Clinical Homoeopathic Materia Medica

Dr. Ioannis Konstantos, a unicist homoeopathic doctor, is the director of the “Pieria” International Academy of Classical Homoeopathy in Pisa (Italy).

He was born in Ritini-Katerini (Pieria, Greece) on 25 March 1949 into a farming family. He lives in Pisa, is married and has a son and daughter.

After his high-school studies in Greece he moved to Italy to attend the University of Pisa in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, where he graduated and then specialised in Dermatology and Venereology.

He has dedicated his professional life to Unicist Homoeopathic Medicine, following the concepts and principles of C.F. Samuel Hahnemann, the father of Homoeopathy.

He further specialised in International Institutions and has continued to keep in contact with European homoeopaths to cultivate a continual exchange of information.

Clinical experience has allowed him to enrich the Materia Medica by experimenting with “remedies” which have not been very well-known up to now.

As a teacher for some years in national training courses for homoeopathic doctors he makes use predominantly of video recordings in the classroom.

His aim is to disseminate Classical Homoeopathy through direct testimony which shows in a simple and practical fashion his patients' recovery from acute and chronic diseases.

It was with great pleasure that I accepted this work by Dr. Ioannis Konstantos whom I met through our mutual friend Dr. Stefano Benvenuti.

I am convinced that we Italian homoeopaths should believe more in our ability to publish and not allow ourselves to be surpassed by our foreign colleagues, who publish their experiences and ideas more easily.

I believe that principals and teachers in the numerous, competent Schools of Homoeopathy in Italy should undertake to publish a textbook or lesson notes or some original work, in the same way that Ioannis has done, which can contribute to the growth of the study, knowledge and spread of our dear Homoeopathy.

There are plenty of ideas, all that is needed is the requisite desire to put them into practice, together with the right dose of the spirit of sacrifice, but I do not believe the latter is lacking in any homoeopath since by now we are well used to going against the tide, and have done so for some while.

In fact, simply because of the innumerable applications of the Law of Similitudes, of the multiplicity of ways through which you can approach a patient and yet more because of the almost infinite and ever-new characteristics of each human, be it a therapist who through his or her individual bio-pathographic story comes into contact with a patient, or the patient himself with his just-as-singular personality, I am sure that each homoeopath has something to communicate and, therefore, teach us all.

Paraphrasing a well-known saying, I would say “there is no homoeopath so rich as to have no need of others' advice, but neither is there a homoeopath so poor who has nothing to teach his colleagues”.

I welcome this occasion to remind you that, despite its limited capabilities, Salus Infirmorum snc, is at the disposal of whomsoever should wish to follow the path laid out by Dr. Ioannis Konstantos and a few others who, apart from cultivating their “garden” in the best possible way, try to make their ideas public for the benefit of the Homoeopathic Community.

To these Italian Authors and all those who shall imitate them I give my heartfelt thanks and also those of their present and future Readers.

Summing them up, Cicero's words mean: skin is the mirror of the soul.

It was this sentence, which dominates the wall of the University of Pisa's Dermatology Institute, which started me, as a Dermatologist, thinking and allow Homoeopathic Medicine to attract me. The skin is certainly the mirror of the soul, yet it is just as sure that by suppressing cutaneous symptoms originating internally, the soul becomes sick. (Hahnemann Organon, para. 187 & 201)

This Materia Medica Clinica derives from many years of experience, of real dedication, study, careful observation and constant meditation on many problems that Homoeopathy presents.

Many years ago I attended my first course in Homoeopathy, which lasted a week. I remember that during a break between lessons I asked the teacher for some clarification regarding a remedy, precisely about Gelsemium sempervirens. He replied like this: “Dear colleague, you have to study because you're still not an expert on this remedy”.

Two years later, during a seminar held by the same teacher I asked for clarification about differential diagnosis among the remedies for anxiety about one's health. He answered in the same way. “You have to study”. Disillusioned, I left the conference room thinking that this sort of Homoeopathy was not my cup of tea. Perhaps that teacher was right to advise me to apply myself more to studying Homoeopathy, but I realised there were some deficiencies in the theory and application of the homoeopathic method: a lot of matters remained confused.

Since then I have always looked for a reference point to understand the correct Homoeopathy and to have the technical instruments to put it into practice. The basic instrument is learning the METHOD. It is only in this way that you can learn the line of therapeutic conduct to follow, both for individuals in a good state of health and those with chronic diseases and bad health.

I was lucky enough to follow the lessons of that master, George Vithoulkas, who put at our disposal his vast knowledge and experience, allowing us to understand and apply practical clinical criteria.

One I had learnt the method, I continued to work hard, observing and studying day after day, thinking about the failures and anyway patiently collecting all the cases. This Materia Medica Clinica is based on information arising from my clinical cases which I have collected over these long years of work. It is an honour for me to present it to my Colleagues and to the doctors who sympathise with our doctrine, but who maybe still have some perplexities and curiosity about it.

This work contains 65 clinical cases of acute and chronic diseases of a certain gravity, of which 40 have been videotaped with direct testimony on the part of my patients. Several of these recoveries have been confirmed by investigations with instruments that any doctor can have at their disposal nowadays.

Particular attention has been dedicated to the following aspects:

- The application of the fundamental principles in spontaneously complicated cases, in those complicated by an incorrect application of homoeopathy and those complicated by Allopathy.

- The compatibility of treatment between Homoeopathy and Allopathy.

- Selecting the potentisation.

- Suppressions.

- Homoeopathic aggravation.

The Materia Medica has also been enriched with several remedies, which can be found in this work:

- Abelmoschus (pathogenetic experimentation)

- Aethusa cynapium

- Anagallis arvensis

- Anhalonium lewinii

- Arundo mauritanica

- Asa foetida

- Bufo rana

- Calcarea phosphorica

- Chamomilla vulgaris

- Chenopodium anthelminticum (pathogenetic experimentation)

- Coccinella septempunctata

- Crocus sativus

- Erytromicinum etilsuccinatum

- Graminacee vaccine (mixture no. 1)

- Helleborus niger

- Lobelia inflata

- Mancinella venenata

- Natrum phosphoricum

- Oenanthe crocata

- Phytolacca decandra

- Sabadilla officinalis (pathogenetic experimentation)

- Solanum nigrum

- Thea chinensis

- Uranium nitricum

- Urtica urens

Other chapters concerning topics I am particularly keen on and which I hope will arouse the Reader's interest are those regarding:

- The behaviour of children in the surgery: how they move, gesticulate and the language they use.

- The fundamental principles of therapeutic conduct in idiosyncratic individuals.

- Collagenopathies and dermatoses in depressive syndromes: this is a topic I consider extremely important since we are dealing with pathologies where errors are committed by homoeopaths more frequently, with uncritical prescriptions for remedies and often unpleasant results for patients.

It is necessary to add that the symptoms contained in these Materia Medica notes are experimental in part, but mainly they are clinical, in other words, present in the patients and treated by remedies.

As regards clinical symptoms, I have to point out that I assigned them to the remedy only when they were present in at least three patients treated with the same remedy.

I do not claim that this Materia Medica I offer to my colleagues is free from imperfections. I hope they shall pardon them, considering that the intention which inspired this work was to share my personal clinical experience with those who, like me, believe in Homoeopathic Medicine and its potential for a global or holistic cure of the individual.

I hope this book may be useful both for those doctors who are approaching Homoeopathy for the first time and also as a means for concrete comparison for those homoeopaths who have been carrying out this profession for some time and have the aim of enriching their understanding, the end being to improve the health of human beings.

Publisher's note
About the Author
Preface
Thanks

SECTION 1 - GENERAL CONCEPTS
Homoeopathy
Mainstream Medicine And Homoeopathy: Two Different Therapeutic Methodologies Compared
Hahnemann's Basic Theories
Research And Training

SECTION 2 - SOME HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
Abelmoschus
Clinical case 1 - Epileptic seizures
Homoeopathic treatment of epileptic patients
Abies canadensis
Clinical case 2 - Viral hepatitis B
General characteristics of Abies canadensis
Aethusa cynapium
Clinical case 3 - Chronic Insomnia
General characteristics of Aethusa cynapium
Differential diagnosis with other remedies: feelings
Alumina
There is no need to be in a rush to prescribe
Clincal Case 4 - A complex case
General characteristics of Alumina
Concluding thoughts on Alumina
Anacardium orientale
Clinical case 5 - Shy, introverted, violent boy
Anacardium orientale and children
Clinical case 6 - Student aged 17
Clinical case 7 - Essential arterial hypertension
Clinical case 8 - Shy, kind, extrovert, polite man
Considerations on Anacardium orientale patients
Behaviour of Anacardium orientale in the surgery
Some particular symptoms of Anacardium orientale
Differential diagnosis among remedies with inferiority complex
Guiding symptoms of Anacardium orientale
Anagallis arvensis
Hahnemann's aphorisms
Anagallis arvensis: personal observations based on more than 30 patients
Anagallis arvensis' psyche
The essence of Anagallis arvensis
Some considerations on Anagallis arvensis
Suggested dosage
Characteristics of panic attacks in Anagallis arvensis
Differential diagnosis between Cannabis indica and Anagallis
Anhalonium lewinii
Drugs, highs, illness: whose fault?
Anhalonium lewinii's highs and sensations:  personal observations
Essential peculiarities of Anhalonium lewinii
Differential diagnosis with Cannabis indica
Clinical case 9 - Weakness in lower limbs
Arnica montana
Clinical case 10 - retroperitoneal haematoma
Clinical case 11 - septic state
Arnica montana and fever in children
Asarum europaeum
Clinical case 12 - seborrhoea and amenorrhoea
Aurum muriaticum
Suicidal tendencies after a letdown in love   
Some obstacles to homoeopathic treatment
Baryta carbonica
Clinical case 13 - depressive syndrome with anthropophobia
General characteristics of Baryta carbonica
Acute cases
Belladonna
Clinical case 14 - high fever with Belladonna delirium
General characteristics of Belladonna
Bufo rana
Clinical case 15 - mental retardation, difficulty using language and epileptic seizures
Bufo rana in normal subjects (without mental retardation)
Bufo rana's epileptic attacks
Cannabis indica
Clinical case 16 - chronic fatigue syndrome
Therapeutic conduct for users of psychoactive substances (marijuana, hashish)
Chamomilla vulgaris
Clinical case 17 - diarrhoea during pregnancy
Pregnancy and Homoeopathy
Cicuta virosa
General characteristics of the remedy
Coccinella septempunctata
Coccinella septempunctata and pathomimesis
Helleborus niger
Clinical case 18 - anxious-depressive syndrome
Clinical case 19 - urticaria after emotional upset
Clinical case 20 - depressive syndrome with lack of concentration
General characteristics of Helleborus niger
Conventional medicine and research into the causes of cerebral ictus
Guiding symptoms of Helleborus niger
My experience with this remedy
Iodium
Final stage: premature ageing
Essential characteristics of Iodium
Lachesis mutus
Clinical case 21 - asthma attack
Clinical case 22 - amenorrhoea and headaches
Magnesia muriatica
Clinical case 23 - anxious-depressive syndrome
Differential diagnosis between Magnesia muriatica and Magnesia carbonica
Magnesia phosphorica
Clinical case 24 - neuralgia on right side of face
Oenanthe crocata
Clinical cases 25, 26 & 27
Epileptic seizure during breastfeeding
Effect of treatment with Oenanthe crocata
Phytolacca decandra
Clinical case 28 - relapsing pharyngotonsillitis
General characteristics of Phytolacca decandra
Suitability of Phytolacca decandra after surgery for tubal ligation
Effects of the treatment
Platinum metallicum
Clinical case 29 - anxious-depressive syndrome with headache
Can the Platinum metallicum subject become a normal person again after homoeopathic treatment?
Pulsatilla nigricans
Clinical case 30 - acute bronchitis
Rhododendron
Clinical case 31 - right hydrocele
Selenium metallicum
Clinical case 32 - prostrate pain
Solanum nigrum
My clinical experience
Important symptoms to add
Ergotism of the modern age
General characteristics of Solanum nigrum
Symptoms I have cured with this remedy
Treatable illnesses
Final considerations
Thea chinensis
Main characteristics of Thea chinensis
My clinical experience
Differential diagnosis with Anacardium orientale: violence
How to spot the Thea chinensis mother
Pre-schizophrenic state
Schizophrenic state
Essential notes
Pharmaceutical companies and experimentation
Thuja occidentalis
Clinical case 33 - rheumatic pains
Tuberculinum
Clinical case 34 - dyslexia
General characteristics of Tuberculinum: the cosmopolitan
Other characteristics of the remedy

SECTION 3 - LINES OF CONDUCT FOR TREATMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES AND IN COMPLICATED CLINICAL CASES
Chronic physical diseases
How to administer the remedies
Principles to respect in patients with chronic diseases (synopsis)
Examples of how to administer the remedies
Synthesis of dosage rules
Return of symptoms following stress   
Appearance of the acute form
Conduct after the acute form
Choosing the potencies
Choosing the potencies for children and the elderly
Choosing the potencies for subjects not undergoing allopathic therapy
Chronic mental diseases
How to administer the remedies
Choosing the potencies
Chosing symptoms in mental disorders which are secondary to physical diseases
Complicated clinical cases
Clinical case 35 - rectal carcinoma
Clinical case 36 - nasal angioma
Clinical case 37 - bronchiolitis
Clinical case 38 - Kawasaki syndrome
Clinical case 39 - Cerebral Ictus With Left Hemiplegia And Coma
Lines of therapeutic conduct for patients with grave physical diseases
Premonitory symptoms of deterioration of health in some remedies
Clinical case 40 - ulcerous colitis and ankylosing spondylitis
Clinical case 41 - widespread psoriasis and rheumatic pains
General characteristics of Medorrhinum
Clinical case 42 - child with congenital cerebral palsy
Clinical case 43 - duhring's dermatitis herpetiformis
Clinical case 44 - pustulous psoriasis
General characteristics of Staphysagria
Clinical case 45 - multiple sclerosis

SECTION 4 - INDICATION OF HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES IN SOME CLINICAL SYNDROMES
Idiosyncrasies
Conduct of the treatment in case of acute disease in idiosyncratic and non-idiosyncratic patients
Miasms
Miasms: habitual uncritical prescription
Materia Medica of acute remedies for allergic rhinitis
Allium cepa
Euphrasia officinalis
Ambrosia artemisiaefolia
Sabadilla officinalis
Arundo mauritanica
Sinapis nigra
Clinical case 46 - bronchial asthma
Clinical case 47 - allergic rhinitis
Homoeopathic remedies for urticaria
Urtica urens
Apis mellifica
Belladonna
Idiosyncrasy and dermatoses
Acute urticaria
Chronic urticaria
Nosodes
Experimentation is lacking
Nosodes and potencies according to the subject's age
Clinical case 48 - chronic intermittent urticaria
Clinical case 49 - allergic cold with asthma attacks
Vaccinations and iatrogenic urticaria
Dermatoses and depressive syndromes
Clinical case 50 - anxious-depressive syndrome with panic attacks
Paraneoplastic syndromes and dermatoses
Clinical case 51 - dermatomyositis of the face and left shoulder

SECTION 5 - REMEDIES FOR ANXIOUS SYNDROMES
Some notes concerning anxiety and panic
Anxiety about health
Clinical case 52 - rectal bleeding after defecation due to internal haemorrhoids
Nitricum acidum in the doctor's surgery
Clinical case 53 - panic attacks
Mental symptoms of Aconitum napellus
Clinical case 54 - panic attack
Clinical case 55 - anxiety
Clinical case 56 - postherpetic neuralgia in right hemithorax
Clinical case 57 - facial spasms and logorrhoea
Essential characteristics of Agaricus muscarius
Argenticum nitricum
Clinical case 58 - itching
Guiding symptoms of arsenicum album during state of anxiety
Kali arsenicosum
Clinical case 59 - serious asthma attacks
Mental characteristics of Lobelia inflata
Panic attacks and asthma with clean lungs
Anxiety about health : differential diagnosis
Anxiety with panic attacks and fear of madness
Clinical case 60 - anxious-depressive syndrome for 8 years
Calcarea carbonica and the elderly
Clinical case 61 - deforming arthrosis and difficulty walking
Some characteristics of Calcarea carbonica
Cannabis indica
Fear of going mad during abstinence
Cimicifuga racemosa
Mancinella
Remedies for hysteria
Crocus sativus
Clinical case 62 - eight-year-old boy, hysterical with mood swings
Main characteristics of Crocus sativus
Clinical case 63 - galactorrhoea without pregnancy or breastfeeding
General characteristics of Asa foetida
Clinical case 64 - facial erythema
Clinical case 65 - nocturnal bedwetting
Guiding symptoms of Moschus moschiferus

SECTION 6 - DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS IN SOME CLINICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL CONDITIONS
Nightmares
Fear of exams
Remedies that abandon exams before or during the test
Remedies with anxiety before exams but who do not abandon the test
The behaviour of children in the surgery
Constipation
Constipation after milk curd
Natrum phosphoricum
Calcarea phosphorica

SECTION 7 - PATHOGENETIC EXPERIMENTATION OF  LITTLE-KNOWN REMEDIES
Abelmoschus
Chenopodium anthelminticum
Experimentation with chenopodium anthelminticum
Differential diagnosis of types of vertigo
Sabadilla officinalis
Pathogenetic experimentation
Clinical observations
Differential diagnosis of remedies
Guiding symptoms

SECTION 8 - SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONS TO THE REPERTORY
Abelmoschus
Aethusa cynapium
Anhalonium lewinii
Anagallis arvensis
Agaricus muscarius
Antimonium tartaricum
Asa foetida
Aurundo mauritanica
Calcarea carbonica
Calcarea phosphorica
Chamomilla vulgaris
Chenopodium antielminticum
Cicuta virosa
Cimicifuga racemosa
Coccinella septempunctata
Crocus sativus
Erytromicinum etilsuccinatum
Helleborus niger
Lobelia inflata
Mancinella
Moschus moschiferus
Natrum phosphoricum
Oenanthe crocata
Phytolacca decandra
Sabadilla officinalis
Solanum nigrum
Thea chinensis
Thuja occidentalis

Essential bibliography
Index of therapies
Index of remedies
Table of contents