Understanding Hamamelis virg.

Dr. Claudio C. Araujo M.D. F.F.Hom. (Lon.)

As we could see, there are not too many symptoms in the Hamamelis proving. It took me some time to understand the full picture of Hamamelis, besides all the congestive and vascular ailments present in the pathogenesis. But a few years ago, I had the chance to help a patient, based on only one symptom:

Feeling that she ought to be reverenced by all around her and have great respect paid to her opinions; lasting about an hour, [8]. 

She came for treatment due to common allergic symptoms: Discharge from the nose, sneezing, sensitivity to dust, itching throat, lacrimation from her eyes; she was a bad sleeper, being disturbed every night at 3AM, she couldn´t come back to sleep. She also suffered from constipation and tachycardia. She told me she had pains in her left breast after being attacked by her ex-husband, a few years before, who left her with this injure that became painful from time to time. She describes herself as an aggressive professional, being working in an international enterprise, fighting for her place inside the company.

She was always very offended. She said to me that my secretary used to treat her with disrespect, and she also felt disrespected when I was late due to other patients. She said that, for her, my delays were a discourtesy for her, “deeply offended and indignant. I couldn´t be late even for a few minutes, it was enough to unleashing on her all these feelings. Haughty, proud, always with a look of disdain towards the others. She felt as if I was neglecting her in relation to other patients. She considered practically everyone as rude, uneducated, not worthy of his person.

“I can't stand being insulted in silence, I react strongly. I can’t swallow, I say what I think, I let the dogs go.” “Anger, hate. 

Severe depression, after outbursts of rage.

Always the feeling that she's going to be fired, that her boss doesn't care about her, doesn't pay attention to her. Feeling being ignored, loneliness, left out, rejected, I'm the last of the last. I have the impression that they were taking advantage of me, I was in a smaller role, with a lower salary. I feel violated, deceived (when going to work) “Unfocused, inattentive, oblivious” (at work) “it's disrespectful, they're making me available to them, it's an invasion” (if you have to stay at work overtime)

“I am at a lower level, lower salary” (in new job)

“I haven’t been well” (since being reprimanded by her boss)

Tachycardia at work, due to the feeling “of being sent away at every moment” “I have to say goodbye before they fire me” “I have the distinct feeling that I am going to be sent away” “Sensation of loneliness, when arriving at work, (from vacation), of not making progress, but I know that I am not looking for them” Dreams of being fired from work and that her father had to have an emergency operation. “I am a failure at everything” 

“Fear of starting something new, of undertaking” "I don't feel safe to give a consultancy" “Sensation of incompetence, of not being able to do things, and I know I am capable of doing them”. “I'm afraid someone will ask me for something and I won't know how to do it”. “I feel happy if I have my worth recognized” 

After Ham. 10M: (single dose) “I've always been ambitious; I've always wanted to be something” (acknowledging her disposition towards work“ I was working without will, without determination. I didn't agree with the way they ran the company, I think that's why I was fired (regarding her dismissal from the other job).

“He stabbed me in the right place” (ex-husband, when he told her he had found a better woman)

 “I had the impression that she didn't care about my living room, that it wasn't an attractive project for her, that I am unfriendly” (regarding the decorator she have hired to decorate her living room)

“I always made a point of having a nice, well-kept room at work. This time I didn't care anymore, it didn't hit me like before. They gave me a simple place, without a computer, and I accepted it very well” (after Ham. 50M single dose)

This symptom (of living in a neat place) being present in the proving:

Quick perception of anything out of shape or disproportioned (thirteenth day), [12].                                    

We may find our Hamamelis patient someone with good taste in dressing, home decoration and loving to have a neat environment. 

Conclusion:

Wanting to be respected, living in a well decorated ambience, posing with a disdain look towards the others and easily offended when her opinions are not taken into consideration – also feeling rejected when her affections are not reciprocated – this is our Hamamelis patient. Something that also came out with this patient was her sensation of not being loved – but – it can also start when she was turned down by her former husband – not an authentic forsaken feeling, but once again due to her feelings of disrespect, having her wishes unfulfilled.

 

Hamamelis Groups

Symptoms from Allen and Hering´s  Materia Medica

 

With the environment

Desire to hear lofty, sublime conversation, attended with perfect indisposition to talk myself; after the heat, [7]. [20.] 

Sleep disturbed by dreaming of the business of the day (second night), [12].

Dreamt there was a bat flying in the room, with fear of bodily injury therefrom (sixth night), [12].

With Oneself

Depressed in mind (second, fortieth, and forty-ninth days), [17]. 

Irritable ; gloomy ; depressed ; stupid. 
Felt as if he was going out of his mind. 

Lowness of spirits, [30]. 

Feels gloomy (fourth day), [18]. 

Very gloomy (sixth day), [9a]. 

Very gloomy and sad, probably caused by the nocturnal emission (second day), [9]. 

Very gloomy; no disposition to move (fourth day), [9a]. Regretful in the mind for having had emissions at night (third day), [27]. [10.] 

Forgetful, especially of words when talking. 
No desire to study or work ; ideas confused, could not compose. 
Discontented all day (third day), [11]. 

Less despondency, in the evening (fourth day), [11].  

Irritable disposition (second day), [19]. 

I became impatient, and resolved not to take any more of the medicine; felt as if I did not care whether I attended to my practice or not; did not want any one to call at the office for medicine (seventh day), [15]. 

Was afraid to risk another dose; this mind was in a fearful condition, [18]. 

Intense thinking; unhappy in body and mind; better at 7 P.M. (thirteenth day), [27]. 

After the nausea, headache, and general stupor lasting two hours, had disappeared, felt clearer and brighter than before using it, [28]. 

Hemorrhages with tranquil mind. 

Still finds it difficult to settle his mind; angry mood; nothing seems to suit him (twenty-third day); still continuing (thirtieth day), [18]. 

Dull and spiritless all days (twelfth and fifteenth days), [14]. 

Rose feeling dull (twenty-second and twenty-third days), [14]. 

Inability to concentrate the thoughts upon any subject of study; exceedingly restless and discontented (second day), [22]. 

Work

No desire to work; likes to sit and think, or muse, while awake (second day), [11]. 

No desire to study or read, [26]; in the evening (first day), [15]. 

Could not read or study, [17]. 

Dull and listless, especially in afternoon; disinclination to study (seventh day), [14]. 

Weakness of mind

Forgetfulness, especially of words when talking, so much so that his room-mate thinks him crazy (fourth day), [24]. [30.] 

Marked weakness of memory; if he reads cannot remember important things he has been reading about (twelfth day), [18]. 

General stupor, for two hours after taking, [28]. 

Felt a dullness and was somewhat stupid, in the afternoon (first day), [15]. 

Unpleasant, fearful dreams (third day), [11]. 

With the others

Feeling that she ought to be reverenced by all around her and have great respect paid to her opinions; lasting about an hour, [8]. 

Need for sex/Emissions

Great desire for an embrace (fifth day), [18]. 

Erections ; great desire for an embrace. 

Sexual dream, with an emission (third night), [9a]. 

Sexual dream, with and involuntary emission, followed by great weariness and severe dull pain in the loins (first night), [9]. 

Sexual dream, but no emission (first night), [9a]. 

An emission (fourth night), [18]. 

Nocturnal emission and dreams; emission caused by dreams (second night), [27]. [380.] 

Emission while dreaming (fourteenth night); at night (thirty-fifth, fortieth, forty-second, and forty-ninth days); lass frequently (after eighty days); when well would have had an emission every five or six weeks; during the proving oftener than once a week on an average, [27]. 

Seminal emission without erection, with consciousness (twenty-seventh day), [13]. 

Seminal emission without sensual dreams during night (fourth day), [22]. 

Seminal emission, but not conscious of the fact at the time (first night), [14]. 

Seminal emission during night, without being aware of it, or amorous dreams (sixth night), [12]. 

Seminal emission without dreams (fourth and fifth nights), of which he was unconscious till morning, [21]. 

Amorous dreams, with emissions, followed by lassitude, gloomy, depressing mood, dull Emissions at night, without being aware of it ; headache, depression of mind. 

Has an erection without desire, on retiring (twenty-ninth night); but on awakening in morning discovered he had an emission, [13]. 

Two emissions, with an incessant desire for an embrace; erections quite frequent; continues off and on all day (twelfth night); another emission (thirteenth night), [18].  F

Depressed in mind ; also after emissions, with regretful mind. 

Wish to be alone; cannot settle mind on study (twelfth day); continuing (nineteenth day), [18]. 

Very cross in easily irritated, not wanting anybody to speak to him (second day), [24].