Understanding Ambra gris.

Dr. Claudio C. Araujo, MD, FFHom. (Lon) at al.

The proving is telling us that this is a very sensitive patient. That there is something coming towards him that is frightening him.

Ambra grisea is forced to dwell upon such things. Images, false faces, hideous imaginations, fancies and visions annoy him and keep him awake.

Distorted images, grimaces, diabolical faces crowd upon his fancy; he cannot get rid of them,

In the semi-dreamy state he is kept holding up before his mind these grimaces. Such a state of mind may come on from business embarrassments with vertigo, congestion to the head and brain fag.

We can say that he is also very sensitive to music, but it hurts him:

Music causes the blood to rush to the head. 

But what affects him most is the presence of people. Many of this patient´s clinical symptoms might will become worse only when other persons are near him:

Conversation causes fatigue, heaviness of the head, sleepless, oppression of the chest, sweat, 

Embarrassed manner in company. 

Embarrassed manner in society; bashful.
Cough < when many persons are present. 
The presence of other people aggravates the symptoms. 
sweat, anxiety ; tremor and quivering ; nervousness and irritability. 

So now we have, acccording to the proving, the main aspects of Ambra´s personality: someone sensitive to the environement, to people and to music, the last two situations both aggravating one´s symptoms. But there are some other daily circumstances that might trigger Ambra´s symptoms. Ambra doesn´t have internal resources to overcome or surpass the losses we are all subjected to, situations like like the loss of a loving one, a death in the family or a bankrupicy, or a collapse in one´s work. He may develop symptoms after been fired by one´s boss, or a sudden turmoil in one´s company, also money loss; Ambra will not resist to those situations.

  A man goes through the trial of one death after another in the family and there seems to be nothing remaining; he cannot look at it philosophically; he has lost his business and his friends and then he takes on dreaminess and wonders whether life is worthing living.

Some great business or domestic shock has come upon this patient. It is not the aspect you see when phthisis is coming on; you do not we the cachectic condition, but it is a prostration of the nervous system, a mental prostration.

A man goes through the trial of one death after another in the family and there seems to be nothing remaining; he cannot look at it philosophically; he has lost his business and his friends and then he takes on dreaminess and wonders whether life is worthing living.

Surrounded by hideous faces, sensitive to music, averse to company and unable to deal with domestic losses or failure in one´s professional life – that´s our patient. And then comes Ambra´s most common characteristics: The Ambra patien will wither. There´s not a better word or aa better definition, when we read the observations from our homeopathic forefathers:

Kent: Premature old age: On looking over this remedy as a whole it will appear to you that you have been studying the characteristics of one prematurely old. You will often see symptoms coming on in one at fifty years of age that should appear at eighty, and after studying this remedy you will see that the same aspect is presented, a premature old age.

We recognize trembling and a peculiar kind of feebleness that cannot be described by any expression but senility; it is not the confusion of mind belonging to sickness, but the peculiar state we recognize in old people, in declining life; trembling and tottering and a dreamy state of mind with forgetfulness.

Such is the mental state of this prematurely old patient with broken down constitution. It is a picture of a wreck and the question will arise when you find a patient that looks and acts in this way whether you have received him in time to cure him.

Let´s shed some light over this subject: is not a young man looking old, but also a young man showing symptoms of an old one. Symptoms that should not be present in someone at that age. And also synptoms that have started after a loss in the family or after a professional setback. 

This remedy is useful when such a state is found in young persons, when the mind is not insane and yet it is weak. Especially is it indicated in those persons who manifest a momentary, fleeting inquisitiveness, jumping from one subject to another. Often a patient asks me one question after another, never waiting to have the first one answered, a flitting, flighty talker, who does not seem to realize that I have not answered his questions; that patient, I say to myself, needs Ambra grisea.

That state of mind belongs to modern society women in such great frequency that you will be astonished to note it on all hands.

In the semi-dreamy state he is kept holding up before his mind these grimaces. Such a state of mind may come on from business embarrassments with vertigo, congestion to the head and brain fag.

Some great business or domestic shock has come upon this patient. It is not the aspect you see when phthisis is coming on; you do not we the cachectic condition, but it is a prostration of the nervous system, a mental prostration.

After business embarrassment cannot sleep, must get up and walk about.
Hurries too much while engaged in mental labor. 

Would be our patient someone very keen on one´s work and very careful with one´s family? The proving didn´t brought up symptoms related to these situatios, but we might admit that this could be the case; Ambra may be someone careful with one´s parents, brothers and sisters; although due to one´s difficulty to deal with the others, we may find a bachelor constantly worried sbout one´s parents or someone one who got sick after hosing a parent. 

A period of greatest excitability is often followed by depression, a state of indifference to all things, to joy, to grief, to people etc., treating with indifference things that would naturally break the heart of a well-balanced person.

Again, the Anbra grisea patient withers after a loss in the family or after losing one´s job. He doesn´y have internal resources to deal with it, starting to show symptoms long before the due time for them to appear. “Prematurly old” reffers to the symptoms, not to the general aspect of the patient.

He goes on from one subject to another, asking a question, and, without waiting for it to be answered, asking another. And so he jumps about from one topic to another. It can hardly be said to be confusion, it is a dreamy state of mind, a state of senility.

This remedy is useful when such a state is found in young persons, when the mind is not insane and yet it is weak. Especially is it indicated in those persons who manifest a momentary, fleeting inquisitiveness, jumping from one subject to another. Often a patient asks me one question after another, never waiting to have the first one answered, a flitting, flighty talker, who does not seem to realize that I have not answered his questions; that patient, I say to myself, needs Ambra grisea.

Some great business or domestic shock has come upon this patient. It is not the aspect you see when phthisis is coming on; you do not we the cachectic condition, but it is a prostration of the nervous system, a mental prostration.

With these symptoms the patient imagines that he is going out of his mind, and finally he settles down into a state of melancholy, sadness and despair, and does not want to live. He loathes his life and wants to die.

You readily see you have before you one who is going down hill and going into insanity of one form or another. A physician sees the forerunner of a great breakdown when he sees an Ambra grisea patient with the nervous mental state, the quivering, trembling and excitement in one who was once a strong, vigorous man.

 

Groups in Ambra gris. 

Symptoms from Hahnemann, Allen, Hering, Kent and Clarke.

Dr. Claudio C. Araujo MD, FFHom (Lon)

With the environment

Ambra grisea is forced to dwell upon such things. Images, false faces, hideous imaginations, fancies and visions annoy him and keep him awake.

Distorted images, grimaces, diabolical faces crowd upon his fancy; he cannot get rid of them,

In the semi-dreamy state he is kept holding up before his mind these grimaces. Such a state of mind may come on from business embarrassments with vertigo, congestion to the head and brain fag.

He is always as if he were in a dream. 

Music causes the blood to rush to the head. 

He is always as if he were in a dream, [1]. 

Startings, as with fright, in the evening when falling asleep; he imagines that there is too much light in the room; he jumps out of his bed with a sort of anguish (after some hours), [1]. 

Some great business or domestic shock has come upon this patient. It is not the aspect you see when phthisis is coming on; you do not we the cachectic condition, but it is a prostration of the nervous system, a mental prostration.

After business embarrassment cannot sleep, must get up and walk about (Rhus r., Sep.). 
Hurries too much while engaged in mental labor. 

With Oneself

A period of greatest excitability is often followed by depression, a state of indifference to all things, to joy, to grief, to people etc., treating with indifference things that would naturally break the heart of a well-balanced person.

Prematurely old

Kent: Premature old age: On looking over this remedy as a whole it will appear to you that you have been studying the characteristics of one prematurely old. You will often see symptoms coming on in one at fifty years of age that should appear at eighty, and after studying this remedy you will see that the same aspect is presented, a premature old age.

We recognize trembling and a peculiar kind of feebleness that cannot be described by any expression but senility; it is not the confusion of mind belonging to sickness, but the peculiar state we recognize in old people, in declining life; trembling and tottering and a dreamy state of mind with forgetfulness.

Such is the mental state of this prematurely old patient with broken down constitution. It is a picture of a wreck and the question will arise when you find a patient that looks and acts in this way whether you have received him in time to cure him.

He goes on from one subject to another, asking a question, and, without waiting for it to be answered, asking another. And so he jumps about from one topic to another. It can hardly be said to be confusion, it is a dreamy state of mind, a state of senility.

This remedy is useful when such a state is found in young persons, when the mind is not insane and yet it is weak. Especially is it indicated in those persons who manifest a momentary, fleeting inquisitiveness, jumping from one subject to another. Often a patient asks me one question after another, never waiting to have the first one answered, a flitting, flighty talker, who does not seem to realize that I have not answered his questions; that patient, I say to myself, needs Ambra grisea.

That state of mind belongs to modern society women in such great frequency that you will be astonished to note it on all hands.

A modern society belle that could not darn the heel of her stocking to save her soul will in a few years get into just that state, and even Ambra will not cure her.

Sadness and melancoly
Some great business or domestic shock has come upon this patient. It is not the aspect you see when phthisis is coming on; you do not we the cachectic condition, but it is a prostration of the nervous system, a mental prostration.

With these symptoms the patient imagines that he is going out of his mind, and finally he settles down into a state of melancholy, sadness and despair, and does not want to live. He loathes his life and wants to die.

"Great sadness." 

Great sadness, sits for days weeping. 

"Melancholy, sits for days weeping."

You readily see you have before you one who is going down hill and going into insanity of one form or another. A physician sees the forerunner of a great breakdown when he sees an Ambra grisea patient with the nervous mental state, the quivering, trembling and excitement in one who was once a strong, vigorous man.

A man goes through the trial of one death after another in the family and there seems to be nothing remaining; he cannot look at it philosophically; he has lost his business and his friends and then he takes on dreaminess and wonders whether life is worthing living.

She is excited, loquacious; talking fatigues her; she was unable to sleep at night; got a headache, as if she carried a large load upon her head; she felt oppressed at the chest; had to sit up in bed, and was attacked with anguish and sweat all over. 

Uncommonly long excitement,

Great equanimity (reaction of the organism), 

Great sadness (after seventy-two hours),. 

Despair (after forty-eight hours),. 

Great depression of spirits (after six days). 

He is overwhelmed with sad thoughts, and feels a sort of qualmishness about the heart; he feels sad for a long time,

Indifferent to joy or grief; more depressed, however, than composed, [1]. 

Anxiety after dinner, [1]. 

Anxious thoughts arise in his mind, [1]. 

The mind feels uneasy and agitated, [1]. 

Uneasiness the whole day, the chest feeling oppressed, [1].

Anguish and tremor (after eight days), [1].

 In the evening one feels a sort of anguish, [1]. 

Irritated mood, as if one had weak nerves and were impatient, [2]. 

Immediately, whining mood, followed by peevishness and quarrelsomeness, for two hours; he feels easily roused to indignation, [1]. [20.] 

Constant alternation of depression of spirits and vehemence of temper; this prevents him from having a calm mood, [1]. 

He was not able to reflect upon anything properly; he feels stupid 

Bad memory; his thoughts are weak; he has to read everything three or four times, and, after all, he does not seize the meaning of what he reads, [1].

Intelect, memory, weariness

For children, especially young girls who are excitable, nervous and weak ; nervous affections, old people, nerves "worn out" ; premature senility ; general functional impairment. 
Ailments of both extremes of life. 
Lean, thin, emaciated persons who take cold easily ; "dried up" ; nervous, thin, scrawny women (Secale) ; nervous bilious temperament. 
Retires weary, yet wakeful as soon as head touches pillow. 
Weakness ; lassitude ; numbness of single parts ; one-sided complaints. 
Memory impaired. 
Comprehension slow, has to read everything three or four times and then does not understand it. 
Is not able to reflect upon anything properly, feels stupid. 
Confusion of the head ; of the occiput. 
Difficult thinking in the morning. 
Distorted images, grimaces ; diabolical faces crowd upon his fancy. 
She is excited, loquacious ; erratic talking fatigues her ; was unable to sleep at night, or averse to talking and laughing. 
Great sadness ; despondent, does not want to live. 
Forced to dwell upon most disagreeable things ; sleepless in consequence. 
Melancholy, sits for days weeping ; with great weakness, loss of muscular power and pain in the small of the back and constipation. 
Fears of becoming insane. 
Despair ; loathing of life. 
Anguish and sweat all over, at night. 

Anxiety, oppression, nervous weakness with irritability and impatience. 

It also produces twitchings in muscular parts, spasms, restlessness, infirmity, anxiety, oppression, nervous weakness with irritability and impatience, twitching and jerkings in the extremities, with coldness of the body and great debility, a state so often found in females and excitable, weakly children, combined with sleeplessness ; many dreams, frightened awaking, restless sleep at night, general restlessness, irritability, anxiety and despair. Cannot sleep, must get up ; worriment from business embarrassment ; insomnia of business men. 
Cannot sleep at night, yet knows not why. 
Sleepy on retiring ; but as soon as head touches the pillow is wide awake for hours, restless, tossing, or simply unable to close the eyes. 
Restless sleep, with anxious dreams. 
Vexatious, anxious dreams and talking in sleep ; awaken frightened. 
Memory impaired. 
Comprehension slow, has to read everything three or four times, and then does not understand it. 
Is not able to reflect upon anything properly, feels stupid. θ Often indicated in old age. 
Confusion of head ; of occiput. 
Difficult thinking in morning. θ Old people. 
Distorted images, grimaces ; diabolical faces crowd upon his fancy. 
She is excited, loquacious ; talking fatigues her ; was unable to sleep at night, or averse to talking and laughing. 
Great sadness. 
Melancholy, sits for days weeping ; with great weakness, loss of muscular power and pain in small of back with constipation. 
Fear of becoming crazy. 
Despair ; loathing of life. 
Anguish and sweat all over at night. 
Anxiety, oppression, nervous weakness, with irritability and impatience. 
After business embarrassment cannot sleep, must get up. 
Hurries too much while engaged in mental labor. 

With the Others

Conversation causes fatigue, heaviness of the head, sleepless, oppression of the chest, sweat, 

Embarrassed manner in company. 

Embarrassed manner in society; bashful.
Cough < when many persons are present. 
The presence of other people aggravates the symptoms. 
sweat, anxiety ; tremor and quivering ; nervousness and irritability. 

He does not even wonder why he is not excited over these wonderful things, so decided is the state of indifference. 

One thing running through this remedy is that the presence of other persons aggravates the symptoms; also the marked aggravation from conversation.

As soon as he goes into company there is flushing, trembling, nervous excitement and the thoughts vanish.

One thing running through this remedy is that the presence of other persons aggravates the symptoms; also the marked aggravation from conversation.

A woman, when attended by a nurse, is unable to have a stool without sending the nurse into another room. In spite of much straining she can do nothing unless alone.

It is said in Natr. mur. that the patient cannot urinate in the presence of other persons.

The urine will not start when anyone is around. That is a port of general feature of this remedy. Confusion of mind and embarrassment in the presence of other persons. Embarrassment in company. As soon as he goes into company there is flushing, trembling, nervous excitement and the thoughts vanish.

Affter a family loss

A man goes through the trial of one death after another in the family and there seems to be nothing remaining; he cannot look at it philosophically; he has lost his business and his friends and then he takes on dreaminess and wonders whether life is worthing living.

Asthma: Another marked feature of this remedy that you might expect with all this nervous excitement and prostration is dyspnoea with cardiac symptoms, difficult breathing, a sort of asthma. It comes on from any little exertion.

Asthma on attempting coition,

He falls asleep late; afterwards, he has anxious dreams, as if he were abused and too weak to defend himself; on waking, he feels a great weakness in the upper part of the body, accompanied by a pinching pressure under the pit of the stomach, nausea; these symptoms appear when lying down and falling asleep again, and are then accompanied by pressure in the left side of the abdomen; the symptoms, however, disappear when one is wide awake, sits up, and moves about; they terminate with the emission of flatulence, fermentation in the abdomen, and eructation, [2]. 

Vexing anxious dreams, and talking while asleep, for eight days (immediately), [1]. 

The presence of others, even the nurse, is unbearable during stool ; frequent, ineffectual desire, which makes her anxious. 
Embarrassed manner in company ; blushing, bashful (Fer., X-ray, Tub.). 
Cough worse when many persons are present. 

Repugnance to laughter and conversation.─
The presence of other people aggravates the symptoms.

Nymphomania : often with discharge of bluish-white mucus, < at night, stitching in vagina preceding discharge. 

Pregnancy

During pregnancy : nervous, restless ; pruritus vulvæ. 
Impending abortion. 
Puerperal eclampsia. 
Lessens the severity of the labor-pains. 
In childbed obstinate constipation and tenesmus ; abdomen puffed, causing much anxiety ; so nervous she cannot attempt a stool in the presence of other people, not even the nurse. 
Ambra quiets beautifully the nervous restlessness of pregnancy and thus prevents convulsions ; it also retards uterine contractions. 
Difficult conception.