Understanding Asterias rubens

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

During his lectures at the Instituto Kentiano, Rio de Janeiro, Dr Masi Elisalde, from Buenos Aires, spoke about his understanding of Asterias rubens:

“This patient can´t fight for anything, he in fact can´t fight against what opposes what he wants. Because he cannot use his irascible passions, he exaggerates and shows the world his violence. He wants to show that he has a lot of capacity to fight for what he wants, to compensate for his losses, like something opposed to the feeling of not having the strength to fight, It´s the exaggeration of the irascible*.

The right to what I must acquire.

Violent, he sees the smallest thing as an obstacle to his desires.

This patient will get frustrated, suffer, because he cannot fulfill one´s ego trophic ideals.”

*An irascible man stirs up strife; and a furious man multiplies transgressions”. (Proverbs 29:22)

According to Dr. Masi, the Asterias patient is someone irascible, with taints of aggression and violence. But it’s a reserved violence, hidden, disguised, showing itself at single moments. Looking for the proving symptoms, trying to corroborate Dr. Masi´s observations, we´ve found:

Irritability, anger, necessity of quarreling with somebody --from noon to 2 P. M. 

Irritation, anger, inclination to pick a quarrel with somebody (from noon to 2 P.M.), (sixth day),

Depression, feeling of weariness; it seems as if some misfortune was about to happen to him, and that, should it actually come upon him, he would weep, rather than brace himself to meet it, or become angry.

But, as we can see from the proving symptoms, his irascible being is focused mostly on one´s sexual appetite.

Nervous agitation, with erotic thoughts and sexual desire.   

Based of the proving, it seemed to us that one´s whole being is focused or can we say – oriented – to this patient´s sexual life.

Frequent erections during sleep and in morning. 

Sexual desire increased in women.

Every morning in bed, excitement of the sexual appetite (third day)

Excitement of venereal appetite in morning in bed, and towards 4 P. M. ; not removed by coitus, annoys, makes her ill-humored and disposed to weep. 

Nervous agitation, with erotic thoughts and sexual desire.   
Sexual desire increased, < mornings in bed. 
Frequent erections during sleep and in morning. 

Sexual desire increased, < mornings in bed. 
Venereal desires, erotic thoughts, nervous agitation and distress produced by importunate venereal craving resembling an irresistible power, giving rise to ideas of violence, despair, etc. 

Unusual moisture of the vagina, which affords relief (third day),

She is harassed by sexual desires, so that she fears she may not be able to endure these painful sensations and nervous disturbances (third day),

Every morning in bed, excitement of the sexual appetite (third day), 

venereal craving resembling an irresistible power, giving rise to ideas of violence, despair, etc. 
Moisture in vagina, unusual but pleasant. 

Frequent erections during sleep

From the other side, where is the Asterias patient living? Described by the proving symptoms, Asterias is threadned by one´s surroundings, there´s something evil comig towards our patient. He is outside, exposed, and evil things are about to resch him.

Has hallucinations: that he is away from home; hears voices and replies.

It seems as if some misfortune was impending, as if bad news was about to arrive - tears afford relief. θ Hysteria. 
Feeling of excessive anguish from noon till 3 P.M., it seems as if some misfortune was impending, as if he was going to hear bad news; he then feels as if he should give way to tears 

The last part of this symptom confirms of what Dr. Masi has said.There´s something evil coming toeards him, but the Asterias patient is powerless for fight for oneself:

Depression, feeling of weariness; it seems as if some misfortune was about to happen to him, and that, should it actually come upon him, he would weep, rather than brace himself to meet it, or become angry.

There is our patient: Away from home, unprotected, there´s an evil thing coming in his direction but he has no internal resources to fight it, to fight for himself. And, described by the provers, Asterias would become someone iracible and sexual minded.

Other symptoms from the proving may corraborate this understanding:

Unwilling to work, to think ; is indifferent ; dull headache ; insensible, does not know if he has taken his dinner ; returns in morning on getting up,
Sadness, desire to weep. 
Melancholy alternating with cerebral excitement, inclined to give herself up to mental or bodily work. 
Fear of apoplexy, followed by fever. 
Feeling of extreme anxiety from noon to 3 P. M. 
Became very impatient. θ Precursor of apoplexy. 
Ill-humored and disposed to weep. 
Paroxysms easily excited by any emotion, especially by contradiction. θ Epilepsy. 
Irritable, slightest cause moves her to tears. 

In his strategies - to overcome his feelings of homelessness and weakeness - we may find our patient connected to some kind of fighting practice, or an heir who is dependent of his family resources. We can´t forget that Asterias is not a fiercy worker nor he believes he can do it. He will become more like a dependent person, or someone who looked for a wealthy partner to get married – or to be protected. And – we should not lose sight – there´s also the Asterias sexual drive being part of our patient´s history. 

 

Asterias rubens Groups

(symptoms from Allen, Hering & Clarke)

Class notes taken from Dr. Masi Elisalde lectures in Rio de Janeiro

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

With the environment

Has hallucinations: that he is away from home; hears voices and replies.

It seems as if some misfortune was impending, as if bad news was about to arrive - tears afford relief. θ Hysteria. 
Feeling of excessive anguish from noon till 3 P.M., it seems as if some misfortune was impending, as if he was going to hear bad news; he then feels as if he should give way to tears 

Depression, feeling of weariness; it seems as if some misfortune was about to happen to him, and that, should it actually come upon him, he would weep, rather than brace himself to meet it, or become angry (sixth day),

With the others

Does not lose consciousness but has hallucinations - as if away from home in midst of strangers; hears voices to which he replies. θ Epilepsy. 
Irritability, anger, necessity of quarreling with somebody --from noon to 2 P. M. 

Many dreams about persons and events ; images vivid and lifelike. 

Very vivid dreams of people whom she sees and hears, as if she was awake ; not unpleasant.

Inclination to bite (fifth day)

Irritation, anger, inclination to pick a quarrel with somebody (from noon to 2 P.M.), (sixth day),

Nervous agitation, with erotic thoughts and sexual desire.    

With oneself

Unwilling to work, to think ; is indifferent ; dull headache ; insensible, does not know if he has taken his dinner ; returns in morning on getting up, 9th day. 
Sadness, desire to weep. 
Melancholy alternating with cerebral excitement, inclined to give herself up to mental or bodily work. 
Fear of apoplexy, followed by fever. 
Feeling of extreme anxiety from noon to 3 P. M. 
Became very impatient. θ Precursor of apoplexy. 
Ill-humored and disposed to weep. 
Paroxysms easily excited by any emotion, especially by contradiction. θ Epilepsy. 
Irritable, slightest cause moves her to tears. 
With mental exertions, a restless, tired sensation in upper brain, like that in limbs after muscular exertion. 
Fear of fainting, with sensation of fulness in chest. 
After mental exertions, brain agitated. 

Unusual gayety in evening. 

Uncommon cheerfulness in the evening (first day), 

Frequent erections during sleep and in morning. 

Sexual desire increased in women 

Every morning in bed, excitement of the sexual appetite (third day)

Excitement of venereal appetite in morning in bed, and towards 4 P. M. ; not removed by coitus, annoys, makes her ill-humored and disposed to weep. 

Nervous agitation, with erotic thoughts and sexual desire.    
Sexual desire increased, < mornings in bed. 
Frequent erections during sleep and in morning. 

Sexual desire increased, < mornings in bed. 
Venereal desires, erotic thoughts, nervous agitation and distress produced by importunate venereal craving resembling an irresistible power, giving rise to ideas of violence, despair, etc. 

Unusual moisture of the vagina, which affords relief (third day),

She is harassed by sexual desires, so that she fears she may not be able to endure these painful sensations and nervous disturbances (third day),

Every morning in bed, excitement of the sexual appetite (third day), 

venereal craving resembling an irresistible power, giving rise to ideas of violence, despair, etc. 
Moisture in vagina, unusual but pleasant. 

Frequent erections during sleep

Awakes in night with great distress and confusion ; it seems to him as if brain were shaken by electric shocks. 
During night great agitation and little sleep. θ Precursor of apoplexy. 
Anxiousness at night from a waving throbbing in chest. 

Moral sensitiveness prompting him to weep from the least emotion (eleventh day),

Weeping, with despair, followed by calmness almost immediately (third day),

Melancholy, alternating with almost intolerable cerebral excitement; she is inclined to give herself up to mental or bodily work, to walk, or engage in violent exercise; this condition is not at all like inebriety from strong liquors; it is rather a species of moral intoxication 

Irritation, anger, inclination to pick a quarrel with somebody (from noon to 2 P.M.),

Slight disturbance of the understanding, with general debility (sixth day),

Is scarcely able to work in the evening (sixth day), [1].

Easily excited by any emotion, especially by contradictions (Anac., Con.). 

Anxious, apprehensive, impatient; easily excited by any emotion, esp. contradiction.

The slightest cause moves to tears.

Moral sensitiveness prompting him to weep from the least emotion (eleventh day), [1]. 

Weeping, with despair, followed by calmness almost immediately (third day), [7]. 

Melancholy, alternating with almost intolerable cerebral excitement; she is inclined to give herself up to mental or bodily work, to walk, or engage in violent exercise; this condition is not at all like inebriety from strong liquors; it is rather a species of moral intoxication (second and third day),

Moral sensitiveness prompting him to weep from the least emotion (eleventh day), [1]. 

Weeping, with despair, followed by calmness almost immediately (third day), [7]. 

Melancholy, alternating with almost intolerable cerebral excitement; she is inclined to give herself up to mental or bodily work, to walk, or engage in violent exercise; this condition is not at all like inebriety from strong liquors; it is rather a species of moral intoxication (second and third day),

Slight disturbance of the understanding, with general debility (sixth day),

Is scarcely able to work in the evening (sixth day),

Easily excited by any emotion, especially by contradictions (Anac., Con.). 

Cerebral excitement in opposite directions: sadness, desire to weep; extraordinary mirth; desire to give one's self up to intellectual labour, or some violent exercise; slight dulness of the mental faculties.

Delicacy of the moral perceptions.

Dr. Masi (class notes)

He cannot fight for anything, he fights against what opposes what he wants.

He is violent, he sees the smallest thing as an obstacle to his desires.

Because he cannot use his irascible passions, he exaggerates and shows the world his violence. He wants to show that he has a lot of capacity to fight for what he wants, to compensate for the loss, the feeling of not having the strength to fight.

Exaggeration of the irascible.*

The right to what I have to acquire.

I get frustrated, I suffer, because I cannot fulfill my egotrophic ideals.

*An irascible man stirs up strife; and a furious man multiplies transgressions. Proverbs 29:22