Understanding Bryonia alb.

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

What are Bryonia alb. first impressions of life and of himself?

If we look closely to the Bryonia proving, something comes out very strongly: different from many other remedies, Bry. is not so much affected by wrong impressions about himself. What is most striking in Bryonia is that something very frightful is coming towards him. And is arriving not now, but in the near future like a threat, about to arrive at any moment.

Great sense of insecurity, with mental depression, and apprehension for the future (sixth and seventh days), . 

Restlessness: wants change; with fear of future; fear of death, which he thinks is near; with nocturnal heat.

She fears not to have wherewithal to live. 

Apprehensive; uneasiness and dread of future.

*Night very restless, disturbed by frightful dreams; frequent waking and falling asleep (second and third day),. 

Fear of death, which he thinks in near. 

Anxious like Arsenicum:

Kent: “There is a feature worthy of consideration because it sometimes makes a case appear inconsistent. It is due to his anxiety that pervades the whole body.

In Bryonia as in Arsenic there comes an anxious and uneasy feeling which compels him to move, but he is worse from motion, yet so uneasy and anxious that he must move”. 

So, there is this observation from Kent: Bryonia has the same restless anxiety present in Arsenicum. Something “compels him to move”.

Anxiety; he is apprehensive of the future,

"Anxiety in whole body compelled him to do something constantly."

In the room he became very anxious; better in the open air, 

Anxiety and restlessness. 

Anxiety in whole body compelled him to do something constantly, wherever he went he found no rest. 

Something is coming in his direction and will hit him hard. He is anxious, day and night, apprehensive and afraid. He is in a non-stop restless mood, day and night, up to the point when he is exhausted and now is impossible for him to keep moving. He is now worse from motion.

He become a very irritable person after being on the move day and night by his anxiety.

He wants no company, even from his family and children. He hate to have visitors in his house, wants to be quiet, alone.

Kent: This sluggish state of the mind then is the state of Bryonia, not an excitable state, as in Coffea, Nux vomica, Ignatia, but sluggish aggravated from motion, aggravated from being talked to; wants to lie still in bed; very great irritability, which is as extreme as that found in Nux or Chamomilla.

Irritable, mood (with not have his wife and children about him; wishes to be alone), [31]. 

Kent: Bryonia patients are nearly always worse from visitors.

He dreamed while awake that he tried to toss some one out of the window, [1].

Bryonia is someone aware of everything around him. He must protect himself of what is coming from the near future. This is a very intense sensation that he can hardly relax, sleep or abandon himself from the state of daily awareness. He is unprotected. He is not in his house and he cries that he must go back home. The danger is coming towards him. 

The patient desires to go home. θ Typhus. 

Desire to get out of bed and go home. θ Diarrhœa. 

She rose at night from her bed in her dream and went to the door as if she would go out, 

The sleep was very remarkable; he seemed conscious that he was sleeping; consciousness was apparently emancipated from the realm of sleep, which overpowered the other senses (analogous to somnambulism?); this condition caused him the more anguish, since consciousness became weaker, and at last was entirely lost as in faintness; from this anguish arose an internal cramp, which caused a return to complete consciousness, which had the effect of making him wide awake; after waking, the arm upon which he was lying was senseless and stiff, which, however, soon disappeared (second night),

Unprotected and threated from something coming in the future, Bryonia develops a strategy: his anxiety can be dealt with when he is busy, mostly working. Occupation, business, motion, everything belongs to that nature will help dealing with his anxiety.

Mainly working hard.

Irrational talking of his business, for an hour (after half an hour), 

In the morning at daybreak delirious prattling about business to be attended to; this disappears when the pain commences, 

Over-busy; she undertakes and works far too much (after twenty hours),.

Nightly delirium; delirious talk, especially about business, < after 3 A. M. 

Talking of business of day in his delirium at night. θ Diarrhœa. θ Typhus. 

Irrational talk or prattle of his business. 

Night restless; he could scarcely sleep for half an hour, and during his slumbering was continually busy with what he had read the evening previous (first night),

Delirium at night of business of day. 

Many confused and indistinct dreams, in which he was very active,

Very vivid dreams the whole night of anxiety and care about his business,

A close look into the symptoms will show that “is not for the money” itself, but for being busy. He is only giving way to his anxiety through occupation, work and daily affairs.

In his dreams he was busy about his household affairs,  

Many authors have agreed on the subject of “fear of poverty” in Bryonia. There is only one symptom in the books, and it says:

She fears not to have wherewithal to live. 

We are considering that, compared with the other symptoms in Bryonia, there is no reason to qualify “fear of poverty” as the inner crucial sensation in this remedy. It seems that “being occupied with his business” is solely something that Bryonia casually stumble one day in his life and had found out that being busy is giving him some alleviation for his strong anxiety. 

A second thought is that “money” is something that can produce a palliative relaxation for his anxiety, thus assuming that his anxiety is related to his fear of poverty. But, again, it is not in the proving.

Groups - Bryonia alba

Hahnemann, Kent, Allen & Hering

Humor

Anxiety

Kent: There is a feature worthy of consideration because it sometimes makes a case appear inconsistent. It is due to his anxiety that pervades the whole body.

In Bryonia as in Arsenic there comes an anxious and uneasy feeling which compels him to move, but he is worse from motion, yet so uneasy and anxious that he must move.

"Anxiety in whole body compelled him to do something constantly."

In the room he became very anxious; better in the open air, [2]. 

Great anxiety, with sensation of constriction of the cavity of the chest; difficult short respiration, [11]. 

Anxiety: he is apprehensive of the future, [4]. 

Anxiety in the whole body, which compelled him to do something constantly, and wherever he went he found no rest, [1]. 

Feeling of anxiety on lying down in the evening, which appeared to depend upon a constriction of the chest, [29]. 

Anxiety and restlessness. 

He became very anxious in room, > in open air. 

Anxiety in whole body compelled him to do something constantly, wherever he went he found no rest. 

Anxiety about future, particularly in childbed or after. 

Anxiety, worse in room, better in open air. 

Anxious, peevish and hasty disposition. 

Anxious feeling referred to sternum or cardiac region; pressing or painful sensation.

Sleeplessness on account of uneasiness in the blood and anxiety (was obliged to rise from bed); the thoughts crowded upon one another without heat, sweat, or thirst, [1]. 

She tosses about the bed until 1 o'clock; she cannot sleep on account of anxious heat, yet has no perceptible external heat, 

He could not sleep well; a warmth and anxiety in the blood prevented it until 12 o'clock,

He started from an anxious dream and screamed out, 

A concourse of anxious thoughts keeps him awake till 3 or 4 A. M. 

Sleeplessness, especially before midnight, owing to heat and anxiety, especially on chest. 

Weping mood

Much crying for one and a half days,. 

Weeping mood, with headache and other complaints. 

Melancholy, sadness and depression

A very unusual melancholy mood, .

Great depression, and very morose mood without any cause, quite contrary to his habit, [11]. 

My usual lively disposition becomes changed to hypochondria, which lasts several months, without any reason, [36]. 

Great depression and very morose mood without any cause, quite contrary to his habit.

Great sense of insecurity, with mental depression. 

Irritability

Kent: This sluggish state of the mind then is the state of Bryonia, not an excitable state, as in Coffea, Nux vomica, Ignatia, but sluggish aggravated from motion, aggravated from being talked to; wants to lie still in bed; very great irritability, which is as extreme as that found in Nux or Chamomilla.

Disposition more irritable than usual; contradiction easily provoked anger during the whole proving, [13]. 

Irritable, mood (with not have his wife and children about him; wishes to be alone), 

Mood at once irritable, weeping, and morose, [1]. 

Very irritable mood; inclined to fright, fear, and vexation, [1]. 

Fretful mood, [15]. 

Ill-humor, [22]. 

Ill-humored and inclined to be angry, [3]. 

Very ill-humored and inclined to be angry, [1]. 

Ill-humored and quarrelsome without reason, [33].

Very ill-humor; troubled with needless anxiety, [33]. 

General ill-humor and discomfort, after a meal, [33]. 

Out of humor, [15], [36]. 

Out of humor during and after a meal, [33]. 

Morose; everything puts him out of humor, [3]. 

Discontent, [33]. 

Taciturnity.

Very irritable; inclined to be angry; after getting angry, chilly or a red face and heat in head. 

Peevishness; ill humor. θ Diarrhœa. 

Peevishness, irritability and violence. θ Pertussis.

Morose; everything puts him out of humor. 

Contradiction easily provoked anger during whole proving. 

Obstinate and passionate. 

Mood irritable, weeping and morose; wishes to be alone. 

Very irritable; inclined to fright, fear and vexation. 

 

Sleepless night, with heat and restlessness, every other night sweat and better. θ Spoiled intermittent. 

With Himself

Future

Great sense of insecurity, with mental depression, and apprehension for the future (sixth and seventh days), [42]. 

Restlessness: wants change; with fear of future; fear of death, which he thinks is near; with nocturnal heat.

She fears not to have wherewithal to live. 

Apprehensive; uneasiness and dread of future.

Apprehension

Apprehensiveness, fearfulness (after eighteen hours), [1]. 

Apprehensiveness; fearfulness.

Despair of recovery. θ Pertussis. 

Easily startled, with headache.

Night very restless, disturbed by frightful dreams; frequent waking and falling asleep (second and third day), [36]. 

Fear of death, which he thinks in near. 

Fear of death. θ Pertussis. 

She only slept at four in the morning, and then dreamed of dead persons, [1]. 

He tried several times to escape from bed, [2].

At first despondent, at last (after five days) jovial, [5]. 

Fancies; mental excitability. 

Desire for things that cannot be had, which are refused, or not wanted when offered.

Ailments from…

Bad effects from mortification, violence and anger. 

Ailments arising from chagrin, and other conditions, when attended with chilliness and coldness of body. 

After having been angry, he is chilly, has red face and heat in head. 

As consequence of fright: painful rigidity of limbs. 

Conscience becomes weaker

The sleep was very remarkable; he seemed conscious that he was sleeping; consciousness was apparently emancipated from the realm of sleep, which overpowered the other senses (analogous to somnambulism?); this condition caused him the more anguish, since consciousness became weaker, and at last was entirely lost as in faintness; from this anguish arose an internal cramp, which caused a return to complete consciousness, which had the effect of making him wide awake; after waking, the arm upon which he was lying was senseless and stiff, which, however, soon disappeared (second night), [1].

Insists on leaving bed. 

 Startings in sleep, which wake her, [1]. 

In the evening, before falling asleep, she starts up in fright, [1]. 

 Startings on falling asleep every evening in bed, [1]. 

Immediately after lying down in bed, in evening, sensation of heat, with external heat over him, without thirst through the whole night; he turned from one side to the other, did not dare to uncover any part, because it immediately caused violent pain in abdomen, a painful griping, sticking or sticking griping, as if flatus moved spasmodically here and there, with loss of sleep from a multitude of crowding thoughts; in morning this condition disappeared, without his noticing any flatulence.

With the others

Kent: Bryonia patients are nearly always worse from visitors.

About 10 o'clock at night, a delirious frightful fantasy, as of soldiers cutting him down; that he was on the point of escaping; with great heat in the body; sweat (without thirst); the delirium relieved by uncovering and getting cool, [1]. 

Numerous indistinct dreams of battles in which the prover took part, during the night (from 3d dil.), [12]. 

Towards evening while asleep she drew her mouth back and forth, opened the eyes, distorted them, and talked irrationally, as if she were wide awake; she spoke distinctly, but hastily, as if she fancied that many other persons were about her; looked freely about, talked with absent children, and desired to go home, [1]. 

He dreamed while awake that he tried to toss some one out of the window, [1].

Dreams of dispute and vexation.

Sees visions and faces when closing eyes. θ Typhus.

With the Environment

Going home

Kent: In rheumatic complaints, in pneumonia, and in typhoid conditions, when he is aroused from this stage of stupefaction he is confused, sees images, thinks he is away from home and wants to be taken home.

The patient desires to go home. θ Typhus.

Desire to get out of bed and go home. θ Diarrhœa.

She rose at night from her bed in her dream, and went to the door as if she would go out, [1]. 

Work

Kent: "Irrational talk or prattle of his business, aggravated after 3 P.M."

Irrational talking of his business, for an hour (after half an hour), [1]. 

In the morning at daybreak delirious prattling about business to be attended to; this disappears when the pain commences, [1]. 

Over-busy; she undertakes and works far too much (after twenty hours), [1].

Nightly delirium; delirious talk, especially about business, < after 3 A. M. 

Talking of business of day in his delirium at night. θ Diarrhœa. θ Typhus. 

Irrational talk or prattle of his business. 

Night restless; he could scarcely sleep for half an hour, and during his slumbering was continually busy with what he had read the evening previous (first night), [9]. 

Delirium at night of business of day. 

In his dreams he was busy about his household affairs, [1]. 

Many confused and indistinct dreams, in which he was very active, [13]. 

Very vivid dreams the whole night of anxiety and care about his business, [1]. 

Disinclination for work, [15], [22]. 

Feels lazy and indisposed to work. 

Fretful; she imagines that she cannot accomplish her work; constantly takes up the wrong piece, and always inclined to change and take another; followed by pressive headache in the forehead, [1]. 

Male Sexuality

 Sexual desire rather increased, [13]. 

Increased sexual desire; after coition there followed in the night an emission and in the morning almost painful erections (second day), [34]. 

Emission and strong erections in the night, [34].

Female Sexuality. Pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. 

Threatened abortion. 

After pains excited by least motion, even taking a deep inspiration. 

Childhood

Kent: "he wants something, and he knows not what."

It is a very important symptom of Bryonia. It is a symptom that calls for Bryonia only when the rest of the symptoms agree. You go to a child who is being carried in the arms of the nurse and wants one toy after another; you get the toy he wants and he does not want it and will throw it back at you.

Kent: In children this will be noticed, whereas if the window be thrown up to relieve the stuffiness of the room the child will sleep quietly. Such remedies as Bryonia, Apis, Pulsatilla, and many others, come in here.

If you go into a room and find the child raging with delirium, turning and tossing, and the mother is trying to keep the room warm because she is chilly, and you say,

"Why, how stuffy it is in here!" and you open the window and then notice that the child goes off to sleep, do not overlook that; because that relief was caused by something.

There should be nothing that can possibly occur to a patient, but that you should solve the meaning of before you leave the room. Settle in your mind as to what it was that caused it.

Infant, sore mouth; child does not like to take hold of breast, but after mouth becomes moistened it nurses well. 

Children ache from being lifted or pressed. 

Costive infants. 

Children do not want to be carried, but lie quiet. 

Rash, especially of lying-in women and their infants. 

Infant screams after nursing; wind passes; slimy, green diarrhœa.

The child was unable to sleep in the evening; could not get quiet; it rose again from bed, [1]. 

Intellectual

(Great despondency; disinclined to think; exhaustion of the intellectual powers), [1]. 

Imagination very sluggish; it is impossible to make any plan for the future, even for the next day; the judgment, however, is unimpaired, [33]

On attentive reading the thoughts seemed to vanish suddenly, [36].

 So weak in mind that his ideas disappear, as if he would faint, together with heat in the face, especially on standing, [1]. 

Mental exhaustion, [33]. 

Want of memory (after four hours), [1]. 

Difficult comprehension. 

Great despondency; disinclined to think; exhaustion of intellectual powers. 

Both mental and bodily quietness is required. 

Mental exhaustion. 

So weak in mind that his ideas vanish as if he would faint, together with heat in face, especially on standing. 

She is not conscious of what she is doing and lets everything fall from her hands (in the room), [2]. 

She was not fully conscious of what she was doing (in a room); worse when lying; lasting twenty-four hours (immediately), [2]. 

Insensibility greatly increased in the evening, [33].

Neurological

Mental illusion; her head seemed too heavy, [2]. 

Stupefaction; weak memory. 

Confusion in head, with drawing in occiput, extending into neck before going to sleep. 

Head confused and aching, as after a night's dissipation; does not wish to rise, morning on awakening. 

Somnambulism

Over sensitiveness of all the senses. 

Increased bodily irritability. 

Awakened in the night by shouts and laughter of students living with me; I found myself out of my bed, in the opposite corner of the room, lying upon the bed covers spread upon the floor, without knowing how I got there; it must have happened in deep sleep, from which I was only aroused sufficiently to get back to bed without being able to give connected answers to questions put to me. In the morning I ascertained that for several nights while asleep I had disturbed others by cries and groans without being able myself to remember more than heavy dreams. My sleep for about three weeks had been unusually sound; though I had always enjoyed sound sleep, yet I was usually awakened by every slight noise in my room, while lately I had not been conscious of persons entering my room, and could be aroused from sleep only by shaking. I only knew that during this time I tossed about restlessly in my sleep, because I had been conscious of knocking against the wall several times in a not very gentle manner (thirty-third night), [16]. 

Spasmodic complaints; starting, twitching of limbs. 

Hysteric spasms. 

Clonic spasms. 

Is often indicated after spasms have been controlled, and there remain fullness of pulse, abdominal tenderness and perspiration. 

Is compelled to lie down. 

Spasm developed through repercussion of measles. 

Weakness

Great weariness in morning and afternoon. 

Loss of strength on slightest exertion. 

Great weariness and sweat over whole body after a slight exertion. 

She is weak, arms and feet ache if she does any work, arms sink down; if she goes up-stairs she can scarcely get along. 

Great weakness and exhaustion; worse from walking. 

The feeling of weakness becomes very great, especially great fatigue after a long walk. 

On rising, great exhaustion and weakness, which increased during forenoon, while walking, so that he had to drag himself about; on going up-stairs there was excessive weakness in knees and legs. 

Fainting in morning, getting up, or when rising up in bed. 

Sudden prostration, shunning all motion. 

Uncommonly wearied and prostrated. 

Great prostration. 

Very tired and prostrated; great weariness. 

Weariness, prostration in whole body. 

Great prostration and uneasiness. 

Great prostration. θ Constipation. 

Great lameness, and desire to keep quiet. 

Faintness: when rising from bed; from slightest motion. 

On rising from bed he was attacked with faintness, with cold sweat and rumbling in abdomen. 

Paralysis generally of both sides.

Partial loss of consciousness. θ Hydrocephalus.

Unconscious, could not speak. θ Cholera Asiatica.