Argentum metallicum [Arg-m]:
- Jan Scholten
Argentum metallicum is one of those remedies which have been extensively discussed in all the old literature, but which are seldom prescribed. The picture has many symptoms, but a real theme is lacking.
Through studying the following five cases, a mental picture of Argentum metallicum slowly emerged.
Case
A 55 year old woman has frequent cystitis. She complains of a stiff, tense, swollen feeling in the abdomen, feverishness, frequent urination with a feeble flow, pain after urination and blood in the urine. It started after exposure to cold wind.
Sciatica, pain in the right buttock, radiating to the back of the thigh and ankle, (<) sitting (3), (<) stooping, drawing up the legs, stretching, lying on the back or on the right side, (<) laughing, sneezing, coughing, (>) walking upright and climbing stairs.
plus swelling in bend of knee, tingling in legs, numbness in feet, feverish.
plus dizziness, crying, no reflex in achilles tendon.
Other complaints: pain in stomach, left sided, stitching and drawing, (<) pressure(<) (<) fat. Constipation, occasional incontinence of faeces, doesn't feel it. Inflammation of right knee joint, hot, red, stabbing pain, (<) warmth, (>) cold, (<) movement. Swollen glands in axillae and hollows of the knees, with a stiff and tight feeling. Eczema in hollow of elbow, little finger and ring finger. Since childhood she has had vaginal infections: yellow discharge with itching, (<) at night and when she is tired. Past history: tonsillitis, first on the right, then on the left, pain in throat, (<) hard food (>) cold drinks.
Pain in throat with hoarseness or loss of voice.
General characteristics:
Temperature: cold, hot flushes with perspiration, sometimes in the hands; feeling of suffocation in the sun, fear of thunderstorms (2); tiredness during storms, desires fresh air (2).
Desires: cheese, fruit, sweets.
Aversion: fat, tough meat; little thirst.
(<) fat, cabbage, kiwi, leeks, soft fruit. (<) smoke. Menses: stopped when she was 45; used to have severe cramp; swollen abdomen and breasts before menses. Sleep: she usually sleeps on her right side; often wakes at 3 am to urinate. Dreams are weird: that she lies dead in a coffin, which is as narrow as a snake, that her brother died from a piece of food that got stuck in his throat. Mind: fearful, fear of dogs, people, heights, looking down, narrow places. 'A frightened little bird'. She is nervous and suspicious, she feels that people think she is doing things wrong. She is always tense: 'mind you don't fall'. She gets very upset by criticism. She appears nervous and a little arrogant. Her voice is soft and a bit childlike; she speaks fast. She had a very sheltered upbringing. Her father was quick tempered, her mother had a persevering character but was quite demanding and invaded the privacy of the children. She likes music, she sings and plays the recorder. She likes company. Her marriage is good, but her husband is very closed. She doesn't have any children. Analysis On the basis of her personality I had already given Puls, Calc and Lyc. The cystitis disappeared but the sciatica started, obviously a suppression. I was having problems, and so was she. I could only think of Tellurium (sciatica (<) sneezing, laughing, coughing), which alleviated the pain after the first dose, but didn't do anything the second time. After searching long and hard my choice was finally Arg-m. on the basis of: 'back, pain, lumbar region, sitting, while' (Kent, page 906) and 'back, pain, lumbar region, drawing up limbs agg' (Kent, 1985 b, page 906), together with the nervous and anxious picture which reminded me of a cold Arg-n. Such an analysis is not really satisfactory and often not successful either but, through lack of anything better, sometimes unavoidable. And if, in spite of this, the remedy happens to be a great success, it is often possible to learn a great deal more about it. Reaction Following Arg-m there was a great general improvement. The sciatica disappeared completely. She needed another two doses during the following two years. Case A woman of 20 has been coming for two years with various complaints. Colds, stuffed up nose, blocked ears (<) blowing nose, (<) wind. Headache in forehead, more on the left than on the right side, stabbing pain and feeling of pressure, (<) tiredness, (<) excitement and anger, (<) going from cold to heat, (<) inside (2). (>) outside (2), sitting and rest,
(<) reading, vision bad, squinting, dancing letters, pressure in eyes, pain in right eye, stabbing, tingling, pulsating, plus noises in ear, like sea waves. Concentration difficult. Cannot relax her head. Pain in her neck on the right side, as if there is a bruise, cramp (<) wrong movements, stiffness, (<) morning. Other complaints: hoarseness, white spots in the throat. Eyes: glued together in the morning, dry. Styes. Red eyelids. Palpitations (<) exertion. Easily out of breath. Stomach pains (<) milk, feeling of nausea with bloating and rumbling. Pain in abdomen, stitching (<) after meals, (<) lying on left side, (>) heat.
Acne on forehead. Inflammation around hole in left earlobe.
Growing pains in right shin bone (<) standing a long time, creaking knees, weak ankles. Stitching pains in front of left shoulder, numb and paralysed feeling in left arm. Nails split and break easily. Past history: ear infections, mostly left sided. Eczema in hollow of knees, elbows and medial thighs. Enuresis. General characteristics: Temperature: cold, cold hands and feet; hot flushes, sometimes after blowing nose; she feels too hot after 5 minutes in the sun, (<) inside (2), (>) outside (2); restless during storms.
Perspiration: under arms.
Time: (>) evening.
Desires: mashed potatoes with vegetables, refreshing things, sour (2), sweet (2), chocolate (3), unusual food.
Aversion: fat, sprouts, salt; little thirst.
(<) green pepper (2), (<) fasting. Menses: copious with clots, cramping pain in the left abdomen, pain in the back, stabbing, nagging, (>) hot water bottle, (<) pressure; irritable before menses; yellow-white, slightly itching discharge. Sleep: difficulty falling asleep because she thinks of problems; nightmares when she lies on her right side; usually sleeps on left side. Mind: She is jealous of her sister: she feels that they give her more attention. Her parents are old-fashioned. She feels restricted, particularly by her mother. She has to finish her school first, but she hates it. She would rather start a course in designing clothes and fashion. She has plans of starting her own enterprise as a fashion designer. She is reserved and likes to know where she stands. She can't handle things if they happen too fast; this makes her cry. She is very idealistic. She was very angry with a former boyfriend because he went around showing off that he had chatted her up and got her where he wanted. Fear of heights (2) and narrow places (3). Impression: a lively woman who knows what she wants. She doesn't express herself very easily. Analysis This is another patient to whom I had given several remedies, more or less in vain. Until Smits (case taking evening) showed me an Arg-m case with severe phobias and stiffness in the neck in the morning on waking (Kent, 1985 b, page 947). My patient had the same complaints together with some general indications for Arg-m: desire for sweet, fear of heights and narrow spaces, anticipation and fears. She feels the cold and is better in the evening, further symptoms of Arg-m. And lastly I recognised the slight arrogance, which was similar to the previous case. Reaction She felt much better after Arg-m. She had more self confidence, the fears became less and the complaints disappeared almost completely. Case This 45 year old woman is the mother of the patient of the previous case. She has some complaints since her second daughter was born ten years ago. Intestinal problems: belching, (<) after drinking, green peppers and cucumber. Flatus, sometimes stinking, (<) cabbage, (<) sitting. Pain in the abdomen with rumbling. Constipation when travelling. Other complaints: tiredness, memory not very good. Headache in forehead, right sided, slight feeling as if she will fall down, expanded feeling. Eyes itching, photophobia (>) wearing sunglasses. Slight strabismus to the left.
Frequent colds. Sneezing attacks (<) mowing grass, (<) dust. Hoarseness (>) since she took up singing.
Sudden tearing pains shooting through left arm. Stitches in elbows, (<) rain. Feeling as if a fire is shooting through the bones in her hands. Index finger is numb. Tingling sensation, as from needles in the arm, the tips of the left ringfinger and little finger. Heavy feeling in left upper arm, followed by a cold feeling, (<) driving, (<) sitting in the same position for a long time, (>) movement. It sometimes wakes her up, (>) night, (<) evening. Tired, restless and sick feeling. Musty smell to the urine. Many inflammations of the bladder: burning, frequent urination of small amounts. Followed, a few days later, by feverishness, itching and skin rashes. Pain in the back after sitting a long time. Restless legs. High blood pressure, 140/85. Swollen feet and ankles, (<) standing, (<) evening. Slight eczema on head, elbows, thighs, hands and feet. Blistery and scaly skin. Itching around waist, (<) evening. Warts on right thumb and index finger. Past history: jaundice with remaining tenderness of liver region. Both her daughters were born through caesarean section, because her pelvis is too narrow. Vaginal correction. Runny nose as a child. Acne on forehead. General characteristics: Temperature: cold, (<) before menses, cold feet. (<) before snow. (<) or (>) heat, (>) sun but it makes her lazy. (>) sea. (<) cold and damp weather. Time: (<) 2 pm and 8 pm. Desires: honey, sweet, cherries. Aversion: oatmeal porridge, sour; little thirst. (<) green pepper, cabbage, cucumber, onions, bread, cheese, beans (<) fried food. Menses: painful, like labour pains, (>) hot water bottle, occasional fainting, long lasting, back ache after getting up. yellow green discharge
(<) before menses, sometimes after; irritable before menses. Sleep: feels refreshed from a short nap; sleeps on right side; sleepless before menses; wakes at 3 am to urinate. Dreamt that her neighbour had twins. Dreamt that she had to watch something, but couldn't. Mind: Tension, (<) when she has to talk about herself. nervous in large crowds. Meddles in the affairs of her daughter. Cries when her daughter is rude to her. Changeable moods with frequent depression. Cries easily without cause, or when she sees something sad. Indecisive over trifles. Angry when she is too busy. Takes on other people's problems. She likes music and singing. Doesn't like animals in the house. Her brother died suddenly of tetanus when she was 9. She was totally stiff with shock and surprise: she had sometimes wished her brother was dead because he was allowed to do many things that she wasn't. Fear of narrow spaces, has suffered from 'flat neurosis'. Marriage is good, she has two daughters. Sex is painful (<) dry vagina. They don't talk much to each other. She sometimes tries to get through by making jokes or nasty little remarks. They are both too much involved with themselves. Analysis This woman has been treated for several years with Lyc and Puls, with very satisfactory results, in her opinion. But I was not really satisfied: the complaints were better, but I didn't feel that I had really helped her on a deeper level. Since her daughter had reacted so well to Arg-m, it suddenly wasn't difficult anymore to see the same remedy picture in her. Reaction I saw a real improvement in her for the first time. She was no longer so depressed and the frequency of the consultations was drastically reduced. Case This 10 year old girl is the second daughter of the aforementioned woman. She has various complaints. Earache (<) swimming, a feeling as if the ear is blocked. Sometimes pain when she burps. Occasional days with shivers and fever. Cramping pain around the navel, (>) hot water bottle (2), (>) lying on her stomach, (<) tensions at school, too much noise, nervousness, (<) after school. Much wind, flatus and burping. Other complaints: hoarseness, (<) talking much. Nosebleeds, (<) colds, (<) after a violin performance. Small, itching pimples on forehead, chin, and behind ears. Past history: Cystitis after catching cold once. Born through caesarean section. General characteristics: Temperature: doesn't feel the cold; hates wearing a hat, likes bare feet. Fear of thunderstorm (2). Perspiration: at night, on forehead, (<) hot weather, (<) exertion. Desires: salads (2). refreshing food (2), starch (2), sweet, chocolate (2). Aversion: sour (3), mayonaise, green pepper, onions, cabbage; little thirst. (<) cucumber, cabbage. Sleep: difficulty falling asleep, because she thinks of frightening things, like ghosts and witches; she sleeps on her left side, but turns a lot. Dreams about circles and triangles from which she can't escape. Dreams of frightening things she has seen on television. Mind: She likes organising everyone, is the 'boss' at home, has her say in everything. But at school she is very quiet. She is kind and quiet, but doesn't like being on her own. She can play very well, playing doctors, building tents etc. She is very sensitive and feels unspoken feelings. She cries easily when she has pain, when she is frightened, and when her father quarrels with her elder sister. She likes the colours turquoise and pink. She likes being noticed by her clothes, or her violin playing. But she wouldn't like to be noticed in the way where, for instance, she was the first or the last girl in the class who started her menstruation. She would like to own a big mansion when she is older. She has fear of high places, but only when she looks down. Analysis Here we have the same sort of story: frequent doses of Puls or Lyc, without any real success. Fortunately, having found the family remedy, this case suddenly became easy to treat, because I recognised the indications for Arg-m. Reaction There was a clear mental as well as physical improvement after Arg-m. Case A 65 year old woman comes with arthritis. She is dignified, quiet, but slightly tense, also a little arrogant. The joint problems are located in shoulders, thumbs and knees. Her shoulders are often painful and stiff on trying to lift her arms. Pain in the front of her left shoulder, radiating to left arm and wrist, (<) when breathing out. Both thumbs are painful at the wrist joint. Knees painful after cycling. Pains are worse in the heat, summer, damp weather and in the morning. Sometimes pain in the lower back. The diagnosis is arthritis. Her bowels are slow and she has frequent colds from being in a draught. Past history of two eye operations, when she was 9 and 15, because of a lazy left eye. Also an operation for painful and bleeding piles when she was 44. General characteristics: Temperature: she likes the summer, but the sun sometimes gives her a headache; complaints aggravated from warmth and damp; little perspiration. Desires: sweet (3), salt (2), pineapple (2), apple sauce (2). Aversion: broad beans (2). Menses: stopped when she was 55; used to be a little tense before menses. Sleep: difficulty falling asleep, uses a sleeping tablet; sleeps on her right side. Mind: she says about her character: impatient, wants to do everything in a hurry, easy going, too soft, rather than too hard. Other people think she is a bit pushy, not easily shaken. She doesn't get angry, is very restrained, except when people say something about her that isn't true. She likes to behave in a civilised manner: she won't boast, for instance, about her beautiful home, for which she saved up for many years. She likes soft music, such as piano or violin music. Religion is important to her, because it gives her strength and security. She suffers from fear of heights on swings, high towers and in the mountains. She is happily married. Her husband works hard and has not always given her the attention she would have liked. He is also rather strict and was often angry with their eldest child, who couldn't learn very well and only managed to finish his secondary school with great difficulty. She still cries sometimes because her husband was far too strict with him. She doesn't often feel like sexual contact. Analysis This last case is the most beautiful, from a homoeopathic point of view. One dose of Arg-m 1M cleared up all the problems and she feels much better, mentally and energetically. At the end of the consultation I still didn't know which remedy I was going to prescribe, until I asked myself where I had felt this sort of atmosphere before, with the slightly arrogant and at the same time anxious and trembling appearance. This was a personality that reminded me of the previously mentioned Arg-m cases. Then it was no longer difficult to recognise the other indications of Arg-m: the fear of heights, desire for sweet and the arthritis. Picture of Argentum metallicum Essence: they feel that they are worth a great deal, but they doubt whether they can make this come true. Mind: They have a sort of reserved arrogance, to compensate for their feeling of inferiority. People tell them things like: 'don't be such a show off', or ' who do you think you are?' But what they receive is a mixed message: on the one side they are expected to achieve a lot, and on the other side they shouldn't get 'airs and graces' about it. They try and compensate for their inner feeling of inferiority by developing a very refined and civilised personality. They like soft music, the violin, piano or flute, and they often play these instruments themselves. Inner refinement is important to them, a soft and gentle culture in which they can shine. They find the same sort of gentle security in religions such as anthroposophy. The gentleness is also found in their preference for soft, pastel colours. And so they appear to be very gentle and quiet, even timid. They seem to be easy going, a little like Pulsatilla. But they know very well what they want and they go exactly the way they want to go (dictatorial). This is the side that is usually hidden and which only comes out at home (DD: Lyc). They do this to show that there is more to them than people think, that they can own a big house etc. They are reserved and don't like talking about themselves, especially not about their feeling of inferiority. They are afraid that this fragile facade will collapse. That is why they are afraid to perform, or to be recorded on video. Until now I have only had two patients who didn't want to have the consultation taped on video, and they were both Arg-m. They are timid, (<) performing in public. They are not very spontaneous and they don't have many friends, although they do have a lot of acquaintances. They even find it difficult to talk with their partner, because of their fear of intimacy. Sexually they don't experience much pleasure; the fear to lose their refined image is too strong. Eventually they may become depressed: 'What am I doing in this world?' They are quite nervous in their behaviour, although not openly (DD Arg-n). Their fear of appearing in public is related to their fear of not having anything worth presenting to the public. 'Not worthy of putting myself forward' can be seen as the symbolic for the whole Arg-m state. The anxiety can be noticed in their voice too: it is slow, soft with a faint tremor, sometimes even hoarseness. Their face is often tight, with slightly trembling jaws (DD Zinc) The urge to achieve makes them hurried and impatient, with restless legs (DD: Zinc) Great fear of heights, narrow spaces, criticism, crowds, street, disease, anticipation (DD Arg-n). These fears can increase to phobic states. The theme of being locked up returns in their dreams. It is similar to the delusion 'being trapped' for Arg-n (Sankaran 1991, page 225). They may develop a great mental weakness (mind, prostration): concentration difficult, forgetful, even dementia or Parkinsons disease. General characteristics: The symptoms are generally left sided. The stiff and tense feelings resemble the mental picture. Kent mentions the typical grey discharges. Temperature: cold, but (<) heat and sun. (<) damp and cold, (<) wind, inside. (>) outside.
Time: (<) 1 pm, (>) evening.
Desires: sweet (3), fruit, fresh (2), sour, chocolate, alcohol.
Aversion: fat (2), meat (2). Little thirst.
(<) green peppers (2), cabbage (2), sprouts, cucumber (2). (>) coffee.
Sleep: difficulty falling asleep (<) beautiful fantasies; sleeps on right side. Physical: (<) rest (3), sitting, (>) movement, (<) touch. Complaints: Neuralgias with shooting, electric pains, tingling and numbness. Headache. Eyes: inflammations. Strabismus, diverging left. Lazy eye, vision bad. Ear: inflammations, blocked. Nose: colds, nosebleeds. Tonsillitis left, (<) swallowing, (>) cold drinks.
Laryngitis, hoarseness (<) talking, singing. Stomach and bowel complaints similar to lyc: rumbling, flatus, diarrhoea and constipation. Palpitations (>) lying on left side, (>) breathing in.
Inflammations of the bladder.
Inflammations of the vagina, ovaries or testes, even cancer.
Irregularities in the cartilage: hardening or swelling, arthritis, ribs.
Pain and stiffness in neck (<) morning. Writers cramp. A typical pain appears to be in the front of the left shoulder, radiating and shooting through the arm, into the hand, with a feeling of paralysis, tingling and numbness, (<) rest or being in the same position for a long time, (>) movement.
Backache, sciatica, shooting pain in legs, (<) sitting (3), (<) drawing up the legs, (>) movement.
Skin: eczema, itching.
DD: Arg-n, Aur, Carc, Chin, Lyc, Mang, Pall, Plb, Puls, Sil, Zinc.
Argentum metallicum is one of those remedies which have been extensively discussed in all the old literature, but which are seldom prescribed. The picture has many symptoms, but a real theme is lacking.
Through studying the following five cases, a mental picture of Argentum metallicum slowly emerged.
Case
A 55 year old woman has frequent cystitis. She complains of a stiff, tense, swollen feeling in the abdomen, feverishness, frequent urination with a feeble flow, pain after urination and blood in the urine. It started after exposure to cold wind.
Sciatica, pain in the right buttock, radiating to the back of the thigh and ankle, (<) sitting (3), (<) stooping, drawing up the legs, stretching, lying on the back or on the right side, (<) laughing, sneezing, coughing, (>) walking upright and climbing stairs.
plus swelling in bend of knee, tingling in legs, numbness in feet, feverish.
plus dizziness, crying, no reflex in achilles tendon.
Other complaints: pain in stomach, left sided, stitching and drawing, (<) pressure(<) (<) fat. Constipation, occasional incontinence of faeces, doesn't feel it. Inflammation of right knee joint, hot, red, stabbing pain, (<) warmth, (>) cold, (<) movement. Swollen glands in axillae and hollows of the knees, with a stiff and tight feeling. Eczema in hollow of elbow, little finger and ring finger. Since childhood she has had vaginal infections: yellow discharge with itching, (<) at night and when she is tired. Past history: tonsillitis, first on the right, then on the left, pain in throat, (<) hard food (>) cold drinks.
Pain in throat with hoarseness or loss of voice.
General characteristics:
Temperature: cold, hot flushes with perspiration, sometimes in the hands; feeling of suffocation in the sun, fear of thunderstorms (2); tiredness during storms, desires fresh air (2).
Desires: cheese, fruit, sweets.
Aversion: fat, tough meat; little thirst.
(<) fat, cabbage, kiwi, leeks, soft fruit. (<) smoke. Menses: stopped when she was 45; used to have severe cramp; swollen abdomen and breasts before menses. Sleep: she usually sleeps on her right side; often wakes at 3 am to urinate. Dreams are weird: that she lies dead in a coffin, which is as narrow as a snake, that her brother died from a piece of food that got stuck in his throat. Mind: fearful, fear of dogs, people, heights, looking down, narrow places. 'A frightened little bird'. She is nervous and suspicious, she feels that people think she is doing things wrong. She is always tense: 'mind you don't fall'. She gets very upset by criticism. She appears nervous and a little arrogant. Her voice is soft and a bit childlike; she speaks fast. She had a very sheltered upbringing. Her father was quick tempered, her mother had a persevering character but was quite demanding and invaded the privacy of the children. She likes music, she sings and plays the recorder. She likes company. Her marriage is good, but her husband is very closed. She doesn't have any children. Analysis On the basis of her personality I had already given Puls, Calc and Lyc. The cystitis disappeared but the sciatica started, obviously a suppression. I was having problems, and so was she. I could only think of Tellurium (sciatica (<) sneezing, laughing, coughing), which alleviated the pain after the first dose, but didn't do anything the second time. After searching long and hard my choice was finally Arg-m. on the basis of: 'back, pain, lumbar region, sitting, while' (Kent, page 906) and 'back, pain, lumbar region, drawing up limbs agg' (Kent, 1985 b, page 906), together with the nervous and anxious picture which reminded me of a cold Arg-n. Such an analysis is not really satisfactory and often not successful either but, through lack of anything better, sometimes unavoidable. And if, in spite of this, the remedy happens to be a great success, it is often possible to learn a great deal more about it. Reaction Following Arg-m there was a great general improvement. The sciatica disappeared completely. She needed another two doses during the following two years. Case A woman of 20 has been coming for two years with various complaints. Colds, stuffed up nose, blocked ears (<) blowing nose, (<) wind. Headache in forehead, more on the left than on the right side, stabbing pain and feeling of pressure, (<) tiredness, (<) excitement and anger, (<) going from cold to heat, (<) inside (2). (>) outside (2), sitting and rest,
(<) reading, vision bad, squinting, dancing letters, pressure in eyes, pain in right eye, stabbing, tingling, pulsating, plus noises in ear, like sea waves. Concentration difficult. Cannot relax her head. Pain in her neck on the right side, as if there is a bruise, cramp (<) wrong movements, stiffness, (<) morning. Other complaints: hoarseness, white spots in the throat. Eyes: glued together in the morning, dry. Styes. Red eyelids. Palpitations (<) exertion. Easily out of breath. Stomach pains (<) milk, feeling of nausea with bloating and rumbling. Pain in abdomen, stitching (<) after meals, (<) lying on left side, (>) heat.
Acne on forehead. Inflammation around hole in left earlobe.
Growing pains in right shin bone (<) standing a long time, creaking knees, weak ankles. Stitching pains in front of left shoulder, numb and paralysed feeling in left arm. Nails split and break easily. Past history: ear infections, mostly left sided. Eczema in hollow of knees, elbows and medial thighs. Enuresis. General characteristics: Temperature: cold, cold hands and feet; hot flushes, sometimes after blowing nose; she feels too hot after 5 minutes in the sun, (<) inside (2), (>) outside (2); restless during storms.
Perspiration: under arms.
Time: (>) evening.
Desires: mashed potatoes with vegetables, refreshing things, sour (2), sweet (2), chocolate (3), unusual food.
Aversion: fat, sprouts, salt; little thirst.
(<) green pepper (2), (<) fasting. Menses: copious with clots, cramping pain in the left abdomen, pain in the back, stabbing, nagging, (>) hot water bottle, (<) pressure; irritable before menses; yellow-white, slightly itching discharge. Sleep: difficulty falling asleep because she thinks of problems; nightmares when she lies on her right side; usually sleeps on left side. Mind: She is jealous of her sister: she feels that they give her more attention. Her parents are old-fashioned. She feels restricted, particularly by her mother. She has to finish her school first, but she hates it. She would rather start a course in designing clothes and fashion. She has plans of starting her own enterprise as a fashion designer. She is reserved and likes to know where she stands. She can't handle things if they happen too fast; this makes her cry. She is very idealistic. She was very angry with a former boyfriend because he went around showing off that he had chatted her up and got her where he wanted. Fear of heights (2) and narrow places (3). Impression: a lively woman who knows what she wants. She doesn't express herself very easily. Analysis This is another patient to whom I had given several remedies, more or less in vain. Until Smits (case taking evening) showed me an Arg-m case with severe phobias and stiffness in the neck in the morning on waking (Kent, 1985 b, page 947). My patient had the same complaints together with some general indications for Arg-m: desire for sweet, fear of heights and narrow spaces, anticipation and fears. She feels the cold and is better in the evening, further symptoms of Arg-m. And lastly I recognised the slight arrogance, which was similar to the previous case. Reaction She felt much better after Arg-m. She had more self confidence, the fears became less and the complaints disappeared almost completely. Case This 45 year old woman is the mother of the patient of the previous case. She has some complaints since her second daughter was born ten years ago. Intestinal problems: belching, (<) after drinking, green peppers and cucumber. Flatus, sometimes stinking, (<) cabbage, (<) sitting. Pain in the abdomen with rumbling. Constipation when travelling. Other complaints: tiredness, memory not very good. Headache in forehead, right sided, slight feeling as if she will fall down, expanded feeling. Eyes itching, photophobia (>) wearing sunglasses. Slight strabismus to the left.
Frequent colds. Sneezing attacks (<) mowing grass, (<) dust. Hoarseness (>) since she took up singing.
Sudden tearing pains shooting through left arm. Stitches in elbows, (<) rain. Feeling as if a fire is shooting through the bones in her hands. Index finger is numb. Tingling sensation, as from needles in the arm, the tips of the left ringfinger and little finger. Heavy feeling in left upper arm, followed by a cold feeling, (<) driving, (<) sitting in the same position for a long time, (>) movement. It sometimes wakes her up, (>) night, (<) evening. Tired, restless and sick feeling. Musty smell to the urine. Many inflammations of the bladder: burning, frequent urination of small amounts. Followed, a few days later, by feverishness, itching and skin rashes. Pain in the back after sitting a long time. Restless legs. High blood pressure, 140/85. Swollen feet and ankles, (<) standing, (<) evening. Slight eczema on head, elbows, thighs, hands and feet. Blistery and scaly skin. Itching around waist, (<) evening. Warts on right thumb and index finger. Past history: jaundice with remaining tenderness of liver region. Both her daughters were born through caesarean section, because her pelvis is too narrow. Vaginal correction. Runny nose as a child. Acne on forehead. General characteristics: Temperature: cold, (<) before menses, cold feet. (<) before snow. (<) or (>) heat, (>) sun but it makes her lazy. (>) sea. (<) cold and damp weather. Time: (<) 2 pm and 8 pm. Desires: honey, sweet, cherries. Aversion: oatmeal porridge, sour; little thirst. (<) green pepper, cabbage, cucumber, onions, bread, cheese, beans (<) fried food. Menses: painful, like labour pains, (>) hot water bottle, occasional fainting, long lasting, back ache after getting up. yellow green discharge
(<) before menses, sometimes after; irritable before menses. Sleep: feels refreshed from a short nap; sleeps on right side; sleepless before menses; wakes at 3 am to urinate. Dreamt that her neighbour had twins. Dreamt that she had to watch something, but couldn't. Mind: Tension, (<) when she has to talk about herself. nervous in large crowds. Meddles in the affairs of her daughter. Cries when her daughter is rude to her. Changeable moods with frequent depression. Cries easily without cause, or when she sees something sad. Indecisive over trifles. Angry when she is too busy. Takes on other people's problems. She likes music and singing. Doesn't like animals in the house. Her brother died suddenly of tetanus when she was 9. She was totally stiff with shock and surprise: she had sometimes wished her brother was dead because he was allowed to do many things that she wasn't. Fear of narrow spaces, has suffered from 'flat neurosis'. Marriage is good, she has two daughters. Sex is painful (<) dry vagina. They don't talk much to each other. She sometimes tries to get through by making jokes or nasty little remarks. They are both too much involved with themselves. Analysis This woman has been treated for several years with Lyc and Puls, with very satisfactory results, in her opinion. But I was not really satisfied: the complaints were better, but I didn't feel that I had really helped her on a deeper level. Since her daughter had reacted so well to Arg-m, it suddenly wasn't difficult anymore to see the same remedy picture in her. Reaction I saw a real improvement in her for the first time. She was no longer so depressed and the frequency of the consultations was drastically reduced. Case This 10 year old girl is the second daughter of the aforementioned woman. She has various complaints. Earache (<) swimming, a feeling as if the ear is blocked. Sometimes pain when she burps. Occasional days with shivers and fever. Cramping pain around the navel, (>) hot water bottle (2), (>) lying on her stomach, (<) tensions at school, too much noise, nervousness, (<) after school. Much wind, flatus and burping. Other complaints: hoarseness, (<) talking much. Nosebleeds, (<) colds, (<) after a violin performance. Small, itching pimples on forehead, chin, and behind ears. Past history: Cystitis after catching cold once. Born through caesarean section. General characteristics: Temperature: doesn't feel the cold; hates wearing a hat, likes bare feet. Fear of thunderstorm (2). Perspiration: at night, on forehead, (<) hot weather, (<) exertion. Desires: salads (2). refreshing food (2), starch (2), sweet, chocolate (2). Aversion: sour (3), mayonaise, green pepper, onions, cabbage; little thirst. (<) cucumber, cabbage. Sleep: difficulty falling asleep, because she thinks of frightening things, like ghosts and witches; she sleeps on her left side, but turns a lot. Dreams about circles and triangles from which she can't escape. Dreams of frightening things she has seen on television. Mind: She likes organising everyone, is the 'boss' at home, has her say in everything. But at school she is very quiet. She is kind and quiet, but doesn't like being on her own. She can play very well, playing doctors, building tents etc. She is very sensitive and feels unspoken feelings. She cries easily when she has pain, when she is frightened, and when her father quarrels with her elder sister. She likes the colours turquoise and pink. She likes being noticed by her clothes, or her violin playing. But she wouldn't like to be noticed in the way where, for instance, she was the first or the last girl in the class who started her menstruation. She would like to own a big mansion when she is older. She has fear of high places, but only when she looks down. Analysis Here we have the same sort of story: frequent doses of Puls or Lyc, without any real success. Fortunately, having found the family remedy, this case suddenly became easy to treat, because I recognised the indications for Arg-m. Reaction There was a clear mental as well as physical improvement after Arg-m. Case A 65 year old woman comes with arthritis. She is dignified, quiet, but slightly tense, also a little arrogant. The joint problems are located in shoulders, thumbs and knees. Her shoulders are often painful and stiff on trying to lift her arms. Pain in the front of her left shoulder, radiating to left arm and wrist, (<) when breathing out. Both thumbs are painful at the wrist joint. Knees painful after cycling. Pains are worse in the heat, summer, damp weather and in the morning. Sometimes pain in the lower back. The diagnosis is arthritis. Her bowels are slow and she has frequent colds from being in a draught. Past history of two eye operations, when she was 9 and 15, because of a lazy left eye. Also an operation for painful and bleeding piles when she was 44. General characteristics: Temperature: she likes the summer, but the sun sometimes gives her a headache; complaints aggravated from warmth and damp; little perspiration. Desires: sweet (3), salt (2), pineapple (2), apple sauce (2). Aversion: broad beans (2). Menses: stopped when she was 55; used to be a little tense before menses. Sleep: difficulty falling asleep, uses a sleeping tablet; sleeps on her right side. Mind: she says about her character: impatient, wants to do everything in a hurry, easy going, too soft, rather than too hard. Other people think she is a bit pushy, not easily shaken. She doesn't get angry, is very restrained, except when people say something about her that isn't true. She likes to behave in a civilised manner: she won't boast, for instance, about her beautiful home, for which she saved up for many years. She likes soft music, such as piano or violin music. Religion is important to her, because it gives her strength and security. She suffers from fear of heights on swings, high towers and in the mountains. She is happily married. Her husband works hard and has not always given her the attention she would have liked. He is also rather strict and was often angry with their eldest child, who couldn't learn very well and only managed to finish his secondary school with great difficulty. She still cries sometimes because her husband was far too strict with him. She doesn't often feel like sexual contact. Analysis This last case is the most beautiful, from a homoeopathic point of view. One dose of Arg-m 1M cleared up all the problems and she feels much better, mentally and energetically. At the end of the consultation I still didn't know which remedy I was going to prescribe, until I asked myself where I had felt this sort of atmosphere before, with the slightly arrogant and at the same time anxious and trembling appearance. This was a personality that reminded me of the previously mentioned Arg-m cases. Then it was no longer difficult to recognise the other indications of Arg-m: the fear of heights, desire for sweet and the arthritis. Picture of Argentum metallicum Essence: they feel that they are worth a great deal, but they doubt whether they can make this come true. Mind: They have a sort of reserved arrogance, to compensate for their feeling of inferiority. People tell them things like: 'don't be such a show off', or ' who do you think you are?' But what they receive is a mixed message: on the one side they are expected to achieve a lot, and on the other side they shouldn't get 'airs and graces' about it. They try and compensate for their inner feeling of inferiority by developing a very refined and civilised personality. They like soft music, the violin, piano or flute, and they often play these instruments themselves. Inner refinement is important to them, a soft and gentle culture in which they can shine. They find the same sort of gentle security in religions such as anthroposophy. The gentleness is also found in their preference for soft, pastel colours. And so they appear to be very gentle and quiet, even timid. They seem to be easy going, a little like Pulsatilla. But they know very well what they want and they go exactly the way they want to go (dictatorial). This is the side that is usually hidden and which only comes out at home (DD: Lyc). They do this to show that there is more to them than people think, that they can own a big house etc. They are reserved and don't like talking about themselves, especially not about their feeling of inferiority. They are afraid that this fragile facade will collapse. That is why they are afraid to perform, or to be recorded on video. Until now I have only had two patients who didn't want to have the consultation taped on video, and they were both Arg-m. They are timid, (<) performing in public. They are not very spontaneous and they don't have many friends, although they do have a lot of acquaintances. They even find it difficult to talk with their partner, because of their fear of intimacy. Sexually they don't experience much pleasure; the fear to lose their refined image is too strong. Eventually they may become depressed: 'What am I doing in this world?' They are quite nervous in their behaviour, although not openly (DD Arg-n). Their fear of appearing in public is related to their fear of not having anything worth presenting to the public. 'Not worthy of putting myself forward' can be seen as the symbolic for the whole Arg-m state. The anxiety can be noticed in their voice too: it is slow, soft with a faint tremor, sometimes even hoarseness. Their face is often tight, with slightly trembling jaws (DD Zinc) The urge to achieve makes them hurried and impatient, with restless legs (DD: Zinc) Great fear of heights, narrow spaces, criticism, crowds, street, disease, anticipation (DD Arg-n). These fears can increase to phobic states. The theme of being locked up returns in their dreams. It is similar to the delusion 'being trapped' for Arg-n (Sankaran 1991, page 225). They may develop a great mental weakness (mind, prostration): concentration difficult, forgetful, even dementia or Parkinsons disease. General characteristics: The symptoms are generally left sided. The stiff and tense feelings resemble the mental picture. Kent mentions the typical grey discharges. Temperature: cold, but (<) heat and sun. (<) damp and cold, (<) wind, inside. (>) outside.
Time: (<) 1 pm, (>) evening.
Desires: sweet (3), fruit, fresh (2), sour, chocolate, alcohol.
Aversion: fat (2), meat (2). Little thirst.
(<) green peppers (2), cabbage (2), sprouts, cucumber (2). (>) coffee.
Sleep: difficulty falling asleep (<) beautiful fantasies; sleeps on right side. Physical: (<) rest (3), sitting, (>) movement, (<) touch. Complaints: Neuralgias with shooting, electric pains, tingling and numbness. Headache. Eyes: inflammations. Strabismus, diverging left. Lazy eye, vision bad. Ear: inflammations, blocked. Nose: colds, nosebleeds. Tonsillitis left, (<) swallowing, (>) cold drinks.
Laryngitis, hoarseness (<) talking, singing. Stomach and bowel complaints similar to lyc: rumbling, flatus, diarrhoea and constipation. Palpitations (>) lying on left side, (>) breathing in.
Inflammations of the bladder.
Inflammations of the vagina, ovaries or testes, even cancer.
Irregularities in the cartilage: hardening or swelling, arthritis, ribs.
Pain and stiffness in neck (<) morning. Writers cramp. A typical pain appears to be in the front of the left shoulder, radiating and shooting through the arm, into the hand, with a feeling of paralysis, tingling and numbness, (<) rest or being in the same position for a long time, (>) movement.
Backache, sciatica, shooting pain in legs, (<) sitting (3), (<) drawing up the legs, (>) movement.
Skin: eczema, itching.
DD: Arg-n, Aur, Carc, Chin, Lyc, Mang, Pall, Plb, Puls, Sil, Zinc.
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