Aqua Cross spring Bath
A Homeopathic Proving of The Water of the Cross Spring in Bath by Dr Raymond Sevar.
August 2, 2014 at 10:48 AM
The Water of the Cross Spring in Bath
A homeopathic proving
Raymond Sevar, United Kingdom
Summary
A placebo controlled, double blind homeopathic proving of the water of the Cross Spring,Bath in 6 CH and 30 CH potencies. First phase double blind, 13 provers, 7 men and 6 women (10 verum, 3 placebo). Second phase unblended; the three placebo provers take verum.
Six provers had symptoms and four did not. Of the three placebo provers two had symptoms and one did not. The duration of symptoms was 5 to 44 days. There was concordance of symptoms in several provers. Extraction of symptoms occurred in three phases with a reduction in symptom number in each phase.
Contents
1 Introduction: traditional medicinal use of the spa and diseases found to benefit; chemical and radiological constituents of the water
2 The sample of water used and potentisation process
3 Methodology
4 Symptoms
5 Discussion and comparison with other spring waters
6 Appendix – the symptoms of Prover 13.
Introduction
The idea for this small scale proving arose when I learned that the British Homeopathic Congress was to be held in Bath in October 2000. I presented a summary of the results of the proving at the congress. The attempt to resurrect Bath as a spa has been generating a great deal of research in many disciplines since public access to the springs ceased in 1978.
The timing of the proving was auspicious: the water was obtained in January 2000,just ten months before the worst floods in recent centuries in October/November 2000. The floods caused extensive damage to the catchment areas of the River Avon, the springs flowed at an increased rate and the spring water was mixed with much larger amounts of rainwater and shallow ground water.
Bathis the only site in Britain where water over 40 degrees Celsius rises naturally to the surface. The total yield of the 3 springs in Bath is around 1.25 million litres of water per day, with a temperature of 41-47 degrees Celsius. The King’s Spring, the Hetling Spring and the Cross Spring emerge around 100 metres from each other. The springs flow at different temperatures: the King’s Spring at 45 degrees Celsius and the Hetling Spring at 47 degrees Celsius are too hot from prolonged immersion or sustained bathing without exhaustion or overheating. The water of the Cross Spring flows at a constant 41 degrees Celsius, giving an average sustained bathing temperature in the bath of 37.7 degrees Celsius and this proved to be the most comfortable for immersion and bathing and accounts for the size and great popularity of the Cross Bath since Tudor times.
Medicinal use of the geothermal springs in Bath
The legend of the healing waters of Bath begins with Bladud who had returned from his travels a leper and was employed as a swineherd. In cold weather his pigs took to bathing in the hot mud near the springs. Finding his pigs free of scurf and scabs he bathed regularly in the water and was cured. He became the ninth king of the Britons in 863 B.C., founded the town of Bath around the hot springs and built baths so that others might be cured.
In 1138 Bishop Robert built a house for lepers close to the Cross Bath. This bath was unusual for its time as it was within the city walls. While leprosy existed in Britain before Elizabethan times, the term lepra was used loosely to describe chronic scaly eruptions many of which would be termed psoriasis or eczema today.
Patients with skin diseases represented 15% of admissions to the Mineral Water Hospital- between the years 1755 and 1764 some 241 lepers were admitted. Of these, 122 were “perfectly cleansed” and 85 were "much benefited”. Only 16 had no benefit and 4 of these died in hospital.
A reputation for the treatment of infertility drew many to the baths. James II despatched his apparently infertile wife Mary to try the effects of the waters. Soon after wards Mary was pregnant with a son who ensured a Catholic succession. The birth was celebrated by the erection of an elaborate cross (crucifix) in the Cross Bath. Whether this pregnancy was due to the effect of the waters or other pastimes in the baths remains unclear. The Cross Bath had by this time earned a reputation for “the performance of every wanton dalliance imaginable.”2
The range of diseases which seemed to derive benefit from the waters became very wide. However, the Mineral Water Hospital tried to be more objective, even though its own interests would best be served by substantial cure rates. The majority of referrals were cases found to be incurable by any other means and I the poorest of patients. Diagnoses fell into 3 main areas: palsies (39%), rheumatics (33%) and Skins (10%) – (children 5% of admissions). The most consistent results were in the treatment of paralysis due to lead poisoning. From 1760 to 1879 there were 3377 cases of lead palsy treated by standing head out of water immersion (SHOW) plus drinking around 500 ml of the water daily. Of these: 93% benefited, 1533 patients (45%) had no residual paralysis on discharge and were said to be cured; 1629 (48%) were said to be greatly improved. The average length of stay in hospital was 24 weeks. The extent to which other factors (clean water, improved nutrition, better housing e.t.c.) influenced the results remains unknown.
The physiology of immersion in thermal waters.
Cardiovascular,renal and hormonal changes in normal subjects and in those with early lead toxicity were noted after immersion in Bath spa water and tap water at temperatures from 330 to 390 Celsius at immersion times of 1, 2 and 3 hours. The greatest changes occurred with immersion at 370C (the bathing temperature in the Cross Bath was 37.70 C).
Cardiovascular
Significant (p less than 0.001) rise in cardiac index and stroke volume and fall in peripheral resistance were found. The percentage rise in cardiac output rose from 34% at 350C to 80% at 370C.
Renal
The increase in diuresis was found to be most stable at 370 C. There was haemo-dilution with fall in haemoglobin, red cell count and plasma viscosity; increase in urine volume and increased excretion of sodium, potassium, calcium and lead.
Hormonal
Decrease in the secretion of anti-diuretic hormone, rennin, aldosterone and catecholamines, andincrease in the secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide.
Although there were differences in results between tap water and spa water these were not statistically significant.
The Cross Spring in Bath
Throughout the centuries many physicians in Bath remained convinced that the water worked best if taken fresh from the springs. The water gradually loses carbon dioxide,helium and radon after rising. There is also oxidation of the ferrous salts to ferric salts on exposure to air.
Bath closed as a spa in 1978 after the discovery of Naegleria fowleri, an aerobic pathogenic amoeba, in the water. A great deal of research has been conducted into the geothermal waters of Bath since then. The control of Naegleria was achieved by specially bore holes which convey unoxidised thermal water to the installation where it is used. This constant flow provides no time for oxidation to take place and is deemed to be a permanent safeguard. Regular testing has confirmed biological purity of the water.
In 1987 an inclined bore hole was drilled to the source of the Cross spring confirming its temperature as a constant 410 C, with a stable flow rate of 800 gallons per hour. In 1988 a permanent Aqiline lined pipewell was sunk to the source of the Cross spring. This has been tested monthly and been found to be consistently free of Naegleria fowleri. This is the source of water which will be used in the new restored spa in Bath and is the source of the water in this proving.
Chemical analysis of the water of the Cross Spring.
Total mineralization 2295, ph 6.9, Calcium 393, Sodium 220, Magnesium 58, Potassium 18, Sulphate 1080, Chloride 325, Bicarbonate 170, Nitrate 0.35, Strontium 6.3,Iron 2.0, Barium 0.03, Boron 0.5, Silicon 19.5, Manganum 0.3, Bromine 1.8,Iodine 0.041, traces of Radon, Helium, Radium and Uranium. The chemical composition of the water shows that it has chemically equilibrated with carboniferous limestone. The variation in the chemical composition of the water shows a very small influence from rainfall or superficial ground water.
Radioactive contents of the Cross Spring
The largest contributor to the spring’s radioactivity is Radon: Radon 222 800pCi/l (1 picocurie pCi = 0.037 becquerels, Bq), Helium. 700 10 cm H2O
Radium 22610.2 pCi/l, Uranium 0.055 micrograms/l (U234/U238 activity ratio 2.77). The radio-element contents, although greater than shallow ground water, are an insignificant hazard for public tasting of the waters.
Age of the water of the Cross Spring
Best estimates are that the water is at least several hundred years old and may be several thousand years old. The isotope composition and noble gas recharge temperatures of the water shows that it was recharged within the last 10,000 years. The Uranium U234/U238 activity ratio suggests the water has resided deep in the Carboniferous limestone for perhaps 3,000 years.
The high Radium226 content is typical of geo-chemically evolved waters and suggests that the water is old,probably at least several hundred years old. The high temperatures attained bythe water during its transit makes accurate dating using Carbon14 unreliable. Chemical geo-thermometers suggest that the maximum temperature attained was 64-690 C, probably closer to the lower figure. Ageo-thermal gradient of 200 C/km indicates water circulation to a depth of 2,500 metres.
The Proving
The sample of water used in the proving
This was collected directly from the permanent Aquiline pipe-well of the Cross Spring by Public health Department officers of Bath during routine biological testing of the water in January 2000. Three 5 ml amber glass bottles were filled brim full (to avoid oxidation) and these were sent to Helios homeopathic pharmacy.
Potentisation
Was by the Hahnemannian method using 90% alcohol and 40 hand successions against a large eather-bound Bible. Potentisation was continued to 30CH using a new bottle for each step.
Protocol
Helios provided 25 coded, numbered 4 gram bottles of pills: 10 of 6cH, 10 of 30cH and 5 of un-medicated pills as placebo. Sufficient direct contact of the pills with the medicating potency fluid was ensured by using one drop of medicating potency to every 10-15 pills. The placebo pills with impregnated with blank 90 alcohol to ensure that the verum and placebo bottles had an identical appearance, taste and odour.
The original plan was to have twenty five provers each with their own supervisor and to run the entire proving double blind. Only 13 provers were found willing to take part: 7 women and 6 men. There were 4 homeopathic physicians, three non-medically qualified homeopaths (NMQH), four doctors studying homeopathy at the Glasgow course and two women who were not health professionals. Two provers had previously taken part in a proving.
The first seven bottles were distributed by order in which each volunteered (i.e. the third to volunteer received bottle 3 and was called Prover 3). The other six provers were asked to pick a number between 8 and 25 and received that numbered bottle. In the first phase 13 provers completed the trial double blind, ten verum and three placebo.
There was a delay of 3 to 15 weeks between the provers receiving the bottle and beginning the trial. Reasons given for the delay varied: acute illness,difficulty in stopping coffee, pregnancy, and an intuitive apprehension that the remedy would affect them deeply (provers p13 and p3). One other person received a bottle and had not begun the trial a year later and was excluded. In the second phase the 3 provers who had taken placebo were asked to take verum.
The level of supervision varied with the needs, experience and personalities of each prover/supervisor pair. The pills were taken 3 times a day until symptoms began, up to a maximum of six doses. Diaries were begun one week prior to taking the first pill, entries were made daily during the development of symptoms and for 5 weeks after the cessation of symptoms. Provers were all interviewed individually before and after the trial.
Results
Verum: of the 10 provers six produced symptoms(6cH: p2, p5, p13; 30CH: p6, p17, p20); 4 provers had no symptoms (30CH: p1,p11, p25,: 6cH: p12).
Placebo: three provers (p4, p7, p24). Two recoded symptoms. One of these (p7 placebo, p20 30CH) had nausea from placebo and from verum. The nausea from placebo was associated with diminished appetite. The nausea from verum was associated with increased appetite even though the nausea was made worse by eating (this was similar to the nausea of another prover, p56cH). This was the only similarity between symptoms in the placebo and verum symptoms. He also had emotional symptoms taking placebo and “but only a few physical symptoms” taking verum, so he was disappointed. He had taken part in a previous proving in Ireland and had had “many deep emotional symptoms.”
Extraction of symptoms
The number of symptoms per prover in each phase of the extraction is shown in Table 1. The process of extraction of symptoms was performed by the author and occurred in 3 phases. The first two phases were separated by several weeks and the third phase occurred 3 months later.
First phase: the diaries were examined and 233 new symptoms were in dentified. In the second phase the 11 criteria for including symptoms as given by Jeremy Sherr were applied. This reduced the total from 233 to 160 symptoms. In the third phase a more robust approach was used. The symptoms were examined by quality,severity, persistence, recurrence, modalities, concomitants and for concordance between provers. In addition the question “Is the symptoms strong enough to form part of the case analysis if presented by a patient?” was asked of each symptom. This reduced the total from 160 to 53.
Despite best efforts the name of the remedy “leaked out” to three provers in the double blind phase (p1, p6 and p13) and one prover in the second unblended phase(p12). The symptoms of these provers were all excluded in the third phase of symptoms extraction, however the symptoms of prover 13 are given in the Appendix.
Symptoms were produced in the mind and various regions of the body. There was concordance of symptoms: three provers had dreams of water, head, face and eye symptoms; two had stomach, general symptoms and sensations as if.
Onset and duration of symptoms
(see Table 1). Symptoms began on the first day in 4 provers and lasted from 5 to 44 days. Five provers had symptoms for 5 to 11 days and 3 provers had symptoms for 40-44 days.
Symptoms
Mind
I didn’t want to get up, whole body heavy, lack of enthusiasm for the day or work, felt flat and bored, weepy, tired.
Dreams of water
1 Going to get water for an allotment from a large pond.
2 (4 a.m.) Driving a lorry with kids on snow, helping a cyclist who’d slipped on snow and then cycling on snow.
3 In a room with lino on the floor, snake-like bulge under the lino, felting nails holding down lino. I thought that water under the lino would fountain out of the nail holes. What did come out of the bulge was a small creature.
Dreams in which the emotion seems unusual or inappropriate
1 A crowd at the bottom of a mountain made way for a car to come through and the car hit a friend of mine. I suggest giving him a kick as “like cures like”.
2 Drove onto a moor on sandy ground to retrieve a collie dog with a damaged leg - the car slipped down a slope and turned over. No panic, even though knew I was going to die as the car roof crushed in.
3 A group of women had a man in a chair handcuffed and one of the women was brandishing a hacksaw and threatening to cut off his hand. I intervened and took the saw and cut at the wrists of one of the women. I woke up feeling regret – 5 am.
Sensations as if
1 I have moved my bowels but do not feel finished and the sensation persists for some time
2 Left side of body feels calmer, heavier and more robust
3 12 noon – a woolly sensation over my forehead
4 Left corner of mouth felt as if cracked
5 My feet feel hot inside but are cold to touch
6 My feet feel swollen but are not
Vertigo
1 At 2.30 pm I went for a walk and felt powerful vertigo and a cold sweat on my head, face and back which lasted 10 minutes and I felt very heavy
2 At 4 pm I felt unsteadiness on movement without any precipitating factor
Head Pain
1 Headache onset one hour after each of the 6 doses which lasted about an hour each time – occipital and spreading forward with a congested feeling, a fullness and tightness like a band sensation. The headache is made completely better by eating. Headache accompanied by a hot, hard and tight feeling in eyeballs and my eyelids feel hot along the lid margins. This headache recurred each day for 4 days and then ceased
2 Headache is heavy and pressing on vertex – a dull ache made worse by thinking and concentrating and better from fresh air
3 A head pain boring inwards above my left eye of sudden onset on the first and tenth days
4 Headache all day above and behind my eyes with a tightness of the forehead and above my eyes and a hang-over type feeling
5 A tightness about my head which increased to a pain deep behind my eyes and the next day it settled into my occiput and left eye as a sharp pain
6 A headache from early morning gradually increasing with a sense of tension and bursting which spread to vertex and occiput and was made worse by glaring light. The pain became severe and bursting and was better from a walk in the fresh open air. The headache persisted for two days
Eye
1 My eyeballs feel hot, hard and tight and my eyelids feel hot along the margins with a gritty sensation as a concomitant to a headache which lasted 4 days
2 Itching of my eyelids for 30 minutes at a time recurring several times a day for four days – there was no redness of my eyes and no lachrymation
3 The whites of my eyes have become yellow – this began on the second day and persisted for 42 days (author’s note this prover has Gilbert’s syndrome which may been provoked by the action of the remedy or it may be a coincidence)
4 Pain above right eye for 2 days with excess tears from both eyes made worse in fresh open air. My eyes feel hot and tired and I want to sleep
5 My eyes felt hot a dry and itchy and heavy for 5 days
Nose
1 I have a sore feeling in the end of my right nostril with a clear, slightly acrid discharge which is not profuse. The skin is not reddened by the discharge
2 Sneezing episodes lasting 30 minutes at a time lasting two days
3 A runny nose like a cold with fluent bland coryza but intermittent and worse in the mornings lasting from the third to sixth days
Face
1 A dull pain in my right shin, right middle finger and then the right side of my face and head
2 A sudden aching pain in my left eye and bridge of nose and upper cheek which moved to above my eye. The pain waxed and waned for 2 days
3 A crack in the right corner of my mouth with a pain like a cut
4 Lower lip swollen and lips are dry
Mouth
1 Ulcer on inside lower lip
2 Base of tongue become white and feels dry
3 A burning prickling in mouth which is not hot to touch and made better by cold drinks
Throat
My throat is dry and I need to clear my throat before I speak – no better from drinking – and the dryness increases throughout the day
Stomach
1 Nausea began one minute after the first dose and persisted for 44 days. I feel the nausea around my xiphistrenum and it extends around my epigastiurm and intercostals area. The nausea is worse from pressure when it feels like it rises like a lump to my throat; worse in the evenings and usually made better by exercise like walking or running but not always and sometimes the nausea appears while walking or running. The nausea is associated with: an increase in appetite although eating makes the nausea worse, a feeling of oppression of the chest, a pain in my liver, a sharp pulsating stabbing pain to the right of my xiphisternum and there is a sour flatulence with the nausea. (Author’s note: in this prover the persistent nausea was accompanied by some yellowing of the sclera of the eyes. The patient had Gilbert’s syndrome but this had been asymptomatic for over 10 years prior to the proving. During the proving he gained 6 kg in weight and lost it again over the next month)
2 Nausea lasting 8 days, worse in the evenings but with increased appetite although the nausea is made worse by eating. Sometimes with nausea there is pain in the stomach, especially in the evenings. The nausea was associated with a sensation of oppression in my chest in the evening of the sixth day
Abdomen
1 A sudden sharp pain in the right of my abdomen in line with my liver associated with a dull pain passing through to my right shoulder blade made worse by bending over made better by movement in the fresh air. It feels like an eructation would relive the pain but I cannot belch
2 I have flatulence with a sour smell with a pain in the left side of my abdomen below the ribs made better by going out for a run
Rectum
1 During exercise a get a sharp pain in my right groin and rectum which moved to my penis – a sharp and raw pain which lasts about 10 minutes
2 Burning about the anus after a loose, sour-smelling stool
Bladder
A constant urge to urinate but I pass no urine which causes a pushing down feeling inside which is worse sitting and better standing with my legs apart
Kidneys
A pain in my right kidney while walking occurs on days 2, 8, 9 -11, The pain moves across my back and is dull and sore and is associated some days with nausea and on day 11 it was a sharp pain. On days 10 and 11 there was also a pain in my left kidney which waxed and waned and left a dull ache.
Extremities
My head and feet feel hot and I had to sleep with my feet out of the covers
Extremity Pain
1 A dull pain in my right shin, with middle finger and then right side of my face and head
2 I woke at 5 a.m. with a pain in my left foot which was followed by sharp pains in both feet which recurred for 19 days
3 Sharp pain in right Achilles tendon made better by walking
Skin
Palpitations with formication of my skin and my skin feels cold associated with tingling of my mouth lips and tongue
Generalities
1 Internal restlessness at night
2 Weakness and lassitude as if I have had influenza
3 Fatigue – a heavy feeling with not enthusiasm to get out of bed or take exercise - and I fall asleep while reading – made better by walking in the fresh air
Quality of results
The “leaking out”of the source of the remedy was unfortunate. Since the effect of this knowledge upon the symptoms produced remains unknown, the symptoms of those provers was excluded from the list of symptoms given above. Dreams of water were experienced by three provers taking verum but not in those who knew the source of the remedy.
However knowledge of the source of the remedy did not produce a uniform effect in the 4 provers. One prover (a homeopathic physician) knew the source and had no symptoms from placebo (double blind) or from 6CH verum knowing it to be verum. Provers number 1 and 6: knew the source of the remedy and nothing of homeopathy before the proving; both took verum 30CH double blinded and prover 1 had no symptoms and prover 6 did. Prover 13, a 45 year old experienced and respected homeopathic physician, sustained and dramatic symptoms from one dose of 6CH double masked (see Appendix).
The preparation of the placebo pills
The placebo pills were saturated with 90% ethanol to ensure the same appearance, odour and taste as verum. Dantas has suggested (among other precautions) use of aserially diluted and succussed placebo as a control to determine the specific effects of potentised verum. However, it is my opinion that until we are absolutely clear exactly what happens during the process of serial dilutionwith succession at each stage then it is inappropriate to “potentise” the placebo as we may end up comparing 2 verums.
Schuster has suggested “copying” of information and activity of verum to placebo bottles if the two are stored adjacent to each other. The placebo and verum bottles were sent to me from Helios in the same package and were stored with the bottles touching or in close proximity to each other. Any copying effect was noted in this study. The symptoms from placebo were few. The only similarity was nausea but the modalities were different.
The degree of supervision
Provers had varying degrees of supervision depending on the experience and personalities of each prover/supervisor pair. Prover 5 had the closest supervision, recorded the most symptoms and had the greatest reduction in symptom numbers at each stage of the extraction process. Prover 17 had little supervision and had 4 symptoms which survived each stage of the extraction process.
Prover’s health,selection and expectation
The provers were in what was for them a stable period of good health. They were able to recover quickly from acute illnesses, none had an active chronic illness, none had taken any form of medication for a month prior to the proving. Prover 5 had Gilbert’s disease but this had been asymptomatic for twenty years and all his symptoms were new. The effect of expectation was clearly demonstrated only in the prover who had many emotional symptoms with placebo double masked (excluded in the extraction process) in contrast to the few physical symptoms and no emotional symptoms from unmasked verum.
Vithoulkas is reported to have called for great circumspection in regard to new provings,the selection of provers, interpretation of findings and inclusion in repertories. I would have preferred to select provers from those people who had reported symptoms from drinking the water. The closure of the spa in 1978 made this impossible for this trial. The new Bath Spa Complex is due to open later this year, so, in future it maybe possible to select provers from those sensitive to material doses of the water.
Comparison with other waters
There is great variability in the extent and quality of the Materia Medica of spring waters. Of the twenty waters in Radar/Synthesis only two are provings using triturate of the evaporated water (Gettysburg aqua and Skookum chuck aqua).The Materia Medica of the other 18 waters are symptoms produced by drinking or bathing in the water. Sanicula aqua (a geo-thermal spring) has the most symptoms in which one family drank the water for a year. Carlsbad aqua and Vichy Grande-Grille aqua each contain mixed symptoms from the water of 2 or more springs – one a hot spring and other/s of ambient temperature. Symptoms of the Cross Spring in Bath and other waters are mainly non-specific weakness, lethargy and enervation. It is possible that the spring waters are not one family of remedies – the hot springs and ambient temperature springs may be inherently different.
Acknowledgements
David Spence for inviting me to present a summary of this trial at the British Homeopathic Congress in Bath, Bob Leckridge for his enthusiasm and encouragement, Jeremy Swayne for advice on the protocol, Peter Fisher for advice on symptom extraction, Rhodri Samuel of the Bath Spa Project for permission to use the water, The Public Health Department of Bath City Council for collecting the water sample at source, Liz Alexander of the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, John Morgan of Helios pharmacy and all the provers ands upervisors.
References
1 Rolls, R. The Hospital of the Nation. Bird Publications, Bath, 1998, p98
2 Ward, A. A Step to Bath. London, 1700
3 Rolls, R. The Hospital of the Nation. Bird Publications, Bath, 1998, p76
4 Heywood, A. lead, Gout and Bath Spa Therapy in: Hot Springs of Bath Investigations of the Thermal Waters of the Avon Valley, ed. G.A. Kellaway pp77-78. Bath City Council, 1991
5 O’Hare, J.P. et al. Physiology of Immersion in Thermal waters in Hot Springs of Bath. Ed. E. G. Kellaway, pp 71-76
6 Edmunds, W.M. and Miles, D.L. The geochemistry of Bath Thermal Waters in Hot Springs of Bath Investigations of the Thermal Waters of the Avon Valley, ed. G.A. Kellaway pp143-156
7 Andrews, J.N. Radio-activity and Dissolved Gases in the Thermal Waters of Bath in Hot Springs of Bath Investigations of the Thermal Waters of the Avon Valley, ed. G.A. Kellaway pp157-170
8 Sherr, J. The Dynamics and Methodology of Provings. Dynamis Books, Malvern, 1994
9 Clarke, J.H. Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica Vol 1, pp421-424 Homeopathic Book Service, Sittingbourne, Kent, 3rd edition, 1991
10 Dantas, F.D. How can we get more reliable information from homeopathic pathogenic trials? BHJ Oct 1996, Vol 85, pp 230-236
11 Schuster, B. Homeopathic proving of Cola Nitida. Verlug fur Homeopathie, Weilburg, 1999, pp33-39
12 Inerview with george Vithoulkas, A Man with a Mission, ed Hiwat, C and van der Zee, H. Homeopathic Links, Vol 12, 4/99, pp202-210
About the author
After ten years as an allopathic general medical practitioner, he received his training in homeopathy at the Faculty of Homeopathy course in Glasgow. After the MFHom examination he was invited to join the teaching team in Glasgow. He completed 5 years of post-MFHom training to Specialist registration in 1999. He has been elected to the Board of Examiners of the Faculty of Homeopathy. Since 1993 he has worked full time as a homeopathic physician. Published paper: Audit of outcomein 829 consecutive patients treated with homeopathic medicines. British Homeopathic Journal (2000) 89,pp178-187.
Dr Raymond Sevar
BSc, MBChB, MRCGP,MFHom
26 Whiteclosegate,Carlisle CA3 0JD, UK
Appendix: the symptoms of prover 13
She is a 45 year old Homeopathic Physician who took part in the double blind phase of the proving. As soon as she opened the packaging and held the bottle of pilules she had this symptom:
Sensation as if
I felt my arm sinking down with the weight of the remedy, and a feeling of the remedy being from deep in the earth.
She felt an apprehension about taking the remedy as she intuitively felt that the remedy would affect her profoundly. At this stage she did not know the source of the remedy knew the source of the remedy and it was in the double masked stage of the proving. Eventually, 3 months later took one dose from bottle number 13(which turned out 6cH) and had the most severe sustained, sustained and dramatic emotional symptoms and sustained physical symptoms. The effect of knowing the source of the remedy on the following symptoms which she produced remains unknown. Each reader will form their own opinion on the validity of these symptoms but I include them here so that nothing which may be of value should be lost.
I have known her as a friend and colleague for nine years. I have no doubt that her symptoms were provoked by the remedy and that they display her unusual and unexpected peculiar sensitivity to this remedy. Her symptoms began after a few moments. The severe emotional symptoms were observed in all their force by her husband. Her husband is a “down to earth” practical man who has worked on a North Sea drilling rig for many years. He was frightened by the power and intensity of her emotional reaction and thought that she might divorce him in her rage. Her determination to suffer severe oesophageal pain for 38 days without any attempt to antidote the reaction is testament to her courage.
Mind
1 Rage, uncontrollable rage for two days with lots of tears – my husband thought that I would divorce him.
2 I want to be alone. I want to escape – it must be to a high open hill with trees – it must have trees. The desire to be alone lasted two days
3 Desire for death, I really wanted to die for two days, I really wanted to cut my throat
4 Overwhelming grief at the Earth’s plight, a feeling of great grief for Gaia lasting two days
5 Sympathetic: heart feeling very open for a misunderstood colleague (the feeling was well localised to the heart) again lasting two days
6 This remedy is poison, real deep poison – the feeling lasted for five days
Dreams
1 Dream about castles
2 Very vivid dreams of being taught by a great Master – he had something hugely important to tell me
Sensation as if
Oppressive weight in upper chest with a strong well localised feeling of heartache for five days
Head Pain
A vague headache behind eyes with actual pain well localised in bones of maxillae and ethmoid plates lasted for two days
Face
Well localised painin bones of maxilla for 2 days
Stomach
1 Two days of complete loss of appetite
2 Unquenchable severe thirst for 2 days for still, filtered water. I wanted to drink many litres of water. I would normally want something fizzy like sparkling mineral water if I was thirsty, but for these two days it had to be still, filtered water
Rectum
Constipated and bowels just not right for 5 days – although I am passing motions I still feel constipated.
Chest
Burning pain in oesophagus which is felt throughout the whole length of my oesophagus which lasted 38 days and began as the emotional symptoms resolved on the third day. The pain is linear, well localised and burning in my oesophagus. At times I feel it in different parts of my oesophagus – upper, middle or lower. The pain is made better by eating – I have to eat every two hours or the pain is terrible. (Author’s note: despite eating regularly she lost three kg in weight. The weight loss persisted for six months and then spontaneously returned to normal).
Back
1 Pain in lumbar spine radiating and extending to the back of my thighs -the pain is deep at the level of connective tissue lasting for two days
2 A sharp pain in my sacro-iliac joints felt deep in the joints lasting for two days
Generalities
1 Unquenchable severe thirst for 2 days for still, filtered water. I wanted to drink many litres of water. I would normally want something fizzy like sparkling mineral water if I was thirsty, but for these two days it had to be still, filtered water
2 Desire for salt and I am usually averse, lasting for five days
3 Desire for vinegar and I am usually averse, lasting for five days
4 I am so chilly that I had to wear a down-filled jacket. The sensation was of being so cold inside that nothing would warm me up (outside temperature 20-240 C day and 110 C at night) and the chilliness lasted for five days.