THUJA AND COLOCYNTIS Transformation of inner forces
By Nel Struik
This case displays clearly how, parallel to the solving of the symptoms, a freedom can emerge
that leaves room for developing present higher qualities, as it is written in paragraph 9 of Hahnemann's Organon: ''In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy), the dynamis that animates the material body (organism), rules with unbounded sway (..), so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.' In this particular healing process homeopathy undoubtedly played an important part.
First visit, May 1997
Lisa, a 39-year-old woman, feels very insecure (3), unstable (3) and weepy (2). Her self-confidence is quite low (2) and her stomach has been aching for months. Lisa had an executive position in social services. Serious shortages of staff resulted in a heavy workload for a long period of time, and her superiors refused to recognize the problems. After being off work sick for months, Lisa tried to go back to work last January. Nothing had changed and the pressure mounted until it led to an out- burst and Lisa was summoned to leave. Soon she found another job, but since this incident she feels awful and deeply hurt (2). She has had a female partner for 7 years now. Before they went to live together, she has kept this relationship hidden for 0 years (cries). It was a very difficult time, with many fears.
Lisa: 'I have tall antennae, I pick up everything around me. It is quite difficult for me to live with it. I have learned to adapt, to be compliant to the other person. I don't like many people around me. I think I am turned in on myself too much, as if I should come out of myself a bit more (2). I am too fastidious, everything should be 00% perfect. This concerns my work, not my private life. Emotionally I am going through peaks and troughs, I have shaky, unstable moods. One day I feel fine, next day without any reason gloomy and weepy. As a child I used to experience a feeling of danger around me, I think because of those antennae. Consequently I had many fears. My mother was dominant and manipulative and could make things quite difficult for me. I was keen on sports, joined a nice athletics club and I liked it. I was a really good sprinter, could make very long, fast sprints.'
Generals
Lisa is .72 meter and her weight is 67 kilos. Striking are her big, alert eyes with small pupils, see- ming to spot everything around her. Time: favours the morning, worse around 3 or 4 pm
Sleep: left side, right side is possible.

Sometimes sleepless about 4 or 5 a.m., whilst worrying about her problems. Dreams: many, chaotic. Sometimes about snakes. Fears: high places (2), even a bridge is scary; spiders (2). Had many fears as a child. Weather: 'I don't like hot weather and sunbathing, although I can walk or work in the sun. I prefer holidays in North European countries.' Food desires: olives (2), pasta, fatty things (2), crispy vegetables, bitter chocolate and sometimes strong craving for sweets (2). Aversion: meat, fat meat (3), prefers vegetarian meals.
Temperature: chilly, likes a warm foot bath before going to sleep. PMS (pre menstrual symptoms), from ovulation till menses: gloomy, agitated, weepy, triggered by both sad and beautiful things. Quarrelling with an inclination to hit people (which she does not really do). Once she ripped apart her trousers out of frustration. Menstrual period: 'I had awful abdominal pain on the first day, especially left sided. I writhed in agony, pressed my fist in the abdomen, nothing helped. I had to go home, lie in bed. I had diarrhoea with it. Only after vomiting the pain lessened and I could sleep. More than once I fainted from pain. My PMS and menstrual pains were alleviated a lot by means of acupuncture about a year ago. Still I take Brufen 200 mg (ibuprofen) every month before the pain can start.'
Other complaints
Respiration: as a child Lisa had asthmatic bronchitis. She is allergic to animals like rabbits and cats. Now they have two dogs at home, without problems. Stomach: tense, with burning, worse from drinking tea (2), meals that are too large and stress. Stool: constipation. Rectum: haemorrhoids, sometimes bleeding. Back: quite often she has pains in the lower back, between the scapulae and in the neck. Sometimes she feels stitches in the spine. Now and then she receives treatment from an osteopath. Head: pain from nape of neck to forehead. Feels a painful spot on both temples. Massage of head and neck alleviates a bit. Skin: once had a foot wart. It disappeared after applying garlic.
Lisa tells me she is very sensitive to medicine, both allopathic and homeopathic. Two years ago, before an acupuncturist treated her, she consulted a homeopath for her menstrual problems. She received Causticum, Pulsatilla, Sepia and later from another homeopath Ignatia and Lac caninum. They all worked only temporarily.
Analysis: Lisa is quite sensitive. She picks up a lot from her surroundings (strong antennae) and consequently experienced many fears in her youth. She has learnt to hide her 'bad' qualities ('I am turned in on myself too much') and to adjust to what is wanted by the other. Combined with the alertness, the low self-confidence, the 'manipulative' mother, the time modality (3 pm) and the aggravation by tea, it was clear for me that Lisa needs Thuja. The hiding of her lesbian relationship for so many years is a secretive, deceptive feature and of course does not speak against Thuja.
Plan: Thuja 200 C.
June 1997
Next day awful headache. After a week a cold. Now, after a month, she feels much better and more secure. She can let go the feeling of hurt. She feels less turned in on herself. She sleeps better. Only before menses there was a relapse of four days (unstable, constipation, pain). Menses was fine (with one Brufen as a prophylactic).
Because she forgot her diary, she promises to phone me to make next appointment.
February 1998
Lisa: 'I was well for a long time. I allow myself to be less strict and disciplined with myself. Now the periods are getting more painful. I have violent bellyache fore some hours, must lie with the knees pulled up and with a fist tightly pressed in the abdomen, like I had in the past. This seems to help somewhat. I need more Brufen now. PMS is also worse, with weeping, nervousness and being very sensitive to criticism. My work is OK. I have less mood swings. The craving for sweets is less. The dreams of snakes are coming back again, they stayed away after Thuja.
Analysis: she is suppressing herself less, does not need to be strict and disciplined anymore in order to feel safe. Old complaints concerning her periods are coming up. I think of Colocynthis, but decide to continue Thuja, that worked so well until now. Plan: Thuja 1 M diluted in three glasses: I prepare three glasses of water, put a globule in the first glass, take a teaspoon out of it into the second glass, repeat it for the third glass and give a teaspoon out of this glass to my patient.
April 1998
She felt fine, but has now gone down with flu with low fever. In a few days her holidays will start and she is asking for a remedy. Plan: under pressure of those holidays I allow her a repetition of
Thuja M, again diluted in three glasses.
June 1998
The flu did not persist and soon she was all right. But the menstrual pain was awful. She decided not to take Brufen and she had terrible cramps for eight hours, plus diarrhoea. Since then all kinds of complaints are coming up again, pain in the neck, the head, the stomach and the gloomy feeling. After the ovulation the legs are feeling heavy and sore. Frequently, a few times a week, she has vague complaints of the throat, dryness with some left sided pain and chills, as if the flu is coming on. She recognises this feeling, has had it now and again for years. The feeling of unstableness is gone. She is sleeping like a log, does not awake anymore. The snake dreams have not come back.
Analysis: she is more stable, secure and connected with her self. Sleep is better. It is remarkable that her dreams about snakes completely disappeared after Thuja, for which Thuja is not listed in the repertory. Some old complaints keep coming up and the menstrual cramps are worse. Thuja did not ameliorate them. Because of the suspected underlying anger and the modalities (abdominal cramps ameliorated by bending double and by strong pressure), I prescribed Colocynthis 200 C, diluted like before.
August 1998
(By telephone) 'The menstrual pain was much less and didn't last as long. ‘I am very busy at my work, but my energy is fine.'
December 1998
'Before menses I am restless and emotional and again more sensitive to criticism, although less than before. For the menstrual cramps I still need Brufen, but now one dose is enough. On the whole I feel my state is like last year, but less serious. I have a tense back with headache, from the nape of the neck to the forehead, with pressure on the eyes as if the eyes are bursting out of their sockets (2), worse from stooping. My piles have been bleeding for weeks and I have fever blisters on my lips, as in the past. My throat is all right.'
Analysis: the complaints are moving. Psychologically she feels better. PMS and menstrual pains are a bit better. The throat is better. Now the emphasis is in head and back. Other old complaints, piles and fever blisters, are popping up. Plan: because of her own feeling that her state is like last year, I go back to Thuja, now 30 C, diluted in water. If necessary she may repeat it.
February 1999
'I took Thuja three times. The menstrual pains are nearly gone, I don't need Brufen any more. No more diarrhoea during menses. The piles and the bowel motions are much better. I sleep well. No pain in the throat, no heavy legs. But now PMS is much more violent. I am weepy, restless and extremely defiant (3), impatient (3) and angry (3). Everything irritates me, I react violently, shoot out, BANG!! I can smash the table from anger. Afterwards it is over and I feel guilty. I recognise it from my youth. I was not allowed to be angry.'
Analysis: now it is very clear that a lot of powerful anger is coming out. Her expression is quite sharp with a piercing look (3). I realize something must be done. Plan: Colocynthis 200 C, diluted.
March 1999
(By telephone) 'PMS is better, the anger is gone. I am feeling much better, I had a good period. Now the dentist will have to anaesthetise me for treatment.' Plan: If needed repeat Colocynthis.
April 1999
'Two days after dental treatment it was very bad for a few days. I became rebellious, wanted to give up, and had coffee and a lot of sweets. However now, just before my period, I am pretty well again. Since December no more complaints of the back, this is quite remarkable. Piles and stool are fine. After the last dose of Colocynthis just for a while the fever blisters became much worse, there were even blisters on the gums. But quite soon the lips were fine again. My stomach is all right. I can handle my sensitive antennae better (2). The fear of spiders is less.'
Analysis: a relapse due to the anaesthesia. More and more complaints are subsiding. Important is her spontaneous remark about the sensitive antennae.
June 2000
After more than a year Lisa consults me for conjunctivitis. She refused the antibiotics her GP prescribed for her. The right eye is quite red, feels grainy and irritated and she has a stitching pain in it. Now her left eye is burning as well. Two months ago her right nostril was inflamed.
She rinsed it with Tea Tree Oil and that seemed to have helped. She feels as if the problem moved to her eye now. She tried different treatments, nothing helped.
Lisa: 'A lot of things are happening to me. I finished Reiki training. For a year I have been doing a course in aura reading. And I have buried myself in shamanism. You know, all my life anything concerning American Indians, like their clothes, tipi, sweat lodge and ceremonies, has had a magic attraction for me, creates quite a stir in me. Whenever I read books about Indians, I must cry. I know there is so much ignorance about them. I feel enormously connected with them, so strongly that I feel myself like a white woman with a red soul. Two weeks ago, whilst listening to drumming, I fell into a shamanistic trance. I got a very strong and realistic sensation of being transformed into a panther. Initially I saw a panther coming closer and closer to me, until we melted together. Especially his yellow eyes were striking. I felt my shoulders melting, my head shrinking, my arms changing into forepaws, fur growing on my skin. Later I was offered a panther eye twice. A panther means immense power to me. Even in the very tip of its tail it has so much power! And I feel there is a connection with intuitive seeing, with the third eye. I could say there is some relationship with the panther. I used to be very supple and could make very fast sprints. It all started with the Reiki initiation. A lot of what I am learning now seems very familiar to me, as if I knew it already. I am discovering my healing qualities. My greatest handicap, the tall antennae, is now my strongest power. I am setting up a practice now. I feel that my present work is tiring me out, whilst the new therapeutic work gives me energy. I remember that 20 years ago I also had a bad inflammation of the eye. Besides the conjunctivitis I have no other complaints. The three last periods I got little flow, without any pains or discomfort. Sometimes I select a Bach remedy, I feel instinctively which one I need.' We have a discussion about her story. I remind her that 20 years ago, when she also had conjunctivitis, it was a turbulent time as well. In that period she changed her work, met her life partner and discovered her lesbian nature.
Analysis: well, what to do for the conjunctivitis? In the light of her story I wonder if she needs something anyway. Didn't she get her remedy 'Panther' already? Didn't the panther show her the strong indwelling power and how to handle it in a positive way? And just by telling the story with all the details and by connecting it to her life, didn't everything become more clear and coherent to Lisa? Plan: I advise her to meditate on these thoughts and tell her that I have to make up my mind whether to give something or not. That same week a colleague consulted me about the remedy Plutonium. I reread the proving ('The Homeopathic Proving of Plutonium nitricum', Jeremy Sherr, Dynamis Books 999) and suddenly realised that Lisa's case has a lot of Plutonium characteristics. The transformation into a panther and the enormous superpower of that animal, even in the very tip of its tail (her own words). The sudden realisation or transformation of her sexual nature. The suppressed and explosive anger, as is evident from expressions like: 'As if the eyes are bursting out of their sockets.. I react violently, shoot out, BANG!!.. I could smash the table from anger'.
The vertical axis with on top the tall antennae, i.e. the great sensitivity, and deep down the hiding of her identity and relationship for so many years. Or below the primitive superpower of the panther and above the intuitive 'third' eye. Further the very strong identification with the Indians. It is as if she is feeling all the suffering and injustice done to those people. Jeremy Sherr states as central theme for Plutonium: '(..) a deep feeling of suffering originating from one's forefathers, like a punishment echoing down, through the generations (..)' Plan: Yet I decide to wait.
My careful waiting is rewarded. After a week Lisa phones me to tell that the day after her visit the eye worsened strongly for one day and completely recovered the second day! She assisted the process with Reiki and visualisation.
August 2000
Lisa is feeling perfect. She managed to decrease her working week to four days, so that she can spend more time on her growing practice.
Conclusion
Reflecting the whole case, we can see how everything evolved. The sensitive child with the tall antennae picked up too much from the outside. That resulted in many fears. At the same time there were qualities inside her she could not cope with. She projected them onto her mother: 'My mother was so dominant and manipulative', and may be onto the environment, that often was so scary to her. In order to survive, she learned to hide her inner 'bad' qualities and to adapt to what people might desire of her, in a 'Thuja' way. She loved her sport, because it was kind of an outlet for her. She especially loved very long sprints, for which you need a lot of power, something she must have had in abundance. From puberty, the suppressed energy is evident in her strong irritability and her menstrual cramps. These cramps were suppressed again, by painkillers and later by acupuncture. She lost more and more contact with herself, could not handle her emotions any more, became insecure, unstable and weepy, especially after the stressing circumstances of her job. After Thuja, she became more connected, more secure. Inevitably her suppressed side could pop up, at first in physical symptoms, later in pure violent anger. With the aid of Colocynthis this anger subsided.
Being freed of symptoms, she felt an urge to develop dormant healing qualities. Her self projected (or attracted) the image of the panther in order to emphasise her inherent power she could make more positive use of. The inflamed eye was probably a kind of healing crisis. After our clarifying discussion, Lisa must have perceived the message and immediately the inflammation cleared up. The fact that the whole picture was so similar to the remedy Plutonium, gives us an idea of the strong powers that are involved in this case. I surely would have given it if the eye were not healed so quickly. Maybe the energy of Plutonium helped her anyhow.
Nel Struik