a
Zeppelin that they continue to see me. You know the Death Star in Star Wars? I
once had a dream like that, but from my death star planes departed that destroyed
other death stars that were much smaller. I was always the strongest and the
most violent. I was the bad guy. § I think the people I destroyed must have done
something wrong but the punishment I gave was too much.

What do you mean by too much?
§ It is as if someone was only stepping on your foot but you react by breaking
him into thousands of pieces. Fortunately, I would never in my life do something
like that but you know, I want to be sure.

[After that Ottavio remains silent again for a long time. Would you like to tell me
something about Aikido?]
§ Did my mother tell you about my Aikido teacher? He also teaches other
martial arts. He is a very special person. He told me that when he was a child he
had beaten several people because he was really angry. But then he realized he
was not bad, that he had some good qualities, and for that reason, he learned how
to use them. He went to China to study and then to Japan and then to other
countries and he dedicated his life to that learning.

I was really struck by this. He could be a professor with all he knows, but my
father considers him to be just a gym teacher. But he is more than this. He is
different. I started to cry when my master told me his story. He was adopted
because his family abandoned him when he was just a baby. I would really like
to become like my master but I didn’t have the courage to ask him. I’m sure that
he understood that, but he’s waiting for me to ask him.

Are you waiting for something special to happen in order to ask him?
§ I don’t know what I’m waiting for. Maybe if I could tell my father and mother
that I would like to study martial arts for my whole life, but you already know
what they will say.

Your teacher made many trips to the East.
§ I would like to travel when I grow up. I’m passionate about how people live in
other countries. I’m really so grateful to my parents for the nice trips we have
taken together. But I hope to continue alone and go to places where they would
never go.

For example, I would like to visit the desert. I would like to go to Australia
where I would get to know the true Aborigines. They have a lot to teach us—if
they are able to live, not just survive, in this kind of environment. What can we
say about the whites who were not able to do the same even with all their
technology?

What about your relationship with food?
§ I think you did the right thing by not giving me a diet. I really appreciate that
you did not think I needed one and that I could do what I wanted. I enjoy
different foods and now like meat and eggs. § You know that my mother is
vegetarian, but my father is not. I was never very interested in eating meat but
now I really love it. I don’t know why. Since I am eating more meat, I have less
appetite in general. I feel full before I leave the table; I am more satisfied. I
would leave the table still very hungry, in the past.

The last time I was here I forgot to tell you about a couple of things. First, I’m
generally really chilly but my mother made me notice that I have started sleeping
without my pajamas because I’m less chilled than before. I prefer to stay under
the duvet like this; it’s much nicer. Also, I always had dry skin. I didn’t tell you
about it last time because I was ashamed. Now, after my shower I put on my
mother’s cream because I think my skin is very delicate and I don’t want to have
old skin before the proper age.

I suggest he continue with the LM5. A few days later he has a headache. I
suggest he continue with the remedy once a week. After six months the
headaches are gone. His skin is much better. Ottavio begins to study Kendo,
which is a martial art performed with swords. After a long discussion, his
parents were happy for him to do this.

Slowly Ottavio’s body structure changed, becoming quicker and more agile, less
heavy and more muscular. After four years he is no longer experiencing
significant symptoms. At this time his nightmares are gone as are his sinusitis
and rhinitis.

SUMMARY
Motifs
Abandonment ; Curiosity ; Concreteness
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Regression ; Solidity / Fragility ; Anger: inexpressible ; Slowness ; Fullness /
Emptiness ; Retention / Dryness ; Lightness / Heaviness ; Symmetry-
Asymmetry
Pain: superficial ; Pain: cramping ; Headache: digestive ; Chilliness ; Vertigo ;
Hyperphagia ; Milk
Common Ailments
Allergies, food, milk / Anemia / Arrhythmias, cardiac /Arthritis hands, distal
joints / Blepharitis Bulimia Cicatrices, poor granulation Cough, hacking
Diabetes, juvenile / Diplopia / Dyslexia Edema, lower limbs Fatigue, chronic /
Fibrocystic breast disease / Gynecomastia Headache, digestive Hot flashes,
climacteric Hyperhidrosis, axillary Insomnia / Keloids Mastodynia Myopia
Sinusitis, chronic Sjogren’s syndrome
Milks: Ethics: Lac equinum ; Lac humanum ; Anger: Lac asinum
Other: Ethics: Aurums : Aurum metallicum , Aurum sulphuricum ; Ethics,
Aggression: Cuprums ; Ferrums ; Conventional: Kalis

THE
APPENDIX
GLOSSARY
§—indicates the patient’s voice in response to a question

∂—indicates the mother’s voice and/or female accompanying the patient in
response to a question

^—indicates the father’s voice and/or male accompanying the patient in
response to a question

/—in a heading indicates alternation between the compensated and
decompensated state

//—in a heading indicates a tension between the two states, i.e. the struggle
between independence and dependence for a Milk

- —in a heading indicates alternation, not necessarily related to the compensated
and decompensated state.

Agalactorrhea—inability of a mother to produce milk.

Ageusia—loss of taste.

Aggressive—a healthy part of everyone’s constitution. For individuals who
struggle to express their assertive side fluidly, this aspect may manifest in a more
intense way.

Anger, impotent—anger is expressed but does not satisfy nor contribute to a
change in circumstance.

Anger, inexpressive—anger that is internally experienced but not outwardly
shared.

Asthenopia —eye strain.

Atopic eczema—an inflammatory reaction resulting in chronic scaly, red and
itchy skin

Autarky—independence; self-sufficiency

Avoidance—a tendency to reduce contact with others and the environment,
involving some form of withdrawal. Many symptoms and diseases—e.g.,
headaches, impotence, vaginismus, deafness, learning disabilities—are
functional to the extent that they assist one to escape from interaction.

Binge-eating—true bulimia, that is, compulsive, addictive consumption of food,
often beyond capacity and usually unrelated to appetite or pleasure (compare
hyperphagia).

Binging-purging—bulimia nervosa, that is, compulsive, addictive consumption
of food, often beyond capacity and usually unrelated to appetite or pleasure,
followed by purging, use of laxatives or excessive exercise.

Blepharitis—a swelling or inflammation of the eyelid near the eyelash

Borderline—an individual with borderline personality disorder who puts
extreme demands on idealized support figures to make up for an inner
emptiness, then becomes enraged at these same supporters when her impossible
expectations are not met.

Bruxism—a clenching or grinding of teeth, unrelated to eating or talking (sine
materia).

Characteristic theme—a significant remedy theme that is often, but not always,
present in a particular case. This theme often presents as one or the other side of
a polarity based on whether the patient is compensated or decompensated.

Cholecystitis—inflammation of the gall bladder

Cicatrice—the scar of a healed wound

Coherence—when symptoms, diseases and themes in a patient can be related to
each other and make sense within the overall organization of this person’s
system. In good prescribing, there should be a strong relationship between the
organization of the patient and that of the selected remedy. Coherence can also
be found between the disciplines used to study a substance: toxicology,
ethology, mythology, historical use, etc.

Coherent Symptom Group—An expression of symptoms related by a common
issue or modality that may manifest in different parts and/or functions of the
body. At this level of analysis, the deeper meaning of this association may not be
apparent until related to the relevant characteristic or fundamental themes.

Compensation Strategy—the approach taken by the system to avoid, substitute
or work around core issues rather than resolving them directly; adjustments can
be adaptive or maladaptive.

Complexity Theory—a scientific theory that focuses on how dynamic,
organized systems utilize resources, maintain balance and achieve competence
and resilience in their respective environments. Typically this involves
discerning subtle rules and patterns that are not causal, linear or mechanistic.

Complications—the paradoxes and vicious circles that result from the
compensation strategy, that is, from substituting or working around a core issue
rather than resolving it directly; tends to hasten decompensation

Corpus—the interface between the body and the mind, involving the subjective
experience of physical phenomena. The rich, complex interaction between these
two is a dynamic, developmental process. Often a primary struggle is learning
how to cope with the suffering and limitations of the body. (Note that every
proving symptom is essentially an expression of the corpus.)

Countertransference—the projection of a practitioner’s thoughts and feelings
onto the patient, often in a way that is overly positive or negative.

Decompensation—the inability of the system when taxed past a certain level to
maintain its compensation strategy and functioning. This may lead to the
development of a more severe symptom picture or disease process.

Decompensation Strategy—the approach taken by the system to contend with
declining function when the compensation strategy is no longer effective.

Defenses—those aspects of the self which are developed to provide protection
from possible internal or external threat. Often incorrectly deemed as negative,
defenses play a positive role in helping the system to function and survive.

Dyshidrosis—a form of eczema characterized by small itchy blisters

Dysmenorrhea—painful menstruation

Egoism—selfishness, choosing to satisfy one’s own needs possibly at the
expense of others.

Egotism—an inflation of the ego, driving toward a grandiose sense of self.

Emptiness—the perceived state of hollowness or void in the corpus. This
typically is both an emotional and physical sensation.

Enteritis—an inflammation of the small intestine

Enuresis—involuntary urination; usually synonymous with bed-wetting.

Excluded—the feeling of being cast out and denied access to a place, experience
or community.

Falsely Oblative—refers to someone whose behavior is designed to appear
altruistic, but whose true motives may include attention, duty, control, an
expectation of reward or reciprocity.

False Image—an ostentatious, inflated appearance designed to compensate for
an underlying minus valia.

False Self—denying the self to fulfill the expectations of others; sacrificing the
authentic self to become what another person wants you to be.

Familial Identity—enmeshment with the family—immediate, extended or
multigenerational—and/or adherence to their values in a way that compromises
the process of individuation.

Father Function—archetypal aspects associated with paternity, including
structure, strength, authority, power, guidance, protection, and challenge. The
father function also supports individuation, maturation, responsibility and
achievement. Note that these traits are not gender-specific.

Fundamental Theme—a basic, foundational element in the remedy’s
organization that is always present in patients needing this remedy. This type of
theme permeates the remedy and/or patient and persists for long periods of time
(whether compensated or decompensated) until the individual evolves to a true
second prescription. (See second prescription).

Gastritis, atrophic —chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa resulting in
atrophy (loss and/or shrinkage of cells).

Gynecomastia—the growth of abnormally large breasts in males.

Homeopathic Family—the grouping together of remedies which share similar
structures and strategy and therefore bear close homeopathic relationship to each
other. They may or may not be taxonomically related or even share the same
kingdom.

Hyperemesis gravidarum—excessive vomiting during pregnancy.

Hyperosmia—heightened olfactory acuity.

Hyperhidrosis—excessive and unpredictable perspiration.

Hyperprolactinemia—a condition characterized by excess prolactin which can
result in abnormal sexual reproductive function and/or galactorrhea (milk
production).

Hyperphagia—a chronic tendency to overeat in general. This may be related to
a strong appetite. It can also reflect a desire to accelerate physical growth, to
look big and strong, or to keep others at bay. (Compare binge-eating).

Ineluctable—inescapable, unable to be resisted or avoided.

Integration of Instincts—the healthy incorporation of innate primal tendencies,
urges, and emotions designed to encourage behaviors that help one to survive
and thrive in life. Instincts that can become problematic include rage and
aggression, sex, and the pursuit of pleasure.

Keratoconus —an eye disease that affects the structure of the cornea. The shape
slowly changes from round to a cone causing visual problems.

Lipomas—benign fatty tumors.

Mastodynia—breast pain.

Ménière's Disease—an inner ear disorder that affects balance and hearing.

Meteoropathy—extreme sensitivity (real or imagined) to climactic conditions
and changes.

Method of Complexity (alternatively, ‘complexity method’)—a homeopathic
approach developed by Massimo Mangialavori based on complexity and systems
theories, and supported by successfully treated, long-term cases.

Minus Valia—refers to an innate poor feeling about the self in one’s core that is
deeper than the tendency or posture to devalue the self. In many cases, minus
valia is related to the inability to reach the internalized expectations of the father
(or mother) image. In other words, in comparison, one remains forever a child.
(Compare self-devaluation.)

Mother Function—archetypal aspects of maternal care, including unconditional
love, safety, security, nurturance, and tenderness in support of emotional
development. Note that these traits are not gender-specific.

Motif—a global concept or issue such as loss or industriousness that broadly
belongs to the human condition, and is markedly and quickly evident in the
patient.

Myopia—near-sightedness.

Nystagmus—involuntary eye movements.

Oblative—typically this word is related to oblation, a religious offering. In this
context, the word refers to service-oriented, altruistic behavior where the focus is
not on the self but on others, perhaps to a fault. (Compare falsely oblative).

Paratactic—a simple listing without a coherent organization or explanatory
context.

Passive Congestion—in the fluid systems of the body, a stagnant backup of
fluid and inactivity with sluggishness in circulation and excretion. Passive
congestion is related to impaired venous drainage due either to heart failure
(weak heart) that is unable to push the blood forward or weak and/or obstructed
veins. This results in dilatation of the venules and capillaries. Active congestion
is the opposite with capillary and/or arteriolar distention. Passive congestion
tends to impart a blue coloring and affects the lower part of the body whereas
active congestion is red and affects the upper part. (Compare retention).

Phenomenology—a philosophy and methodological approach which
emphasizes the observation and description of phenomena without resorting to
preconceived schema so as not to reduce the innate complexity of what is
observed.

Phenomenon—an object, event or circumstance that is observable.

Polarity—in terms of characteristic themes, the common situation that an
important symptom or theme is expressed one way in the compensated state, and
expressed in an opposite way in the decompensated state; or a tension between
two poles that is experienced both in compensated and decompensated states.

Psychoanalysis—a depth psychotherapy created by Freud which attempts,
through such techniques and phenomena as free association, dreams and
transference, to identify and resolve unconscious conflicts.

Ptyalism—excessive salivation.

Pyorrhea—inflammation and infection of the ligaments and bones that support
the teeth. Syn: periodontitis.

Recurrent Symptoms—symptoms that come back again and again throughout
the history of a patient. The actual symptoms may be variable and not regular or
cyclical in their reappearance, but they nevertheless reflect a common,
continuously reoccurring issue.

Refusal—a defensive mechanism, more active than avoidance, whereby an
individual facing a person or issue that is difficult to process chooses to reject,
deny or negate.

Regression—the defensive tendency to act younger and less mature than is
normal for his or her age, often in response to a situation that feels too
overwhelming or where there is a general resistance to the individuation and
maturation process.

Repression—a semi-conscious or unconscious process of pushing away
unpleasant thoughts and feelings about the self, another, one’s environment or
reality. (Compare suppression.)

Restoration Strategy—how the system, often with the help of good treatment,
can evolve past previous limits and achieve better balance. An effective
restoration strategy effects a more positive, permanent, grounded adjustment—in
comparison to mere compensation and coping. In compensation, the same
problems persist; in restoration, they begin to truly resolve. With this change, the
person can move forward toward a second constitutional prescription.

Retention—the tendency to hold onto rather than appropriately discharge fluids,
toxins or waste. This can be an active or passive process. The former may be
related to a sense of inner emptiness or weakness generating a compensatory
need to be more and keep more inside. The latter may be related to decline of
function and an impaired ability to express. (Compare passive congestion.)

Second Prescription—the selection of the next long-term constitutional
remedy. This remedy is typically needed after a successful long-term
prescription no longer works, because the patient has integrated the benefits of
the first remedy and has subsequently evolved. The second remedy should
reflect similar themes and organization with the first while also representing a
developmental step forward.

Self-devaluation—the tendency to hold oneself in low esteem, possibly
associated with negative and critical attitudes toward the self, insecurity, lack of
confidence, and a fear of inadequacy and failure. (Compare minus valia.)

Sjogren’s Syndrome—an autoimmune disorder in which the glands that
produce tears and saliva are destroyed causing dry mouth and eyes. It may also
affect the kidney and lungs.

Strabismus—a disorder in which the two eyes do not line up in the same
direction.

Strategy—in terms of substance, remedy and patient, the way the system copes
and manages interacting with its environment, related to perceived threats,
opportunities, resources and abilities.

Structural symptoms—expressions of the ‘deep frame’ and ‘core strategy’ of
the individual or remedy. These symptoms are not a pathological manifestation
but merely reflect the architecture of the system. For this reason, they are related
to the fundamental and characteristic themes of the remedy, and tend to persist
over time, even with effective treatment. In other words, their persistence does
not imply an inadequate therapy or remedy selection.

Structure —in terms of a remedy, the innate dynamic resources of a remedy
system based on its fundamental organization.

Submission—yielding or surrendering to someone hierarchically superior or
dominant.

Suppression—a conscious or semi-conscious process of pushing away
unpleasant thoughts or feelings. (Compare repression.)

Symptom—in homeopathic medicine, there has historically been a conflation
between sign and symptom. A sign is an objectively observed phenomenon, such
as an abscess. A symptom is a subjectively experienced phenomenon such as
‘burning feet’. Sometimes symptoms are mistakenly broadened into large
concepts that can have multiple, complex meanings (depending on the case and
circumstance), such as ‘forsaken’ and ‘anxiety’.

Systems Theory—refers to theories that focus on the complex interrelationship
of component parts within a larger organizational framework.

Taxonomic Family—a grouping by scientific categorization, not homeopathic
relationship.

Therapeutic Field—the context of treatment in terms of the moment in time,
the physical space, and the parties involved. All these elements can subtly yet
profoundly influence the therapy and the therapeutic relationship.

Therapeutic Relationship—the state of trust, rapport, and mutually aligned
purpose between patient and practitioner, including the shared zone of thoughts,
feelings and energy—spoken and unspoken—between them.

Transference—the projection of thoughts and feelings from the patient onto the
practitioner such as the feeling that the practitioner is like one’s parent.

Transgressive—a tendency to be oppositional and antagonistic toward others
and/or the environment in which one lives.

Uveitis—swelling and irritation of the uvea, the middle layers of the eye.

Vulnerabilities—a system’s weak or sensitive areas where it is susceptible to
acute or chronic decompensation.

Vulvodynia —vulvar pain.
REPERTORY OF MILK THEMES
Motifs
ABANDONMENT: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-gl, Lac-

h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup,Lac-ov, Lac-s
AMBITION: Lac-cpr, Lac-h
CONCRETENESS: Lac-lox-a
CONFORMITY: Lac-ov
CURIOSITY: Lac-lox-a
DEPENDENT: Lac-c
DIGNITY: Lac-eq
EGOTISM: Lac-leo
EXCLUDED: Lac-lup
IMMATURITY: Lac-ov
INDEPENDENCE: Lac-f
INHIBITION: Lac-f
OBLATIVITY: Lac-del
False: Lac-h
PASSIVITY: Lac-d
REFUSAL: Lac-s
VEXATION: Lac-as, Lac-gl

Fundamental Themes
ABANDONMENT & SEPARATION: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d, Lac-del,

Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-gl, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s
FAMILY IDENTITY: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f,
Lac-gl, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s
INTEGRATION OF INSTINCTS: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-
eq, Lac-f, Lac-gl, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s
IRRESOLUTION Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-gl,
Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s

AGGRESSION; suppressed: Lac-gl

AMBITION / DISSATISFACTION: Lac-h
AMBITION; frustrated: Lac-cpr (2)
ANGER; impotent: Lac-cpr (2), Lac-s
inexpressible: Lac-d, Lac-lox-a
AUTARKY: Lac-f (2)
AVOIDANCE: Lac-as (3), Lac-s (3)
COMMUNICATION; ineffective: Lac-leo
COMPETITION: Lac-cpr
CONFORMITY: Lac-ov (3)
CONGESTION; passive: Lac-c, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-h
DENIAL: Lac-d
DEPENDENCE / INDEPENDENCE:Lac-c (3), Lac-del (3), Lac-eq, Lac-f (3)
DISCHARGE; difficult: Lac-c, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f
DRYNESS: Lac-del, Lac-gl
DUTY: Lac-eq (3)
EMPTINESS / FULLNESS: Lac-as, Lac-del, Lac-lup
FASTIDIOUS: Lac-gl
FRAGILITY: Lac-f (2)
FULLNESS / EMPTINESS: Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a
HYPOCHONDRIA: Lac-lup
HEMORRHAGE: Lac-del
IMMATURITY: Lac-c, Lac-ov
INELUCTABLE: Lac-as, Lac-d
INSOLENT / INSECURITY: Lac-cpr
INTROVERSION: Lac-f (2)
LAXITY / RIGIDITY: Lac-cpr, Lac-lup, Lac-s
LIGHTNESS / HEAVINESS: Lac-lox-a
OBLATIVITY: Lac-eq
obligatory: Lac-c (2)
true: Lac-del (3)
OPPOSITION: Lac-as, Lac-cpr, Lac-gl, Lac-s (3)
OUTCAST: Lac-s (2)
OVERACTIVE /APATHETIC: Lac-s
PROTECTION: Lac-ov
PROTEST: Lac-gl (2)
REFUSAL: Lac-gl (2)
REGRESSION: Lac-lox-a
REPUDIATION: Lac-lup (3)
RESENTMENT: Lac-leo (2)
RETENTION / CONGESTION; passive: Lac-d
RIGIDITY: Lac-eq, Lac-f
RIGIDITY / LAXITY: Lac-h, Lac-leo
SACRIFICE: Lac-ov (2)
SELF-AFFIRMATION / SELF-DEVALUATION: Lac-leo (3)
SELF-DEVALUATION: Lac-as (2), Lac-lup, Lac-ov (2)
SELF-HARM: Lac-lup (2)
SENSITIVITY: Lac-lup (3)
SLOWNESS: Lac-d (2), Lac-lox-a
SOLIDITY / FRAGILITY: Lac-lox-a
STOICISM: Lac-eq (3)
SUBMISSION: Lac-c, Lac-ov
SUSPICIOUSNESS: Lac-lup
SWELLING: Lac-c
SYMMETRY-ASYMMETRY: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-eq,
Lac-f, Lac-gl, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s
TIME; altered perception: Lac-gl
UNDESERVING: Lac-h
VICTIM: Lac-as, Lac-s
WITHDRAWAL: Lac-del
painful: Lac-c

APPETITE; lack of: Lac-lup

CHILLINESS: Lac-f, Lac-lox-a
DEHYDRATION: Lac-gl
DIGESTION, Difficult: Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-del, Lac-gl, Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s
DISORIENTATION: Lac-ov
DRYNESS: Lac-as
DRYNESS / HYPERSECRETION: Lac-h
ERUPTIONS;
painful: Lac-leo (2)
symmetrical: Lac-c, Lac-del, Lac-gl
FATIGUE: Lac-gl
FOOD;
adult: Lac-lup
indigestible: Lac-s
savory: Lac-cpr
simple: Lac-as, Lac-eq
FOREIGN BODY: Lac-d, Lac-leo
HEADACHE; digestive: Lac-as, Lac-c (2), Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-
gl, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s
tired: Lac-cpr
HYPEROSMIA (acute smell): Lac-c
HYPERPHAGIA: Lac-c, Lac-f, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-ov, Lac-s
HYPERSEXUALITY: Lac-cpr
HYPOESTHESIA: Lac-del
HYPOESTHESIA / ANESTHESIA: Lac-s
INELUCTABLE (inescapable): Lac-f
INSTABILITY: Lac-d
IRRITABILITY: Lac-leo
MALODOR: Lac-cpr, Lac-s
MILK: Lac-c, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-lox-a, Lac-s
MOTION SICKNESS: Lac-lup
OFFENSIVENESS: Lac-leo
PAIN;
circumscribed: Lac-gl
congestive: Lac-c (3)
constrictive: Lac-d, Lac-f
cramping: Lac-lox-a
dragging: Lac-eq (3)
expanding: Lac-cpr (3)
explosive: Lac-as, Lac-d (2)
extreme: Lac-as (2), Lac-gl (2), Lac-lup, Lac-ov, Lac-s
migrating & changeable: Lac-ov
paralyzing: Lac-del
penetrating: Lac-f (3), Lac-h, Lac-leo
pressing: Lac-del, Lac-h, Lac-lup
recurrent: Lac-c (3)
spasmodic: Lac-eq
superficial: Lac-leo (2), Lac-lox-a
undifferentiated: Lac-cpr (2)
PHOTOPHOBIA: Lac-c, Lac-d, Lac-eq, Lac-f
PHYSICAL CONTACT: Lac-h
SECRETION, TENACIOUS: Lac-h
SWELLING: Lac-as
painful: Lac-gl
THIRST: Lac-as
TRAUMA, REPETITIVE: Lac-cpr
VERTIGO: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-h, Lac-lox-a, Lac-ov, Lac-s

COMMON AILMENTS
A

Abuse, ailments from, sexual: Lac-lup
Acne, persistent: Lac-cpr
Adenoma, prostate: Lac-c, Lac-eq
Agalactorrhea, secondary: Lac-h
Ageusia (loss of taste): Lac-f
Allergy, dust: Lac-cpr, Lac-eq
Allergy, food: Lac-as, Lac-lox-a
Allergy, milk: Lac-cpr, Lac-lox-a
Allergy, spring : Lac-cpr
Alopecia: Lac-as, Lac-f, Lac-gl
Alopecia, universalis : Lac-ov
Anemia: Lac-lox-a
Anemia, megaloblastic : Lac-ov
Anemia, sideroblastic: Lac-as, Lac-eq
Angina pectoris: Lac-f, Lac-gl
Anorexia-bulimia : Lac-lup
Aphonia: Lac-del
Aphthous ulcers: Lac-c
Aphthous ulcers, painful: Lac-leo
Aphthous ulcers, recurrent: Lac-eq, Lac-gl
Arrhythmia: Lac-lox-a
Arthritis, distal joints: Lac-lox-a
Arthritis, hands: Lac-lox-a
Arthritis, juvenile: Lac-c
Arthritis, knee: Lac-gl
Arthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile: Lac-del, Lac-ov
Arthritis, TMJ: Lac-cpr, Lac-eq, Lac-h
Asthenopia (eye strain): Lac-f
Asthma: Lac-s
Asthma, cardiac: Lac-gl
Asthma, chronic: Lac-eq
Asthma, with esophageal regurgitation: Lac-d
Attention Deficit: Lac-ov

B

Back pain, cervical spine: Lac-c, Lac-lup
Back pain, lumbar region: Lac-eq, Lac-g
Back pain, lumbar region, recurrent: Lac-d
Blepharitis: Lac-gl, Lac-lox-a
Bronchitis, chronic: Lac-eq, Lac-ov
Bruxism: Lac-c, Lac-d
Bulimia: Lac-c, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-s

C

Calculi, salivary : Lac-ov
Candidiasis, recurrent: Lac-as, Lac-eq
Carpal tunnel syndrome: Lac-as
Cholecystitis, chronic: Lac-as
Cicatrices, poor granulation: Lac-lox-a
Claustrophobia: Lac-d
Colitis, hemorrhagic: Lac-as
Conjunctivitis: Lac-c
Conjunctivitis, allergic, recurrent: Lac-f
Conjunctivitis, chronic: Lac-h
Conjunctivitis, recurrent: Lac-d
Constipation, chronic: Lac-eq, Lac-h, Lac-c
Constipation, obstipation : Lac-d, Lac-ov, Lac-s
Cough, hacking: Lac-lox-a
Cramps, nocturnal: Lac-as
Cyclothymia (Bipolar): Lac-s
Cystitis, recurrent: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-f
Cysts, ovarian : Lac-ov
Cysts, ovarian, right: Lac-lup

D

Dental caries, precocious: Lac-del
Depression : Lac-h
Diabetes, adult onset: Lac-c, Lac-eq
Diabetes, gestational: Lac-c
Diabetes, juvenile: Lac-as, Lac-h, Lac-lox-a
Diarrhea, chronic: Lac-as
Diplopia: Lac-lox-a
Dyshidrosis: Lac-cpr
Dyslexia: Lac-lox-a, Lac-ov
Dysmenorrhea: Lac-c

E

Eczema: Lac-del
Eczema, atopic: Lac-h, Lac-s
Eczema, dry: Lac-gl, Lac-s
Edema, lower limbs : Lac-lox-a
Emphysema: Lac-eq
Enteritis, chronic: Lac-eq
Enuresis: Lac-c, Lac-f
Enuresis, nocturnal: Lac-cpr
Epilepsy: Lac-s
Epilepsy, senile: Lac-eq
Erectile dysfunction: Lac-cpr, Lac-eq
Eruptions, herpetic: Lac-eq

F

Fainting: Lac-lup
Fainting, metabolic causes: Lac-d
Fatigue, chronic: Lac-h, Lac-lox-a
Fibrocystic breast disease: Lac-as, Lac-eq, Lac-h, Lac-lox-a
Fibroids: Lac-del, Lac-lup
Fissures, anal: Lac-as
Fissures, vulvar: Lac-as
Food intolerance, milk: Lac-f, Lac-h
Food intolerance, various: Lac-h

G

Gastritis: Lac-lup
Gastritis, atrophic : Lac-ov, Lac-cpr
Gastritis, atrophic, chronic: Lac-eq
Glaucoma: Lac-cpr
Globus hystericus: Lac-cpr
Gout: Lac-c
Grief, difficult elaboration of : Lac-d
Gynecomastia: Lac-cpr, Lac-h, Lac-lox-a

H

Headache, chronic: Lac-as, Lac-eq, Lac-h
Headache, cluster: Lac-s
Headache, digestive: Lac-as, Lac-f, Lac-gl, , Lac-lox-a
Headache, digestive, frontal: Lac-c
Headache, tension: Lac-gl
Headache, tiredness : Lac-cpr
Hearing loss, precocious: Lac-c
Hemorrhoids, prolapsed: Lac-h
Herniation, inguinal: Lac-c
Herniation, spinal disc, cervical:Lac-cpr, Lac-del, Lac-h
Herniation, spinal disc, lumbar: Lac-c, Lac-f, Lac-leo
Herpes, recurrent: Lac-h
Hot flashes: Lac-h
Hot flashes, climacteric: Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-lox-a
Hypercholesterolemia, familial: Lac-leo
Hyperemesis gravidarum: Lac-c
Hyperhidrosis: Lac-cpr, Lac-f, Lac-h, Lac-leo
Hyperhidrosis, axillary: Lac-lox-a
Hyperprolactinemia: Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-eq, Lac-h
Hyperthyroidism: Lac-s

I

Incontinence, urinary: Lac-h, Lac-lup
Incontinence, urinary (female): Lac-c
Ingrown toenails: Lac-gl
Insomnia: Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-f, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-lox-a, Lac-ov

K

Keloids: Lac-lox-a
Keratoconus: Lac-f

L

Lipomas: Lac-f

M

Malabsorption: Lac-as, Lac-d
Malocclusion: Lac-f
Mastodynia: Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-eq, Lac-h, Lac-lox-a
Mastodynia, severe: Lac-lup
Masturbation, infantile: Lac-s
Ménière's disease: Lac-c, Lac-h
Migraines: Lac-d
Motion sickness: Lac-cpr, Lac-leo, Lac-lup
Myopia: Lac-c, Lac-f, Lac-lox-a

N

Nausea: Lac-c, Lac-lup
Nephrolithiasis (kidney stone): Lac-gl
Neuralgia, herpetic: Lac-gl
Neuralgia, trigeminal: Lac-c, Lac-gl
Nodules, breast: Lac-eq
Nystagmus: Lac-s

O

Osteoarthritis, hip: Lac-c
Osteoporosis: Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-gl
Otitis media, recurrent: Lac-as, Lac-leo

P

Pain, knee: Lac-gl
Pancreatitis: Lac-as, Lac-lup
Panic: Lac-c, Lac-s, Lac-ov
Pharyngitis, chronic: Lac-c
Phobia, cleanliness: Lac-gl
Phobia, food: Lac-gl
Photophobia: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-h
Pituitary insufficiency, growth
hormone: Lac-c
Polyps, bladder: Lac-gl
Polyps, vocal cord: Lac-c, Lac-del
Prolapse, uterus: Lac-lup
Prostatitis, chronic: Lac-h
Prostatitis, recurrent: Lac-f
Psoriasis, palms: Lac-gl
Ptyalism (excessive drooling) of pregnancy: Lac-c, Lac-gl, Lac-s
Pyorrhea: Lac-eq, Lac-h

R

Reflux esophagitis: Lac-c
Rhinitis, allergic: Lac-h

S

Sciatica: Lac-del
Sinusitis: Lac-c, Lac-del
Sinusitis, chronic: Lac-as, lac-lox-a, Lac-s
Sjogren’s syndrome: Lac-lox-a, Lac-lup
Spasm, masseter muscle: Lac-c, Lac-lup
Sprain, ankle, recurrent: Lac-cpr
Strabismus: Lac-s
Stye, recurrent: Lac-f
Sunburn: Lac-h
Swelling, breast: Lac-cpr

T

Tachycardia, paroxysmal: Lac-d
Thyroiditis : Lac-ov
Tonsillitis, recurrent: Lac-d, Lac-f
Trauma, spine: Lac-s

U

Ulcer, corneal: Lac-f
Ulcer, duodenal: Lac-eq
Ulcer, gastric : Lac-cpr
Underweight, without cause: Lac-eq
Urination, frequent: Lac-f
Urticaria, nervous: Lac-eq, Lac-leo
Uveitis: Lac-ov
Uveitis, auto-immune: Lac-f

V

Vaginitis, recurrent: Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr
Varices, lower limbs: Lac-c
Vertigo: Lac-c, Lac-d, Lac-del
Vertigo, Ménière's: Lac-as, Lac-cpr
Vulvodynia: Lac-eq, Lac-h

REPERTORY ADDITIONS
MIND; AILMENTS from; death; parents or friends, of (76): Lac-c, Lac-d, Lac-
eq, Lac-leo, Lac-o
MIND; AMBITION; much, ambitious (72): Lac-leo
MIND; ANXIETY; family, about his (29): Lac-c
MIND; ANXIETY; health, about; relatives, of (25): Lac-c
MIND; BLOOD or a knife, cannot look at (13): Lac-f
MIND; COMPULSIVE disorders; dismorphophobia (6): Lac-cpr, Lac-f, Lac-g
MIND; CONSCIENTIOUS about trifles (87): Lac-f
MIND; CONTRARY (90): Lac-as
MIND; CONTRARY (90): Lac-g
MIND; DESTRUCTIVENESS (51): Lac-cpr
MIND; DREAMS; animals, of; dogs (28): Lac-c
MIND; DREAMS; animals, of; sharks (4): Lac-del
MIND; DREAMS; animals, of; snakes; pursued, by (11): Lac-c
MIND; DREAMS; body, body parts; teeth; breaking off (14): Lac-c
MIND; DREAMS; body, body parts; teeth; falling out (26): Lac-c
MIND; DWELLS on; past disagreeable occurrences (66): Lac-g
MIND; FASTIDIOUS; food, about (8): Lac-as
MIND; FEAR; animals, of; sharks, of (5): Lac-del
MIND; FEAR; animals, of; snakes, of (34): Lac-c
MIND; FEAR; animals, of; spiders, of (17): Lac-c, Lac-leo
MIND; FEAR; pins, pointed, sharp things, of (22): Lac-f
MIND; FEAR; pins, pointed, sharp things, of; eyes, fear of something touching
or penetrates his (2): Lac-f
MIND; FORSAKEN feeling (102): Lac-c
MIND; IRRESOLUTION, indecision (164): Lac-c, Lac-d
MIND; JEALOUSY; children; in, when a new baby takes the attention of the
family away (9): Lac-lup
MIND; LOVE; animals, for (23): Lac-d
MIND; MASOCHISM (13): Lac-c
MIND; OBLATIVITY (31): Lac-eq, Lac-c, Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-h
MIND; OBLATIVITY; apparent oblativity (41): Lac-as, Lac-cpr, Lac-h
MIND; OBSTINATE, headstrong (124): Lac-as, Lac-cpr, Lac-g
MIND; RESTLESSNESS, nervousness; tendency (561): Lac-eq
MIND; TRAVEL; desire to (40): Lac-lox-a
MIND; UNDERTAKES; things opposed to his intentions (4): Lac-c
MIND; WILL; contradiction of (30): Lac-c

HEAD; CONGESTION, hyperemia etc. (295): Lac-as
HEAD; FULLNESS (240): Lac-as
HEAD; HAIR; affections of; gray, becomes (27): Lac-f
HEAD; PULSATING, beating, throbbing; Vertex (65): Lac-d
HEAD; WASHING head; agg. (25): Lac-leo

HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; constipation, with (37): Lac-d
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; darkness; amel. (30): Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-
del, Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-g, Lac-leo, Lac-lup, Lac-o, Lac-s
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; familiar (17): Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-
eq, Lac-f, Lac-g, Lac-lup, Lac-o, Lac-s
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; gastric (98): Lac-c
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; jar, from any (75): Lac-as
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; light, from; agg. in general (78): Lac-c, Lac-d
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; milk, after drinking; agg. (9): Lac-d
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; pressure, external; amel. (108): Lac-d
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; sleep; amel.; after (34): Lac-as
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; sleep; amel.; from (18): Lac-d
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; vomiting; amel. from (34): Lac-d
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; vomiting; with (132): Lac-f
HEAD PAIN; GENERAL; withdrawal, from reality as a (9): Lac-c, Lac-cpr,
Lac-d, Lac-del, Lac-f, Lac-h, Lac-o
HEAD PAIN; LOCALIZATION; Sides; one-sided; alternating from one to other
(66): Lac-as, Lac-cpr, Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f, Lac-g, Lac-h, Lac-leo, Lac-
lup, Lac-o, Lac-s
HEAD PAIN; LOCALIZATION; Sides; right (184): Lac-d
HEAD PAIN; LOCALIZATION; Sides; right; left, then (30): Lac-d

EYE; PAIN; burning, smarting, biting (295): Lac-c

EAR; ERUPTIONS; cracks, fissures; lobe (3): Lac-c
EAR; PAIN; General; warmth; wrapping up amel., and (15): Lac-as

FACE; CRACKS; corners of mouth (51): Lac-del

MOUTH; APHTHAE; painful (8): Lac-leo

TEETH; GRINDING; sleep, during (59): Lac-d

STOMACH; THIRST; extreme (224): Lac-d
STOMACH; THIRST; headache, with (33): Lac-as
STOMACH; VOMITING; General; headache; during (131): Lac-as, Lac-c, Lac-
d, Lac-f
STOMACH; VOMITING; General; incessant (48): Lac-d
STOMACH; VOMITING; General; paroxysmal (16): Lac-as
STOMACH; VOMITING; General; paroxysmal (16): Lac-f

ABDOMEN; BILE-DUCTS, ailments of (16): Lac-c
ABDOMEN; PAIN; cramping, griping (462): Lac-c

RECTUM; FISSURE (69): Lac-as
RECTUM; FISSURE; bleeding (10): Lac-as
RECTUM; FISSURE; painful, very (9): Lac-as
RECTUM; SPASMS in (27): Lac-as

BLADDER; URINATION; involuntary; night, incontinence in bed; adult
women, in (6): Lac-c

FEMALE; INFLAMMATION; recurrent (3): Lac-as
FEMALE; INFLAMMATION; Vagina; chronic (14): Lac-as
FEMALE; MENSES; profuse (317): Lac-c

RESPIRATION; ASTHMATIC (349): Lac-d
RESPIRATION; ASTHMATIC; exertion, after (13): Lac-eq
RESPIRATION; DIFFICULT; exertion, after (86): Lac-eq

CHEST; DISTENSION; Mammae (8): Lac-c, Lac-lup
CHEST; GYNECOMASTIA (5): Lac-leo
CHEST; GYNECOMASTIA; children, in (1): Lac-leo
CHEST; MILK; disappearing (49): Lac-c, Lac-d
CHEST; PERSPIRATION; axilla; offensive (34): Lac-leo
CHEST; PERSPIRATION; axilla; offensive; children, in (1): Lac-leo
CHEST; SWELLING; Mammae; menses; before (31): Lac-c

BACK; HEAVINESS, weight (95): Lac-as
BACK; HEAVINESS, weight; Spine (2): Lac-as

EXTREMITIES; CRAMPS; Leg; bed, in (10): Lac-as
EXTREMITIES; CRAMPS; Leg; calf; evening; bed, in (8): Lac-as
EXTREMITIES; CRAMPS; Leg; calf; sleep; during (16): Lac-as
EXTREMITIES; CRAMPS; Leg; evening; bed, in (3): Lac-as
EXTREMITIES; CRAMPS; Leg; night (11): Lac-as
EXTREMITIES; CRAMPS; Lower Limbs; night (23): Lac-as
EXTREMITY PAIN; GENERAL; rubbing amel. (2): Lac-as
EXTREMITY PAIN; GENERAL; warmth; amel. (45): Lac-as
EXTREMITY PAIN; LOWER LIMBS; Hip; walking; agg.; while (50): Lac-c

SLEEP; SLEEPLESSNESS; anticipation, from (3): Lac-h

PERSPIRATION; ODOR; offensive (128): Lac-leo
PERSPIRATION; PROFUSE (230): Lac-leo

SKIN; ERUPTIONS; General; sun, from (15): Lac-c
SKIN; ERUPTIONS; psoriasis; familiar (2): Lac-c
SKIN; ERYTHEMA; sun exposure, from (9): Lac-c

GENERALITIES; BATHING, washing; aversion to, dread of (67): Lac-leo
GENERALITIES; CANCEROUS affections; familiarity (8): Lac-as
GENERALITIES; CANCEROUS affections; familiarity (8): Lac-g
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; alcohol, alcoholic drinks; desires (95):
Lac-c
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; artichokes; aversion (6): Lac-leo
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; carrots; agg. (3): Lac-c
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; fish; desires (40): Lac-f, Lac-leo
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; ham; desires (12): Lac-c
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; milk; agg. (131): Lac-d
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; milk; aversion (91): Lac-d
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; milk; desires (86): Lac-f
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; paper, desires (4): Lac-f
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; salt or salty food; desires (68): Lac-c
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; spices, condiments, piquant, highly
seasoned food; desires (56): Lac-c
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; sweets; desires; menses, before (11): Lac-
c
GENERALITIES; HEAT; sensation of (146): Lac-leo
GENERALITIES; INFLAMMATION; chronic; sinusitis (80): Lac-del
GENERALITIES; JAR, stepping; agg. (112): Lac-as
GENERALITIES; MENSES; amel.; after (9): Lac-c
GENERALITIES; PAIN; General; alternating side (8): Lac-c, Lac-cpr, Lac-d,
Lac-del, Lac-eq, Lac-f,
GENERALITIES; PAIN; General; appear gradually; disappear suddenly, and
(11): Lac-d
GENERALITIES; UNCOVERING; desires (28): Lac-leo
GENERALITIES; WARMTH; agg. (215): Lac-leo

SUMMARIES
LAC ASINUM
Motifs
Fundamental Themes
Familial Identity ; Abandonment & Separation ; Integration of Instincts ;
Irresolution
Avoidance (3); Self-devaluation (2); Ineluctable; Victim ; Opposition ;
Emptiness/Fullness; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Explosive Pain ; Extreme & Undifferentiated Pain ; Digestive Headache ;
Swelling ; Vertigo ; Simple Foods; Dryness ; Thirst
Common Ailments
Allergy, food Alopecia Anemia, iron deficiency Candidiasis, recurrent
Carpal tunnel syndrome Cholecystitis, chronic Colitis, hemorrhagic Cramps,
nocturnal Cystitis, recurrent Diabetes, juvenile Diarrhea, chronic /
Fibrocystic breast disease / Fissure, anal /
Fissure, vulvar / Food intolerance, milk /

Headache, chronic / Headache, digestive
Intestinal malabsorption Otitis media, recurrent
Pancreatitis Photophobia Sinusitis, chronic
Vaginitis, recurrent / Vertigo, Ménière's
Milks: Indirect anger: Lac glama ; Lac suis
Other: Vexation: Chelidonium, Ignatia , Magnetis polus australis ,
Staphysagria ; Vexation & Opposition: Bacillinum , Scrophulariaceae:
Gratiola , Digitalis , Scrophularia nodosa ; Immaturity: Barytas ,
Umbelliferae: Cicuta , Sumbulus ; Opposition & Entangled with Support:
Picricum acidum

LAC CANINUM
Motifs
Abandonment ; Dependent
Fundamental Themes
Family Identity ; Abandonment ; Integration of Instincts ; Irresolution
Dependence // Independence (3); Oblativity: obligatory (2); Submission ;
Immaturity ; Withdrawal: painful ; Swelling ; Congestion: passive ;
Discharge: difficul t; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: congestive (3); Pain: recurrent (3); Headache: digestive (2); Digestion:
difficult; Hyperphagia ; Hyperosmia ; Photophobia ; Vertigo ; Eruptions:
symmetrical ; Milk
Common Ailments
Adenoma, prostate / Aphthous ulcers / Arthritis, juvenile / Back pain,
cervical, lumbar / Bruxism Bulimia Conjunctivitis / Constipation, chronic /
Cystitis, recurrent / Diabetes, gestational / Diabetes, senile / Dysmenorrhea /
Enuresis / Food intolerance, milk / Gout / Headache, frontal and digestive /
Hearing loss, early Herniation, inguinal Herniation, lumbar disc /
Hyperemesis gravidarum / Hyperprolactinemia / Incontinence, urinary, female
/ Insomnia Mastodynia Ménière's disease Myopia Nausea / Neuralgia,
trigeminal / Osteoarthritis, hip Panic Pharyngitis, chronic / Photophobia /
Pituitary insufficiency, human growth hormone Polyps, vocal cords Ptyalism
of pregnancy / Reflux esophagitis / Sinusitis Spasm, masseter muscle
Vaginitis, recurrent Varices, lower limbs Vertigo
Milks: Lac asinum ; Lac vaccinum defloratum
Other: Calcareas : Calcarea bromatum, Calcarea carbonica, Calcarea
fluoricum, Calcarea silicata ; Candida albicans ; Carbons: Carbo vegetabilis;
Carcinosinum ; Cocculus ; Lepidium bonariense ; Onosmodium ; Rhus
toxicodendron ; Rosaceae: Prunus ; Saccharum album

LAC CAPRINUM
Motifs
Abandonment ; Ambition
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Insolent / Insecurity ; Ambition: frustrated (2); Anger: impotent (2);
Opposition ; Competition ; Symmetry-Asymmetry ; Laxity / Rigidity
Pain: expanding (3); Pain: undifferentiated (2); Headache: tired; Digestion:
difficult ; Hypersexuality ; Trauma: Repetitive ; Malodor ; Food: savory
Common Ailments
Acne, persistent / Allergies, milk, dust, spring / Arthritis, TMJ / Dyshidrosis /
atrophic /
Glaucoma Globus hystericus Gynecomastia

Headache, tiredness Herniation, cervical spine
Hyperhidrosis Hyperprolactinemia Insomnia
Mastodynia /
Motion sickness / Photophobia Sprain,

ankle, recurrent Swelling, breast Ulcers, gastric
Vaginitis, recurrent / Vertigo, Ménière's
Milks: Feigned Independence: Lac felinum
Other: False-self: Sulphurs : Calcarea sulphuricum, Cadmium sulphuricum,
Chininum sulphuricum ; Ledum palustre ; Niccolum ; Tabacum ; Bombastic:
Insects : Coccus cacti, Blatta orientalis, Muscae domestica; Impotent anger:
Scrophulariaceae: Digitalis ; Outcast: Ammonium sulphuratum

LAC DELPHINUM
Motifs
Abandonment ; Oblativity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Dependence // Independence (3); Oblativity: true (3); Withdrawal; Dryness ;
Hemorrhage ; Congestion: passive ; Emptiness / Fullness ; Discharge: difficult
; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: pressing ; Pain: paralyzing ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion: difficult ;
Milk ; Eruptions: symmetrical ; Hypoesthesia
Common Ailments
Aphonia / Arthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile Dental caries, precocious Eczema
Fibroids, uterine Food intolerance, milk / Herniation, cervical disk / Hot
flashes, climacteric Osteoporosis Polyps, vocal cord Sciatica Sinusitis /
Vertigo
Milks: Oblative: Lac humanum
Other: Oblative: Carcinosinum ; Rhus toxicodendron ; Rosaceae: Prunus ;
Playful: Labiatae ; Medorrhinum ; Lack of Anger: Saccharum album

LAC EQUINUM
Motifs
Abandonment ; Dignity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Dependence // Independence ; Stoicism (3); Duty (3); Oblativity ; Rigidity ;
Discharge: difficult ; Congestion: passive ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: dragging (3); Pain: spasmodic ; Headache: digestive ; Photophobia ;
Vertigo ; Food: simple
Common Ailments
Adenoma, prostate / Allergy, dust / Anemia, iron deficiency Aphthous ulcers,
recurrent Arthritis, TMJ /
Asthma, chronic / Back pain, lumbar region

Bronchitis, chronic Candidiasis, recurrent
Constipation, chronic Diabetes, adult onset
Emphysema Enteritis, chronic Epilepsy, senile
Erectile dysfunction / Eruptions, herpetic /
Fibrocystic breast disease Food intolerance, milk
Gastritis, atrophic, chronic Headache, chronic
Hot flashes, climacteric /
Hyperprolactinemia / Mastodynia Osteoporosis
Pyorrhea Ulcers, duodenal Underweight,
without cause Urticaria, anxiety Vulvodynia
Milks: Service Oriented: Lac delphinum , Father Image Oriented: Lac
leoninum
Other: Service & Duty: Noble Metals: Argentum metallicum, Argentum
phosphoricum, Cuprum, Cuprum phosphoricum, Ferrum, Ferrum
phosphoricum ; Primulaceae: Anagallis

LAC FELINUM
Motifs
Independence ; Inhibition
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Dependence // Independence (3); Autarky (2); Introversion (2); Rigidity ;
Fragility (2); Congestion: passive ; Discharge: difficult ; Symmetry-
Asymmetry
Pain: penetrating (3); Pain: constrictive ; Ineluctable; Headache: digestive;
Chilliness; Photophobia; Hyperphagia; Vertigo; Milk
Common Ailments
Ageusie (loss of taste) Alopecia Angina pectoris / Asthenopia (eye strain) /
Conjunctivitis, allergic, recurrent Cystitis, recurrent Enuresis Food
intolerance, milk Headaches, digestive Hernia, lumbar disk Hyperhidrosis
Insomnia Keratoconus Lipomas Malocclusion Myopia Prostatitis, recurrent
Sty, recurrent Tonsillitis, recurrent / Ulcers, corneal / Urinary frequency /
Uveitis, auto-immune
Milks: Separation from Family: Lac caprinum ; Lac lupinum
Other: Fragile, Self-sufficient: Silica ; Inhibited, Self-sufficient: Calcarea
silicata ; Reclusive Self-sufficient: Cupressaceae: Abies canadensis, Abies
nigra; Bromiums ; Penetrating Pain: Asterias ; Bovista ; Cactaceae ; Cenchris ;
Spongia

LAC GLAMA
Motifs
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Refusal (2); Protest (2); Aggression: suppressed; Opposition ; Fastidious ;
Time: altered perception ; Dryness ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: extreme (2); Pain: circumscribed ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion:
difficult ; Swelling: painful ; Fatigue ; Dehydration ; Eruptions: symmetrical
Common Ailments
Alopecia Angina pectoris Aphthous ulcers recurrent / Arthritis, knees /
Asthma, cardiac Back pain, lumbar region Blepharitis / Eczema, dry / Food
intolerance, milk Headache, digestive Headache, tension / Ingrown toenails /
Kidney stones Neuralgia, herpetic Neuralgia, trigeminal /
Osteoporosis / Pain, knee Phobias (food,

cleaning) Polyps, bladder /
Psoriasis, palms / Ptyalism (excessive drooling)

of pregnancy
Milks: Defiant: Lac asinum ; Lac caprinum ; Lac suis
Other: Easily Vexed: Scrophulariaceae : Gratiola , Scrophularia nodosa ,
Verbascum ; Staphysagria ; Idealistic: Causticum ; Aurum arsenicosum ;
Outcast: Ammoniums : Ammonium muriaticum ; Magnetic: Magnetis polus
australis, Ferrum magneticum

LAC HUMANUM
Motifs
Abandonment ; Ambition ; False oblativity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Ambition / Dissatisfaction ; Undeserving ; Rigidity / Laxity ; Congestion:
passive ; Fullness / Emptiness ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: pressing ; Pain: penetrating ; Headache: digestive ; Dryness /
Hypersecretion ; Secretions: tenacious ; Vertigo ; Contact: physical ;
Hyperphagia
Common Ailments
Agalactorrhea, secondary Arthritis, TMJ Conjunctivitis, chronic /
Constipation, chronic / Depression Diabetes,

juvenile Eczema, atopic /
Fatigue, chronic / Fibrocystic breast disease

Food intolerance, milk Food intolerance, various
Gynecomastia Headache, chronic /
Hemorrhoids, prolapsed / Herniation, cervical
spine Herpes, recurrent Hot flashes /
Hyperhidrosis / Hyperprolactinemia
Incontinence, urinary Insomnia /
Mastodynia / Ménière's disease Photophobia

Prostatitis, chronic / Pyorrhea / Rhinitis, allergic
Sunburn Vulvodynia
Milks: Oblative: Lac delphinum ; Ambition: Lac leoninum
Other: Ambition: Nux vomica; Aurums : Aurum sulphuricum , Aurum
phosphoricum ; Tied to Family: Calcarea phosphorica ; Cocculus ; Oblative:
Carcinosinum

LAC LEONINUM
Motifs
Abandonment ; Egotism
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Self-affirmation / Self-devaluation (3); Resentment (2); Communication:
ineffective ; Rigidity / Laxity ; Fullness / Emptiness ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: superficial (2); Pain: penetrating ; Headache: digestive ; Irritability ;
Eruptions: painful (2); Foreign body ; Offensiveness ; Hyperphagia
Common Ailments
Aphthous ulcers, oral and painful / Bulimia Food intolerance, milk Herniation,
lumbar disc Hypercholesterolemia, familial Hyperhidrosis /
Insomnia / Motion Sickness Otitis, recurrent

Urticaria, nervous
Milks: Family as Obstacle: Lac felinum ; Obstinate: Lac glama; Lac asinum;
Lac caprinum
Other: Leader: Aurums : Aurum metallicum , Aurum arsenicosum ; Nux
vomica ; Adonis vernalis ; Competitive: Zea italica ; Dominant: Lycopodium ;
Binge eat: Aurum iodatum ; Dulcamara ; Kola nitida ; Niccolum

LAC LOXODONTA AFRICANA

Motifs
Abandonment ; Curiosity ; Concreteness
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Regression ; Solidity / Fragility ; Anger: inexpressible ; Slowness ; Fullness /
Emptiness ; Retention / Dryness ; Lightness / Heaviness ; Symmetry-
Asymmetry
Pain: superficial ; Pain: cramping ; Headache: digestive ; Chilliness ; Vertigo ;
Hyperphagia ; Milk
Common Ailments
Allergies, food, milk Anemia Arrhythmias, cardiac /Arthritis hands, distal
joints / Blepharitis Bulimia Cicatrices, poor granulation Cough, hacking
Diabetes, juvenile Diplopia Dyslexia /
Edema, lower limbs / Fatigue, chronic

Fibrocystic breast disease Gynecomastia
Headache, digestive Hot flashes, climacteric /
Hyperhidrosis, axillary / Insomnia Keloids
Mastodynia Myopia Sinusitis, chronic /
Sjogren’s syndrome
Milks: Ethics: Lac equinum ; Lac humanum ; Anger: Lac asinum
Other: Ethics: Aurums : Aurum metallicum , Aurum sulphuricum ; Ethics,
Aggression: Cuprums ; Ferrums ; Conventional: Kalis

LAC LUPINUM
Motifs
Abandonment ; Excluded
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Repudiation (3); Self-harm (2); Self-devaluation ; Sensitivity (3);
Suspiciousness ; Emptiness / Fullness ; Hypochondria ; Laxity / Rigidity ;
Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: pressing ; Pain: extreme ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion: difficult ;
Appetite: lack of ; Motion Sickness ; Food: adult
Common Ailments
Abuse, ailments from, sexual / Anorexia-bulimia / Back pain, cervical spine /
Cysts, ovarian, right / Fainting Fibroids, uterine Food intolerance, milk /
Gastritis / Incontinence, urinary / Mastodynia, severe / Motion sickness /
Nausea / Pancreatitis / Prolapse, uterus / Sjogren’s Syndrome / Spasm,
masseter muscle
Milks: Lac caninum ; Distant from Family: Lac felinum
Other: Healer: Cupressaceae: Sequoia, Taxus ; Sensual: Medorrhinum ;
Rejected: Pix liquida ; Lyssinum

LAC OVIS
Motifs
Abandonment ; Conformity ; Immaturity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Conformity (3); Self-devaluation (2); Submission ; Immaturity ; Sacrifice (2);
Protection ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: migrating & changeable ; Pain: extreme ; Headache: digestive ;
Digestion: difficult ; Hyperphagia ; Disorientation ; Vertigo
Common Ailments
Alopecia, universalis Anemia, megaloblastic Arthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile
Attention Deficit Bronchitis, severe recurrent, since childhood /
Calculi, salivary / Constipation, obstinate Cysts,

ovarian Dyslexia / Food intolerance, milk /
Gastritis, atrophic Insomnia Panic Thyroiditis
Uveitis
Milks: Submissive: Lac caninum
Other: Conform: False-self: Chromium, Niccolum, Palladium ; Kalis ;
Psorinum ; Silica ; Immature: Aluminas ; Barytas: Baryta bromatum , Baryta
carbonica , Baryta silicata

LAC SUIS
Motifs
Abandonment ; Refusal
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Avoidance (3); Outcast (2); Anger: impotent ; Victim ; Opposition (3);
Overactive / Apathetic ; Laxity / Rigidity ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Hypoesthesia / Anesthesia ; Pain: extreme ; Headache: digestive ; Digestion:
difficult ; Hyperphagia ; Vertigo ; Food: indigestible ; Malodor ; Milk
Common Ailments
Asthma / Bulimia Constipation, obstinate Cyclothymia (Bipolar) /
Eczema, atopic / Eczema, dry Epilepsy Food

intolerance, milk / Headaches, cluster /
Hyperthyroidism Masturbation, infantile
Nystagmus Panic Ptyalism (excessive drooling)
of pregnancy Sinusitis, chronic Strabismus /
Trauma, spinal / Valvular heart disease

Milks: Avoidant, Oppositional, Victim: Lac asinum ; Lac caprinum ; Lac
glama
Other: Outcast: Ammoniums : Ammonium bromatum , Ammonium
sulphuricum ; Avoidance: Ammonium iodatum ; Disinhibited: Medorrhinum

LAC VACCINUM DEFLORATUM

Motifs
Abandonment , Passivity
Fundamental Themes
Irresolution
Retention / Congestion: passive (3); Slowness (2); Ineluctable ; Anger:
inexpressible ; Denial ; Symmetry-Asymmetry
Pain: constrictive ; Pain: explosive (2); Headache: digestive ; Instability ;
Photophobia ; Foreign body
Common Ailments
Bruxism, sine materia / Claustrophobia / Conjunctivitis, recurrent /
Constipation, obstinate Fainting, metabolic causes Food intolerance, milk /
Grief, difficult elaboration / Malabsorption Migraines Tachycardia,
paroxysmal Tonsillitis, recurrent Vertigo
Milks: Lac asinum ; Lac caninum; Blending in: Lac caninum
Other: Blending in: Kalis : Kali bromatum , Kali carbonicum ; Passive:
Carcinosinum ; Primulaceae ; Saccharum album ; Dependent: Aluminas ,
Barytas ; Foreign Body: Calcareas: Calcarea carbonica, Calcarea fluorica ;
Cupressaceae ; Euphorbiaceae

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Materia

I got to know him better over time, where we

Categorizations do not follow taxonomy or DNA

He has also never backed down from pursuing

He also contributed the guide to my materia

Joanne May provided reviews and insights that

It is a complex mixture of nutrients; fats, protein,

However, hunter-gatherers did not consume milk

In some areas milk did not become integrated

years ago. There is still controversy as to the

remedy in traditional medicine, used to treat

Milk remedies, the idea of family often looms as

a large entity that extends across generations. It

a number of Milk remedies, most notably Lac

struggle between doing what the family wants

In a similar way, Milk remedies circle around

On the other hand, it is not necessarily the case

service-oriented. Some like Lac delphinum

specifically require a quiet, solitary area to rest.

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

Obligatory Oblativity (2)

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

Recurrent Pain (3)

THEMES & SYMPTOM PATTERNS

Abandonment & Separation

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

Explosive Pain (2)

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

True Oblativity (3)

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Capra aegagrus hircus

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

Frustrated Ambition (2)

Impotent Anger (2)

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

Undifferentiated Pain (2)

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

Altered Temporal Perception

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

Equus africanus asinus

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

Abandonment & Separation

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

Extreme Pain (2)

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS

COHERENT SYMPTOM GROUPS

STRUCTURE & CORPUS

THEMES AND SYMPTOM PATTERNS