Understanding Alumina

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

 

 

What could have been Alumina´s first perception of reality? 

Filled with threats and danger, Alumina’s world is not a safe place to live or to raise his family. He will spend his life looking for a safe place, hoping for the better.

Horses running after, trying to bite him, sinking ships under his feet, conflagrations by his side and falling meteors above his head; how Alumina will find a way out or a safe place to hide?

We can figure out that there are no monsters, ghosts, walking dead or things alike. Is the world nature’s itself a threat. The boat is sinking into the water, there’s no assurance or guarantee that she will float. The horse (another way to travel, mostly in the XIX century) will bite him and from the sky meteors are about to destruct the Earth.

Surrounded by danger, this is what Alumina perceives first in his life.

Alumina will be someone afraid to travel by ship or even by plane. 

And then the thread and danger will be extended to his body.

Next step is Alumina’s strong fear of disease, to the point of being depressed due to it.

Melancholia, sadness, afraid to death and afraid to ghosts, his imaginative mind doesn’t leave him alone. 

We can now put it all together, both his world and his impression of his failing health. He is surrounded by death in many ways, externally and internally.

He lacks strength and confidence to face the world, he is timid, shy and – steadily getting stronger as the years going by – confused.

Alumina’s confusion is a very special one. It’s determined by an – in the beginning – almost imperceptible sensation. He feels as if he lacks his own identity. The patient will not put it that way; probably he will refer as his own personality or even a sort of indecision. He will have his best friend’s football team as his own, the taste for clothing or hair dressing took from his favorite movie star and he had chose his profession from his father’s.

His mother will complain to the doctor that he always do what the others do, he follow others ideas and never think by himself. As for his Christmas gifts, he will take from his brother’s ideas his own Santa Claus list of toys.

Combined altogether, those three major concepts will bring us the general idea for Alumina: Threated by the dangers of nature, scared by disease and unable to choose or decide for himself, always clinging to the others ideas, tastes and choices.

What had arrived first? 

When did he first perceive that he couldn’t choose for himself?

When did he try to find inside himself his own way to choose or thinking and he find out that there was none? 

Certainly relying on others opinions, standing for other’s ideas and tastes is a strategy that Alumina learned to develop.

What must be first present in Alumina’s life is that he couldn’t decide for himself. What color, what movie, what song does he likes most? Alumina doesn’t know.

He must borrow from someone else. Someone he admires or he loves, someone near, even a relative.

At the end, there comes the symptom: in his delusion, Alumina believes that he talks with the mouth of someone else, he thinks with someone else’s head. That’s an exaggeration and a pathologic way to express something that was always present in his live, but in a chronic and subtle form. He lacks this feeling for taste and opinion, for choice and decision.

Alumina Groups

From Hahnemann’s Chronic Diseases, Kent, Hering & Allen

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

Humor

Kent: The Alumina patient is very sad, constantly sad. Incessantly moaning; groaning, worrying, fretting and in a hurry.

Wants to get away; wants to get away from this place, hoping that things will be better; full of fears.

All sorts of imaginations. A sort of general apprehensiveness. When he meditates upon this state of mind he thinks he is going to lose his reason.

Most of the mental symptoms come on in the morning on waking. Sadness and weeping on waking in the morning. His moods alternate.

Sometimes his mental state is a little improved and his mood changes into a quiet placid state, and again he goes into fear and apprehensiveness. Some evil is going to take place and he is full of anxiety. Anxiety about the future.

Content

He feels light-spirited; the intellectual and physical powers appear to be excited (first day), [3]. 

Everything is easy to him; the powers of his understanding and of his body seem excited (1st d.). [Ng.].

(He feels excessively contented), [1]. 

(He is exuberantly merry.)

Good sleep with many (agreeable) dreams. [S.].


Agreeable dreams about receiving money and the like. [Ng.].

Anxiety

Great anxiety, is fearful and peevish. 

Serious, anxious mood.

Anxious, reflective, peevish mood,. 

Oppressive anxiety, attended with emptiness and confusion of the head, and pressure in the forehead (after twelve hours). 

Anxiety, early in the morning, as though he were threatened with an epileptic fit. 

Anxiety as if threatened with an epileptic fit; depressed with grief.

Anxiety and fearfulness, as if he had committed a crime (fifth day), 

Anxiety, with external heat and uneasiness as if she had done something bad.

Anxiety with external heat and restlessness, as if she had done something wicked.

 Dreams causing anxiety, with uneasy sleep, 

Anxious dreams towards morning, the sleep being otherwise sound (after twelve days). 

He talks much when asleep, as if he had an anxious dream,. 

Anxiety, with palpitation of the heart, and pulsations in some parts of the breast and abdomen (fourth day),. 

Anxiety with much restlessness, the whole day (on 2d. d.). [Ng.].

Serious, anxious mood.

Anxious, introverted, vexed mood. [Tr.].

Anxiety with stupid obtuseness in the head and pressure on the forehead (aft. 12 h.). [Hb.].

In the morning, anxiety as if he were to have an attack of epilepsy in a few hours.


At night on awaking, anxiety, oppressed breathing and copious perspiration.

Much talking in sleep, as if he had anxious dreams.

Anxious dreams towards morning, the sleep being otherwise good (aft. 12 d.). [S.].


Anguish

Anguish, oppressive and vague fearfulness, or uneasiness, as if he had committed a crime. θ Cephalalgia. 


Is waked up about 4 or 5 in the morning by anguish in his heart, as if perspiration would break out, which does not appear; on rising, the anguish immediately disappears.


Anguish, with much uneasiness, the whole day (second day). 

Towards morning waked with a deathly anguish caused by pains which one imagined when sleeping,. 

Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied with everything, feels despairing, 

Not disposed for anything; nothing gives him pleasure,. 

Is opposed to the wishes of other people,. 

The person is greatly excited, over fatigued, and nevertheless discontented as if not enough had been done,. 

Restless

Distressing dreams with restless sleep.

Restlessness, obliged always to move the feet and to walk about.

Restlessness, both while sitting and lying down, she has to move the hands and the feet, now here, now there.


Restlessness in the evening, as if evil was imminent.

Sad, Depressed

Depressed as with grief, early in the morning on waking; consciousness is not clear, . 

He feels low-spirited on account of his disease,  


Depressed and lachrymose. θ Melancholia. 

Sad thoughts in morning, joyless and comfortless on awaking. 

Low-spirited, trifling things appeared insurmountable. θ Liver complaint

Sad thoughts constantly enter her mind, which compel her to weep, with restlessness and anxiety as if something bad would happen to her; whatever she looks at, fills her with sadness (on 11th d.). [Ng.].

She is constantly possessed by bad thoughts, which oblige her to weep; at the same time she feels apprehensive and uneasy, as if something evil were to happen to her; everything that she only looks at, fills her with sadness (eleventh day), [3]. 

Involuntary moaning and groaning as if in great pain, without his knowing it. [Bte.].


In the morning when awaking, as if depresses by sorrow, without clear consciousness.


She looks at everything in the worst light, and weeps and cries for hours (on 2d d.).

Awaking in the morning with depression as from sorrow, without clear consciousness.

Before midnight great restlessness during sleep with violent weeping and disconsolate grief, without any proper consciousness, for some minutes.


She moans and groans at night as if she were weeping, but she is unconscious of it, soon after going to sleep (7th 

Crying, against his will. 

Fancy paints to itself nothing bur disagreeable, sad pictures (on 1st d.). [Tr.].

Peevish and quarreling

Dreams about quarrelling and vexations, [3]. 

Ill-humored and peevish; she is grumbling continually, 

Moroseness.

He takes everything in the worse sense, and weeps and howls for hours (second day), [1]. 

Peevish and whining, with hot earlobes. 

Peevish, ill-humored; she is conscious of it, at one o'clock in the afternoon (first day), 

Peevish and whining; the lobules of the ears are hot (after two days)

Extremely peevish and obstinate,.

She is excessively peevish, and everything is offensive to her; she desires nothing but to quarrel and make a fuss, in the afternoon (fifth day), . 

Indifference, absence of mind, and peevishness, 

Cross and peevish; she mutters continually. [S.].

Ill-humored, nothing pleases him. [Ng.].

Cross and ill-humored, of which she is herself conscious; at 1 P.M. (on 1st d.). [Ng.].

Peevish mood (on 1st d.). [Tr.].

Extremely peevish and self-willed.

She does not wish to do what others wish

She is extremely peevish, and everything is offensive to her; she only wishes to scold and to raise a fuss, in the afternoon (on 5th d.). [Ng.]

He laughs contemptuously at everything.

Mood change

His mood changes greatly.

Frequently changing mood during the day, sometimes assurance, sometimes timidity, 

Increased animation alternating with absence of mind, during which one's thoughts, sight, and hearing, are indistinct, and have almost disappeared, [1]. 

Great changebleness in his mental moods.

She talked aloud in her sleep, laughed and wept.

With Himself/Herself

Kent: It especially takes hold of the intellect and so confuses the intelligence that the patient is unable to effect a decision; the judgment is disturbed.

He is unable to realize; the things that he knows or has known to be real seem to him to be unreal, and he is in doubt as to whether they are so or not.

In the Guiding Symptoms this is not so plainly expressed, but in the Chronic Diseases we have a record of this, which is the best expression of it that occurs anywhere.

There we read:

"When he says anything he feels as if another person had said it, and when he sees anything, as if another person had seen it, or as if he could transfer himself into another and only then could see."

That is to say, there is a confusion of mind, a confusion of ideas and thoughts. It has cured these symptoms.

The consciousness of his personal identity is confused. He is not exactly certain who he was; it seemed as though he were not himself.

A numb feeling in the head as if his consciousness was outside of his body; when he says anything, he feels as if another person had said it; and when he sees anything, as if another person had seen it, or as if he could transfer himself into another, and only then could see.

Consciousness not clear. 

Consciousness of his personal identity confused. θ Paralysis. 

Suicidal

Kent: Besides this he has impulses. When he sees sharp instruments or blood, impulses rise up within him and he shudders because of these impulses. An instrument that could be used for murder or for killing causes these impulses to arise; impulse to kill herself.

Mania to kill himself with a sharp weapon. 

Seeing blood on a knife, she has horrid ideas of killing herself, though she abhors the idea. 

She cannot see blood nor knife without horrible thoughts pressing in upon her, as if she should, e. g., commit suicide; though she has the greatest horror of it.

Dread of death, with thoughts of suicide. 

Upon seeing blood, or knives, horrible thoughts throng her mind; she feels, for instance, as though she would commit suicide, although she has the greatest aversion to it, 

Timidity

Very timid, is startled at hearing the least thing fall.

Varying moods through the day, now confidence, then again faint-heartedness.


Discontented with everything, and as it were desperate.

Variable mood, at one time confident, at another timid.

Disposition quiet and resigned; met. θ Spinal disease. 


Great absence of mind and irresolution (second day), [5]. 

Fear

Fearfulness.

Frightfully anxious dreams and nightmare.


Dreams of death and burial. [Ng.].

Awaking toward morning, he is tormented with thoughts of anguish of death, on account of imaginary pains while sleeping.

Violent starting from sleep, before midnight, and a complete awaking (7th d.). [Ng.].


Uneasy evenings, as from impending evil. 

Easily startled. 

Fearfully anxious dreams and nightmare, [1]. 

Tormenting dreams, which on awaking leave behind them a deadly fear.

 Uneasiness, in the evening, as though some evil were impending. 

Extremely frightened, and starts upon hearing the least thing fall,. 

Tormenting dreams, begetting a fear of death, which lasts even after waking.

Fear of disease

Involuntary sighing and groaning, as in great pain; he is not conscious of it, [ 

He believes he will not be able to recover his health, 

He feels low-spirited on account of his disease, 

Dejected as to his disease.

He thinks that he cannot get well again. [S.].

Fears he is not to recover. 

Many dreams, but all of a disagreeable kind. [S.].


Dreams of quarrels and vexation. [Ng.].


Sufferings following anger. 

Mental symptoms worse in morning on awaking.

Intolerable ennui, an hour seems to him half a day, 

Indisposition to every kind of occupation, and ennui, in the forenoon.


Appetite for starch*, chalk; clean white rags; charcoal, cloves**, acids, coffee or tea-grounds, dry rice, and other indigestible things. θ Chlorosis.

With the Others

He sneers at everybody contemptuously, 

 

Dream, full of shame, 

 

He dreams about ghosts, and makes so much noise that it wakes him. 

Dreams about (…) marriages, 

Dreams about thieves; she wakes with anxiety, 

She dreams that she has committed a theft, or that she has got among robbers, 

Depressed and friendless; he wishes only to be left alone, in the forenoon (the eighth day), [3]. 

Dejected and joyless; the only desires to be left alone, forenoon (on 8th d.). [Ng.].

Anxious dreams, e. g., the flayer* forces dog's meat into his mouth. [S.].

With the Environment

The person images only disagreeable, sad images (first day),. 

Pleasant dreams, about money which he had received, etc., 

In a dream he imagines he is obliged to descend from a height; he thinks that he will fall,  

She dreams that she is upon a ferry-boat which is foundering in the river; she wakes up with anxiety,  

He dreams that he is walking about in a river, in which he sees serpents and other animals, of which he is afraid, 

After midnight he starts up from an anxious dream (that a horse is pursuing him, and intends to bite him), (tenth day),

Dreams of falling stars, of a conflagration*, (…). [Ng.].


*Incêndio, fogo, conflagração

Unbearable ennui, one hour seems to him as half a day. [Bte.].

Time passes too slowly; intolerable ennui; an hour seems half a day. 

Work

Excited, over-worked, and yet discontented, because not enough had been done.

No desire to do anything, especially anything serious. θ Cephalalgia. 

Inability and want of disposition for mental labor,. 

Reluctance to any kind of employment (first day),. 

Want of disposition for any kind of labor, with ennui, in the forenoon,.

Dislike to every occupation (on 1st d.). [Tr.].

Indifference, distraction and peevishness. [Tr.].


Great absent-mindedness and irresolution. (2d. d.). [Tr.]

Inability and dislike to mental work. [Bte.].


Male Sexuality

Excessive sexual desire. 

Frequent and painful erections, < at night. 

Involuntary emissions, followed by all his old symptoms. 

Shameful dream. [Ng.].

Numerous erections in the evening, and during the night when lying in bed, and in the afternoon when sitting (first to third day), [5]. 

When waking, during the night, almost constantly painful erections; they are not perfect, but cause a sensation as if the organ were ulcerated internally, with short, fine, piercing stitches in the whole organ, resembling shootings (after four weeks),

In the night while waking, almost continuous painful erections, which are imperfect, but cause a sensation as if the member were festering, with short, fine, piercing stitches in the whole member, like jerks) (aft. 4 w. [Hb.].


Priapisms during the night, [4]. 

In the night priapism. [S.].


 

Sound (dreamy) sleep with erections. [Tr.].

At first, the sexual instinct appears to be lessened, and the erections appear to be increased; whereas, in the reaction of the organism, the desire for an embrace increases, although erection is wanting, [1]. 

It seems to lessen the sexual impulse and to increase the erections in the beginning, while in its after effects the inclination for coition is increased, but the erections are lacking.


Frequent and violent erections and emissions (after three and thirty-three days), 

Emissions, two nights in succession (after fifteen days), 

Emission during the afternoon nap,  

Almost every other night an emission, with voluptuous dreams, 

Emissions, the first four nights, with voluptuous dreams, 

Sound sleep (full of dreams), with erections, 

Many erections in the evening and night while lying down, and in the afternoon while sitting down (1st, 3d d.). [Tr.].
-

Frequent and violent erections and pollutions (aft. 3 and 33 d.). [Hb., Tr.].


Pollutions two nights in succession (aft. 15 d.).


 The first four nights in succession, pollutions with voluptuous dreams.

Almost every other night, pollution with voluptuous dreams.


Pollution during the noon siesta.


After a pollution, all the former ailments are renewed and much aggravated (2d d.).


At the beginning of coition as well as during erections, a violent pressure on the perinæum. [S.].


Sexual desire lessened. θ Impotence. 

Indifference to sexual inter-course, [4]. 

Want of sexual instinct (immediately, for several days), 

During the first weeks, the sexual instinct is more intense, in the following weeks decreasing, and more moderate, [1]. 

Lack of the sexual instinct (at once, for several days).


Indifference to sexual intercourse. [S.].

During the first weeks increased sexual distinct, but after that, it is lessened and quieted.


Female Sexuality

Uneasy sleep before the appearance of the menses; many dreams; on waking she has orgasm; heat in the face, headache, and palpitation of the heart, [1].

Sexual desire decreased. 

Weakness of sexual parts. 

Childhood

The boy weeps constantly against his will, for half an hour, [ 

He rises at night unconsciously from his bed and with his eyes firmly closed, he walks anxiously from one room into the other, rubbing his eyes; being brought again to bed, the boy went straight to sleep again.
+

Intellectual

Kent: He is in a dazed condition of mind. He makes mistakes in writing and speaking, uses words not intended; uses wrong words.

Confusion and obscuration of the intellect. Inability to follow up a train of thought. Then he enters another state, in which he gets into a hurry. Nothing moves fast enough; time seems so slow; everything is delayed; nothing goes right.

Great liveliness of spirit, alternating with absence of mind, while thought, vision and hearing seem indistinct and to have almost vanished.


Memory

Great weakness or loss of memory. 

Inability to recollect things or follow up a train of thought. θ Cephalalgia. 

Absence of all power of recollection, and great weakness of memory, 

Want of memory for many weeks, 

Striking forgetfulness, 

Lack of power of recollection and great weakness of memory.

Striking forgetfulness. [Bte.].


Continuous great weakness of memory.

Lack of memory for many weeks. [Bte.].

Great forgetfulness. [Tr.].

Mental confusion

Confusion and obscuration of intellect; met. θ Spinal disease. 

Makes mistakes in speaking, using words not intended. 

He is apprehensive of losing his thoughts, and his understanding, 

Apprehensive of losing his reason.

Difficulty of thinking

He constantly speaks wrong, choosing different expressions from those which he intended, 

Want of attention in reading; the mind does not remain fixed on one object (first day), 

Incapacity for connected thought, 

The mind is occupied with a variety of objects, but not one of them leaves a distinct recollection in the mind (fourth day), [ 

Apprehension of losing his thoughts, his reason.

Inattention to what is read, the thoughts will not remain concentrated on any subject (1st d.). [Tr.].

The thoughts are occupied with various subjects, without any of them remaining so as to be clearly recognized (4th d.). [Tr.].

He constantly makes slips of the tongue and uses other words than he desires.


Inability to think connectedly.

On entering the room after walking in the open air, anxiety and nausea during speaking ensues*.

Dullness

Dullness of mind.

In the morning, the head feels obtuse and silly, which passes after rising (3d d.). [Ng.].

In the morning, his head feels muddled and hot.

 

 

Neurological

Great stupor, *with dread of falling forward, 

Numb feeling in the head, with a fear that he would become unconscious.

An attack: first he sat still without answering, then anxious groaning for 5 minutes, then for 10 minutes severe convulsive laughter, then again weeping; then alternately laughter and weeping.

In the evening in bed, inclination to convulsive laughter (5th d.).


Tremulous excitement of the whole nervous system. [Bte.].