Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Wonderful Plants
Type:
Remedy
Chapter:
655.66.13
655.66.13 Cochlearia officinalis
Names: Cochlearia officinalis, Nasturtium cochlearia, Crucifera cochlearia, Cochlearia pyrenaica.
English: Spoonwort, Scorbute-grass, Scurvy-grass.
German: Löffelkresse, Scharbockskraut.
Dutch: Lepelblad.
Botany: small; juicy stalk; leaves few, round, heart- or kidney shaped; flowers are white, pink; near brackish water.
Introduction
The most important keynote of Cochlearia is "stomach pains radiating to sides and back". This keynote is not mentioned in the repertory but it is in Boericke. Boericke describes Cochlearia armoracia and does not mention officinalis. But I took it as a keynote for officinalis by mistake and it proved to be correct.
Duty.
The picture that emerges is of a woman who has to take care of her sick, difficult, nagging husband.
The first characteristic is a sense of duty. They have the feeling that it is their duty to take on this task of caring. They have pledged to stand by their partner in sickness and in health. So they cannot evade this responsibility.
Bitter.
The second characteristic is the fact that they actually do not want to do it, they do not feel like taking care of a nagging old man. They feel it is their duty but they feel bound and restricted in their relationships. They can have dreams of being bound, of being stuck and not being able to get out.
They often feel angry and dissatisfied about their task. But they do not really express their anger, they suffer in silence. They feel that their duty forbids them to make a fuss or get angry.
And so they develop a kind of bitterness, they feel disappointed in life. The sour expression can clearly be seen on their face, there is little joy left.
Marriage.
They feel often very angry towards their partner. This is partly because the partner is rather grumpy when ill. The partner is often awkward, demanding, aggressive, demented, helpless or over-sexed. This makes their task of looking after their partner even less attractive because the partner is extremely ungrateful.
Mind
Dreams of being bound, being stuck and not being able to get out.
They cannot go anywhere, they have to do their care duties.
Angry because they have to do something they do not want.
Grudging and bitter from being limited, by himself and others.
Cannot have fun, joy, play and sex anymore.
Colour preference: 5D.
General
Sweat: foot, < suppression.
Desire: fish, eggs, chocolate.
Aversion: < sprouts !, cabbage !, fish !, egg !, chocolate.
Time: < 7-9 am, 7-9 pm.
Weather: >> fresh air, wind, outdoors.
Physical: << touch, > movement.
Sleep: deep, sleepless.
Body
General: scurvy.
Head: headache, < climacteric, + vomiting.
Eyes: inflammation <<< injury, cataract.
Ears: hearing lessened, low sounds.
Nose: coryza.
Mouth: tongue white, taste metallic, offensive odour; teeth pain, dull, as if soft and became bent on chewing; fistule.
Throat: inflammation, mucus, difficult to scrape clear; voice hoarse, lost.
Lungs: fast, asthmatic, < humid; hyperventilation; cough dry, < lying, < tickling larynx.
Stomach: pains radiating to both sides and back; burping, belching like garlic.
Urinary: cystitis; urine red.
Eyes: << scarlatina.
Male: pain, burning, cutting, penis glans, meatus; < urination, before during and after; gonorrhoea; erections: troublesome.
Female: menses clotted, frequent, every 2 weeks, absent.
Skin: spots brown; chloasma.
DD.
Cocculus: also caring for others but lovingly and based on a feeling of love. Cochlearia does it reluctantly and with bitterness.
Kaliums: is very similar; duty, simply doing things.
Cimicifuga: also feels bound and restricted in their relationships but it is caused by social relations, they feel encaged by their family, neighbours. Cochlearia has its own sense of duty that is restricting them.
Magnesium: also has liver complaints, the aggravation at 7 am, anger but they are not allowed to express it, for fear of losing someone. Cochlearia feels that their duty forbids them to make a fuss or get angry.
Ammonium, particularly Ammonium sulphuricum: disappointment, bitterness are linked to the partner. The difference seems to be that Cochlearia has the feeling that he has to take care, while this is not a main factor in Ammonium. The sour expression can clearly be seen on their face, there is little joy left.
Calcium: sensitivity to criticism.
