176 British Homoeopathic Journal

tant medicine to give is the constitutional in many instances; however, the traumas men- t ioned seem to engender cer ta in fa i r ly common patterns in patients and it is these that are considered. Although PTSD is dealt with under 3 separate headings for convenience, it is pointed out that most patients will experi- ence a whole gamut of reactions to their traumas and these boundaries may not be clearly defined in practice. A useful introduc- tion to an exceedingly complex problem.

Materia medica of post-traumatic stress dis- order.

Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy 1993; 86:110-18.

Pulsatilla--does it act on the pituitary? P. K. SETHI The author reports briefly on a 'random clin- ical t r ia l ' on more than 300 cows using Pulsatilla in 30c and 1M potencies. The med- icines were administered to treat conditions associated with anoestrus in heifers and cows- -no t coming into heat and disturbed milk flow. The article is anecdotal, but intro- duces an interesting idea that Pulsatilla acts on the pituitary gland and therefore affects the production of various hormones, including oxytocic hormone. No scientific evidence is offered for this hypothesis, but then so much of ve te r ina ry h o m o e o p a t h y cannot be explained logically.

Pulsatilla and the pituitary body. The Homoeopathic Heritage International

1993; 18: 366-67.

Veterinary applications V. MENEAR 5 interesting cases serve to illustrate the wide appl icat ions of veter inary homoeopathy . Plumbum seemed to work well with a proto- zoan infection in a rabbit and the same medi- cine helped a 9-year-old terrier with kidney failure, preventing the need for euthanasia.

Case 3 involved a sheep with what was later diagnosed as a rattlesnake bite (Crotalus), and case 4 a 2-year-old horse with 's trangles ' (Rhus tox.). The final patient mentioned was a parrot with partial paralysis of its left wing and foot. It seemed to be having convulsions but responded to Nux vomica 30c given twice daily for 5 days very slowly. After four months the bird suffered a relapse, but rapidly improved when treated with the same medi- cine in 4x potency. In this case the lower

potency would probably have been more appropriate in the first treatment.

Animals and homoeopathy. Five cases. Simillimum 1993; VI (2): 87-91.

Treating stubborn plantar warts MIRANDA CASTRO M. Castro presents a detailed case involving a male patient of 43 with large painful horny warts on the ball of his right foot. Over 2 years he had tried salicylic acid, formaldehyde, and caustic preparations; he had scraped the warts, applied plasters and even had them cut out and frozen off. Thuja oil rubbed in, and Thuja 30c taken orally were both unsuccessful, too. The patient 's history revealed some interesting facts, and the constitutional medicine eventu- ally chosen (Phosphorus 10M) appeared to work well, although it caused initial aggrava- tions according to Hering' s law of cure.

A case of intractable plantar warts. Simillimum 1993; V | (3): 97-101.

Seeking the 'right' dose K. DAM The dose of a medicine should be clearly dis- tinguished from potency and repetition after the action of a medicine. Although the dose should be as small as possible, the point is made in the Dutch article that it should be re la ted to the sensi t iv i ty of the patient. According to Hahnemann the sensitivity of a patient to the dose of the indicated medicine can differ a thousand fold. What about patients who do not react on 1 or 2 doses, return after 6 weeks with no apparent improvement, yet you are certain the medicine is correct? Should a high potency be administered daily until a response is achieved? Eizayaga experimented with frequent dosing of high potencies and claims improved cure rates. At the other end of the scale highly sensitive patients might obtain relief from more subtle techniques: holding the medicine in its container in the hand or sleeping with it under the pillow.

De Dosering. Simillima 1993; 2 (1): 25-27.

(Dutch with English summary)

Ban on pyrrolizidine alkaloids H. LESIGANG In Austria, medicinal preparations containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids will be banned from 1 July 1994. Plants containing the alkaloids are Cynoglossum L., Eupatorium cannabinum L. and plants belonging to the following genera: