EXPERIENCES WITH SEPIA


After sixteen days backache disappearing entirely. Menses normal, but felt bloated before menstruation; copious perspiration; acrid leucorrhoea. Sepia 30. Report in three weeks: has been feeling well for some time. Sepia was discontinued. At menstrual time leucorrhoea showed a little, but that also disappeared after a few more doses of Sepia.


(From the Pacific Coast Journal of Homoeopathy.).

IN the last decades of the last century articles under this caption appeared in the Allgemeine Homoeopathische Zeitung. in which a number of remedies were demonstrated in their action (especially as to modalities) in cases from medical practice. This rubric was then liked very much; to-day those issues are very much sought after, but can hardly be had. Resurrection of this casuistic department shall be tried, from which we expect a practical repetition of the remedy pictures, as only the personal experience of our colleagues can draw them as living pictures.

We shall endeavour to demonstrate a remedy every time in its totality, and to work out the homoeopathic indications for its use. One object is to halt the spreading tendency of prescribing on the basis of a clinical diagnosis. In suite of the necessity of clinical diagnosis and the evaluation of all its advances and refinements, the good homoeopathic physician in the final analysis considers the remedy picture in its totality as the basis of all successful therapy.

Sepia, known to Galen as a tonic and stomachic-was called by Hahnemann: “great polychrest”; von Boenninghausen says: “It is most prominent among our polychrests”; Farrington: “a priceless medicine”; Dunham: “Sepia is one our most important +medicines.”

The best description of the Sepia constitution we owe to Dr. Kunkel: Individuals of dark hair; they perspire easily, especially on the back, in the axillae, between mammae, on the genitals; their face is pale, dirty yellowish-brown spots around mouth and on forehead; flying heat to face; inclination to neuralgias; headache, especially upon awakening in the morning, often relieved after rising, awakening in the morning, often relieved after rising, frequently accompanied by nausea and vomiting; head heavy upon awakening; sleep dose not refresh; bodily restlessness, forcing patient to rise from chair often to walk around; complains of stiffness upon rising, “cannot get going.” Cannot stand warm air in room nor outside; symptoms worse from fog, north and east wind, and from sour and fatty food. There to six days before menstrual flow abdominal pains and aggravation of all symptoms.

While Kunkel and von Boenninghausen consider Sepia especially indicated in dark completed persons, yet it acts as well,if indicated in blondes, men or women, fat or lean, adults or children.

Let the case historian talk now:.

1. Female past 60. For years frontal headache with chills, especially morning, upon awakening, disappearing after one to one and a half house, or lasting during the day and disappearing after sleep; often nausea and vomiting. Much flying heat; cannot sit for any length of time; does not tolerate fatty food and sultry air. Skin dry. Perspirations. Aggravations from (piano)music, causes depression, dissatisfaction, to total weariness of life.

Sepia C.40, a drop twice daily cured completely in ten day. (Dr. Kunkel.).

2. Woman of 51. Aside from general Sepia constitution, she presents nerve and mental symptoms. Above one eye (changing, right or left) pin of throbbing, stitching and thrusting character with feeling of heat shooting upwards, or from within out, worse from every draught, noise or motion; pains especially during weak menses, which still occur every few months; better from bathing (yellowish) face, afternoons, while mornings and evenings everything seems to be worse. Patient is deeply depressed, in bad humour, weeps from least cause; is at times very irritable, and again absolutely apathetic toward household duties and condition of her family, therefore generally a very unsympathetic person.

Sepia D.3 given continually for three months cured (Dr. Schier).

3. Man of middle age has a nervous vertigo, worse when he has time to think of himself, also from standing for any length of time in the heat of sun; better when outside. The head feels as if he were drunk; worse morning and night. In closed room feels easily oppressed. Cannot remain seated long. Formerly had asthmatic attacks during east wind. Sepia 30 every third night cured in 3 weeks. (Dr. Hesse.).

4. Girl of 8, blonde, red cheeks, well nourished, has had epileptic attacks for a year; convulsions with loss of consciousness every two or four weeks. Lachesis 3o without result. Does not fell well in warm room, or confined air; is tired mornings. The mother has been suffering from migraine.

Sepia C.200 every third evening. After 5 months free from attacks, Since parents feared recurrence of the trouble because the former premonitory symptoms showed again: yawning, vertigo, loss of appetite, one more dose of Sepia C.200 was given. Complete cure. (Dr. Hesse.).

5. Child of 14 months has a red, dry breaking out on cheek, on, and behind right ear, in left bend of elbow; dry crust on head. Head perspires, wetting the pillow (dentition was easy); uncovers; itching when warm in bed. Sulphur, Silicea and Graphites were given without any result; child very restless, does not sit still a moment.

Two doses of Sepia C.200 cured the skin condition. Later suppuration of left ear and breaking out below this ear. Sepia 30 weekly soon cured. (Dr. Hesse.).

6.Miss K., 18, since childhood has had moist eruption behind ears. Suffers also from inflamed eyelids, cold feet, often ulcerated nose. Abdominal pain after flatulent food; inclined to morning diarrhoea. Cannot sit for any length of time, which increases headache and disturbs her general feeling. Craves vinegar.

Sepia 30 once weekly cured in six weeks.

7. Mrs. W., 25,complain of shortness of breath, worse from brisk walks, in house, in stale air, from eating, lying on right side, and from sitting up straight. Fetid perspiration of axillae, morning headache, better from cold washing.

Sepia 30 improved much in 8 weeks. Sepia C. 200 did not relieve relieve entirely in 3 months. Much sitting aggravates. Sepia C.200 was continued, and in 4 weeks patient was much improved and finally cured completely. (Dr. Hesse.).

8 Dark complexioned man of 32 complains for years of pressure pain in chest (examination negative) with constriction; feels best when he is hard at work, while rest increases his symptoms.

Sepia 6 improved much in four weeks. During the following four years he needed Sepia from time to time on account of recurrent pains. (Dr. Hesse.).

9. Mr. G., 27, has had asthma for 8 years, usually one severe attack annually (aside from many small ones), but had four such during the last two years of increasing severity, occurring usually at 2 or 3 a.m. Night-sweats before attacks; profuse perspiration during the day from prolonged walking; perspires easily. Feels better from motion than from sitting. Fog aggravates.

Sepia 30 once weekly. Eight weeks later: after primary severe aggravation improvement set in in every way, and cure followed. (Dr. Kunkel.).

10. Woman of 44 gets excited because “in left side of lower abdomen there sits something”. Patient has very red face, is lively and easily upset. Often palpitation worse in bed. Backache. Feels bad forenoon. Severe downward pressure in abdomen. Menses painful, except last one, which was profuse. The gynecological examination shows uterus enlarged, painful and retroverted. Adnexa normal. Has had leucorrhoea for four years.

Sepia 30 daily. After 12 days everything “fine”, even the feeling of prolapse is gone, but still has pain in left adnexa. Lilium tigrinum D.3. After there weeks menses painless, has neither palpitation nor backache, but again acrid leucorrhoea staining yellow. If she does not use tight support, has feeling as if everything would drop out. Sepia C.30 cured after three weeks. (Dr. Schilsky.).

11. Miss N., 30, for years suffered from pressing pain on stomach worse after eating and winters, better when working around. Appetite poor; craving for acids. Headache.

Sepia 30 every fourth evening curd. (Dr. Hesse.).

12. Pilot, 42, severe pressing pain in stomach for last six months, worse mornings, after lunch and dinner, when standing, sitting, especially when slumping down, when travelling in train, better from motion, sitting up straight, and when taking gymnastics (in the house0. Perspiring hands. Often fainting feeling.

Sepia cured in five days. Later he wrote that he did not consider it necessary to back, for he was well. (Dr. Hesse.).

13. Patient of 26 complains of severe pressing pains in stomach caused after anger; better from walking around and eating. Vertigo from walking out of doors. Appetite poor. Feels restless.

Sepia 30 for evenings. Improved much after a week. (Dr. Hesse.).

14. Physician followed sedentary habits for nine years, painful pressure in stomach; acid belching Aggravation from sitting, especially when slumping, from pressure of clothes; better from eating, siting up straight, exercise, gymnastics, belching, and in the open.

Sepia 30 improved immediately and cured completely. (Dr. Kunkel.).

15. Miss b., 50, has a general Sepia constitution with pronounced symptoms of venous stasis, better from motion which improved circulation. Obstructed portal circulation causes lazy liver function with sensation of pulsating in liver region in spite of empty feeling in abdomen with repeated haemorrhoidal bleeding; prolapsus ani; tympanitic abdomen relieved by belching; pinching abdominal pains with occasional diarrhoea alternating with ineffectual urging to stool; constricted feeling in anus and vagina. Characteristics are sensation of relaxation of tissues and symptoms of sexual organs with irregular delayed and weak menses. Only in this connection can the choice be:.

P. H. Janson