Equisetum hyemale

3-432.14.10
Case by Jan Scholten.Woman 40, eczema.She has had eczema between her fingers for 10 years. She also has it on her face, chin and sternum. It is worse is winter, and it gets worse every year. It is aggravated by water, detergents and soap. They are dark spots that itch tremendously. It bothers her that she just can't get it under control. It affects her life. Her mother had the same kind of eczema.
She has endometriosis with symptoms of a swollen abdomen and back pain in her tailbone that radiates to her back and her kidney region. She has a desire to have children, but is unable to conceive. She also has a fibroid, one at the front and one at the back of her uterus. She has a cyst in her ovary. She sometimes has vaginal inflammation with discharge, especially before menstruation. She feels too rigid because of the feeling that they thought they could plan everything. It gives a feeling of emptiness.
She has suffered from bladder infections for a year in the past, due to Escherichia coli. She has to urinate often which is worse when she drinks a lot.
She has cold fingers and regular hay fever with watery eyes, runny nose and itchy throat.
She sometimes has headaches especially when she is stressed at work.
She feels there is something wrong with her because she cannot have children. That feels painful. She feels stupid. She feels like she has to control everything. She feels like she never has enough time. She is ashamed of her emotions and crying, ashamed that she is not intelligent.
She sleeps badly. She cannot fall asleep well and wakes up frequently. She dreams about houses of all shapes with stairs she goes up and down.
She feels that her whole life is built around her husband, who is supposed to ensure her safety, love and a home and future. She is afraid that something could go wrong, for instance with her husband.
She is tall, skinny and chilly.AnalysisThe first prescription was Argentum silicatum. She did quite well on that, but it did not persevere. At some point, I came across Equisetum hyemale at a symptom. That fitted well with past cystitis.
Pteridophyta: follows the norms of the family, her father.
Silicon series: father as centre of the family; security through her husband.
Carbon series: father; eczema; childless; need for safety, security; endometriosis; cystitis.
Stage 4: good with her father; following father without questioning it.
Stage 10: it is as it is.
Prescription: Equisetum hyemale, 3-432.14.10.Follow upEquisetum hyemale gives tremendous energy, it's a rush. After a week, she felt much better. She rearranged everything in her house so that she has more harmony. The eczema and hay fever have all disappeared. Her relationship has also softened because she is less concerned with having to have children.
She has realised that her father was very domineering. He is still strict, but that has weakened. When she was 18, her father's dominance had a negative impact on her. His impact was too great, even though his reasoning was often correct. She says she herself and her sister lived by her father's principles. Strictly raising girls in particular was part of the upbringing. She has now realised that there is no need for that at all and she has started having a substantive dialogue, which used to be impossible. She feels she has had to earn her authority. Her father is unimaginably stubborn. She has a much better perspective of how her parents are. She can engage in a dialogue with them.
Her relationship with her father totally changed, from subordinate to equal.DiscussionThis prescription was done only on some physical symptoms. The effect was quite amazing, especially how her relationship with her father changed. The remarkable thing was that before, I was under the impression that she had a very good relationship with her father. She apparently did not realise herself that her father's dominance and the effect of it on her was unhealthy. It's a great example of how ferns' problems are often unconscious.
This prescription also taught me a lot about the position of Equisetum hyemale in the Plant theory. The central position of the father and family corresponds to that of silicon. Equisetums contain large amounts of silicon. The father has both a connection with the Carbon series as biological father and with the Silicon series as the central figure in the family. We see Phase 4 in the theme of being central and finding things so normal that they are no longer questioned.