Cimicifuga. [Cimic]
In depressed states this is one of our best remedies. The patient is weak, depressed, “shrouded in a dark, heavy, mental atmosphere “; suspicions people and objects appear strange and unnatural, the brain feels too large. This sensation of a pall of gloom, or horrible sadness, settling over her is characteristic of the remedy. It is often expressed as a feeling as if something were about to happen, or as if they were going crazy. It thus becomes an important remedy in suicidal melancholia, melancholia of pregnancy in hysterical, rheumatic and neuralgic subjects, and especially in puerperal mania. Vision of rats and mice are sometimes seen, and the remedy has been successfully used in delirium tremens.
**Calcarea carbonica. The patient sees objects on closing the eyes which vanish when they are opened; like **Cimicifuga, it has an apprehensive state of the mind, the patient fearing she will go crazy, and that people will observe her.
**Alumina. Low spirited, apprehensive, fear of going crazy.
**Iodine. Fear of going crazy, shuns the doctor, has a dread of people, fears every occurrence will end seriously.
**Calcarea phosphorica. Dementia from masturbation in the young and senile dementia are often benefited by this remedy.
Delirium from drink or uterine troubles in rheumatic subjects will often suggest **Cimicifuga.
Natrum muriaticum. [Nat-m]
The patient requiring this remedy is melancholic, hypochondriacal, sad and hopeless about the future, easily angered, in fact, consolation aggravates. There is emaciation and a prematurely aged look. The periodic nature of the attacks may suggest a malarial basis. Overheating in the sun as a causal indication is a prominent symptom. Patient sheds floods of tears. With this remedy there is a persistent recalling of past unpleasantnesses and grievances. His memory is poor, conversation disconnected, has hallucinations of hearing and delusions. It has awkwardness, like **Bovista, Lachesis, Aethusa, Apis, Ignatia and Nux vomica.
**Pulsatilla. Mild, gentle and tearful, seeks consolation; not introspective like Ignatia.
**Natrum carbonicum. Hypochondriacal, dependent on gastric disturbances. The patient for whom **Natrum muriaticum is suitable is apt to have unjustifiable antipathy against certain people.
Sepia. [Sep]
Another melancholic remedy is **Sepia, which has dark forebodings about her disease, weak memory, sense of helplessness and great susceptibility to excitement, and still more to terror; despair; she dreads to be alone, wants company, but has an aversion to her own friends and is indifferent to her household affairs. It is especially useful in women with leucorrhoea and organic disease of the uterus or ovaries.
**Stannum. Low spirited in lung affections—an uncommon state; a tearful disposition; fears he will go into a decline.
**Thuja. Patient hurried; trifles make him angry; fixed idea of being brittle and will not permit anyone to approach, or that she is under the influence of mesmerists or spiritualists. Soul and body separated. Music causes weeping and trembling of feet.
Ignatia. [Ign]
Most cases of melancholia at some period of their treatment require **Ignatia; it suits women better, while **Arsenicum and Nux vomica are more suitable to men. The **Ignatia patient is melancholic, given to sighing, with a tendency to weep. she hides her grief, is introspective, changeable and silent. It is a remedy full of disappointments, and jealousy, and is most suitable to complaints arising from fear, grief, shock, or prolonged brooding over real or imaginary troubles. They refuse sympathy, but fancy themselves neglected by friends. The patient has a disposition to brood over her sorrows, has remorse about imaginary crimes, is intolerant to noise and tends to fixed ideas. Lasciviousness is a symptom that should not be overlooked.
Phosphoric acid. [Ph-ac]
This remedy suits conditions of long continued disquiet of the affections, the chronic and of long lasting effects of grief rather than the acute forms. A great characteristic is indifference, homesickness; is not irritable, but slow of comprehension; shows no interest in anything, a don’t care condition. Another characteristic is failure of memory.
**Picric acid is a rival of **Phosphoric acid in threatened dementia praecox, with utter prostration, burning in spine, weakness of legs, pains in back and occiput. Desire to sit still without taking interest in surrounding things.
Nux vomica. [Nux-v]
This remedy suits overworked fidgety business men of sedentary habits; they cannot bear to be opposed, are irritable and irascible, easily put out, quick to act; those of a fitful temper and where there is a great disinclination to mental work.
In conditions of resistive melancholia and negativism where the patient resists everything done for her, with no interest in anything, offensive breath, etc., it is often productive of beneficial results. The most disagreeable of maniacs with “pure cussedness,” difficult to manage, apposed to everything, is the **Nux vomica patient. Hypochondriasis in the sedentary is met well by the remedy.
**Lycopodium has a torpor of the mind; the patient is melancholic and hypochondriacal, dependent mostly on digestive and hepatic troubles.
The **Nux patient is oversensitive; every harmless word offends and every little noise frightens. They are anxious and “besides themselves.”.
Cannabis Indica. [Cann-i]
This remedy produces marvellous kaleidoscopic visions and illusions as to time and space; a minute seems thousands of years, and a thing a short distance off seems yards away. He imagines he is swelling and his body is becoming large, that he hears numberless bells ringing; a multitude of images crowd the brain and he feels as if he were somebody else. Voices come from a great distance and seem to enchant him.
Lachesis. [Lach]
The snake poisons all have poisoned minds. With **Lachesis there is great loquacity, the patient jumping from one subject to another; jealous, fear of being poisoned and refuses both medicine and food. Has to think how words are spelled. Muttering delirium, with dropping of the lower jaw and illusions, such as imagining that he is under some superhuman control or that he is dead. Melancholia at change of life. Delusion that he is persecuted, worse after sleeping Neurasthenia.
Agaricus. [Agar]
A menacing frenzy causing patient to assail himself and other. Incoherent talking, delusions of power and personal importance; a tremulousness is often present which terrifies the patient. Mania complicated by chorea.
Platinum. [Plat]
The proud, egotistical mental state of this remedy is too well known for comment. The patient has illusions, everything is inferior to her in body and mind, and she looks down on everybody with contempt. Objects look smaller or strange, there is indifference, everything seems too narrow. There is a great dread of death which seems near. It is a useful remedy in hysterical mania, where things seem horrible, and all serious thoughts are displeasing.
**Palladium. Music excites, constantly getting slighted, is easily offended and scolds continually.
Women with tendency to nymphomania and excitement of the genitalia indicate well **Platinum.
Baptisia. [Bapt]
This remedy is seldom used in mental affections, its field being confined to typhoid conditions, where it is indicated by a wandering of the mind; he is restless and disturbed; he cannot sleep, and he thinks he is double and scattered about, and he must move to get his pieces together again. These are the mental characteristics of **Baptisia, and together with the weakness and other symptoms of typhoid indicate it in that disease. In dangerous forms of melancholia with stupor assuming a typhoid condition there is no better remedy.
Chamomilla. [Cham]
This remedy is of great use in diseases of the mind where there is over-sensitiveness and a snappish irritability. Children and adults also, that are especially sensitive to pain, snappish, short and cannot be civil, consequence of anger.
**Staphisagria. Trouble from anger, pride and envy.
**Colocynth. Colic from anger.
**Bryonia. Gastro-enteric symptoms from anger, apathetic, irritable, obstinate and passionate.
Arsenicum. [Ars]
Useful for the depressed delirious, fear of death, fear of being alone, with strong suicidal tendencies. See ghosts and vermin, crawling on bed. It relieves the tendency in the insane to the mutilation of the body, picking at the skin until sore, chewing finger nails, etc. Exhaustive insanity and acute delirious mania with typhoid symptoms and rapid exhaustion. Acute melancholia and especially melancholia agitata come within the province of **Arsenicum. Restlessness, thirst, physical exhaustion and midnight aggravation.
**Silicea. With this remedy there is an erethism combined with the exhaustion.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.