Sherrie now had "a real appetite"
instead of sporadic urges. She no longer experienced "that
special taste for pickles." Sherrie needed two doses of the
Veratrum over
the next year and a half, then discontinued treatment because
she felt well. She did not resume taking Ritalin. As her treatment
progressed, Sherrie was able to notice whenever she felt even
a little hyperactive and could stop it by telling herself to relax.
Before beginning homeopathic treatment, Sherrie had been unable
to notice or control her behavior patterns. Now she became fidgety
only once in a while instead of all the time. When her voice became
loud, she quieted down, which was also impossible in the past.
"It's like somebody opened the curtains and let me see."
The Dijeridu Kid
from Down Under
Angela's mother brought her to see
us when she was twenty-two months old. The Australian family was
visiting
the United States during Angela's
father's didgeridoo concert tour. The didgeridoo is a rhythmic
Aboriginal instrument. Angela had a red rash on her face. She
had not gotten one good night's sleep (nor had her parents!) since
birth. When her mother weaned her at seven months, Angela refused
cow's milk. Angela had a pattern of waking in the middle of the
night crying, distressed, and disoriented. Her parents tried to
soothe her despair by letting her sleep with them; otherwise she
woke repeatedly crying for her mother. She fought for hours against
going to sleep. Her mother described her as being "in a frenzy
every night." Angela's exhausted parents had even resorted
unsuccessfully to giving their little darling sleeping pills.
Angela was extremely willful. It
was extremely nerve wracking to travel with her, which was a conflict
with her father's entertainment career. Angela screamed at the
top of her lungs during most of our interview with her. She became
inconsolable. Even when her mother offered her a bottle of her
favorite juice, she refused. She had the habit of throwing herself
on the floor when unhappy.
Angela loved people. She was a very
lively baby and did not want to nap. She lived in a busy household
where friends and family members were always coming and going.
She had walked at nine months and ran at ten. She climbed fearlessly
on anything within her reach. She loved playing with animals and
putting on her mother's lipstick. When we inquired about Angela's
musical affinity, her mother told us that as soon as the music
came on, Angela squirmed and danced. Even at her very young age,
she sat at the piano bench and tried to bang on the keys. She
loved to play her father's guitar when he held her on his knee. Family friends often commented
on the child's rhythmical talents.
Angela had been diagnosed with an
unusual skin condition called dermatomyositis, which showed up
as purplish, red, scarred areas on her fingers resembling tiny
splinters.
We gave Angela one dose of homeopathic
Tarentula.This
medicine, made from the Spanish spider, is for overactive children
who are extremely lively, love to be the center of attention,
climb like little spiders, and love dancing and rhythmic music.
They can have tantrums and fits and often have a mischievous,
manipulative quality. It is understandable that Angela, raised
in an environment of music and dance, needed this lively medicine.
A wellrespected Italian homeopathic physician, Massimo Mangialavori,
recounts a story of a small southern village in