(there was a discussion on this topic, earlier - but I had overlooked it.
if my query was addressed then, please accept my apologies for asking again.
I did search the homeolist forum but could not locate the thread)

dear homeolist,
I have a patient - a girl 8 years old.
the parents report a strange symptom. the child has a habit of picking the nose and eating the nose pickings. the parents have tried to explain things to her and make her aware of this dirty habit, but she is unable to kick the habit.
there are other sx but I wanted to check this sx.
is there a rubric for this? I could not locate it.
do sepia child have such habits?
any info is welcome.
regards,
dr manish agarwala

Hi Manish

Here's some ideas

Geukens has this to say about this symptom

"Calcarea picks the nose, takes the crusts out of the nose, puts them in his mouth and eats them. There is another remedy that does the same thing; it is not in the Materia Medica, that is why nobody knows it, it is Bufo. "

Vermeulen

"The Sulph. child picks its nose and eats the scabs."


Best

Robyn

This can also be a symptom of calcium deficiency, which is why Calc is listed as a remedy. Also a symptom of worms- perhaps Cina as a treatment.

Melanie Grimes

Dear Dr Agarwala,

I have found in my experience that children who need sulphur do this.

Regards
Chris

Complete Rep 2000 ( Manish, I think you already have the Synthesis 9.1 information)--no specific rubric found for this sx, but may be one hidden somewhere in one of the reps.

There is this, but not specific enough, and this is probably not really a desire, but a habit:
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; strange things, desires (16) : alum., atri., bry., calc., calc-p., carb-v., chel., cic., cycl., hep., lyss., mag-c., manc., rheum, sep., ter.

And this, but the products of ones own body are not indigestible:
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; indigestible things; desires (21) : abies-c., alum., alumn., aur., bell., bry., calc., calc-p., cic., con., cycl., ferr., ign., Lach., nat-m., Nit-ac., nux-v., psor., Sil., sulph., tarent.

Still, the latter two may provide some clue depending on the rest of the case.

General rubrics:

NOSE; PICKING nose; general (26) : Arum-t., aur-m., ba-tn., Cina, con., cop., hell., hyper., lac-c., lach., lap-c-b., lil-t., lyc., nat-p., nit-ac., nux-v., petr., ph-ac., phos., sil., spig., sumb., ter., Teucr., thuj., zinc.
NOSE; PICKING nose; general; convulsions, during (3) : arum-t., cina, ter.
NOSE; PICKING nose; general; bleeds, until it (7) : Arum-t., Cina, con., lach., phos., sil., spig.
NOSE; PICKING nose; constant desire for; parts, affected (1) : mag-m.
NOSE; PICKING nose; constant desire for; brain complaints, in (4) : Cina, con., hell., Sulph.
NOSE; PICKING nose; constant desire for (10) : cina, con., hell., lil-t., mag-m., rumx., stict., sulph., symph., ter.

NOSE; BORING in, with fingers; must (40) : anac., androc., apisin., arg-n., ARUM-T., aur., ba-tn., bell., bor., bov., bufo, carb-v., caust., Cina, con., hell., hep., lil-t., lyc., merc., nat-c., nat-m., nat-p., op., ph-ac., phos., psor., rumx., sabad., sant., sel., sil., spig., stict., sulph., tarent., teucr., thuj., verat., zinc.
NOSE; BORING in, with fingers; must; sides especially (1) : arum-t.
NOSE; BORING in, with fingers; must; headache, with (1) : hep.
NOSE; BORING in, with fingers; must; convulsions, with (1) : verat.
NOSE; BORING in, with fingers; must; catarrh, in (1) : hep.
NOSE; BORING in, with fingers; must; brain symptoms, with (2) : cina, sulph.


One Search in Referenceworks yields --Puls and Lac caprinum (each from only 1 case-picks nose and eats)

but not unexpectedly also Sulph (picks nose and eats scabs)--quote--periodical "Homeopathy" (1935 volume)--"The Sulphur child is subject to catarrhal discharges from nose and eyes, etc., and mothers will tell you that the child will eat the discharges from the nose."

Best,
Andy

I agree with Chris. My notes too say 'boring in nose/eating scabs - Sulph/Arum t, see which fits'

Jeff Tikari

dear robyn,chris,andy,melanie,jeff and my homeolist friends,

thank you for your replies.

to sum all your replies for the sx "child picks nose and eats it" - the rx are
bufo,cina,arum t, lac cap, puls, calc, sulph.

the other sx of the child match sepia. sepia does have these dirty habit and worms. the child also suffers from bed wetting. btw, the mother's constitutional at the moment is sepia.

I am not sure but I would like to add sepia and silicea to this rubric that we have made. let me see

any ideas about sepia child having this sx?

dr manish agarwala

In Kent's Lectures, he describes the Sulphur child as doing exactly this.

Jenny Decker

Why are we discussing on a single symptom?

Sulphur is a definite possibility,if other indications for Sulphur are present.

Despite our training,we tend to focus too much on a particular symtom,which I feel we must avoid,however peculiar that symptom may be.

The so called PQRS (Peculiar,queer,rare symptoms)are not an indication for the medicine by themselves,but confirms the medicine beyond doubt,if the overall picture is close enough.

Murthy