So, it has been a while, and i am sorry for the altercation, which seems to be based on taking personal, what is meant for general use. What a pity...

When we look at the remedies that are related to Nat.m. we see there are many remedies made from sea creatures, who after all, live in a salt-water environment. We see Sepia, Murex, Homarus and other remedies that haev strong affiliations, yet are different enough to have their own characteristics.

(sorry, lost connection.)

Throughout all remedies that are related to each other in a strong sense, there is noticeable a general prevailing set of symptoms, which relate to the characteristics of that series of remedies. In the remedies derived from the sea, we have a strong characteristic which points to the female generative organs. The relationship between the sea and the amniotic fluid is well documented and this Alchemical fact directs us to this view, in correlation to the factual symptoms, discovered in the provings. Thus premenstrual personality fracture is one of the leading generals in this group. Another significant general symptom is that all of them display the ¡¥ill effects of grief, fright, anger and worry,¡¦ as found in Natrum mur., but not in the same degree, or involving the same sequence or the same mental states. Some may focus on grief, some on anger, while others concentrate on either of the other two. It is also seen that some of the 60 remedies display a combination of any of these mental states. We will therefore first look at the gen-erals, which are found in all these remedies, or differently said, which all these remedies share.
If we look at all the remedies in this group, we see that it is composed of seawater and sea sand as the indica-tors of the group. Then follows Natrum mur and Magnesia sulph., with the sea vegetation and animals close on its heels. Among these, we see Calcarea carb at the head of a sub-Group, just like Nat.mur. and Mag.sul. are at the head of their respective sub-Groups.
In the investigation of the sea-remedies, we must not forget the Magnesium group, of which Mag.sul. is the most prominent member, because of its abundance, next to sodium chloride in amount, in seawater. This therefore in-cludes the rest of the Magnesium Group, because of its affinity through the Magnesium component.
We see that there are mainly 6 Groups in this family of remedies, that is, the Aqua marina Family. They are comprised of the following:
1. The sea vegetation, under which we also have placed Corallum rubrum.
2. The moving creatures, such as fish, shell fish and others, but subdivided into these categories.
3. The elements and compounds
4. The Calcium Group
5. The Magnesium Group
6. The Natrum Group

Let us investigate which remedies belong in each group..

1. The Sea-vegetation.
„« Corallum rubrum ¡V Coral
„« Eryngium maritinum ¡V Sea holly
„« Fucus vesiculosis ¡V Sea kelp
„« Scilla maritima ¡V Sea onion
„« Spongia tosta ¡V Roasted sponge

2. The moving creatures
A. Fish.
„« Erythrinus ¡V Red mullet
„« Gadus morrhua ¡V Cod
„« Murex ¡V Purple fish
„« Oleum jecoris aselli ¡V Cod liver oil


B. Shell fish
„« Astacus fluviatilis ¡V Crawfish
„« Calcarea carbonica ¡V Oyster shell
„« Homarus ¡V Lobster
„« Limulus ¡V King crab
„« Sepia ¡V Cuttlefish

C. Poisonous animals and secretions.
„« Ambra grisea ¡V Sperm whale secretion
„« Hydrophis cyanocinctus ¡V Sea snake
„« Medusa ¡V Jellyfish
„« Trachinus ¡V Sting fish
„« Serum anguiilae ichtyotoxin ¡V Eel serum

2. Minerals and other compounds
„« Aqua marina ¡V Sea water
„« Calcarea carbonica ¡V Oyster shell
„« Ichthyolinum ¡V Rock, containing fossilised fish remains
„« Natrum muriaticum ¡V Common salt
„« Silica marina ¡V Sea sand
„« Trimethylaminum ¡V Propylaminum N(CH3)3

The mental generals will be investigated first, because the mental symptoms always take precedence in every prescription. But before we shall proceed, it is necessary to define the remedies involved in this comparative study.
We see that the first candidates for this classification are to be found in the composition of the oceans, and thus we will begin with:

1. Aqua marina
2. Silica marina
3. Natrum muriaticum

Then we will look at the vegetation, which originates from the ocean itself.

1. Eryngium maritinum
2. Fucus vesiculosis
3. Scilla maritima
4. Spongia tosta

We also need to take in consideration the diverse moving creatures of the sea, which I considered necessary to divide in different classes, such as shell-fish, fish, and poisonous animals. We will therefore see that it is subdivided into different groups, called A, B, and C.
Group A: non-poisonous fish:
1. A. Asterias rubens
2. A. Erythrinus
3. A. Gadus morrhua
4. A. Murex

Group B. Shell-fish:
1. B. Astacus fluviatilus
2. B. Calcarea carbonica
3. B. Homarus
4. B. Limulus
5. B. Sepia

Group C. Poisonous fish:
1. C. Medusa
2. C. Trachinus
3. C. Serum ang, ichtyotoxin.

Group D. Fish-products:
1. D. Ambra grisea
2. D. Oleum jecoris aselli
3. D. Propylamin

Group E. Mineral and other compounds:
1. E. Ichtyolium
2. E. Trimethylaminum

We have further relationships with the Calcium and the Natrum groups, which will be listed in their respective chapters. This total of nine groups will be discussed in as many chapters in this study. We will now look first at the general mental symptoms, which are found in the majority of these remedies.

The pioneer work of Alphonse Teste, regarding the totality of a disease manifestation in the different constitu-tions, and their relation to their environment, has been my inspiration to look at these remedies in more detail and the happy result was that it enabled me to be a better homoeopath, because of it. He stresses the importance of comparative study, rather than differential diagnosis, because by the time we diagnose, we already must have an idea about the remedies to use, which comes from comparative study. If we have to do a differential diagnosis, this indicates we do not as yet know our remedies well enough. Yet this differential diagnosis is stressed in the Austra-lian schools and promoted by O.A. Julian, rather than the advice given to us by the old pioneers, such as Hering, Teste, Kent, Farrington or Nash. Hering¡¦s Analytical Repertory is an example of comparative study, rather than dif-ferential diagnosis. Teste¡¦s materia medica is set up along the same lines of thought. Kent¡¦s Repertory is more con-cerned with comparisons, than with differential diagnosis too and so we can go on. But we must go deeper in our study ¡V what is it that it teaches us? That
Study of the remedies reveals more than differential diagnosis, because it brings us in contact with the subtle differences between almost identical remedies. How do we know when to use Nitric acid and when Hepar sulph? Both are hypersensitive, both display splinter-like pains, both are prone to be affected by cold winds and drafts. There are many more similarities and it falls outside the scope of this treatise to go deeper into it. But if we give He-par, where actually Nit.ac. would serve better, we will see that the first dose will remove or modify some of the symptoms to a considerable degree. If we then find out that we gave the wrong remedy, even if we antidote the first prescription, we will still be confronted with the fact that the picture has changed and we will never get the original picture back. And thus the clear indication for Nit.ac. has disappeared and we may have spoilt our case. Thus, it is imperative that we study the remedies in comparison, because only the knowledge of our remedies is truly of im-portance. Hahnemann and Kent stressed the importance of knowing the remedies, again and again, as the most important part of homoeopathic study. Both told us that diagnosis is not the test of the physician, but the giving of the right and indicated remedy. We must at all times be good physicians and not become bunglers.
The standards of practice have not changed since the time of Hahnemann and if we think they have, we delude ourselves. It is at all times imperative to realise that we must not put water in the wine and become slack in our study and practice. Both go hand in hand and to think that repertorising is sufficient, or to resort to Mac Repertory or other computer programs, to make life somewhat easier, is more a sign of laziness. This type of help is no more than that; help. It cannot replace study and is insufficient to understanding. The remedies must be studied till they are indelibly engrafted in the mind, for homoeopathy is based on understanding the remedies, more than on any-thing else. It does not do, to think that we can always find the remedy, if we repertorise, because the remedy with the most symptoms is not always the similimum, as I have noticed often enough. Complacency is a dangerous state of mind for the homoeopath, because he tends to stick with what works and becomes lazy in his studies. We have already seen that the concept of layers, in itself possibly correct, is often a coat hanger for routine practice. We can-not say that this concept is totally correct, because so many substances have not been proven, that the possibility of finding the similimum in the future is more than likely. Therefore we can alternate remedies, but only if we are ab-solutely sure that the similimum cannot be found. Till the day that new remedies find their way in the materia med-ica, we must be content with what we have and make the best use of it. But we must at all times be vigilant to not become complacent. Each case is unique and so we cannot prescribe the trio of Sepia, Nat.mur and Lachesis as a matter of course, just because we cannot be bothered with a more thorough search. Similarly, we see that other trios, as presented in my book on the subject, are not hard and fast rules, but may be indicated in some cases, while in others they will not suffice. Asterias rubens is not the only remedy that can displace the trio of Lach., Nat.m. and Sepia.
Thus, study and study and more study, this is the necessary component of our work and if we are not ready to do the hard slog, not just once, but throughout our careers as homoeopaths, we do not have the matter in us. We can never sit down and rest on our laurels, because to do so, is to delude the public and ourselves. My teacher ¡V who still worked at the age of 85 ¡V always stressed the necessity of study and gave the example himself. He often told me that throughout his studies he always discovered more, even after 55 years of practice, in which he saw a million patients, and continuous study. When I sometimes did not study, he would scold me and rightfully so. It is through study that we come to know our materia medica. With 1300 remedies in Boericke alone, we have ample opportunity to learn the keynotes, even if we consider that about 20% of the remedies in his materia medica have never undergone a proving. If we can know the most important remedies in our materia medica, which amount to somewhere between 300 to 400 remedies ¡V polychrests, acute and chronic ¡V we still have inadequate knowledge, simply because practice has taught me that a quarter of my patients need remedies that fall outside this scope. How many times did any of us decide on a remedy, while on further reflection it was clear that another was needed? What do we do, when we give for instance Lycopodium, but we really should have given Alumina or Mag mur? Sure, we can always follow up with the indicated remedy, but we have wasted valuable time and we run the risk of having spoiled the case. But let us return to the symptoms of the sea-remedies.

The Mentality of the Sea-Remedies.

Samuel Hahnemann stressed the importance of the environment of the patient, and its interaction with the life force. He follows this with the following:

¡§Now as to the cure effected by the removal of the whole of the perceptible signs and symptoms of the disease the internal alteration of the vital principle to which the disease is due ¡V consequently the whole of the disease ¡V is at the same time removed, it follows that the physician has only to remove the whole of the symptoms in order at the same time to abrogate and annihilate the internal change, that is to say, the morbid derangement of the vital force ¡V consequently the totality of the disease, (the disease itself.¡¨ *)(H)
¡§From this indubitable truth, that besides the totality of the symptoms, with consideration of the accompanying modali-ties, nothing can by any means be discovered in diseases , wherewith they could express their need of aid, it follows un-deniably that the sum of all the symptoms and conditions in each individual case of disease must be (the sole *)(H) indi-cation, the sole guide to direct us to the choice of the remedy.¡¨
¡K(medicines *)(H) could never cure diseases, if they did not have the power of altering man¡¦s state of health, which depends on sensations and functions; indeed, that their curative power must be owing (solely *)(H) to this power they possess of altering man¡¦s state of health.¡¨
(Hahnemann S. Organon # 17-19) Emphasis mine except *) (H))

Let us look at the emphasised lines and study what they mean. ¡¥The cure affected by the removal of the whole of the perceptible signs and symptoms.¡¦ First we must ask what means the whole of the signs and symptoms. Kent tells us that it means ¡¥a great deal¡¦ Not only are these symptom not restricted to the mind and body, but to his envi-ronment as well. It has been known since ancient times, that plants tend to grow in places where they are needed, such as Arnica and Aconite in the mountains, with its danger and chance of falling and its keen cutting winds, or Opium in the hot and sunny valleys, which is either rather peaceful, or busy with activity, almost to a frenzy, such as during the harvest. It appears that the creator has seen fit to furnish man with the place of his karma, expressed as disease, while at the same time providing him with the exact means to cure, which can be found in the region.
Similarly we must consider the environment in which the patient lives, and we will see that these remedies all correspond to life on the coast This is the totality of symptoms and the accompanying modalities, including the envi-ronment, such as weather, climate, landscape, soil condition, food habits, all modalities to the case. On the other hand, his likes and dislikes, constitution, sensitivity, previous history of drugs and diseases, parental an sibling dis-eases, family relationships and work, social life and hobbies, belong to his own personal symptoms, with their own modalities. This, and this only, is the totality of symptoms.
To illustrate these modalities I will give some examples. I have made some remarks, about the diverse ¡¥national remedies,¡¦ in another publication, but I like to delve some what deeper in the subject. In Australia, there are roughly three basic types, the ocean dweller, the mountaineer, and the interior dwellers. We see then, that Aconite is oftener indicated for colds as any other remedy, while on the coast we may meet many more of the sea-remedies, corre-sponding to the diseases the people suffer from in such an environment. And where best to find the necessary remedies, than in the direct environment where the disease takes place? After all if like must cure like, then it is ob-vious, that me must classify remedies by their region, as Teste has put forward so brilliantly. As those remedies will be proven to be the similimum for that region. Grauvogle found that cretinism abounded around Aachen, where a species of Gneiss found in the mineral springs of Gastein, corresponds to the fact that cretinism and goitre are en-demic in that region. Grauvogle used it to cure these diseases successfully with this remedy. We see that the British almost universally are Natrum mur., like their close cousins, the Irish, the drama of the Caribbean people is equally Natrum mur., with streaks of Sepia and Ignatia. In a sense, the limitation of describing the sea-remedies only, are highlighted here.
Thus in Australia¡¦s interior, which is practically a desert, we see that the Antipsorics, in the form of Silica and Aluminium, Irion, gold, copper, and other substances, are the remedies most often indicated. In this light I see much of what Jan Scholten says, as pertaining to Australia, specifically the abundant ones, as well as the ¡V many ¡V miss-ing ones. There are states of undevelopment among the Aboriginal population, not because they do not want to better their lot, but because they are in the state of youth, in dealing with their loss of land, culture and other tribes. Their whole world has fallen apart and they are at the same tome in the phase of decline, with that loss as the most prominent mental symptom. And the reason is again, not unwillingness, but incapacity, due to unbalanced mineral life. It is of course useless to attempt to adjust the amounts of minerals in the crude form, because the body cannot take up the elements in the crude, it needs a colloid or a microdose. At the same time, it would be wise to grow as much bush food, in the form of plants, to be used as medicine. The Australian bush flowers could fulfill this position, where it not that it is not used in potency and has not undergone any provings. It would be interesting to see what this brings out. Meanwhile Jan Scholten¡¦s idea is perfectly applicable .It would be wise to mention in the provings also such things as the weather, time of year and if possible the position of the moon, as well as the environment, such as the hills, the mountains the beach and the coast.
Around the sea, we feel attracted to the water, which is the womb. It is also the place where we go to the beach, because we like the ocean ¡V it calms us down. We may cry at the ocean, mingling our waters with her. Alternatively we hate the sea, but we like the weather ¡V not too hot and not too cold. We may go for walks on the beach, but never go in the water. And we suffer a lot, when we live ate the sea ¡V we have the grief and anger of Nat.mur, Sepia who cries when she thinks of her symptoms, the loneliness of the Calacareas, The mousy nature of the Silica mar., who is miserable and a miser, and so we can go on. At the individual remedies we will give the indications, as re-lating to the living on the side of the biggest ocean, the Pacific. We see the Sepia strutting her stuff, dancing singing, theatre, film, you name it she¡¦ll do it. Or she becomes a femocrat, who dresses rather severely, in an attempt to de-velop her sense of independence. Slim, almost straight, often small breasted, sometimes large or overdeveloped.

Although the listing above, in categories of species is a useful division, it is by no means all that practical, be-cause it is alphabethical and not ordered by similarity, something Jan Scholten has amply shown the beginnings of in his book Homoeopathy and Minerals. The thesis is brilliant, because it shows that the minerals go very deep ¡V they touch upon the laws that we live by and they are Saturnine. The minerals deal with structure and stricture in the material plane and the laid back attitude of Australians is reflective of the first sign of gliding into oblivion, the she¡¦ll-be-alright-mate, attitude, which does not really care. This is the result of only a few generations of whites in Austra-lia, that we see that the effects of the food that we eat, being devoid in some minerals, while having an excess in others, create the mentality of the Aborigine, resulting in diabetes from western foods, like sugar and white flour. He no longer eats bush-tucker, but white man¡¦s food, which has produced only slight adaption to the situation. We must look at what happens in the environment much closer, because sensitive people get severely sick from some forms of pollution. Thus regional remedies, as adapted to the local situation, we have a powerful indicator for the remedy, because it perfectly reflects the situation. The relationship between remedies as Teste proposes, is although an im-provement, still not easily accessible. Rather, because they belong with certain diseases ¡V but also in others, as Teste has shown ¡V there is the need to list first the complex forms of a ¡¥disease,¡¦ prodromal period, with slight un-ease, then development of notable symptoms, in whatever part visible, but always first noticed in the mind, even when the weather is the apparent culprit. A healthy man is not disturbed by changes of weather and has neither mental problems, or at least not strong enough to make him sick ¡V he can handle it. This is the annihilation of dis-ease in its totality
The sequence of development of symptoms, along the lines of a strict etiology we see that in Scilla mar. devel-ops either during a heat wave, or during a storm, or shortly after. Those that began with a storm, will find that they have the opposite of the wild mentality,; they go on lonesome long walks. If he started during a heat wave, the reac-tion is head aches and constipation, while the storm gives the nonstop cough. One is high pressure, the other low pressure, thus causing opposite symptoms. This indicates often a polychrest, as the opposite symptoms, caused by the heat wave or the storm, must be returned.
We come here to a possible point of contention, when we assume that Hahnemann was wrong when he con-ceived of the primary and secondary action, as two different things, the first being the action of the remedy, and the second the reaction of the body. We shall investigate this in a deeper extent, because it is a point which is flatly contradicted both by practice and by the knowledge that ¡¥all symptoms must be noted after taking a dose of the medicine.¡¦ For if we look at the etiology of a disease, we see that a particular development takes place, which has sometimes a different shade, or a different detail in sequence or modalities.
The power of altering man¡¦s state of health in any remedy, also produces its own totality. The symptoms as de-veloped include both the so-called primary and secondary symptoms. It is nonsense to declare some of the symp-toms due to the remedy, while others are seen as the reaction of the body to the remedy. Regardless whether this is correct, this assumed reaction still produces symptoms and must therefore be ascribed to the remedy. Just as a healthy person does not display any symptoms, we know that a sick person displays symptoms in accordance with the power of the disease to produce them, we know that a remedy is capable of doing exactly the same. All the symptoms produced in a proving, whether primary or secondary, are caused by the remedy and show its influence on the mind, the emotions and the body. It is only when all these symptoms have disappeared, that we can say that the state of health has been restored and the proving has come to an end. Thus the power of a medicine to produce symptoms must include every symptom produced, regardless of its so-called primary or secondary nature ¡V there can be no doubt that both are the result of the remedy, both in the crude, as well as in the potency. What Hahne-mann considers secondary symptoms when the reedy is taken in the crude are also caused by that remedy, other-wise these symptoms could not be produced in the potency. We cannot assume that a remedy produces more or different symptoms in the potency, because a remedy cannot display symptoms not inherent in the crude. Thus the signs and symptoms of Opium are somnolence as well as activity, both in the crude and in the potency.
And we see also, that the disease passes from one extreme to the other. Thus the so-called secondary symp-toms, are also drug symptoms, otherwise the term totality of symptoms is meaningless. The totality of symptoms thus means a ¡¥good deal¡¦ more than we would expect at first thought. We might be alone on the universe, or we may share it with countless others, we nonetheless are influenced by our environment. Thus we will see that certain types are sensitive to rain, like Sepia and Nat.mur., others by storms or heat waves. There are those that feel best in moderate weather, not too hot nor too cold; they get affected by changes of weather, either way, when it gets worse, to rain and when it gets better, back to sunshine again. Just as we consider time modalities, we should con-sider weather and moon modalities, while in the long term the whole of the horoscope should be taken into consid-eration. Hypocrites was of the opinion that astrology was an essential tool for the doctor and Culpepper was known to despise those ¡¥doctors¡¦ who did not know it as not worthy bearing the title doctor. I will not be as harsh, but I urge my colleagues to make their own investigation on its efficacy in prediction and preparing statistics, if any belief can be attached to that. However, careful watching of the cycle reveals more than we would have held possible. The two and a half days the moon spends in a sign are alright, while the passing to the next is accompanied by symptoms of periodic appearance,

The emergence of a common thread among the sea-remedies is evident from the consistency and the recur-rence of the most prominent mental symptoms, which swing between grief, anger, fright, worry, emotion and anxi-ety, as they are found in the best known of the remedies in this series, such as Natrum mur and Sepia. The intellect is affected in nearly all of them in a similar way, by dulling the memory and intellect, while the opposite is only found in Asterias, Limulus and Saxitoxin. These belong thus in the group that is affected by heat waves. We will see that the remedies that have similar symptoms, come from all these different groups by species. Thus it is again the envi-ronment, that determines the similarity, Nat.mur and Sepia are the closest analogues, Murex being another, oppo-site to Sepia in etiology. Among the mind symptoms, grief and anxiety are the most prominent, although the latter could be said to be due to worry and fear. All of the sea-remedies have this strong fear and anxiety, lots of grief and plenty of worry. These are the people who come into the practice and express their peculiarities in a forceful man-ner, because they no longer know how to cope. In the modern world, all securities have been gravely undermined and these people cannot cope with the breakdown of values and securities. They are nervous, anxious and fearful and the fear of total collapse of the system is their main occupation, because their fear is focused on the effect of everything on themselves. They are also anxious to keep up appearances, as they are most worried about other people¡¦s opinions of themselves. They want to make a good impression and their social status is dependent on the opinions of others. They feel so insecure that they appear to have no mind of their own. The negativity of the news is taken as too close to themselves and as a consequence everything has a particular bearing upon their personal lives, even if the chaos is half a world away.
Tears are generally also salty like the sea and this Alchemical correlation with the sea and the womb is equally prominent. There is a general thread running through these remedies, which points to grief, because they are often quite inept at dealing with grief. It is either because they feel it affects them personally, or because they have too much sympathy, which they cannot learn to see as empathy. They make the suffering of others their own, by a vivid imagination, a high-strung emotional life and a peculiar love of drama, madness and mayhem. These people will cry at a soppy movie, a dramatic soap opera, bad news on the television and any other tear-jerker program they see. Simultaneously, they have an uncanny knack of turning on the television at the moment of the most horrific scenes, are fascinated by any calamitous event and love dramatic pieces, in which the heartstrings are pulled to maximum stretch. Coulter sees for instance Natrum mur., as those who want to extract the maximum pain out of any situation. Thus, grief and worry are the most prominent features of the Group as a whole.
Worry is continual fear and it is characterised by constant reflection on an imaginary or real problem, or on the occurrence of something dreadful, always in the future. In the long run this would paralyse even the sharpest mind and it is no wonder that many of the remedies have a dull intellect, bad memory and an incapacity to engage in work of any kind, either physical or mental. The salt-diathesis is very common and therefore it may be necessary to do further provings on a host of sea-remedies, to enable more precise prescribing. From Clarke and others it is evi-dent that these remedies are too little used and that it is necessary that we pay more attention to them.
In the study of the sea-remedies, we discover the extent of grief, anger, fright and worry, as they are manifest in these remedies. This does not mean that they cover all manifestations of grief, anger fright and worry, but that those that display the particulars for that special state of grief etc., as produced in the healthy, by the remedies we have derived from the world¡¦s oceans and seas. After all, Hepar is also angry, and so are Nitric acid, Nux vom, Anacar-dium, Staphysagria, Stramonium and so on. The difference lies in the manifestation of that anger, which is very dif-ferent from the anger of Natrum mur and other remedies in the salt-diathesis, while among each other, these latter remedies have more similarities than differences. In the same way, Pulsatilla is also emotional and sad, like Ignatia, Cyclamen, Aurum, Actea rac. and so on; too many to mention here. And again, that sadness is different from that produced by the sea-remedies. But among the latter remedies themselves, the similarities are greater than the dif-ferences.

Mind
Anger Aster., Calc.c., Coral., Mag.s., Medusa, Nat.m., Oleum, Scilla, Sepia, Serum.
Anxiety Ambra, Aqua m., Ast., Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Medusa, Murex, Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Serum, Sil.m., Spong.
Emotions Ambra, Ast., Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Fear Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Fright Aqua m., Ast., Calc.c., Homarus, Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Grief Ambra, Ast., Aster., Calc.c., Gadus, Murex, Nat.m., Oleum, Sepia.
Hysteria Aster., Calc.c, Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Irritable Ambra, Aster., Calc.c., Coral., Murex, Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Sadness Ambra, Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Tearful Ambra, Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Worry Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia.

Memory & Intellect
Lost, dull Ambra, Ast., Aster., Calc.c., Gadus, Ichth., Limulus, Murex, Nat.m., Oleum, Saxitox., Scilla, Sepia, Se-rum, Sil.m., Spong.
Sharp Aster., Calc.c., Limulus, Saxitox. Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.

Here we see that some remedies are found under nearly all the rubrics. Some are more prominent than others, but in general we can say that Calc.c., Nat.m., and Sepia are the great polychrests, with Astacus as the next im-portant polychrest, together with Asterias, Murex, Oleum, Scilla., Sil.m. and Spong.

Desires and Aversions

When we go from the mentals into the likes and dislikes, we see a similar picture emerge, where some of the symptoms are shared by the majority of this large group, while the differences come out in the opposite likes and dislikes, or the modalities, under which they aggravate or improve, as well as the times of aggravation.. The con-comitants are another field of differentiation, in which we find subtle differences between the different members of each group. It is somewhat daunting, to note that so many remedies have almost identical symptoms in the gener-als, because it indicates that we have to learn a great deal of little details in regards to the peculiarities of each. On the other hand, I find this the most fascinating part of Homoeopathy, in which the knowledge of the key-notes of a large variety of remedies has saved me tremendous amounts of work. True, keynote prescribing alone is folly, be-cause it is the sign of the lazy practitioner. On the other hand, it would be foolish not to accept them, as they save so much time. It is self-evident that we mist always check all of the symptoms against what we have discovered through the keynotes. If we neglect this, we are a menace to the public and betrayers of ourselves and Hahnemann. Let us have a look at the symptoms that display the likes and dislikes.

Desires
Appetite Calc.c., Fucus, Ichth., Murex, Nat.m., Oleum, Scilla, Sepia, Serum, Silica, Spong.

Thirst Coral., Mag.sul., Nat.m., Oleum, Scilla, Sepia, Sil-ica, Spong
For meat Calc.c. Scilla

For salt: Calc.c. Coral., Medusa, Nat.m., Serum
Alcohol Aster., Calc.c., Sepia
Beer Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia, Spong
Brandy Aster Calc.c., Sepia.
For wine, Calc.c. Coral., Nat.m., Sepia
acids Calc.c., Coral., Nat.m., Sepia, Scilla
for dainties Calc.c. Spong
Milk

Fish Nat.m.,
Oysters Nat.m.,
Bread Nat.m.,
Tobacco
Spices Nat.m., Serum
Sweets Calc.c., Nat.m., Sep
Fats
Coffee Aster., Nat;.m., Serum Aversions
Appetite Ambra, Aster., Calc.c., Eryn., Gadus, Mag.s., Medusa, Murex, Nat.m., Oleum, Scilla, Se-pia, Serum, Silica, Spong.,
Thirst Ambra Calc.c., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Spong

To meat: Aster. Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Se-pia, Silica
salt Nat.m., Sepia, Serum
Alcohol
Beer Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia, Spong
brandy
wine, Nat.m., Sepia
acids Nat.m., Sepia
dainties
milk Calc.c., Hom. Nat.m., Oleum, Sepia, Silica, Spong
fish Medusa, Nat.m., Sepia
oysters Medusa, Nat.m., Sepia
bread Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia
tobacco Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia
spices
sweets
fats Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia
Coffee Calc.c., Nat.m.,

We can see from this list that there are many remedies that have either/or situations and they fall in both the desires and the aversions. I have here not included the mineral salts, because otherwise it would become too cumbersome to handle. These mineral salts will be dealt with in a separate work.
We will now concentrate our attention on some of the other features, such as sleep and dreams, to investigate whether there are similarities as well. If we look at the fact that similar mentalities have similar unconscious content, we should expect the dream state at least to bear resemblance to the remedies among each other. As we have seen with the likes and dislikes, there are many similarities, but also enough differences to postulate that these remedies show a similar diseased state, but that the manifestations of that diseased state vary according to consti-tution and temperament. If we, for instance, look at the manifestations of scarlet fever, we see that not all children show the same symptoms, and that in the totality of scarlet fever, we see differences according to disposition and temperament. Thus different constitutions show different degrees of intensity, manifestations of the typical rash and different concomitants and modalities. By the study of the manifestations of a particular disease, we discover the capacity of that disease in its whole range of manifestation. Similarly, if we study the remedies that cover the symptoms of that disease we see the same differentiation.

The Female Symptoms

It is important to scrutinise the female symptoms, if only because the majority of patients are women, at least in my experience. This is possibly due to the fact that men try to ignore the signs and symptoms of both mind and body ¡V they are brought up on the idea that to pay attention to them constitutes weakness. Men often think that it is of no consequence that they have high blood pressure, anxiety, peptic ulcers or other symptoms, as they see them as part of the job and thus a necessary evil. And high blood pressure is often of little consequence, while peptic ulcer medication usually keeps them suppressed anyway. Anxiety is a consequence of a heavy workload, deadlines to meet and just too little time to do everything properly. If bosses would realise that it is better for their business to give the workers ample time to finish their work, the incidence of sick leave would diminish considerably. At the same time, because there is less sick leave, there is also less extra load for others to carry, less sloppy jobs that need follow up with adjustments, consequent higher quality work and thus more business, because his business has proven to deliver better quality. Quality in turn attracts more business and the scope for expansion. Quality works better than low price ¡V my grandfather used to say that buying cheaply is equal to forking out more money. This apparent divergence between price and quality is also important for the homoeopath. But if our service is sloppy, with only some 40% cured, we will see that less people will come. Low success rates are due to nothing but insufficient study, neglect of laws and principles and sloppy work. They are never due to a lack in homoeopathy, with the sole possible exception of insufficient remedies.
The symptoms of the female organs show considerable similarities among the sea-remedies and this is another reason why we have to study them as a group. There are of course also divergences, but they help to discriminate between these remedies in practice. It is of little use to learn many symptoms, if the personality of the remedy is unknown. The advantage of the symptoms of the female reproductive system are that they have great bearing upon the personality and individuality. We shall now present these symptoms in a systematic manner, as we did with the desires and aversions.

Menses
Early Ambra, Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.,
Profuse Ambra, Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Medusa, Murex, Nat.m., Oleum, Scilla, Sepia, Spong
Blood thin Nat.m.
bright, pale Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.,
clots Calc.c., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia.
Duration too short Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.

Concomitants
Leucorrhoea Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex Nat.m., Scilla, Se-pia, Sil.m.
Profuse Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Menses before Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
offensive Calc.c., Sepia, Sil.m.
thin Murex, Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
excoriating Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Excess desire Aster., Calc.c., Murex, Nat.m., Sil.m.
bearing down Calc.c., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Late Aster., Mag.s., Nat.m., Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m.

scanty Calc.c., Nat.m., Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m.

thick Mag.s.,
dark Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia
clots Calc.c., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia.
too long Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.

Leucorrhoea Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m.
scanty
after Calc.c., Nat.m., Sil.m.
offensive Calc.c., Sepia, Sil.m.
thick Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia.
bland Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
absence of desire Nat.m., Sepia
Prolapse Calc.c., Murex, Nat.m., Sepia

We see that there are a few polychrests, such as Calc.c., Mag.m., Murex, Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia and Sil.m., which show symptoms in either of the two columns, while the others fall either in the excess or in the scanty side of the symptoms. Thus we can conclude that the polychrests are indicated the most often, while the other remedies are indicated more seldom. It helps us to differentiate between them and to individualise each case. I am personally convinced that we will find more polychrests and specifics, when in due course of time more remedies from the sea will be proven.
Of course the mere listing of the symptoms gives us no real information about the personality, but that is not the aim of this short exposition. Rather we are here confronted with a variety of remedies, which all have a similar mentality, similar physical symptoms and similar likes and dislikes. For a description of the personalities, it is best to read Kent¡¦s Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, Coulter¡¦s Portraits, or Vithoulkas¡¦ Essences, as well as my own Drug Pictures, because in those books we can find what we know about them. Here we are concerned with comparisons of symptoms for differential prescribing, when we are confronted by a case, which fits neither in the usually employed Sepia, Natrum mur. and other much used remedies. If we find that the remedy we are looking for cannot be easily found ¡V either because the totality does not fit the commonly used remedy, or there is a profusion of symptoms ¡V which shows two or more remedies, as we see in the trio Sepia, Nat.mur. and Lachesis, but we are not so sure which of these remedies to give first, it is wise to investigate whether the other sea-remedies furnish us with the similimum. It is for this purpose that I have compiled this short exposition. Further on, we will have a closer look at each of these remedies individually.
We can see from the symptoms presented here ¡V again not differentiated as to concomitants and modalities ¡V that the sea-remedies are similar enough to produce uncertainty, hence the need to study them well. Only acquain-tance with the remedies will furnish us with certainty, both in assessment and prescription. Kees Dam, of the Neth-erlands, has proposed something similar for the dream state and his short article in Homoeopathic Links (Vol.12) serves only to prove my point. We can get a fair way on the road to recovery, when we use remedies in series, as apparently indicated by the symptoms, but experience has taught that we will not necessarily clear up the whole case, simply because some symptoms return persistently, or refuse to be touched by the apparently indicated remedies. We may then try an anti-psoric, because there could be a ¡¥miasmatic block,¡¦ but when after the admini-stration of this latter remedy something still does not yield, we must look at analogous remedies. Since I discovered this truth about five years ago, I have found that my clients are cured quicker and that no lingering symptoms re-main to be cleared. In the near future, I will present a similar comparative study of the snake and spider poisons, because a ¡¥typical¡¦ Lachesis case all too often needs follow up with another remedy and all too often the other snake poisons are ignored.
Lachesis has a ¡V well earned ¡V reputation, due to the fact that it has been so thoroughly proven by Hering, while the other snake poisons have received considerably less attention. In the Therapeutics of the snake poisons, by Clarke, there is only scanty information on the other snakes, simply because they are less well known and used. And as far as I know, there is no literature concerning the relationships with the spider poisons, except for remarks by Boericke, Clarke and Kent that they should be studied, in connection with the destruction of the blood, which nearly all of them do, to a lesser or greater degree. Let us now return to the sleep and dreams of the sea-remedies.

Sleep and Dreams

In the patterns of sleep there are some features in the sea-remedies that are very prominent, such as the inabil-ity to fall asleep again after waking up in the night. Another feature is the inability top fall asleep in the evening, or the desire to sleep during the day. A third is concerning the quality of sleep, which is often unrefreshing, with waking up tired. Then there is the position in which they sleep and the concomitants, such as perspiration, temperature and of course, the dreams.
In the assessment of the dreams, Kees Dam complains about the scanty information in the repertory about dreams and we concur with him. There is a delightful little book on dreams, from an Indian homoeopath, but it suf-fers from the same lack of information. Nonetheless, he also stresses the importance of dream symptoms, because these relate back to the mental state. The mental state is always the most important, because it is from the vitiated mind that physical symptoms stem, rather than from some external agent. Even if we grant the perceived power of bacteria and viruses to cause disease, we are still left with the difficulty that these are always present and should therefore always cause disease, under all circumstances. Experience shows however, that this is not at all the case, but only in those whose mind has been affected ¡V either by unhappiness, a calamity in the family, anger, fright, grief and worry, or indulgence in one of the seven deadly sins. These were not called deadly because it was thought that this would instill sufficient fear in the population, but because it had been observed that they are deadly. Only those that cannot control their tongue in their food habits will get sick; only those that cannot control the sexual urge, are foolish enough to sleep around and thus contract venereal disease. Only those who cannot control their anger end up with liver problems; similarly those that sleep too much, have not enough exercise to keep the body healthy.
To return to dreams, we shall see that the symptoms of these dreams all relate back to the mental state. We shall therefore now investigate the diverse dream states of the sea-remedies, to ascertain the importance of these in relation to the mental state.

Dreams
Amorous Ambra, Ast., Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m.,
Anger Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.,
Anxious Ambra, Calc.c., Eryn.a., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Confused Calc.c., Eryn.a., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Fire Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sil.m., Spong.
Frightful Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia Sil.m.
Many Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Nightmare Ambra, Calc.c., Nat.m., Sil.m.
Pleasant Ambra, Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Spong.
Quarrels Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Vexatious Ambra, Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Spong.
Visionary Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m.
Vivid Ambra, Aster. Calc.c., Nat.m., Oleum, Sepia Sil.m.

Sleep
position abdomen Calc.c.,
back Ambra, Calc.c., Nat.m.,
Prolonged Mag.s., Sepia
Restless Ambra, Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Sleepiness Ambra, Calc.c., Eryn.a., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Sleeplessness Ambra Calc.c, Eryn.a., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong
Unrefreshing Ambra, Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia Sil.m.
Waking early Ambra, Eryn.a., Hydroph, Nat.m., Sepia sil.m., Spong.
frequent Ambra, Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
from fright Ambra, Hydroph, Nat.m., Sepia, Spong.
late Ambra, Aster., Calc.c., Nat.m., Sepia.

Here again we see that some remedies, such as Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m. and Spong. are the most frequently indicated. A close second come Ambra, Murex and Scilla. Astacus, Asterias, Eryn.a. and Hydroph. are not so frequently indicated. Of course I have not given all the sub-rubrics, because that would make it too volumi-nous and cumbersome, but the general drift is also here distinctly discernible. We see from these few examples, that the correspondences are close enough to warrant further study of these remedies. It will both enhance our knowledge of materia medica and consequent help in more accurate prescribing.
Comparative study is therefore an essential part of materia medica study, because it enables us to differentiate accurately between the remedies that are very similar in their totality of symptoms, while the differences are too small to immediately notice. Because experience teaches us that most patients can be treated with an arsenal of between 200 to 250 remedies, we tend to forget that the other remedies in the materia medica furnish us with the possibility to cure equally many cases. Of course we are never finished with provings, because there are so many substances, that it would be impossible to prove them all.

Sleep Mag.s., Murex, Oleum, Scilla, Sepia,
lying down Oleum
In warmth of bed Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex, Sil.m.,
during Coral., Mag.s.,
after Coral., Hom., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m, Sepia, Spong. Sleep Medusa,
lying down Scilla, Spong.
in warmth of bed Mag.s., Scilla, Sil.m.,

during
after

Concomitants and Modalities

It is in the concomitants and the modalities that we find the subtle differences of the sea-remedies. The con-comitants consist of accompanying symptoms, which are peculiar to each remedy. The modalities are often oppo-site to each other, as we see for instance with Cyclamen and Pulsatilla, where the concomitant is formed by Cycla-men going from silence to weepy and Pulsatilla from weepy to silent. The modalities are that Cyclamen likes butter and Pulsatilla dislikes it, Cyclamen cannot stand the cold winds and prefers the inside, while Pulsatilla has exactly the opposite. These are but examples of the more commonly known remedies, just to illustrate the point. Among the sea-remedies we will come across many of these oppositions, both in the modalities and the concomitants. Some remedies are better from cold, others from heat, some from drinking, others from food. In the considerations of the modalities, we have to distinguish between generals and particulars. If the generals are very strong, they take precedence, as Kent has repeatedly stressed. If the particulars are very strong, they made lead us to the remedy more easily, because it is often unique to one remedy only. It also helps to know whether a person is hot or cold, because this eliminates a lot of remedies from the start. Modalities and concomitants are very important in the proc-ess of finding the appropriate remedy for each individual case. Hering used to give the advice that in a prescription we should arrive at a minimum of three important keynotes, to lead us in the right direction. He compared it to a three-legged stool, as a stool cannot stand on any less than three legs. Of course it is better to have at least five specific symptoms to lead us to the remedy, but three important symptoms will often give us the indicated remedy, or one of its analogues, while verification will then bring out any other symptoms to provide the similimum. Kent says that there may be many similia, but that there is always only one similimum and this is the curative remedy. Key-note prescribing by itself is folly, as Kent, Clarke and others have repeatedly warned us. When used wisely, they can save us a lot of work and in this way we also become familiar with the typical manifestations of different remedies and enhance our knowledge of materia medica. It remains necessary to always verify the choice of the remedy, by checking it with the totality of the symptoms presented by the patient. Only thorough work can bring us to the similimum, while ease-loving is always to be condemned. At the same time, we must never reject the simplifi-cation of prescribing, as presented to us by the old and the new masters. Everything should be done to make pre-scription easier, because additions are constantly made to the materia medica and we are now in a situation where the proliferation of remedies becomes somewhat cumbersome. This is partly due to fragmentary provings, partly to provings that do not follow Hahnemann¡¦s protocols and partly because of the nature of the proven remedies, which are often small remedies, and as such fairly inconsequential to the materia medica as a whole. The necessity for provings of substances which are very useful is always paramount. On the other hand, it cannot be known before-hand what features a remedy may display, especially when it has not been used by herbalists in the remote and recent past, Therefore it appears necessary to only prove those substances of which we possess either empirical knowledge from poisonings, so that we know what to expect, or from use by herbalists, or from native witchdoctors in so-called primitive societies. Among the elements of the periodic table, many have not yet received any attention from homoeopathic circles and their salts and acids may prove to provide many deep constitutional remedies. If we take as indications for this notion the fact that our deepest acting remedies are made from the elements, it is self-evident that we will find many welcome additions to our armamentarium. The provings of diverse rocks, as insti-gated by different provers, as well as so-called gem-elixirs, are another source of inspiration, because most gems are composites of elementary substances and can provide us with deep acting constitutional remedies. The way in which these remedies are prepared ¡V placing the gem in water and exposing it to the sun and/or the moon ¡V pro-vides, in my view, only a limited sphere of action and it seems necessary to also make triturations of the gems in question. Experiments made with the watermelon-tourmaline, which was prepared in both ways, revealed striking differences in the depth of action between the two preparations, with the triturated preparation going much deeper. As was described under Adamantam, the trituration is often problematic, due to the hardness of some gems. It is thus understandable that preparations are made by suspending the gem in water and exposing it to the sun and moon rays.

Worse
Change Calc.c., Ichth., Medusa,
Thinking Eryn.a., Gadus, Medusa, Murex, Nat.m., Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Crying Nat.m.,
Side l. Gadus., Hom., Limulus, Murex, Oleum, Scilla, Sil.m., Spong.
Side r Gadus., Hom., (sometimes); Mag.s., Murex, Oleum, Scilla, Sil.m., Spong.
Weather
Hot Aqua.m., Aster., Limulus, Nat.m., Sepia,
Warmth Ambra, Aster.,
Cold Astac., Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Sun Aster., Calc.c., Nat.m.,
Dry
Wet Aster., Calc.c., Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m.,
& cold Aster, Calc.c., Oleum, Sil.m.
& warm Sepia
Better
Change
Thinking

Crying Aster., Sepia.
Side l.

Side r

Weather
Hot Coral., Eryn.a., Sil.m., Spong.
Warmth Aqua, Calc.c., Sil.m.,
Cold Nat.m., Sepia,

Sun
Dry Calc.c.,
Wet Sepia,
& cold
& warm Sepia,

Seaside Aqua, Nat.m.,
Covering Coral.,
Uncovering Coral., Scilla,
Outdoors Calc.c., Sil.m.,
Indoors Ichth., Nat.m., Oleum, Sepia, Spong.
Motion Aster., Eryn.a., Hom., Limulus, Mag.s., Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong
up Aster., Calc.c., Scilla,
down
vigorous Murex, Scilla,
fast
slow Nat.m.,
Walking Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Spong.
Rest Sepia,
after Limulus,
standing Sepia,
sitting Coral., Sepia, Sil.m., Spong
during Gadus,
after Murex,
lying Nat.m., Oleum, Sil.m.,
back Sepia,
l.side Nat.m., Sepia,
r,side Sil.m., Spong
after Limulus, Seaside Nat.m.,
Covering Nat.m.,
Uncovering
Outdoors Aster., Ichth., Nat.m., Sepia,
Indoors Sepia, Sil.m.,
Motion Aqua, Hom., Mag.s., Medusa, Murex, Sepia, Sil.m.,
up
down Spong.
vigorous Sepia,
fast Aqua.m., Sepia,
slow Aqua
Walking Nat.m., Sepia,
Rest Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong
after
standing
sitting Nat.m., Scilla,
during
after
lying Calc.c., Mag.s., Nat.m., Scilla, Sepia, Spong.
back Calc.c., Nat.m.,
l.side Scilla,
r,side Sepia,
after Nat.m.,

Food Calc.c., Medusa, Nat.m.,
warm Mag.s., Nat.m., Sil.m.,
cold Mag.s.,
during Mag.s., Nat.m.,
after Calc.c., Hom., Murex, Nat.m., Sil.m.,
fasting Calc.c.,
Drink Limulus,
warm Sil.m., Spong.
cold Aqua.m., Limulus, Nat.m., Scilla, Sil.m., Spong.
Acids Coral., Nat.m., Sepia
Sweets Spong.
bread Nat.m., Scilla
meat Astac., Aster., Calc.c., Sil.m.,
fish Astac., Medusa,
milk Calc.c., Hom., Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
fat Nat.m., Sepia, Food Aster., Hom., Ichth., Medusa, Scilla, Spong.
warm
cold
during Sil.m.,
after
fasting
Drink
warm Sil.m., Spong.
cold Aster., Scilla,
Acids Nat.m., Scilla
Sweets
bread
meat
fish
milk
fat

Pain
pressure Spong.
movement
Perspiration Aqua
Time
Daytime Murex, Oleum
Nighttime Aster., Gadus, Hom., Mag.s., Murex, Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m., Spong.
Midnight
after Sepia, Spong.
before Sepia, Spong.
Morning Aster., Calc.c., Mag.s., Murex, Nat.m., Oleum, Scilla, Sepia, Sil.m.,
early Calc.c., Hom., Mag.s., Murex, Scilla, Sepia,
late Nat.m., Sepia,
Noon Limulus,
Afternoon Calc.c, Limulus,
early Calc.c., Gadus., Limulus,
evening Calc.c., Gadus., Hom., Limulus, Mag.s., Mu-rex, Oleum, Sepia, Sil.m.,
early Murex, Oleum,
dark
Full moon Calc.c., Nat.m., Sil.m., Spong
new moon Calc.c., Sil.m.,
Summer Nat.m.,
Winter Ichth., Sil.m.,
Bath Calc.c
hot
cold Pain
pressure Aqua.m., Sepia, Sil.m.,
movement Aqua.m.,
Perspiration Nat.m.,
Time
Daytime
Nighttime Sepia,

midnight
after
before
Morning Hom., Oleum,

early Calc.c.,
late
Noon
Afternoon
early
evening Scilla,

early
Dark Calc.c.,
Full moon
New moon
Summer Sil.m.,
Winter
bath
hot Ichth.,
cold Ichth., Nat.m., Sepia,

Menses Mag.s., Murex, Sepia, Spong.
during Fucus, Mag.s., Murex, Spong. Menses
during Aster


Here we see some polychrests, which show opposite symptoms. These are generally the most employed. We see some that have opposite symptoms to others. The listing actually speaks for itself and careful study of these comparisons, will furnish us with much valuable information and help in individualising each case.
In order to gain a fuller understanding of the sea-remedies, we shall now look at each of them individually. Our understanding of the sea-remedies is dependent on the characteristics of each. The major remedies used in this series, are Calcarea carbonica, Sepia and Murex, while the others have neither had much attention, nor extensive provings. However, from what we know, this is both unwarranted and somewhat regretful, as they are important in their own right. If we consider Asterias, which has symptoms that combine some of the features of Natrum muriati-cum, Sepia and Lachesis, we see at once its value in treatment, which at present is often directed at giving these remedies in a series, so as to cover the symptoms presented in a single patient. Catherine Coulter has given some examples of this in her Portraits, in which she concludes that some of her patients present symptoms, which at dif-ferent times demand the application of these three remedies. In soliciting the history of the patient, we are con-fronted with sometimes conflicting symptoms, for which there is apparently no single remedy that covers the totality. Asterias, which has not received an extensive proving, may in such cases provide the remedy we are looking for, but due to its incomplete picture, we shall hesitate to prescribe it, as to all appearances the totality is not covered.
Hahnemann advised us to prescribe on the PQRS symptoms, because he had found that these provide us with the clearest directions to the correct remedy. At the same time, he warned us, not to neglect the totality. When we gain some proficiency in prescription, we are often able to detect the remedy from the patient¡¦s general state and demeanor and we are able to recognise the ¡¥type¡¦ fairly easy. Due to our fragmentary knowledge of the materia medica, we may in this process overlook important remedies, which in their totality present the picture of the patient more clearly. After all, it is unrealistic to expect any homoeopath to have all the remedies in the materia medica in their specific features as clear-cut pictures in his memory. We all know that study of the materia medica is one of the most important facets of homoeopathic science and no practitioner should neglect it. In this study, we find that when we scrutinise a remedy, it is equally important to study its analogues and complementary remedies, in order to learn the difference between them. This enables the homoeopath to prescribe more precisely and be more suc-cessful in his cures.
In regards to the sea-remedies, we can see that many of them display very similar symptoms, as we have al-ready seen from the listing in the previous pages. At the same time, it also stresses the individuality of these same remedies, which enables us to differentiate between them. When we look upon the remedies as analogous series of disease pictures, we can detect the different manifestations of what we might call the same disease, just like Aco-nite and Belladonna present different manifestations of for instance scarlet fever.
Disease entities, as we could call them, are of course not the focus of our study, as it is the patient and not the disease that requires treatment. At the same time, the manifestations in different people enable us to individualise a symptom pattern, which is generally called a disease. The sea-remedies are presented here in this light, so that in-dividualisation becomes easier and prescription more certain.

Next post I will present the individual remedies.

[This message has been edited by Ben Rozendal (edited 16 August 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Ben Rozendal (edited 16 August 1999).]