Lachesis mutus (lach.)
Main idea is overstimulation, which is constantly seeking an outlet for relief, like a pot that is boiling all the time; needs an outlet or will break down. Snake poison; initially the poison goes through the bloodstream, stimulates first, and then on the more specific areas. Primary target is circulation (from study of Materia Medicas you must get the preference of remedies for certain systems). People with idiopathic high blood pressure. Flushes of heat in different ages. Haemorrhages, particularly where the colour is quite dark. Headaches, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, and all kinds of heart ailments. Appearances of ulcers and eruptions – a pink appearance, cyanotic, purplish. Sensation of circulation. Sleep is difficult. Rhythm in the circulation or in the morning. Sleep-morning, these are aggravating times for Lachesis. Worse by heat, if suddenly heated up, which changes the circulation. Worse after entering shower or a very hot room. Worse before menses – as soon as menses starts there is a general amelioration of the patient. Often feel a choking sensation in the throat. Wake up in a panic as if the breath has stopped. Lachesis leads all remedies in the symptom, “wake up in a panic”, worse by a suppression of discharges. Outlet can even be restricted by the clothes, especially around the neck, also chest and waist. Psychological restrictions on the patient will have the same kind of intolerance.
If asked to do something immediately by his wife, he will feel the pressure. Intelligent. Easy flow of ideas. Pathology can reach to schizophrenia, talks and talks, changes ideas. May quit first job because he feels restricted. Overstimulation on the sexual sphere. Excesses on the sexual plane. Can produce a lascivious person. Obscenity, lewdness, can exhibit these. One of the main remedies for masturbation (he overstimulation leads to this), like Staphysagria and Platina. Origeion – masturbation in young girls. Also it will be useful for acute rheumatic fever. Where there are usually valvular troubles in the heart, Lachesis may correct that. Snake remedies affect mostly the heart and the circulation. Some will suppress the sex impulses, will suffer from the suppression. One case, Lachesis was given because of sex suppression – can be typical of Lachesis. Left-sided kidney colic. Alcoholism – circulation can be out of balance; Lachesis is useful here. May produce a normalization in the craving for alcohol. Lachesis even helps in delirium tremens. Also considered in cases where narcotics are taken.
Worse lying on the left side, aggravates all ailments. May have palpitations, dyspnoea, feeling of fainting. Lachesis prefers the left side with centralization around the heart – left to right. Inter-costal neuralgia – left side – Spigelia, Nat. mur., Bryonia. Acute conditions – left sidedness. Congestion of the head; kind of bluish appearance. Sensitive to touch on skin or any constriction of the skin; least touch is painful, but deep is not so bad, (Belladonna congestions are more red than purplish, and more right – sided).
Sometimes amelioration comes by hard pressure (Bell. also has this).
Emotions are quite strong; quite attached to people and objects. The attachment is strong, so we get pathological conditions of jealousy. Can degenerate into jealousy or into lasciviousness (overindulgence in sex). One of the great self-centered individuals (read Kent’s description of this self-centeredness). A false idea of loving oneself – the other person that is connected becomes an object. If fears that he may love this object of pleasure, then you get this jealousy. Suspicion; imagining, during the jealous phase. One of the main remedies for people who are very suspicious. If jealousy progresses to suspicion, then may progress even further to paranoia. they may think that their family is scheming to put them into an insane asylum. Can go into deep states of anxiety and depression, worrying about their health, especially the heart. PARANOIA – Hyos, Kali brom. Tarent, Stram, Plat, Ver, Alb. Anxiety about heart diseases – Lachesis is one of the main remedies. Clairvoyant beings, have intuitions. Depression worse in morning, may feel quite moved, in afternoon it is quite OK. Left untreated, may go into continuous depression. Fear of insanity, at a certain stage (also Manc, Cann, Ind, Calc. carb.)
May eventually go into insanity. Crisis is worse just before the menses. Impulsive, sporadic type insanity. It occurs in fits. loquaciousness; talkativeness when there is a suppression of sex. Replacing what is missing in contact and communication with talking and talking. One of the main remedies for religious affections. (If you suppress, you must have an outlet). Talking, jumping from one subject to another; such a flow of ideas passing through the mind, can’t pass fast enough through the mouth. Very critical; they can’t tolerate the least criticism toward themselves.
Lachesis has another state – has great ideas; frustrated in earlier years; Will not follow through on this ambition to do great things. All this driving inwards leads to development of kidney stones and heart lesions. This Lachesis is introverted, sensitive, does not want to hurt anybody, will never let out their emotions. You get these people who will not talk. Must understand that this type of silent person is also a Lachesis.
Wine will aggravate his case. Good speaker, but a bed conversationalist. When they have reached a certain mental state, a delusion appears; they will feel the dead people (their presence) talk to them. They will give orders to do things. Also, another remedy lie this is Anacardium. Feels someone is talking to him, but Anacardium gets double feeling, one tells him to do good, and the other to do bad. The Lachesis desires and aversions – likes oysters very much, desires farinaceous foods (cereals, grains, macaroni, potato, pasta).
