I slipped and fell heavily recently. As I had taken Arnica immediately afterwards, I didn’t expect anything to develop, so was surprised that the following day I did have a chest pain, at the point that took the impact of landing. It didn’t seem to be a muscle pain and I had no weakness, so ruled out tendon damage (who needs X-rays, when you’re in tune with your body?)
So I came to the conclusion that I had bruised a rib. Symphytum (the top broken bone remedy) did nothing. A few doses of Bryonia and the pain vanished.
This week, we’re looking at another flu remedy, but before we do that, I want to tell you about it’s non-flu healing properties, just in case you are getting heartily fed up with the swine flu, the bird flu, any flu.
A recent UK visitor, who came to conduct a seminar here, was telling me a time when he felt very ill and had taken to his bed. He didn’t know what he had and felt too ill to work out his remedy.
Until...
The eureka moment came when he realised he was feeling angry that his wife had visitors. And they talked, making a noise... That’s when he took Bryonia and started to get better.
Bryonia is very easily irritated, even angry, especially at being disturbed. Bryonia wants to be left alone and quiet and above all, wants to be still. The slightest movement upsets someone needing Bryonia. Even moving the eyes, if the eyes are the problem.
Generally, those needing Bryonia have dry mucous membranes.
The worse time is around 9 pm.
If you have a pain anywhere, this is improved by pressing on it or lying on it.
It’s a very typical headache remedy, especially if the headache starts over your left eye then extends over your whole head, and it’s worse by any movement or noise. Even a cough will aggravate it.
And you have an enormous thirst for huge amounts infrequently.
Just the thirst alone sets this remedy aside from the Arsenicum album (sips) and Gelsemium (thirstless) discussed in the last two weeks.
Bryonia is also the top remedy for arthritis and rheumatism which have pains from the slightest movement.
And it’s one of the top remedies for a broken bone, bruised bone, damaged periosteum (lining of the bone) - you can see why, as any movement exacerbates the pain of a broken bone.
Bryonia is one of the most important remedies for appendicitis.
Getting onto the respiratory symptoms, Bryonia covers just about everything - pleurisy, pneumonia, bronchitis and, of course, colds and the flu. Any movement, even breathing hurts, so you prefer to breathe in shallow breaths, or pant.
Coughing is very painful and you try to soften the pain by holding your chest. And your cough is normally dry.
The flu symptoms come with a great aching which is worse from any movement.
For animals, the characteristic signs are a great thirst infrequently, disinclination to move and an irritability. I have prescribed Bryonia for an ageing dog on just those three keynote symptoms. It pealed years off her, bringing her youth and vigour back.
The huge thirst and disinclination to move could result in what appears to be incontinence, but really isn’t. Very common in ageing dogs.
