Sun, 23 Aug 2015, 9:39 AM - Murali Castro: Gallic acid
Massimo Mangialavori's Gallic Acid case is, in many
ways, characteristic of this lesser-known remedy. One
key symptom of the remedy (and a characteristic of this
case) is an extreme fear of being alone. This fear is
pronounced both day and night, but is worse at night,
when it can also be accompanied by a fear of ghosts.
Massimo s client s need for his childhood servant to
sleep in his room, even as an adult, his need to travel
only to places where he could find someone to stay with
him at night, and his sleep patterns (e.g. jumping out of
bed), precisely match symptoms described in the
Materia Medica for this remedy.
Gallic Acid is noted for many other symptoms that come
up in this case: difficulty in moving the bowels and
weakness afterwards, a penchant for cursing, jealousy
(e.g. of one's servant), and amorous dreams. Another
important keynote for Gallic Acid, seen less directly in
this case, is extreme rudeness and abusiveness, even
violence. A Gallic Acid child will absolutely dominate the
household with violent, manipulative behavior, coupled
with an extreme need for approval and fear of being
alone. In this case, this tendency may be reflected in the
client being a criminal attorney and his love of cursing.
As he says, "I like to cuss and I like to invent new cuss
words. I really like people from Tuscany...Perhaps this is
a reason I chose to be a criminal attorney, I like the
idea of helping those types of people." There were also
points of contention between Massimo and this man
during the case-taking; the client gets upset and tells
Massimo that "he has no right to say these things."
It is also interesting that familial tuberculosis figures in
this case. Boericke writes that Gallic Acid"should be
remembered as a remedy in phthisis" [ 1] and Ananda
Zaren writes that Gallic Acid"can look like a cross
between Tuberculinurn and Stramonium, but it is
neither. You do not feel good about giving either." [ 5]
Remember that Massimo writes he had a feeling in this
case of the Solanaceae family, which includes
Stramonium.
Substance and Signature
Gallic Acid is a substance derived from gall nuts, and is
related to tannin. Gall nuts are growths on the branches
or leaves of trees, especially oak trees. An insect,
typically the gall wasp, stings the leaf and then lays its
eggs. The sting injects corrosive digestive enzymes into
the plant. In response, the host plant creates a growth
around the wound-the gall nut-which also serves to
protect and nourish the wasp larvae.
In the 1990 IFH Professional Case Conference, Ananda
Zaren published two cases of Gallic Acid, along with her
thoughts about this remedy, which she uses frequently.
She points out how the situation of the gall nut reflects
two key aspects of Gallic Acid patients-the violence of
the wasp and the need for the protection of the nut.
Often, she has seen the remedy needed in states that
began with a sudden shock. For example, a typical
situation is that of a child who has been suddenly
separated from a primary caregiver. The child will feel
abandoned [Stramonium] and react with extreme
manipulation, even violence, to prevent this from
reoccurring. As she writes,
"From that time on, the child insists on constantly being
watched and never lets the parent out of sight. Adult
Gallic Acid patients make sure that they live and work
with people so that they are never alone....Sleep is a
very difficult time for Gallic Acid. They are restless,
kicking and moaning....They have to be physically next
to one of the parents...The parents will report that these
children never have a deep sleep because they are
always on guard, watching, so that they are not
alone." [ 5]
Given Massimo's client's lifelong difficulties with being
alone, it is perhaps not so surprising that his family
servant continues to live with him and sleep in his room
at night. He has not been able to sleep alone his entire
life, except for ten times and with the aid of sleeping
pills! He suddenly wakes and jumps out of bed-as if he
is always on alert, in case of sudden abandonment.
During the day he still needs his secretary to work
where he can see her. This man is manipulating his
environment to get the protection he needs.
Both Boericke's and Clarke's materia medica on Gallic
Acid describe these exact mental symptoms, first
recorded in a case book of Duncan Macfarlan, M.D. in
1875. Gallic Acid was administered in a case of
aneurysm and produced the following effects:
"[V]ery restless, jumps out of bed, swears profusely, is
afraid to be left alone, insists upon constantly being
watched. Is exceedingly rude and abuses every one,
even his best friends. Is jealous of his nurse, and curses
every one who speaks to her."
Physical Symptoms
The original proving of Gallic Acid was conducted by
D.S. Kimball, M.D. and was published in the American
Homeopathic Observer in November 1872. Kimball
describes numerous physical symptoms proved by
himself that were also later clinically verified in cures.
These include: increased urination (a straw-colored
urine) and distention of the bladder, diminished appetite,
amorous dreams, roughness and increased phlegm in
the throat and posterior nares (< morning), a gnawing,
faint, sick sensation in the bowels. The process of
moving the bowels is difficult: "Sensation of contraction
of the anus requiring a greater effort for expulsion at
stool, which comes, at length in bulk, as if accumulated
there." [ 3] After moving the bowels, there is a smarting,
aching, faint, sick, hungry, nauseous, gnawing sensation
in bowels, extending to the stomach, that can last for
hours.
Kimball also mentions the symptoms of photophobia
accompanied by burning and itching of the eyelids and
inner canthi, dryness of the throat and mouth with a
bad taste during sleep and dreams, heartburn, flatulence
in the evening and night, as well as itching skin in
various parts, and a pimple on the vertex of the head.
The remedy is also associated with jerking limbs and
convulsions. Zaren has noticed a pronounced aversion
to herring (in 27 cases!) and a strong desire for smoked
food.
As mentioned above, Gallic Acid is recommended as a
remedy for lung afflictions as well as "passive
hemorrhages when pulse is feeble and capillaries
relaxed, cold skin." [ 1] Hence the relationship to
Tuberculinurn. The pains are worse when rising in the
morning and when coughing, breathing deeply, or
yawning. There is right lung pain, better from lying
down, as well as aching in the middle/upper lungs,
worse on the left, in the morning, and upon turning the
head, extending through the neck muscles to the right
shoulder and down the upper spine.
Polarities
Examining the physical symptoms overall, one can see a
polarity in Gallic Acid between a state of dry contraction
and one of wet relaxation. On the dry, contracted end of
the spectrum we have dry mouth and throat (especially
at night), the sense of contraction in the anus, gnawing
in the stomach, a small appetite, constipation, and the
burning and itching eyelids. Indeed, Gallic Acid is known
for its astringent properties and was used as a styptic
by the old school. It was considered the best internal
styptic for the relief of mucus discharges, menorrhagia,
hemorrhage, and excessive expectoration in tuberculosis
and bronchitis. On the wet end of the spectrum, we see
the hemorrhagic tendency, excessive mucus and phlegm,
profuse foot sweats and night sweats, and increased
urination, sometimes with a thick, cream-colored
mucus.
Tying this polarity into the mental states, we note that
Gallic Acid exhibits both selfish holding and grasping --
a kind of dry/contracted state -- (jealousy, fear of being
alone, manipulative) as well as expulsive, outwardly-
directed anger (cursing, violence, destructiveness to
others, abusiveness, rudeness, and babbling speech at
night).
References
(1.) W. Boericke, M.D. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic
Materia Medica and Repertory, pp. 297-298.
(2.) John Henry Clarke, M.D. A Dictionary of Practical
Materia Medica, Volume 1, pp. 795-796.
(3.) D. S. Kimball, M.D. "Proving of Gallic Acid," in
American Homoeopathic Observer, Volume 9, November
1872, pp. 523-525.
(4.) Frans Vermeulen, Introduction and Characteristics
of Gallic Acid, extracted from Referenceworks, Kent
Homeopathic Associates.
(5.) Ananda Zaren, "Two Cases of Pediatric Behavior
Disorder," in 1990 IFH Professional Case Conference, pp.
275-291.
The American Homeopath.
~~~~~~~~
By Amy L. Lansky
Massimo Mangialavori's Gallic Acid case is, in many
ways, characteristic of this lesser-known remedy. One
key symptom of the remedy (and a characteristic of this
case) is an extreme fear of being alone. This fear is
pronounced both day and night, but is worse at night,
when it can also be accompanied by a fear of ghosts.
Massimo s client s need for his childhood servant to
sleep in his room, even as an adult, his need to travel
only to places where he could find someone to stay with
him at night, and his sleep patterns (e.g. jumping out of
bed), precisely match symptoms described in the
Materia Medica for this remedy.
Gallic Acid is noted for many other symptoms that come
up in this case: difficulty in moving the bowels and
weakness afterwards, a penchant for cursing, jealousy
(e.g. of one's servant), and amorous dreams. Another
important keynote for Gallic Acid, seen less directly in
this case, is extreme rudeness and abusiveness, even
violence. A Gallic Acid child will absolutely dominate the
household with violent, manipulative behavior, coupled
with an extreme need for approval and fear of being
alone. In this case, this tendency may be reflected in the
client being a criminal attorney and his love of cursing.
As he says, "I like to cuss and I like to invent new cuss
words. I really like people from Tuscany...Perhaps this is
a reason I chose to be a criminal attorney, I like the
idea of helping those types of people." There were also
points of contention between Massimo and this man
during the case-taking; the client gets upset and tells
Massimo that "he has no right to say these things."
It is also interesting that familial tuberculosis figures in
this case. Boericke writes that Gallic Acid"should be
remembered as a remedy in phthisis" [ 1] and Ananda
Zaren writes that Gallic Acid"can look like a cross
between Tuberculinurn and Stramonium, but it is
neither. You do not feel good about giving either." [ 5]
Remember that Massimo writes he had a feeling in this
case of the Solanaceae family, which includes
Stramonium.
Substance and Signature
Gallic Acid is a substance derived from gall nuts, and is
related to tannin. Gall nuts are growths on the branches
or leaves of trees, especially oak trees. An insect,
typically the gall wasp, stings the leaf and then lays its
eggs. The sting injects corrosive digestive enzymes into
the plant. In response, the host plant creates a growth
around the wound-the gall nut-which also serves to
protect and nourish the wasp larvae.
In the 1990 IFH Professional Case Conference, Ananda
Zaren published two cases of Gallic Acid, along with her
thoughts about this remedy, which she uses frequently.
She points out how the situation of the gall nut reflects
two key aspects of Gallic Acid patients-the violence of
the wasp and the need for the protection of the nut.
Often, she has seen the remedy needed in states that
began with a sudden shock. For example, a typical
situation is that of a child who has been suddenly
separated from a primary caregiver. The child will feel
abandoned [Stramonium] and react with extreme
manipulation, even violence, to prevent this from
reoccurring. As she writes,
"From that time on, the child insists on constantly being
watched and never lets the parent out of sight. Adult
Gallic Acid patients make sure that they live and work
with people so that they are never alone....Sleep is a
very difficult time for Gallic Acid. They are restless,
kicking and moaning....They have to be physically next
to one of the parents...The parents will report that these
children never have a deep sleep because they are
always on guard, watching, so that they are not
alone." [ 5]
Given Massimo's client's lifelong difficulties with being
alone, it is perhaps not so surprising that his family
servant continues to live with him and sleep in his room
at night. He has not been able to sleep alone his entire
life, except for ten times and with the aid of sleeping
pills! He suddenly wakes and jumps out of bed-as if he
is always on alert, in case of sudden abandonment.
During the day he still needs his secretary to work
where he can see her. This man is manipulating his
environment to get the protection he needs.
Both Boericke's and Clarke's materia medica on Gallic
Acid describe these exact mental symptoms, first
recorded in a case book of Duncan Macfarlan, M.D. in
1875. Gallic Acid was administered in a case of
aneurysm and produced the following effects:
"[V]ery restless, jumps out of bed, swears profusely, is
afraid to be left alone, insists upon constantly being
watched. Is exceedingly rude and abuses every one,
even his best friends. Is jealous of his nurse, and curses
every one who speaks to her."
Physical Symptoms
The original proving of Gallic Acid was conducted by
D.S. Kimball, M.D. and was published in the American
Homeopathic Observer in November 1872. Kimball
describes numerous physical symptoms proved by
himself that were also later clinically verified in cures.
These include: increased urination (a straw-colored
urine) and distention of the bladder, diminished appetite,
amorous dreams, roughness and increased phlegm in
the throat and posterior nares (< morning), a gnawing,
faint, sick sensation in the bowels. The process of
moving the bowels is difficult: "Sensation of contraction
of the anus requiring a greater effort for expulsion at
stool, which comes, at length in bulk, as if accumulated
there." [ 3] After moving the bowels, there is a smarting,
aching, faint, sick, hungry, nauseous, gnawing sensation
in bowels, extending to the stomach, that can last for
hours.
Kimball also mentions the symptoms of photophobia
accompanied by burning and itching of the eyelids and
inner canthi, dryness of the throat and mouth with a
bad taste during sleep and dreams, heartburn, flatulence
in the evening and night, as well as itching skin in
various parts, and a pimple on the vertex of the head.
The remedy is also associated with jerking limbs and
convulsions. Zaren has noticed a pronounced aversion
to herring (in 27 cases!) and a strong desire for smoked
food.
As mentioned above, Gallic Acid is recommended as a
remedy for lung afflictions as well as "passive
hemorrhages when pulse is feeble and capillaries
relaxed, cold skin." [ 1] Hence the relationship to
Tuberculinurn. The pains are worse when rising in the
morning and when coughing, breathing deeply, or
yawning. There is right lung pain, better from lying
down, as well as aching in the middle/upper lungs,
worse on the left, in the morning, and upon turning the
head, extending through the neck muscles to the right
shoulder and down the upper spine.
Polarities
Examining the physical symptoms overall, one can see a
polarity in Gallic Acid between a state of dry contraction
and one of wet relaxation. On the dry, contracted end of
the spectrum we have dry mouth and throat (especially
at night), the sense of contraction in the anus, gnawing
in the stomach, a small appetite, constipation, and the
burning and itching eyelids. Indeed, Gallic Acid is known
for its astringent properties and was used as a styptic
by the old school. It was considered the best internal
styptic for the relief of mucus discharges, menorrhagia,
hemorrhage, and excessive expectoration in tuberculosis
and bronchitis. On the wet end of the spectrum, we see
the hemorrhagic tendency, excessive mucus and phlegm,
profuse foot sweats and night sweats, and increased
urination, sometimes with a thick, cream-colored
mucus.
Tying this polarity into the mental states, we note that
Gallic Acid exhibits both selfish holding and grasping --
a kind of dry/contracted state -- (jealousy, fear of being
alone, manipulative) as well as expulsive, outwardly-
directed anger (cursing, violence, destructiveness to
others, abusiveness, rudeness, and babbling speech at
night).
References
(1.) W. Boericke, M.D. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic
Materia Medica and Repertory, pp. 297-298.
(2.) John Henry Clarke, M.D. A Dictionary of Practical
Materia Medica, Volume 1, pp. 795-796.
(3.) D. S. Kimball, M.D. "Proving of Gallic Acid," in
American Homoeopathic Observer, Volume 9, November
1872, pp. 523-525.
(4.) Frans Vermeulen, Introduction and Characteristics
of Gallic Acid, extracted from Referenceworks, Kent
Homeopathic Associates.
(5.) Ananda Zaren, "Two Cases of Pediatric Behavior
Disorder," in 1990 IFH Professional Case Conference, pp.
275-291.
The American Homeopath.
~~~~~~~~
By Amy L. Lansky
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