Author:
Enna Stallinga
Book:
Wadstories 1
Type:
Case 1
Chapter:
ACONITUM LYCOCTONUM
ACONITUM LYCOCTONUM
The yellow monks hood (Ranunculaceae) Or "Lost ideals in nurturing and caring".
By Enna Stallinga
In the past two years I saw two cases that reacted well to Aconitum lycoctonum. The overall symptoms of the patients led to Aconitum napellus, but the typical and strongly expressed aversion to milk, promoted me to prescribe the closely related sister remedy Aconitum lycoctonum. In the following I will describe the two cases, the similarities between them and my tentative view on the remedy. In the appendix the symptoms of this remedy and the characteristics of Ranunculaceae in general will be mentioned.
Case 1
Mrs. A., born in 1957, consults me in 1998 because of complaints of tiredness, depression, a backache and neck pains. She is stuck. At the time she is a cook and a home aid in a foster home. I notice she has a panic stricken face. Her family doctor prescribed amytryptiline (antidepressivum) which calmed her down a bit. She overstrained herself in 1997 owing to pressure when illness reigned at her work. The last straw was a dust up with a person in charge in the foster home. After being unjustly criticised, she couldn’t cope anymore. Her husband had been seriously ill all winter and had an epileptic insult twice in one night. She has been afraid of repetition of these convulsions since then, and sits up straight in bed as soon as he makes an unpredictable move.
Mind
The patient is very sensitive and wants to help and please everyone. “I want to be treated like I treat others “. She is the middle one of eleven children and was very much attached to her mother, who was very caring but could also be negative with a sharp opinion and condemnation. Her elder sister, who was mean and humiliated her, always teased her with her homesickness. She narrates her feelings thus: " I feel like a stranger in my family, my brothers and sisters do not express their feelings, and I need to talk". She has no self-confidence nor self-esteem.
Previous history
1997 CARA diagnosis, with allergy for grass, pets and dust. Sinusitis.
1992 Carpal tunnel operated in the left hand.
1993 Hysterectomy because of endometriosis (and pain abdomen).
Ovarian cyst removed.
She had a car accident twice, one during pregnancy and headaches since.
Generals
Menses: dysmenorrhoea with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
irregular and copious menses. Premenstrual: swelling mammae, changeable mood.
Pregnancy: _* pain abdomen. Caesarian section because of bad hart tones.
2* premature labour pains inhibited (month 5 to 8).
Pain abdomen from beginning pregnancy.
Blood loss in 8th month after witch Caesarian section and fear of death of a child. Chest: difficult respiration paroxysmal for witches Ventolin.
Sleep: thirst at night. Waking two o’clock. Salivation (2).
Dreams of convulsions of husband and of superior criticising her.
Dreams of parturition and the drive to the hospital in the Ambulance. Defecation: constipation with mucous (since hysterectomy).
Head: headache, as if stone on head. Sinusitis.
Desire: beans and peas, Coffee, Chocolate, Wine, Meat (2), Fish (2), Salt, Spicy. Aversion: fat (3), ‘I hate fat’, Milk (3); Thirst at night and in daytime.
Temp.: cold, always cold feet.
Perspiration: night.
Urine: relapsing cystitis.
Extremities: pain lower back extending to left leg and numbness.
Pain cervical region extending to left arm with numbness, Biting nails in the past Skin: eczema left leg and itching at night.
Side: < left side.
Prescription
In my repertorisation Sulphur comes up as the first remedy, followed by Nux vomica and Natrium muriaticum. In the eighth position Aconitum napellus appears because of:
- ailments from mortification
- offended easily
- homesickness
- fear something will happen
- thirst night
- faintness from pain
- sciatica
- stool mucous
- numbness leg
- pain-pressing vertex
- bladder inflammation
- swelling mammae
- desire wine
- desire pungent
- aversion fat
- aversion milk
Acon. nap. (2). Acon. nap. (2). Acon. nap. Acon. nap. Acon. nap. (2). Acon. nap. (2). Acon. nap. Acon. nap. Acon. nap. (2). Acon. nap. (3). Acon. nap. (3). Acon. lyc. Acon. nap. (2). Acon. nap. Acon. lyc. Acon. lyc.
But then I spot Aconitum lycoctonum in the Rubric aversion to milk and decide to give this lesser known remedy, because swelling of glands is also a characteristic symptom according to Vermeulen.
Follow up
Two months later, after receiving Aconitum lycoctonum twice she is working again. The first dose gives nausea and diarrhoea in the beginning. After the remedy she dreams of her mother and misery with her. After the second dose she reacts nervously with anxiety and trembling. Her fingers start tingling. And she dreams of her husband’s illness. The positive reaction was increasing calmness: she becomes stronger, more positive and less irritable. Now she can watch television calmly, witch she was not able to do previously because of her restlessness. A lot has been changing. She can cope better. She has been talking at her work also with her supervisor who criticised her old complaints come back: the bladder inflammation (treated with antibiotics by the practitioner) and a sizeable constipation. Eczema of the left foot returns. But her sleep ameliorates, as does the depression. Her energy rises and the numbness of the left arm decreases. She stops taking the depression drug in March _998. A month later she tells me she is head cook now: "What I can’t do, I don’t and let it be". She feels more confident during meetings. Some time later she confides she was very affected by the Caesarean at the end of her pregnancy. She had the feeling she had failed that she couldn’t do it by herself. She had anticipated otherwise. And the hysterectomy was tough on her also. She realises she had to be operated because of the pain and the constant bleeding. But when she is depressed the memory of the shock of having to be operated, the drive in the ambulance to the hospital, and her fears with her husbands convulsions would come back. In October 1998 she has a short episode of dyspnoe during a virus for which she needs Ventolin. But this was her first problem with her respiration in the past months.
A year after the first consultation she says she hasn’t felt as well in years. Only a whisper of cystitis is noticeable. This she can treat herself with a sip of a solution of Aconitum lycoctonum 30K. She has again been promoted at work, and has been asked to treat a group of children. She still wants to do this as well as possible, but is able to let go of mistakes more easily. Much has changed in the past year. Her husband and children notice she is calmer. She always had to be there for others. Now she can bring out her opinion and take responsibility without stress or proving herself. Last but not least the neck and back complaints have improved considerably with the help of a chiropractor and shiatsu therapist. In the past two years I have treated this patient with Aconitum lycoctonum in potencies rising from 30K to CMK. I find that by continuing the treatment up to the highest potencies and not stopping at 200K or MK, the deepest effects are brought about, especially on the mental-emotional and spiritual level.
Case 2
Mrs. B. was born in 1947 and works in a psychiatric ward helping the inmates with their activities. When she consults me in November 1999, she has been incapable of working for the past year and a half. And work was everything for her. She is very tired (3), sleeps badly, is very emotional and immediately starts narrating about her operations on her breasts twelve and fourteen years ago. She had a lump, first in her right and later on in her left breast. The tension and the operations had taken everything out of her. The lumps were not malignant but cysts. She has always had painful and swollen breasts. In 1999 a shoulder operation was performed because of a ‘frozen shoulder’. A succeeding fever led to a second operation. She has the idea she almost died twice in that time. This makes her panic. She never comes to terms with what happened then and weeps while telling the story. She was treated in isolation for thirty days, even her husband was forbidden to see her. She could never talk about this afterwards. She still has a slight rise in temperature (37,8 degrees Celsius) once a month. Her upper left jaw hurts as if there is a sinusitis maxillaris. Two and a half years ago her father had an accident, falling down the stairs, resulting in a fracture of the basis of the skull. She took a leave of absence for a few weeks and took care of him in his home: "I like to do things for others, but then I forget myself ". A sinusitis maxillaris was the consequence. This period in her life had a deep effect on her but was also very beautiful. She realized then that the life of a person could change in a split second.
Mind
The patient is very social; she is always ready to oblige. Her parents also effaced themselves. She is very sympathetic and affected by wrong doings in the world. She sets up a campaign to collect clothes for example. She loves nature. She is afraid to get cancer. She is very emotional and weeps easily.
Previous history
Very many boils as a child.
1960: the A-flu and sick for nine months.
1986: Januari: flu and sinusitis (left
She stayed at home for a year, totally out of balance.
1999: shoulder operation (right side) with ensuing inflammation.
1993: whiplash after a fall. Stayed home for several months.
1996: sinusitis maxillaris (right side).
Rib resection owing to tingling in right arm. Unfortunately the complaints returned
after three months.
1997: carpal tunnel syndrome right side is operated.
Generals
Head: headache in neck and forehead with heavy eyelids
Eyes. lacrymation, < left, < wind. Retinitis left side
Face: herpes, pain left jaw < wet and cold.
Defecation: constipation sometimes.
Urine: cystitis.
Menses: painful, swollen mammae before menstruation (3).
Pregnancy: felt better than ever.
Back: slight hernia left side.
Extremities: tingling fingers right < left. Bright nails. Biting nails.
Skin: unhealthy skin.
Sleep: falls asleep late (two or three o’clock). Heat flushes. Restless legs at night. Dreams of her shoulder operation and wakes up crying, in fear of death. These dreams come up when she is out of balance.
Desires: Chocolate, Sour, Apples (2), Cheese.
Aversion: Milk (3), Fat, Meat.
Thirst: Thirstlessness.
Worse: Wine, Fat.
Side: the left side has more complaints.
Prescription
Here the indication for Aconitum lycoctonum is:
- Skin inflammation, inclination to.
- Expectoration viscid.
- Extremities ankles sensation as if bandaged.
- Tingling fingers.
- Heaviness eyelids.
- Headache with pain in neck.
- Vertigo with nausea.
- Restless legs.
- Coldness agg.
- Biting nails.
- Ailments from fear.
Now I recognise the picture of Aconitum lycotonum more easily as the patient resembles the previous one. Aversion milk and swollen breasts support the choice for this small remedy.
Follow up
Quite soon after taking Aconitum lycoctonum the feeling of depression decreased. For the first time that year she feels a relief of her symptoms. The sinusitis declines, as do the heat flushes. The energy goes up although the sleeping problems are still present on and off. The temperature normalises, the tingling in the fingers lessens and the unhealthy skin ameliorates. Like in the first case the Aconitum lycoctonum has been given in rising potencies, but the pace of recovery is slower because the patient was more out of balance when starting the therapy. Nevertheless the improvement of the level of health is obvious.
Comparison of the two cases
Both cases resemble each other and are narrowly connected to Aconitum napellus. The fear of accidents, the panic attacks and the fear of death and disease are characteristic of both Aconitae. It is as if patients who are in need of wolfsbane are affected when their ideal world is disturbed and changed. Their ideal world would be without danger and fears (see the analysis of the Masigroup in SSS 26/2 1996). But the sympathetic side of these patients seems to differentiate them from Aconitum napellus. They are more social, caring and helping others at the detriment of themselves. They can not support injustice. And they want to act to relieve the pain of the world. Maybe it is because of this that they are very much affected by operations, injuries and accidents.
My patients dream of the shock of these events (a common Aconitum symptom), but are very much concerned when as a result of these traumata they are disabled, and not capable of helping others.
Their body ‘deceives’ them all of a sudden. And they come in the position of being nurtured instead of being the one who nurtures.
On the physical level the similarities in these two patients are numerous:
- sinusitis.
- carpal tunnel syndrome.
- swollen and pain full breasts.
- constipation.
- biting nails.
- unhealthy skin.
- numbness or tingling of the extremities.
- neck pain.
- worse left side.
- aversion: milk, fat.
- desire: chocolate.
The weight of the pathology seems to be on the female (genital) organs. The mammae and the uterus are affected. These target organs symbolise femininity and motherhood. In the above cases it is the caring, over-caring, which leads to disease. The left side stands for the feminine, and is the weaker side in these patients. Aconitum napellus is more for right-sided complaints, and gives the impression to be a more masculine, fiery and Yang orientated remedy. In Aconitum lycoctonum the Yin aspects are out of balance. Maybe that the aversion for milk stands for the overcompensation in nurturing and a problem in receiving care and warmth in these patients. The liberating dreams of the first patient of her mother and the misery between them after taking the remedy point in this direction. The aversion for milk is lastly the ultimate differentiation of Aconitum lycoctonum with his brother Aconitum napellus.
Aconitum lycoctonum: the rubrics
The following rubrics are a combination of the Radar and the Mac Repertory extraction: MacRepertory.
1 MIND; ABSTRACTION of mind (71)
2 MIND; BUSINESS; averse to (57)
3 MIND; CONCENTRATION; difficult (275)
4 MIND; INCONSTANCY (48)
5 MIND; INDOLENCE, aversion to work (280)
6 MIND; LAUGHING (103)
7 MIND; MANIA, madness (153)
8 MIND; MOOD; changeable, variable (164)
9 MIND; RAGE, fury (106)
10 MIND; RESTLESSNESS, nervousness; heat; with (69) *11
11 MIND; WILDNESS (33)
12 MIND; WORK; aversion to mental (226)
13 EYE; DRYNESS; canthi; inner (4)
14 EYE; HEAT; in (99)
15 EYE; ITCHING (140)
16 EYE; PAIN; boring (30)
17 EYE; PAIN; burning; canthi; inner (46)
18 EYE; PAIN; cutting; extending; inward (6)
19 EAR; DISCOLORATION; redness; behind ears (8)
20 NOSE; CRACKS in; skin of nose (1)
21 NOSE; CRACKS in; wings (8)
22 TASTE; BLOODY (49)
23 TASTE; BLOODY; coughing; when (8)
24 THROAT; INFLAMMATION; Tonsils (136)
25 STOMACH; INDIGESTION; onions, after (6)
26 ABDOMEN; PAIN; general; coffee; after (13)
27 ABDOMEN; PAIN; general; heat; during (44)
28 ABDOMEN; PAIN; general; hemorrhoids; as from (1)
29 ABDOMEN; PAIN; general; milk; after (14)
30 ABDOMEN; PAIN; cutting; pork, after (2)
31 ABDOMEN; PAIN; lancinating; milk, after (1)
32 ABDOMEN; PULSATION (83)
33 RECTUM; CONSTIPATION (346)
34 RECTUM; DIARRHEA; pork; after (7)
35 FEMALE; LEUCORRHEA (273)
36 FEMALE; LEUCORRHEA; ropy, stringy, tenacious (43)
37 FEMALE; MENSES; offensive (66)
38 CHEST; INFLAMMATION; Axilla, glands (22)
39 CHEST; INFLAMMATION; Mammae (52)
40 BACK; INFLAMATION; Cervical region; glands (35)
411 SLEEP; PROLONGED (91)
42 SLEEP; SLEEPINESS (470)
43 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; cabbage; desires (5)
44 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; delicacies; desires (24)
45 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; fats and rich food; aversion (61)
46 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; food in general; aversion to (170)
47 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; food in general; aversion to; everything (28)
48 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; fruit; desires (35)
49 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; milk; aversion (65)
50 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; onions; agg. (17)
51 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; pork; agg. (23)
52 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; sweets; desires (88)
53 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; sweets; desires; dainties (3)
54 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; tobacco; aversion to (52)
55 GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; wine; agg. (66)
56 GENERALITIES; HODGKIN’S disease, lymphogranulomatosis (16)
57 GENERALITIES; INFLAMMATION; glands, adenitis; chronic (58)
58 GENERALITIES; PULSE; slow (232)
59 GENERALITIES; SHUDDERING, nervous (122)
60 GENERALITIES; SHUDDERING; nervous; stool; after (7) *
61 GENERALITIES; SWELLING; Glands (196)
62 GENERALITIES; TOBACCO; aversion (47)
63 WEAKNESS; enervation; morning (145)
64 WEAKNESS; enervation; night (28)
Radar:
1 MIND; ABSTRACTION OF MIND
2 MIND; BUSINESS; aversion to
3 MIND; CONCENTRATION; difficult
4 MIND; INCONSTANCY
5 MIND; LAUGHING
6 MIND; LAZINESS
7 MIND; MANIA
8 MIND; MOOD; changeable
9 MIND; RAGE, fury
10 MIND; RESTLESSNESS; heat; during
11 MIND; WILDNESS
12 EAR; DISCOLORATION; redness; Behind the ears
13 ABDOMEN; PAIN; cutting; pork, after
14 RECTUM; DIARRHEA
15 RECTUM; DIARRHEA; pork, after
16 BLADDER; URINATION; dysuria; painful
17 FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX; LEUKORRHEA
18 FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX; LEUKORRHEA; ropy, stringy, tenacious
19 FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX; MENSES; offensive
20 CHEST; INFLAMMATION; Mammae
2! SLEEP; PROLONGED
22 SLEEP; SLEEPINESS
23 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; cabbage; desire
24 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; delicacies; desire
25 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; everything; aversion to
26 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; fat; aversion
27 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; fruit; desire
28 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; milk; aversion
29 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; onions; agg.
30 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; pork; agg
31 GENERALS; FOOD and DRINKS; wine; agg
32 GENERALS; HODGKIN'S disease
33 GENERALS; PULSE; slow
34 GENERALS; SHUDDERING, nervous
35 GENERALS; SHUDDERING, nervous; stool; after
36 GENERALS; SWELLING; Glands; of
37 GENERALS; TOBACCO; aversion to
38 GENERALS; WEAKNESS; morning
39 GENERALS; WEAKNESS; night
Aconitum lycoctonum: the plant
The plant really resembles the Aconitum napellus. The only difference is its yellow colour (instead of the well-known violet-blue) and the absence of Aconite. The leaves look like a hand, and the yellow flower blossom in bunches. It flourishes in Europe, but is very rare in the Netherlands, where it is a protected species. It grows in wet woods and in sub alpine regions. It contains the alkaloid lycoc- tonitine, killing wolves, and this component shows us what the plant was used for in former days. An other name for the flower is Aconitum vulparia. Vulpus is a fox in Latin and Lyco a wolf in Greek. The names of the other Aconitum sorts known in the homeopathy:
Aconitum anthora (acon-a).
Aconitum acidum (Acon-ac).
Aconitum cammara (Acon-c).
Aconitum columbianum (Acon-co).
Aconitum ferox (Acon-f).
Aconitum septentrionale (Acon-s).
Ranunculaceae
According to the Dutch Masigroup of which I am a member, the common aspects of Ranunculaceae are the following:
The fears and sensitivities are (Psora) Forsaken feeling:
- forsaken feeling.
- fear alone.
- fear alone evening.
- desire company.
- desire to go home.
Easily ‘under the influence’ (influenza?):
- yielding.
- mildness.
- fear of ghost.
- sensitive.
- sentimental.
Changeable:
- mood alternating
- mood changeable
The obsessive compensations are (Sycosis) Desire for attention:
- consolation ameliorates.
- sympathetic.
- affectionate.
The compulsive compensations are (Syphilis) Flight, desire for space:
- escape.
- fear narrow place.
- fear suffocation.
Ideals
There is a sensation as if the ideal world is threatened.
The ideal is different for each remedy.
Hydrastis: one should be able to act as one is in the ideal world, one should show one’s own face and be open and naked.
Staphysagria: this remedy is centred in dignity and esteem: in the ideal world there is no oppression or humiliation and we are all equally worthwhile.
Pulsatilla: here the theme of being forsaken is the strongest: in the ideal world one does not forsake another. Clematis= clemency and understanding should be the basis of relations in the ideals world. Ranunculus bulbosus= here an ideal attitude to one’s work is the core of the remedy: everyone should be assiduous, loyal and conscientious in his work.
Aconitum napellus: the ideal world is without danger and fears. It is a remedy for people who can not endure changes and disturbances in their ideal steady world.
I would propose the following for
Aconitum lycoctonum: these patients are shocked and disturbed by accidents, injuries and operati- ons that make nurturing and caring impossible which is necessary for the ideal world.
Literature
1. Brands A. and van Dijk H.; Wilde planten van noordwest Europa, Bosch en Keuning 995.
2. Clarke J.H.A.; Dictionary of practical materia medica; B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd.99
3. Masigroep Nederland; Ranunculaceae SSC-26/2-996
4. Schonfelder P. and I.;Thieme’s gids voor geneeskrachtige planten, Thieme 980.
5. Vermeulen F., Enna Stallinga; Synoptic Materia II, Merlijn Publishers 996.
