Alumina silicata
Andalusite rock – Alumina 63, Silica 37 parts.
The essential features
This is another interesting remedy about which we do not have enough information. Most of the symptomatology comes from Kent and from the few cases where I have prescribed it so far. I am convinced that this is going to prove to be a very important remedy once we know more about it.
You may need this remedy in the deepest and most stubborn cases you meet in your homeopathic career. It is a remedy that contains in its pathogenesis elements from all three remedies : Alumen, Alumina and Silica and yet it has its own individuality. What is striking in my experience is the fact that those patients who need this remedy may present symptoms which are not very obtrusive, but deep and disturbing on a permanent basis. It seems that once an Alumina silicata symptomatology sets in there is no interval in the suffering of the patient, it is there all the time, day and night. In this way the patient becomes a victim of the most deep and annoying symptomatology. This subtle but incessant suffering becomes a great element of this remedy. For instance a woman may take to her bed for most of her waking time for years complaining of a nondescript lassitute.
It so grasps the system as to slow down its action and defences and leaves the patient in a miserable state. The brain seems not to work or works very slowly, as if clouded all the time; there is no moment when Alumina silicata individuals feel their mind is clear, and it is only in the evening that there is a little bit of an amelioration. They complain that their thinking processes have been diminished to the extent that they seem to themselves to be useless individuals. A usual expression is “I have become an invalid”. They abhor any mental labor and slowly start giving up their everyday activities one after the other. This process takes a long time to develop, even years, but it is a steady and sure decline of the organism.
It is useful at this point to state a warning about this remedy: do not be in a hurry to change it if you see no apparent results within two or even three months. There is a definite similarity between the long process of time taken by the organism to develop the disturbance and the time needed for the cure. Yet in order to wait so long you must see some subtle, minute changes especially in energy levels and in a clearing of the mind.
This long process of development also takes place in the peripheral nervous system, where we see a course of very slow, gradual paralysis. The extremities become heavier and heavier, the body feels heavier every day and eventually they cannot lift their legs to step up a few stairs; the lassitude is so great that they take to bed.
We can see the same story with the constipation, which is stubborn and persistent, which nothing can help. The Alumina silica case will give you a story of progressive constipation, in the early stages of which the problem was not so bad, but which eventually came to the point where none of the laxatives could help. They have to strain a great deal, even with soft stools, and then only a small, unsatisfactory amount is passed.
Together with such conditions you may have chronic stubborn headaches where the patient complains of nondescript pains in the head – not severe, not excruciating but rather a kind of headache that paralyses the mental faculties of the patient rendering him “useless”. These types of headache can be so persistent that the patient cannot perform his daily duties, the mind is clouded and he becomes irritable, irascible and dissatisfied.
In such cases you get the impression that the liver is torpid, slow, congested, not functioning properly. Bilious headaches.
The patient is irritable, never satisfied or happy as he feels that he cannot enjoy anything. He cannot take any heavy food, and experience teaches him to take good notice of everything he eats, and make sure that it be pure and simple and easily digestible. Often complete fasts are necessary for Alumina silicata patients to keep their health in a tolerable condition. Fasting seems to help the headaches, the constipation, the torpidity of the liver and the cloudiness of the mind and, in general, the congestion of the organism.
You may find yourself wondering how these people keep going as they lose flesh all the time, becoming anemic, emaciated, disturbed by any kind of heavy food, by cold weather, feeling constantly tired and having to have frequent rests.
Resting and warmth bring the greatest amelioration to Alumina silica, though they may desire the fresh air and may feel heat in the head. Any strong excitement or motion will aggravate their condition.
Alumina silica cases are closed in on themselves, year after year. They become more and more timid, introverted and reserved, and cannot face the challenges of life. They are very sensitive to criticism and easily offended but will not show it, attempting to hide it. They will suffer silently and deeply without making a strong point about their suffering. They have a desire for solitude, the presence of other people aggravates their symptomatology.
It is only if they are depressed, that they get some relief by telling some friend about their misery and depression. They don’t like crowds of people, preferring the company of one person only, and they are better when alone, like Sepia in some respects, especially in their energy.
These patients are critical, dissatisfied, never happy or content. It seems as if they cannot enjoy the good things in life; they are displeased, dissatisfied with everything. They cannot tolerate contradiction and easily feel hurt and start weeping. They do not like to get into arguments as they know that if they get angry or upset this will cost them a lot, with more headaches, more constrictions, more cloudiness of the mind, more misery. They become morose, peevish, ill-humored. With the decline of Alumina silica’s mental faculties, indecision sets in, due to the fact that they cannot think clearly. They develop aversion to work, they feel mentally fatigued, prostrated. If they force themselves to study or to do some mental work they are aggravated, and even develop symptoms from mental work. Other mental symptoms are: dullness, difficulty of thinking and comprehension. Difficult concentration, worse in the morning on waking where they feel confused, as if the brain were congested and torpid. They are absent-minded and make mistakes in speaking and writing, using wrong words. Deficiency of ideas. Weakness of memory.
And in the midst of this mental confusion Alumina silica patients develop an anxiety as if they were guilty, as if they had committed some crime. They are constantly reproving themselves, even feeling remorseful. They may also develop a covert anxiety about their health, or an anxiety in the evening, at night and after sleep.
Eventually they become fearful, living in a constant state of fear, especially in the morning on waking. Apprehension that they will lose their sanity. This fear is mostly apparent on waking in the morning where the mind is most confused. She thinks that she is growing smaller and that she will fall if she rises to her feet. Such numerous problems frequently cause these patients to fall into indifference, apathy, and eventually states of depression where they feel that they cannot go on living like this; they may wish to die, loathing life and contemplating suicide. Eventually a passive kind of insanity may develop with great mental weakness, religious affections and hysterical laughing.
Some general symptoms and keynotes
The patient has a desire for cold air but cold air and cold in general aggravate all complaints; he is much worse after becoming cold. Great coldness during the pains. Even chilliness after eating is possible. (But cold applications ameliorate the headache and the crawling and itching of the female genital organs.).
Worse from cold drinks, cold water, milk but also from very warm food.
Warmth and warm applications ameliorate but a close warm room aggravates and the extreme heat of summer takes her strength. She wants her body wrapped up, but wants her head in cold air.
All pains are worse from excitement and motion and are better from perfect rest, especially from resting in bed. (Yet some symptoms are worse lying in bed or lying on back.).
Walking fast, lifting or any exertion aggravate, even standing, rising up from bed or chair and going up stairs.
The brain, spine and abdominal viscera are extremely sensitive to a jar, as in riding in a car or wagon. Pressure sometimes increases and sometimes helps the pains. The patient is better from fasting. He feels a general amelioration of his condition if he eats nothing, or only very small quantities of food, and he does so in a very strict manner.
Constriction is a general symptom that applies to all parts of the body, also characteristic is a sensation of constriction of orifices. Sensation of fullness throughout the body with distended veins and fainting spells.
Nerves
Epileptic and epileptic form convulsions.
Multiple neuritis, multiple sclerosis, locomotor ataxia.
Inflammation of the nerves.
Trembling and twitching all over.
Paralysis of the lower half of the body: painful or painless paralysis of the lower limbs, paralysis of the rectum, paralytic weakness of the bladder. The whole body is sore to touch and pressure, burning stitching, tearing pain wandering from place to place.
Pain in the lower limbs from excitement; burning pain in the arms from excitement.
Sensation of crawling as though ants were in the brain, this sensation travels down the body and leaves at the toes.
Tearing pains, painful itching without eruption.
Tearing pains, painful itching and formication along the course of nerves.
Tingling, prickling and violent itching without eruption.
Numbness of single parts and of painful parts.
Numbness of all the limbs, hands and fingers, feet and heels. Numbness of first two toes of right foot while lying on the back.
Weakness and awkwardness of the limbs.
He is unable to step up when ascending stairs, it seems to him that he cannot lift his body to the next step. Great weakness and stiffness of the back compelling her to remain in bed. Aching and burning in the spine.
Pain in the back on motion, rising from a seat stooping or walking, better by lying perfectly quiet.
Prickling like needles in the lumbar region on exertion, better during rest.
Vertigo
Vertigo while closing the eyes with tendency to fall forward; on turning the head a tendency to fall towards the direction the head is turned.
Head
Rush of blood to the head with a boiling sensation and coldness of the occiput.
Noise affects her deeply when she has a headache, it causes the headache to become pulsating and when something drops on the floor it seems to drop on her head. When a lancinating pain in head comes on the lips stick together because of the dryness of the mouth.
Nose
Dull pain in nose when breathing extends upward to middle of vertex.
Stomach
Appetite is increased but the first mouthful causes nausea.
The sight and thought of food causes nausea.
Food is tasteless. Water tastes as if spoiled.
Chest
Lying on right side causes coughing spells.
Coughing after eating and during headaches
Extremities
The nails become brittle; the hands are constantly chapped; coldness of hands legs and feet; hands cold as ice and fingers blue. Ulceration about the nails. Wounds heal slowly.
Sleep
The sleep is restless with frequent waking, full of nightmares, with talking or weeping in sleep.
