Meenal pandeyFourth year

Nehru homoeopathic medical college, New Delhi

A low creeping perennial, found in all parts of the world, but is most frequent in northern countries.Earlier used as a drying powder by the nurses & as coating for pills.Prover: Hahnemann.Authority: The chronic diseases, their peculiar nature & their homoeopathic cure Vol II

Synonyms: muscus terrestris repens ,pes urinus, club moss, wolf’s claw.Lycopodiaceae family. (clarke in his dictionary of practical materia medica)

Spores are soaked in alcohol for a week or more before it is filtered to obtain the mother tincture.

“The spores from which the attenuations are made have been called ‘ vegetable sulphur’(…on account of their use for producing stage-lightning at theatres)& lycopodium ranks with sulphur & calcarea in the central trio around which all the rest of the materia medica can be grouped.”(Clarke in his dictionary of practical materia medica)

Persons intellectually keen but physically weak

Especially in extremes of life, children & old people.

Complexion pale, dirty; unhealthy; sallow with deep furrows, look older than he is.

Carbonitrogenoid constitution, the non-eliminative lithemic.

Brow is frequently wrinkled, as a result of chronic anxiety…

Adapted to ailments progressing gradually, functional power weakens, failure of digestive powers, when the liver function is seriously disturbed. Atony. Malnutrition. Pre-senility.

(Allens keynotes & boericke’s manual of hom. Materia medica)

“…the terrors of anticipation as they affect lyc. Lyc. Has to meet his shareholders or his constituents with an important speech,& knows that he will flounder, and hesitate, and forget his points, is obsessed with the idea that he will make a mess of it. The dreaded moment arrives: he gets on to his legs, warms to his work, sails along in blissful self-forgetfulness, to sit down feeling that he has made the speech of his life. It was all joy and fluency; he not only remembered all his points, but made new ones as he went along.

But he will have the same terror next time, unless he gets his stimulus, because he is lycopodium.”

M.l.tyler in herHomoeopathic drug pictures.

Mental generals

Dominating, exacting; cannot endure contradiction; seeks disputes; is beside himself.

“Many years ago, one was asked to prescribe for a small boy…the trouble was recent: tormenting ‘frequency.’ One stood & watched him play cricket on the sands with the other little boys,& every few minutes he had to rush away for relief…A few lycopodium symptoms emerged, with this one,…that he ‘woke up ugly’ as the Americans express it, ‘crying &cross’. Lyc. quickly cured;& …hammered home a point…that it is (mentally) ‘ugly on waking’.” (M.L.Tyler in her homoeopathic drug pictures)

Avaricious, greedy, miserly, malicious, pusillanimous.

Preference for someone in the next room is a good metaphor for his emotional life as a whole, needs the support of other people, but also needs his space. Will feel lonely in a house by himself, but oppressed when sharing his life too intimately with another .

Because he seeks to be accepted-tendency to weep when warmly welcomed or appreciated or gifted-very much aware of how much their happiness depends on their loved ones. on wedding anniversaries, when asked to make a speech, genuinely cry with gratitude for the love of their wife & children.

(Bailey in his homoeopathic psychology)

lycopodium keynote: impotence A vast majority of lycopodium people have a sense of impotency inside, even though they may appear to be confident powerful individuals. They lack faith in their own abilities.

Lyco mental generals compared with Nat mur ( from homeopathic psychology by Philip M. Bailey)

In the home of a lycopodium child one parent undermines the child’s confidence & criticizes more than he praises. This produces performance anxiety in the child which only serves to weaken his performance, which then intensifies the growing sense of failure inside

A very similar dynamic is seen in many natrum children but they become perfectionists (unlike lyco) & believe in their abilities. Since they tend to get positive reinforcement from their natrum parents when they excel. The natrum child senses that he is not good enough despite his excellent performance, since his parents’ love is so conditional. The lycopodium child ,on the other hand, feels a failure because his performance is not good enough

He develops an easy-going nature (kent: mildness) because he is afraid of confrontation. In extreme cases this can lead to lyco becoming a groveling sycophant. He will go out of his way to please his friends. He usually has a good number of acquaintances ,rather than a few close friends like natrum.Is generally a diplomatic person. Even when he dislikes a person, he is good at disguising it, with a mixture of nonchalance and flattery.

Is a great opportunist, far more liable than natrum to put personal gain before morality

The people pleaser…the lyco child learns early on to curry favor in order to be liked by his peers. He will copy the phrases and mannerisms that appear to please, give into all sorts of demands& generally try to be nice. Natrum children are upset when their special friends reject them. Lyco is upset if anybody doesn’t like him; even a complete stranger.

Bravado: lyco attempts to cover up anxiety by acting confidently. A strong element is inflation. on the physical level this inflation is seen in the gaseous distension of the abdomen & in distended veins & hemorrhoids. These are examples of physical inflation secondary to weakness of digestion, or of vessel walls . On the psychological level bravado is very similar, a case of inflation with nothing very substantial, secondary to a sense of weakness.“Natrum mur. is also a remedy which presents an outer image in compensation for an inner weakness, but the natrum mur. inner state is one of emotional & sentimental vulnerability rather than the sense of inadequacy felt by lycopodium.” George vithoulkas in his essence of materia medica.

Detachment: many lyco men would rather play with boys(or girls) than spend time being intimate (as oppose to sexual) with their partner, since they feel uncomfortable with true intimacy. True intimacy requires a certain amount of responsibility,& lyco is not fond of responsibility, at least not when it involves emotional commitment. Emotionally, lycos are ‘lightweights’ who enjoy the closeness of a partner without great passion or intimacy. The lyco man is warmer than the average natrum man, that is he shows his affection more & is quiet fond of cuddles & kisses. But his love is a gentle fondness rather than a passion. He rarely feels great depths of emotion.

The opportunist: lyco is both emotionally detached & flexible. One expression of opportunism is womanizer. Romeos who flit from one woman to another, getting out when the going gets rough. Many lyco men are virtual gigolos, relying on their charm with women to avoid a life of emotional & professional commitment.

The average lyco, like the average natrum is a bit of a battler. He would like to just have an easy life, but he knows he will have to fight for it & is sensible enough to know it’s worth the effort, & he has a sound enough brain & a way with people that will help him get through.

Intellectual: lycos make very good scientists. A visit to any department of pure scince or engineering will reveal a student body composed primarily of lycos. Most have rather thin, bony physiques,& a tendency to wrinkle the brow, out of worry or intellectual concentration. They will have hobbies that require little physical effort, like model making or rebuilding engines. Socially they tend to be conformists rather than individualistic, due to the desire to fit in ,& hence be popular.

Can gradually acquire the skills & the self-confidence that is needed to exercise authority over large number of people. Makes a pleasant boss, who is reasonable & understanding, & enjoys a certain amount of friendliness with his staff. Natrum bosses are also often like this. It is the vulnerability within these two which makes them humane & approachable when in positions of authority.

Affects right side, or pain goes from right to left, throat, chest, abdomen, liver, ovaries.

Deep seated, progressive, chronic diseases.

Pains: aching-pressure, drawing; chiefly right-sided,<4 to 8 p.m.

Canine hunger; the more he eats, the more he craves; head aches if he does not eat. Waking at night feeling hungry.Aversion to bread, etc. Desire for sweet things.

Baby cries all day, sleeps all night. Dreams of accidents.

In general aggravated by heat, but ameliorated by warm foods &drinks.Intolerant of cold drinks.

Dryness of mouth & tongue, without thirst. Blisters on tongue.

viscid & offensive perspiration, esp. of feet & axilla.

A trimiasmatic remedy.Predominantly aggravated by heat (Gibson miller)

(Allens keynotes & boericke’s manual of hom. Materia medica)

Catarrh: dry nose stopped at night, must breathe through the mouth ; snuffles, child starts from sleep rubbing its nose; of root of nose & frontal sinuses; crusts &elastic plugs.

Diphtheria: fauces brownish-red, deposit spreads from right tonsil to left<after sleep & from cold drinks. Better , warm drinks.

Neglected pneumonia with great dyspnea,flaying of alae nasi & presence of mucus rales. Base of right lung involved esp.

Cough deep, hollow, even raising mucus in large quantities affords little relief. Expectoration gray, thick, bloody, purulent, salty.

Respiratory system:

(Allens keynotes & boericke’s manual of hom. Materia medica)

constant sensation of satiety; good appetite, but a few mouthfuls fill up to the throat& he feels bloated.

Excessive accumulation of flatulence; fermentation in abdomen ,with loud grumbling ,croaking ,esp. lower abdomen, fullness not relieved by belching.Everything tastes sour;

eructation, heartburn, waterbrash, sour vomiting.

Constipation: since puberty; since last confinement; when away from home; of infants; with ineffectual urging, rectum contracts &protrudes during stool, developing piles.

Discharge of blood from genitals during stool.

Hernia: right-sided, esp. in children.

Diarrhea from eating oysters.

Gastro intestinal system:

Incomplete, burning eructations rise only upto the pharynx, where they burn for hours.

(Allens keynotes & boericke’s manual of hom. Materia medica)

Pain in back before micturating; ceases after flow; slow in coming, must strain. Retention. Polyuria at night. Heavy red sediment. Child cries before micturating.renal colic, right side.

Impotence: of young men, from onanism or sexual excess; penis small, cold, relaxed; old men, with strong desire but imperfect erections; falls asleep during an embrace; premature emission. Fear of being impotent, when not; just another facet of the general fear of failure.

Dryness of vagina; burning in, during &after coition; physometra. Fetus appears to be turning somersaults. Menses too late, last too long, too profuse. Leucorrhea acrid, with burning in vagina.

Extremities: one foot hot, the other cold. Sciatica, worse right side. Cannot lie on the painful side.

Urinary system:

Male reproductive system:

Female reproductive system:

(Allens keynotes & boericke’s manual of hom. Materia medica)

WorsePressure of clothes. Warmth. Awaking. Wind. Eating; to satiety, oysters. Indigestion. 4 to 8 p.m.

BetterWarm drinks, food etc. Cold application. Motion. Eructations. Urinating.

“unless undoubtedly indicated the treatment of a chronic disease should not be commenced with lycopodium, it is better to give first another antipsoric remedy.” Hering in his guiding symptoms.

Complementary: iodineBad effects: of onion, bread; wine, spirituous liquors; tobacco smoking &chewing.Should rarely be repeated after improvement begins.

General modalities:

(CM Boger in his synoptic key of the materia medica)

The end