20 THE B R I T I S H HOM(EOPATHIC J O U R N A L

times much more serious tha t what the doctor imagines, and tha t will always be contrary to the laws of healing.

Any physiopathological entity, as any acute illness, even if that is only a simple coryza, never constitutes an isolated and simple process, but is t ightly bound to the patient in his own and personal biopathographical history.

Experience has taught us tha t it is less and less necessary to use medication of limited or partial action, except in the cases where the present illness urgently demands this, and more important to have a profound knowledge of the great medicines in their characterological personality, to match them, with the greatest possible accuracy, with the mentali ty and characteristic habits of the patient.

This is the homceopathic clinical practice which demands tha t the physician must know what it is tha t he must cure in each patient, as postulated, with absolute conviction, in Hahnemannian thought.

Some Lycopodium cases* H A M I S H W . BOYD, M . B . , C H . B . , F . R . F . P . S . , D . C . H . , F . F . H O M .

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I propose in this paper to take one of our leading remedies, Lycopodium, to

discuss its origin and symptom picture as far as possible as I have observed it, and to describe some case histories to illustrate its value.

Lycopodium is a dust-like powder, derived from the ears of a moss, Lycopodium clavatum. The ears are dried and beaten. I t flashes brilliantly when thrown into a flame; it floats undissolved upon a fluid, and has neither taste nor smell. I t is used as a dusting powder, but in its crude state has no action when swallowed. In potentized form, however, it is a most valuable remedy in many conditions, but it requires prolonged tri turation to break down the spores and liberate an oily substance.

The remedy may act for 40-50 days and works well especially after Calc. carb. Let us look first a t the type of patient and then more closely at the symptom picture which suggests its use.

I t is useful at any age, although Nash thinks that children and old people react most favourably to it. The patient is often of keen intellect but poor muscular development, and tends to be thin. The face is sallow with premature lines, particularly the vertical frown. He is often prematurely grey and in men, absence of body hair on the chest and abdomen is often noticed. Children are weak with well developed heads but puny sickly bodies, and even babies may show the worried frown. Kent stresses the emaciation about the face and neck, and the "withered" look.

Generals: The Lycopodium patient is usually chilly, but is also found under "bet ter when cold". Generally he prefers warmth, warm drinks, etc., but erup- tions in these cases are relieved by cold applications, and there is sensitiveness to warm atmosphere when head and spinal symptoms predominate.

* A paper read to the Faculty of Homoeopathy, October 25th, 1962.

S O M E L Y C O P O D I U M C A S E S 21

The patient is usually worse in the afternoons, 4 p.m. or 4-8 p.m., and this applies also to fever which rises during these hours in Lycopodium cases. Right- sidedness of complaints, for example, limb pains, right lung pneumonias, throat infections beginning on the right and travelling to the left are characteristic.

Mentals: I should say here that the commonest symptom is a tendency to worry, to make "mountains out of molehills", to anticipate trouble, and to be upset in anticipation like Gels., Arg. nit., Ars. all)., Medorr., and also Carbo veg., Phos. and Plumbum, Silica and Thuja. The business man before an important meeting fears he will make a mess of his speech, or forget things, but once he gets going he carries it off with confidence. Nervous biting of the nails in children. Fear, fear alone and yet a liking for solitude, as long as there is someone not too far away, fear of crowds, of dark, of death, of ghosts, of people. Lack of confidence (like Silica); loss of memory and confusion over words, making mistakes in writing, lack of concentration particularly following an a t tack of 'flu. Sensitive, weepy even when thanked, irritable, especially on waking. Easily angered and annoyed by opposition. Sadness, gloom, despondency in the mornings. Conscientious, methodical and t idy people.

Head: Vertigo in the morning after rising. Throbbing headache often in the right frontal region, aggravated by coughing, worse from heat and better in cold air or from motion. Headaches often worse when hungry, > eating. Feeling of tension in the occiput, often localized in one spot. Roaring in the ears which may be associated with catarrh, but is often a great annoyance in tense, nervous patients. Fan-like motion of the alae nasi, usually seen in a pneumonia case, ff combined with frowning, and a 4-8 p.m. aggravation, would suggest Lycopodium.

Nose: Chronic dry catarrh of the nose with obstruction to breathing especially at night. Also crusting green catarrh.

Throat: Inflammation and pain in the right side of the throat or extending from right to left and reheved by warm drinks, is a good indication for Lyco- podium. Remember also Phytolacca when the pain shoots up to the ear, and Mere. iod. flay. for the right-sided lesion with the Mere. tongue.

Alimentary symptoms: Lycopodium usually craves sweet things and hot drinks. I always make a point of asking a patient, not just whether he likes tea or coffee, ! but whether he takes his tea piping hot, this latter being of more significance than merely the fact tha t he drinks a lot of warm tea. Lycopodium is said to love oysters which make him ill, although I have not been able to confirm th i s - - possibly my patients cannot afford oysters!

Dyspepsia with distension of the abdomen is a feature of most cases. The pat ient feels blown up and must loosen his clothes. Often he is hungry but quickly fills up after a small quanti ty of food. The wind is often more in the lower bowel, and this remedy is of value in post-operative cases who are distended with wind and cannot get relief, even early cases of paralytic ileus. A great remedy this in duodenal ulcer with heartburn, eructations and pain or pressure in the epigastrium or right hypochondrium. I t can be used most successfully alternating with the bowel nosode Dysentery co., but be careful of using Lycopodium in potencies much higher than 12c in a case of severe pain, or you may precipitate a perforation. Constipation is a frequent symptom in Lycopodium patients, and I have often observed tha t a pat ient may comment on the improvement in this when they return after a dose of Lyeopodium, even though they may not have stressed the symptom originally. This form of

22 T H E B R I T I S H H O M ( E O P A T H I C J O U R N A L

const ipat ion seems to be due to spasmodic contraction of the anus and may cause much pain.

Geuito-Urinary symptoms: The urine tends to be acrid and excoriating, and there may be red sand in the deposit. Frequent urging to urinate may occur and Lycopodium is valuable in right renal colic. The urinary flow may be slow. Kent stresses the polyuria at night. Lycopodium is a most useful remedy in impotence.

Respiratory symptoms: Cough, irritating as if the throat was tickled with a feather, often worse in the evening or night. There is usually scanty sputum and in the case of pneumonia the 4-8 p.m. rise of fever, flapping nostrils and anxious frown. The pneumonia is usually right-sided, fairly advanced, or in an unresolved state.

Two other symptoms are worth remembering. Right foot cold and left foot normal, and burning pain between the scapulse, also found in Phosphorus. The Zyeopodium patient is sometimes extremely restless about the legs, especially at ~ght.

There we have the symptom picture and the constitutional type of Lyco- podium. I have used the male gender throughout, but the following cases illus- t rate its use in both sexes of various ages. These are mostly of a chronic character.

Miss M. (59) Seen first in April, 1957, complaining of pain beneath the sternum on waking for :several months. She had also had pain in the epigastrium for some t ime relieved by eructation, and also a thumping, excited feeling in the epigastrium. She had had a thyroidectomy in 1952.

Generals: Used to be chilly but not so much now. Stomach: Desires salt and savouries, hot drinks. Hear tburn and wind mainly

upwards. Restless nights, cannot get to sleep. Mind: Easily startled, irritable, weepy--emotional. Tidy, particular. Averse

to being alone, an t ic ipa t ions , averse to tight clothes. She was a well built woman with marked tremor, nervous, agitated and almost

weepy on talking. Over the next 3 years she had Lycopodium 30, on four occasions, at intervals

of several months, and then 2 years. On each occasion it greatly helped both her abdominal pain and also her nervousness and rheumatism. She reported on 14/9/62 that she had been fairly well for 2 years but had some recurrence of wind recently with frequency of urine, which was also slow to start. Lycopodium 30 was repeated.

Mr. H. (60), chief clerk 1959. Complained of aches and pains especially in the right arm and shoulder for 18 months, ~ night, ~ wet, ~ sea air. He also complained of indigestion and headaches.

Generals: Cold ~ . ~ heat. Cold feet and chilblains. Stomach: Aversion fat, desires fruit, hot tea. Wind, indigestion, constipation. Mind: Excitable, irritable, worries in his job, always under pressure. Quite

sentimental, tidy, fond of company. Sanguinaria helped a bit, but then Lycopodium 30 was given and he felt much

better. In January, 1960, he had pain in the right hip and knee ~ at night, and

Lycopodium 30 was repeated. In June, 1960, he reported no pain now, but some indigestion, and Lycopodium 12c was given.

9/9/62. Reports keeping well, no other t reatment.

S O M E L Y C O P O D I U M C A S E S 23

Mrs. M. (4o) 15/4/59. Nervous dermatitis after each pregnancy--last 2{ years ago--never really away since, in spite of local hydrocortisone and graneodin. Dry, hacked lesions mostly on right hand, palms.

Generals: .< heat. Stomach: Desires tasty, sweet, fat. Mind: Excitable, jumpy at noise, weepy. Lilies sympathy. Tidy + , worr/es,

anticipation < . No fears. Lycop, 12c/3 Improved gradually over the next 5 months with S.L. on each visit. 16/9/59. Skin very good. Some bad dreams. Lycop. 12c/3 10/9/62. Reports feeling very well. Hands perfect.

Mrs. C. (61) 3/5/62. Complaint that her food seems to stick at the foot of the sternum---~st had this many years ago but it improved and then was worse at her menopause and again recently. Also waterbrash and wind which blows her up with > f rom passing flatus. Lost a stone in the past year. She thinks the trouble began after the birth of her only child which died. She had good colour with some acne rosacea.

Generals: Chilly but < extreme heat. Stomach: Desires: Sweet. Averse: Eggs, sauces, fat. Likes hot drinks. Bowels

normal. Mind: Worries + , irritable, weeping a lot which > but averse sympathy. Fear

thunder, crowds, heights. Tends to bottle up her feelings. Tidy, methodical. Anticipation < .

A Barium meal showed appearances suggesting a simple cesophageal ulcer. LVc~. 30/1

The remedy was repeated on 29/5/62 and S.L. given in July. She has made good progress and when seen in August was eating better, without vomiting and the pain was away from her back and sternum. She still had some acid regurgitation on lying down. Mentally she was > . Lycopodium 30/1 was repeated.

11/9/62. Still improving. Some hiccup during meals and heartburn at nights. Lvcop. 30/1

Mr. c. (53) 15/1/62. Headaches for 6 years--had numerous investigations, septum straight- ened in his nose and many analgesics with little relief. Pain in the right temple - -constant day and night, tender, < cold, > pressure, < mental stress, rushing. He had rather a worrying job as a meat salesman.

Generals: < heat. > cold. Frost and thunder < headache. Stomach: Desires: Sweet, salt, eggs, fish--takes 10 cups of tea per day--hot .

Averse: Fat. Wind ~ . Constipation. Sleep: Restless wakes 2-3 a .m.--mind busy. Mind: Used to be sociable and cheery, now easily angered, irritable, depressed

- -he sits silent and hates sympathy. Emotional over suffering--feels weepy. Rushes---must get things done, tidy, worries. Lycop. 1M/1

13/2/62. Less headache, able to laugh. S.L. 15/3/62. No violent headache, can sleep now, happier and less worried. S.L. 19/4/62. Not quite so good for 2 weeks. Some headache, though less severe.

Restless nights, heartburn. Lycop. 1M/1 Patient not seen since.

Mary B. (9) 17/2/59. Complaint of pain in tummy for years. Investigations negative. Pain in

24 T H E B R I T I S H H O M ( ~ O r A T H I C J O U R I ~ A L

centre of abdomen, doubles her up--restless, fear with it, and becomes hysterical. Used to have it at nights, now at school also. Excitement ~ pain. She was an adopted child with no other previous serious illness.

Generals: Tends to get hot. Stomach: DesiresqCkips, tasty, fat, butter. A lot of wind. Mind: Particular and tidy, perfectionist. Clever but worries about her work.

Angry with frustration and weeps when angry. Tendency to boss others. Anticipation upsets.

On examination she was a well-built child with dark eyes, and her abdomen was very distended with wind. Lycop. 30/1

One month later her mother reported tha t she had improved with fewer at tacks of pain and those occurring were less severe and lasted about 20 minutes. She was eating well and her bowels moved without laxative. S.L.

In January , 1960, she was seen again. Very well until recent ly--some pain a t school. Lycop. 30/1

Her mother reported on 13/9/62 that she has been very well and had no further t rea tment since January, 1960. She occasionally gets panicky but has no pain.

Miss H. (59) 15/4/55. Migraine headaches and sickness at weekends for 8 years. Recently wakes with pain in the oeeiput and right side of the head and forehead. Breath- lessness. She was a small stout lady with a B.P. of 220/110.

Generals: ~ heat. Stomach: Desires--Tasty, hot tea. Some indigestion. Mind: Irritable, worries a lot, particular, likes company but fear of crowds.

Anticipation < . Dislikes tight things. Over a period of 2 years this pat ient was greatly helped by Lycop. 30 and then

200 a t intervals of 2-4 months. She had only occasional headaches with no sickness and her B.P. improved.

Mrs. D. (57) 2/7/62. History of a fall 6 weeks ago which gave her a bad fright--since then "all t ight inside". Pain behind the sternum quite severe, with heartburn and waterbrash afraid to eat: Has tried all sorts of alkalis with li t t le relief.

Hear tburn < excitement. Wind ~ - - b l o w s her up--severe constipation. Desire for coffee. Comes home from work in Post Office at 4 p.m. exhausted and must go to bed. Dizziness on walking as if she "falls to the right". Irritable, weepy. She was a stout, well eoloured lady with a B.P. of 200/100.

Lycop. 30/1 Four weeks later reports tha t she is much better. The pain is almost gone from

the sternum, heartburn much less; less blown up. Sleeping better and mentally more relaxed. B.P. 150/85. Reduced weight. S.L. given.

3/9/62. Reported general improvement. Some waterbrash but less than previously, practically no pain. Still a bit irritable. B.P. 150/80. Lycop. 30/1

Mr. g . (55), ship's steward 1959. Complaining of rheumatism of fingers and hands and right sciatica. He also had a history of indigestion with acidity, wind and epigastrie discomfort. He was a small man, with sallow complexion and anxious appearance.

Generals: < heat. > cold. Stomach: Desires meat, milk, fat. Poor appetite. Constipation. Mind: Has a temper which he must control, emotional, not a good mixer,

tidy, worries and plans ahead, quiet. Over the past 3 years I have seen him at intervals of 4-5 months on return

SOME LYCOPODIUM CASES 25

from his trips abroad. Each time he has had a dose of Lycopodium 30, or Dys. co. 30, with 2 powders of JLycop. 30 to take at monthly intervals while at sea. X-ray in June, 1961, showed chronic duodenal ulceration, but with this routine his peptic ulcer pain has caused him little trouble, and his rheumatism is much improved.

Miss T. (38) This lady had a complaint of severe right frontal headaches since she had a fracture of the skull in I945. She had been thoroughly investigated and was told that there was no neurological lesion. The headaches were very severe and she took frequent analgesics. They were < moving the head, < cold wind, < excite- ment, > lying down, chilly, > heat.

She was tense, irritable, sensitive to noise, lack of confidence, shy with marked anticipatory upset. Tidy and methodical, an excellent business secretary. Feeling of choking. No marked food cravings, but some indigestion. She had a good deal of tension both in her work and in her home, which undoubtedly contributed to her headaches.

Many remedies were given, some with temporary improvement, including Dys. co., Staphisagria, Silica, Spigelia, and Nat. mur; but when she finally got Lycopodium 10M, she really obtained great rehes This remedy has been repeated at intervals, but now only every 3-4 months, and she is now better than she has been for years.

Mrs. L. (50) 7/11/61. Recurring pain in gall-bladder region with vomiting of bile---9 years previously told she had inflammation of the gall bladder on X-ray. Rheumatism of knees, hips, shoulders, fingers.

P.H.: Rheumatism at 18 years. Jaundice 29 years. Mastoid infection, derma- titis of legs. She was a stout, well eoloured lady.

Generals: ~ heat. Sleep: bad dreams. Stomach: Desires: savouries, salt, fish, cheese. Warm e)~inks which ~ pain.

Wind ~', ~ pain. Burning ~ lying. Mind: Energetic, tidy, noise ~ , emotional, keeps things in, worries. Antici-

pation ~ gall-bladder. Averse crowds. Lycop. 30/1 11/12/61. Blown up the first week and then ~ . No bad pain or sickness.

Sleep ~ . Mentally ~ . S.L. 15/1/62. Very well. Ate all her Christmas Dinner--had not done this for years.

Dermatitis almost gone (had it for 14 years). S.L. In March and April she had a lot of worry with a removal and her husband

changing his job. She was more irritable and dreams were worse and some stomach upset. Lycop. 30 given in March and Lycop. 200 in April. In June she reported that she was much better again.

Mr. W. (50), foreman, sheet metal worker 1/7/59. Complaint of indigestion for years, and pain in the right hypochondrium for some years, not related to meals, but recently waking him at 2 a.m. Heart- burn and wind mostly down.

Generals: ~ heat. Sweat of feet. Some headaches. Stomach: Desires: Sweet, salt, fried, hot tea. Bowels fairly regular--feels upset

if he misses a day. Mind: Irritable. Excitable at football, worries. Shy with lack of push. Used to

be particular and tidy, and was a nail biter when young. Lycop. 200/3 Following this remedy he made steady improvement, with only occasional

bouts of indigestion. Lycop. 12c was given about every 3-4 months with S.L. a t

26 T H E B R I T I S H H O M ( E O P A T H I C J O U R N A L

monthly intervals, and when last seen in July, 1961, he was very well. The only other remedies given were Dys. co. and Nux vom. on one occasion.

Mrs. McP. (38) 7/2/62. Pain in right hypochondrium ~ late afternoon, extending to back.

Generals: ~ heat. Desires warm food and drink. Nervous, irritable, worries. cop. 30/3

7/3/62. > but still irritable and weepy. Lycop. 30/3 11/4/62. > less discomfort. Lycop. 30/3 13/6/62. Feeling fine. Occasional pain in the afternoon. Menta]ly better.

Lycop. 30/3 20/7/62. Abdominal pain away- -some pain below R. seapula.

Lycop. 200/3 29/8/62. Much better. No pain. Mentally bet ter than has been for some time.

S.L.

I have tried in this paper to describe the Lycopodium picture and to give some examples of its use in practice. With chronic prescribing it is often difficult to assess the effects of a remedy and how far improvement may have been spontaneous or psychological, but in most of these cases only Lycopodium was given and it is interesting to note a certain amount of relapse following the use of Sac. lac., and then again the improvement from repetition of the remedy.

On looking over ~hese cases some symptoms are not clear cut, for example the preference in general for warmth or cold, but others like the mentals, fear, worrying nature, anticipatory upset, irritability, conscientiousness, or the liking for sweet food and hot drinks, the right-sidedness of symptoms, and the digestive symptoms are pre t ty constant. I think each physician forms his own idea of a type, and I find the Lycopodium type very common in this age of hurry, worry and stress.

D I S C U S S I O N

DR. W. R. MeCRAE opened the discussion and congratulated Dr. Boyd on his excellent paper. Dr. McCrae emphasized the importance in the preparation of Lycopodium potencies of breaking up the spores thoroughly by tr i turation and checking under the microscope. The power of potentized Lycopodium was so great tha t he was surprised other pollens had not been tried in the same way.

Lycopodium had a very marked effect on the liver. I t s action on the right side of the body was striking. Dr. McCrae drew attention to the long duration of action of a single dose; it might be 2 or 3 months even after a 6c.

DR. K~N~ED:Z was doubtful if Lycopodium was so frequently indicated in duodenal ulcer. Many Lycopodium cases in his experience had X-ray report negative for ulcer. And why was Dysentery Co. suggested as a complementary remedy when stool examination suggested Morgan-G~rtner? In Dr. Boyd's eases where one dose of Lycopodium was given at very long intervals with S.L. between doses--was the S.L. not acting as a blind control?

DR. TW]~NTrMA~ drew attention to the frequent complementary relation- ship of Lachesis and Lycopodium--two remedies with many opposite charac- teristics. He thought I, ycopodium suited to a male type of case, even in women patients. Different aspects of the remedy were emphasized in different eountries - - m France the choleric nature rather than the anxious, and in Germany

S O M E L Y C O P O D I U M C A S E S 27

jealousy was stressed as a pointer to Lycopodium. We needed a bet ter dynamic understanding of our remedies and not just words like jealousy, etc.

~)R. HARLI~G cited a case where Lycopodium given by Dr. Nankivell had acted well 40 years previously and was now indicated again in an old gentleman of 83. He produced a prescription of Dr. Nankivell 's for Lycopodium 30 and Dr. Harling found the symptoms 40 years later again indicated the same remedy. I t appeared tha t he had kept well for 40 years after the Lycopodium 30.

DR. RAESIDE asked if even a 6e potency could have a long and deep action. He also asked Dr. Boyd's opinion about the shape of his Lycopodium patients. Many Lycopodium women seemed to be short and plump.

SIR JOH~ WEIR congratulated Dr. Boyd and praised Lycopodium as a wonderful remedy for the anticipatory fears of school children, going up for exams, etc.

D R . F R A S E R K E R R cited a case of a very severe aggravation after Lycopodium 6e.

DR. MCCREADY valued Lycopod/um for its action particularly on the glands and the liver. He considered it an antidote to aluminium effects from cooking utensils.

D R . R O S S praised Dr. Boyd's paper and for his excellent results with widely spaced doses and plenty of S.L. He emphasized the flatulent distension which some patients felt ascending even to the head. Lycopodium was a remedy for all the three miasms and was frequently reinforced by Syphi//num as an inter- current, especially when nightly aggravation was prominent. He was grateful always to Dr. Fergie Woods for this tip given years ago.

While a change of the miasm uppermost usually led to a different remedy, Lycopodium was frequently the one remedy for a patient over many years. Dr. Ross found the Lycopod/um patients worried about money and seemed mean, but this was probably just another aspect of their loss of confidence.

DR. BOYD replied to some of the points raised. He did use Morgan-Gvertner as a complementary remedy to Lycopodium but found Dysentery Co. more useful in duodenal ulcer. Regarding the question of the giving of Sac. lac. being a blind control, Dr. Boyd felt that it was difficult to use this in the normal statistical way as we had no idea how long the previous dose of Lycopodium might be acting, and in this sense the giving of S.L. was not really a blank dose. This, of course, is always difficult in trying to obtain statistical proof when using homceo- pathic remedies.

Regarding the question of potency mentioned by Dr. Raeside, Dr. Boyd said he did not often use a 6c, but there seemed to be evidence that this potency could act very well.

The comment on the appearance of Lycopodium women was interesting, as it did seem tha t many of these cases were small and plump as opposed to the rather slim build of the male patient.

The use of Zycopodium for helping children who are worried at school, or going up for exams was corroborated by Dr. Boyd, who had found this most valuable, particularly in children who tend to bite their nails, although Gelsemium and Argentum nit. were both very useful for examination funk.

Referring to Dr. McCready's remarks, Dr. Boyd said he felt this remedy was a good remedy for liver complaints with its associated gall-bladder symptoms. He could not state with any certainty the effect of JLycopodium as an antidote to aluminium, but this might well be worth observing.

Dr. Boyd finally thanked the President and the members for the interesting discussion and for their hearing of his paper.