ARNICA MONTANA
Alae nasi
blunt & always smiling.
Small oval
face, flat nose ,Hair is tuned.
CORE – Hurt feeling
Ambra
gresia - animal
Arnica – plant similar in appearance
& expression.
Silicea –
mineral Bears
pain and never complain
The main theme of Arnica
symptomatology revolves around a deep traumatic experience upon the physical
or emotional or mental body. A traumatic experience of the human organism
resulting from injuries, falls, blows, concussions, fright, fear, financial
loss, etc.
The experience leaves the person
with a tremendous fear of coming into physical contact with anything which is hard
or penetrating. The whole of the symptomatology develops around this basic
fear: Do not touch me, do not come too close to me, physically or
emotionally and most of all do not penetrate me, physically or metaphorically.
The traumatic experience in Arnica is such that the person is left with a
feeling of having been wounded deeply, and of the affected parts being so
sensitive after the wounding that the idea of somebody touching them is
unbearable.
They can become and act almost
paranoically in this respect. From this experience a defensive attitude
develops that is then quite understandable.
The symptomatology develops in
different stages or degrees. We see in the first stages of pathology an
aggressive reaction, where the tendency of the individual is to
"attack" in order subconsciously to prevent a "too close
contact". The patient is easily irritated, aggressive, quarrelsome. He
will appear to be fighting with everybody and everything, very opinionated,
obstinate and sometimes irascible and irrational.
The
irritability and anger lead to cursing, after which the Arnica patient becomes
really furious. He is contradictory, nothing pleases him; he wants certain
things and later on pushes them away. In this stage Arnica may also become
capricious, not knowing what he wants, unable to tolerate anything which is disagreeable
and shouts unreasonably.
Arnica does not accept anybody's authority (Caust.)
and thinks that he knows better than anybody else (Sulph. or Ars.). He
boasts and brags frequently (Plat). He is dicatorial, (Lyc)
domineering, dogmatic, despotic and talks with an air of being superior or in
command. Similar to Platina.
The above is a provocative, aggressive
attitude that we see in these first stages of Arnica's defensive state. Yet
later on in its pathology we will see a completely different picture, a state
of passiveness, extreme touchiness (Angustura) and sensitivity. In
this passive stage we see that the patient becomes morose, taciturn, wants to
be left alone, does not want to talk to anybody. He becomes irritated if he has
to give an answer, he seems to want to avoid human contact
(much like Natr-mur). If somebody tries to console or pacify him, he
will react aggressively. It seems that there is an analogy between the
sensitivity of his psyche which cannot withstand the closeness of a contact and
the pain felt by his physical body on being touched. Even the idea
that somebody may come too close to him is painful. (VITHOULKAS)
Arnica
does not wish to talk to, or to be approached by others on account of this
mental, emotional or physical soreness. He may take a walk in the open air and
live with his phantasies, and once back from such a walk, he will want to
continue to live with the emotions he had on the walk, without talking to
anybody: he wishes only to be silent.
Arnica cases are people who may appear to be
social, but are so only on a superficial level. They are "loners",
doubtless due to their fear that others may hurt their feelings on coming into
close contact with them. They may be compared to wounded animals that want to hide
and stay away from any contact. They develop an aversion to sympathy or
compassion.
An important point that has to be understood
in their symptomatology is that they feel "bruised"
all-over and therefore even the thought that something or somebody can touch or
even worse penetrate their "bruised" bodies is absolutely unbearable.
That is why Arnica is the main remedy when women have an insane fear of
being raped. This fear is so great that they think about it all the
time, the thought that they may be raped brings on a shudder, they cannot even
bear to hear the mere word "rape". The problem is that they cannot
tolerate to have anything penetrating their body.
As the
mental pathology travels deeper, we get severe anxiety
states that originate from such shocks or over exertions. There
is fear and anxiety that could be called hypochondriacal. In the Arnica anxiety
states it seems that fear goes quickly into the subconscious mind and emerges
every night during sleep in the form of a crisis, often several times a night.
The symptomatology is similar to that of Aconite, Argentum nitricum or
Lachesis and you will have to make a differential diagnosis.
There is a tremendous fear of imminent death during the
night, on waking up from sleep, which is triggered by a feeling that something
is wrong with the heart. These states appear especially
after an accident. There is a kind of cardiac distress, an
anguish that originates from the heart region, a feeling that the heart will
give in suddenly and he will die instantly.
The idea of dying instantly is
characteristic of Arnica.
From such an experience his whole organism is
affected, there is a horror that overtakes the patient and there are
congestions that affect mostly the upper part of the spine.
He becomes forgetful, absent minded, cannot
concentrate, loses all interest in his work, reads something and forgets
immediately what he has just read, does not remember if he has just turned off
the gas and goes back to check it etc.. Oversensitive, cannot bear pain.
Restless because of pain and soreness.
Arnica will have constant muttering in brain
damage (Lach.) and delirium like delirium tremens. Arnica cases may
also have delusions that they are well while in a severe
precarious condition, close to death. They may look at the doctor and say
"I do not need you, I am well", refusing to take the medicine.
Eventually the Arnica case may go into a
semi-comatose state, from which, though he can be aroused and answers
correctly if he is asked a question, as soon as he finishes the
sentence or even before finishing it, he falls back into a stupor.
When roused up, he
looks at the doctor and says:
"I do not want
you; I did not send for you; I am not sick; I don't need a doctor."
This
is a grand characteristic of Arnica and the remedy will definitely be indicated
if the pathology is similar to the ones described above. If he becomes
unconscious he will lie there as if he were dead.
In the aftermath of a brain haemorrhage, and
after the severe symptoms have subsided, we may observe an indifference, an
apathy. Has dullness, sluggishness, difficulty of thinking and comprehending,
torpor after dreams. He is in a state where he does not take notice of his
surroundings, in a dreamy state. Talks loudly in his sleep. Makes loud speeches
in his sleep.
After traumatic injuries, overuse of
any organ, strains. Arnica is disposed to cerebral congestion. Acts best in
plethoric, feebly in debilitated with impoverished blood, cardiac dropsy with
dyspnœa. A muscular tonic.
Traumatism of grief, remorse or sudden
realization of financial loss.
Limbs and body ache as if beaten; joints as if
sprained. Bed feels too hard. Marked effect on the blood. Affects the venous
system inducing stasis. Echymosis and hæmorrhages. Relaxed blood vessels, black
and blue spots. Tendency to hæmorrhage and low-fever states. Tendency to tissue
degeneration, septic conditions, abscesses that do not mature. Sore, lame, bruised feeling.
After mental strain or
shock.
Sensitive picture
Similar to Acid
phos.
These female
have thick eyebrows
Very
sensitive , short personalities.
Mild when healthy &
violent when sick.
Always
have a feeling of hurt.
A/F hurt.
Mild picture
Can not bear pain much
(Arn & Carcinocin)
very mild & talkative.
Fair complexion and Thin eyebrows looks
like Carcinocin.
Does not
have feeling of hurt.
Arnica is bothered
about other people’s complaints.
OCD picture
Similar to Rhus tox ,
A/F
FINANCIAL LOSS ,
Cleanliness
only about their things.
Quarrelsome picture
Similar to chocolate.
Changeable
& Quarrelsome.
Naïve.
Contented picture
Similar to Plb met ( expressionless
faces in painful conditions- Opium , Plb met, Mag sulph).
A/F HEAD
INJURIES.
Bears pain , never
complains.
Chilly / Lt side/ All miasms.
Desires à sweets , oily food & pickles.
Complementary à Cicuta , Carcino , Hper, Ruta &
Nat sulph.
Which follows well à Carcino & Carbo veg.
Inimical à Aur met.
phenotype of china ars.
