Why the Correct Remedy Doesn't Always Work

Summary

In this article approaches are discussed of how to deal with the situation if the seemingly correct constitutional remedy no longer acts. Basic to the author's approach is to first determine by using George Vithoulkas' division what the level of health is in a case. After discussing these levels the relationship between remedies is discussed, as are the role of complementary remedies, intercurrents, collaterals, triads of remedies and which remedies are incompatible.

Key words

Levels of disease - Complementary remedies - Intercurrent remedies - Collateral remedies - Incompatible remedies.

References

• 1 Vithoulkas G. The Twelve Levels of Health.  Homoeopathic Links. 1999;  12 (4)
• 2 Vithoulkas G. Materia Medica Viva. Volume Two - Ammonium carbonicum. London; Homoeopathic Book Publishers 1995
• 3 Sankaran P. The Clinical Relationship of Homoeopathic Remedies. Bombay; Homœopathic Medical Publisher 1967
• 4 Farrington H. Homoeopathy and Homoeopathic Prescribing. New Delhi; B. Jain Publishers 2001
• 5 Kent J T. Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy. Calcutta; Sett Dey & Co 1967
• 6 Roberts E. Homoeopathy: Principles and Practice. London; Winter Press 2000
• 7 Kent J T. Minor Writings. Edited by Klaus-Henning Gypser. Heidelberg; Karl F. Haug Publishers 1987
• 8 Kent J T. Lectures on Materia Medica. New Delhi; B. Jain 2002
• 9 Clarke J H. A Dictionary of the Materia Medica - Pulsatilla. New Delhi; B. Jain 2003
• 10 Blasig T, Vint P. Remedy Relationships. Augsburg; Hahnemann Institut für Homöopathische Dokumentation 2001

List 1: Acutes and Chronics

(Acute remedies in CAPITALS, associated chronics in low type.)

• ACONITE

  • Sulphur (blood surge)

  • Conium maculatum

  • Silica

  • Phosphorous

  • Causticum

• AETHUSA

  • Phosphorus

  • Calcarea carbonica

• ALLIUM CEPA

  • Phosphorus

• ALLIUM CEPA and SATIVUM

  • Arsenicum album

• ALOE SOCOTRINA

  • Sulphur

• ANACARDIUM

  • Lycopodium

  • Staphysagria

• APIS MELLIFICA

  • Natrum muriaticum

  • Baryta carbonica (when lymph glands are affected)

• ARGENTUM NITRICUM

  • Sepia

  • Lycopodium

  • Sulphur

• ARNICA

  • Calcarea carbonica

  • Spigelia (in arthritis)

• ARSENICUM ALBUM

  • Sulphur

  • Phosphorous

  • Thuja (in respiratory disease)

• BACILLINUM

  • Calcarea phosphorica

• BADIAGA

  • Mercurius solubilis

• BELLADONNA

  • Calcarea carbonica

  • Kali carbonicum (after colics)

  • Sanguinaria

  • Kali muriaticum

• BRYONIA

  • Alumina

  • Natrum muriaticum

  • Kali carbonicum

  • Phosphorous

• CALCAREA CARBONICA

  • Silica

• CARBO VEGETABILIS

  • Kali carbonicum

  • Phosphorous

  • Lycopodium

  • Pulsatilla

• CAPSICUM

  • Natrum muriaticum

• CHAMOMILLA

  • Calcarea carbonica

  • Sanicula

• CHELIDONIUM

  • Lycopodium

• COFFEA

  • Natrum muriaticum

• COLOCYNTHIS

  • Bryonia

  • Kali carbonicum (after some colics)

  • China officinalis (after colic)

  • Causticum

  • Magnesium phosphoricum

  • Staphysagria

• CONIUM MACULATUM

  • Alumina

• CORALLIUM RUBRUM (in coughs)

  • Calcarea carbonica

• CUPRUM METALLICUM

  • Stramonium

• DROSERA

  • Nux vomica

• DULCAMARA

  • Sulphur

  • Baryta carbonica

  • Causticum

• FERRUM PHOSPHORICUM

  • Aconite

• GELSEMIUM

  • Causticum

• GUAIACUM (in rheumatism)

  • Causticum

• HEPAR SULPH

  • Silica

• HYOSCYAMUS

  • Phosphorous

  • Sulphur

• IGNATIA

  • Natrum muriaticum

  • Sepia

  • Stramonium

• IODIUM

  • Lycopodium

• IPECACUANA

  • Antimonium tartaricum

  • Cuprum

  • Natrum sulphuricum

• KALI BICHROMICUM

  • Sepia

• KALI SULPHURICUM

  • Pulsatilla

• LACHESIS

  • Lycopodium

  • Sulphur

  • Natrum muriaticum

• LILIUM TIGRINUM

  • Platina

  • Sepia

  • Lachesis

• LYCOPODIUM

  • Thuja

  • Lachesis

• MAGNESIA PHOSPHORICA

  • Calcarea carbonica

  • Colocynthis

  • Belladonna

  • Sulphur

• MERCURIUS

  • Belladonna

  • Aurum metallicum

  • Syphilinum

  • Thuja

  • Calcarea carbonica

• NATRUM MURIATICUM

  • Aurum metallicum

• NATRUM SULPHURICUM

  • Arsenicum album

• NITRICUM ACIDUM

  • Sulphur

  • Syphilinum

• NUX VOMICA

  • Lycopodium

  • Sepia

  • Nitricum acidum

  • Phosphorus

  • Sulphur

  • Kali carbonicum

• PETROLEUM

  • Sepia (in skins)

• PHOSPHORICUM ACIDUM

  • Sepia

  • Syphilinum

• PICRICUM ACIDUM

  • Phosphorus

• PSORINUM

  • Bacillinum

• PULSATILLA

  • Silica

  • Medorrhinum

  • Calcarea carbonica (emotional trauma)

  • Psorinum

  • Apis mellifica

  • Kali sulphuricum

  • Lycopodium

  • Sulphur

• PYROGEN

  • Calcarea carbonica

• RHUS TOXICODENDRON

  • Calcarea carbonica (rheumatism)

  • Lycopodium

• SEPIA

  • Alumina

  • Natrum muriaticum

  • Thuja

  • Nux vomica

• STAPHISAGRIA

  • Colocynthis

  • Platina

  • Lilium tigrinum

  • Causticum

  • Medorrhinum

• STRAMONIUM

  • Calcarea carbonica

  • Phosphorous

  • Sulphur

• SULPHUR

  • Silica

  • Syphilinum

• TARENTULA

  • Arsenicum album

• THUJA

  • Arsenicum album

  • Medorrhinum

• VERATRUM ALBUM

  • Arsenicum album

List 2: Remedy Relationship Sequences (Triads)

Aconite - Phosphorous - Opium - Stramonium

Aconite - Spongia - Hepar sulphuris calcareum

Allium cepa - Phosphorus - Sulphur

Arsenicum album - Medorrhinum - Thuja (asthma)

Arsenicum album - Nux vomica - Sulphur (asthma)

Arsenicum album - Pulsatilla - Calcarea carbonica (asthma)

Arsenicum album - Sulphur - Psorinum

Arsenicum album - Thuja - Tarantula

Bacillinum - Phosphorus - Calcarea carbonica (a Phosphorus can behave like a Calcarea - become slow and sluggish)

Bacillinum - Psorinum - Calcarea carbonica

Belladonna - Pulsatilla - Natrum muriaticum

Belladonna (if relieves temporarily) - Tuberculinum (if this does not hold) - Natrum muriaticum

Calcarea carbonica - Natrum muriaticum - Aurum

Calcarea carbonica - Pulsatilla - Rhus toxicodendron

Calcarea carbonica - Pulsatilla - Thuja (sycotic)

Calcarea carbonica rarely goes to Silica but Silica is a good support

Causticum - Colocynthis - Staphisagria

Causticum - Kali carbonicum - Natrum muriaticum or Lycopodium

Colocynthis - Causticum - Staphisagria

Colocynthis - Magnesia phosphorica - Stannum (colic > pressure)

Ignatia - Natrum muriaticum - Sepia

Ignatia (idealistic, if betrayed) - Platina

Kali sul - Pulsatilla - Silica

Lachesis - Lycopodium - Arsenicum album

Lycopodium - Arsenicum album

Magnesia phosphorica - Belladonna - Calcarea carbonica

Medorrhinum - Calcarea carbonica - Phosphorus

Medorrhinum - Thuja - Arsenicum album

Medorrhinum - Thuja - Natrum sulphuricum - Silica

Mercurius - Hepar Sulph - Silica

Natrum muriaticum (hurt once) - Aurum (hurt many times) - Carcinosin (buries the hurt deep)

Nux vomica - when ill - go to Pulsatilla

Phosphorous - Kali phosphoricum - Pyrogen - Syphilinum

Phosphorous - Phosphoricum acidum - Thuja - Arsenicum album

Phosphorus - Sulphur - Tuberculinum

Platina - Ipecacuanha - Staphisagria (all haughty)

Platina - Lilium tigrinum - Nux vomica (all bossy)

Pulsatilla - Graphites - Sulphur

Pulsatilla - Silica - Fluoricum acidum

Pulsatilla - Sulphur - Tuberculinum -Thuja

Sepia - Lachesis - Lycopodium

Sepia - Natrum muriaticum - Lachesis

Sepia - Natrum muriaticum - Phosphorus

Sepia is bossy also but shows less anger, too washed out.

Silica - Pulsatilla - Fluoricum acidum

Staphisagria - Causticum - Colocynthis

Staphisagria - Ignatia - Platina (a bad first prescription)

Staphisagria - Silica - Sepia (oppressed)

Sulphur - Asterias rubens - Lycopodium - Arsenicum album

Sulphur - Calcarea carbonica - Lycopodium (the three kings)

Sulphur - Sarsaparilla - Sepia

Syphilinum - Aurum - Nitricum acidum (despair)

Thuja - Calcarea carbonica - Arnica

Thuja - Sabina - Pulsatilla (sycosis & warts)

Tuberculinum - if been running a long time - Medorrhinum - Calcarea carbonica - Natrum muriaticum (TB mutates into cancer)

Tuberculinum - Medorrhinum - Thuja

Veratrum album - close to Arsenicum album as is Tarantula