-GEORGE VITHOULKAS
Andropogon squarrosus
Cuscus grass
Vetiver or Viti-vayr
The essential features
Anantherum is a remedy that stimulates the lower passions of man, most specifically the sexual passions, to such excess that an individual so affected may be driven mad by the sheer force of his desire. It creates an insatiable desire to satisfy the sexual urge, driving the person to repeated sexual contacts. If this urge cannot be satisfied, he is driven to masturbation. The desire is pathological, indicative of an organism completely out of check, impulsively driven to actions which could very well lead to its rapid self-destruction.
This is one of the remedies that should be increasingly required in the current milieu of sexual liberation and its attendant furious and incessant desire for sexual satisfaction (now much frustrated by the AIDS epidemic). While not intending to disparage homosexuality per se, it must be acknowledged that this remedy will find special application in that subset of homosexuals exhibiting such intensity of sexual behavior. For these individuals sexual satisfaction lies above all other concerns. They seem to be exclusively driven by their unlimited sexual urges, perhaps having two or even three sexual liaisons during the day, yet still feeling so highly sexually aroused at night that they cannot sleep and are compelled to go out in pursuit of yet another encounter. Should they fail in their search, they will have to resort to masturbation. Their sexual instinct seems to have been aroused beyond any control, their entire life revolving around the urge for sexual satisfaction. In our texts it says, “Venereal appetite increased by every attempt to satisfy it until driven to onanism and madness.” Such is the sexual state of many homosexuals and individuals needing Anantherum today.
The loss of energy caused by such practices is so great that these individuals become depleted, washed out at a very early age, and a state of insanity begins to ensue. This remedy can induce the desire to dress publicly in a peculiar, grotesque manner, all the while hoping to impress others with their shocking appearance. Anantherum can be indicated for certain cases of homosexuals who have the urge to dress in the “punk” fashion seen today. Only those “punks” possessing an irresistible urge to wear grotesque clothing in a public place correspond to Anantherum; obviously this is not the motivation for many “punks.” Another characteristic of these patients is that they return again and again to the same places to engage in exactly the same activities.
Anantherum is one of the main remedies for insanity after excessive sexual promiscuity and activity. It must be understood that the sexual excitement is tremendous, literally driving the helpless individual to pursue sexual contact. There is violent desire with violent erections, even priapism. It is a state of monomania.
It is very interesting that Andropogon, an alternate name for the remedy, is a Greek word indicating an androgynous person with a beard – simultaneously suggesting bisexuality and an excess of male hormones.
Anantherum affects men more than women, although I believe that it will prove suitable for those cases, among female homosexuals, who are more masculine and incessantly crave sexual intercourse. In such cases this remedy will provide a certain balance, reducing the sexual demands and helping to restore sanity.
I am of the opinion that homosexuality and sexuality in general, when practiced with such self-destructive intensity as that described above, is the result of suppressed Syphilis.* The pathology of Anantherum reflects the effects of primary syphilis as well – chancre-like ulcers of the penis, sores and glandular swellings. Abcesses and Kaposi’s sarcomata are met with this remedy as well, and it is a remedy which should be considered in AIDS patients when they exhibit behavior such as that described above.
Another aspect of Anantherum is its tendency to invoke a state of self-satisfaction, a kind of narcissism that can be seen quite prominently in some cases of male homosexuals. They seem “satisfied with themselves,” as if ready to savor pleasure all the time, lacking a sense of duty, of responsibility. They appear to adopt the attitude that everything is here on earth for their own pleasure. They feel that they are more intelligent than others, more sensitive, more capable in their work, and more well-suited to enjoy sex than anybody else. They love to travel in pursuit of sexual encounters. They are happy with themselves, prone to laugh and sing, yet any astute observer can easily perceive the delusional quality of their thinking, as well as the imminent possibilty of eventual madness. In our texts it says: “Great self-esteem; great satisfaction with himself and his labor; internal complacency with smiles. Foolish joy and absurd complacency. Gay humor with disposition to laugh and sing. Cheerful, gay mirthful.”
Another syndrome seen in these cases is the inevitable result of such an attitude. These persons, so closely attached to their objects of pleasure, experience tremendous jealousy if others have something that they themselves lack. The texts say, “Ungovernable jealousy; everything causes jealousy.” They become attached not so much to a particular partner, but to the idea of pleasure; thus, it is another’s experience of pleasure that becomes a threat and provokes such jealousy.
As a natural consequence of such a lifestyle, of such intense identification with earthly pleasures, once they begin to suffer from some kind of disturbance in their health, they become overwhelmed with a fear of dying. The fear that pleasure may end and be replaced by suffering is unbearable. They become restless with a constant fear of death.
At this stage they may develop a strange fear of water, such that they are unable to swallow water even though thirsty. Even the mention of the word “water” causes a spasm of the throat, a tightness precluding swallowing.
Fear of shining objects is a characteristic of this remedy which can cause it to resemble Stramonium; however the destructive force of Anantherum is much less than that of Stramonium. Anantherum will very much regret any damage which may have resulted from their spells of anger.
This remedy has a great deal of convulsions and spasms, and it should be thought of frequently in epilepsy, particularly when the patient’s morality is rather low and his sexual demands high. Convulsive tics occur.
Eventually these persons become hypochondriacal; in this state even the presence of other people aggravates their symptoms. They do not want to see or hear anyone – aversion to company; they seek solitude and obscurity. They lose their self-confidence, and they become suspicious and irritable.
At this stage we may see another aspect of this remedy: as the anger increases to tremendous proportions, they grow quarrelsome, intolerant of contradiction, and ready to strike and destroy things or people. A sense of destructiveness permeates all their thoughts and conduct, including a desire for self-destruction.
The intellect becomes dull and blunted, the memory weakened. Apathy, depression, and suicidal ideation supervene, with a constant inclination to weep. And at this stage many phantasies, visions and hallucinations begin to occur.
At this point they may decide to attempt to improve their rapidly declining health, but the course of action they follow often retains the character of their previous behavior. They develop monomaniacal attachments to a specific type of diet or a specific program of exercise, pursuing the discipline with relentless attachment irrespective of results.
Eventually, in the last stages, we see confusion of the mind as if intoxicated, mental alienation and idiocy.
Such is the story of this interesting remedy which, though it has been very much neglected in the past, is so urgently needed in our times.
Anantherum may be confused with Bufo, Platina, Lachesis, Stramonium, Thuja, Cannabis indica, etc.
Generalities
This remedy has been considered a specific for certain skin disorders. In its pathogenesis we find: Crusty, herpetic eruptions, granular rash; red, scarlet eruptions, scaly eruptions; syphilitic ulcers; warts; abscesses, suppurations; inflammation of glands, atrophy of glands.
An interesting symptom is sensations of hard tumors in different parts, especially on the genitalia.
General tremors. Chilly trembling. General exhaustion. Attacks of stupor and faintness, followed by a paralytic sensation of the right side of the body, tongue, and upper and lower extremities. Malaise and debility, with constant restlessness. Great bodily and mental debility with melancholy accompanied with suicidal ideas and copious sweat at the least movement.
Epileptic convulsions commencing with sadness, restlessness, hiccough, contraction of the diaphragm, burning in the stomach, congestion of blood to the head; then loss of consciousness, falling down, violent movements of the limbs, bloody frothing of the mouth, seminal losses, involuntary stool and urination.
Clonic convulsions of the body. Spasmodic attacks, with contraction of the limbs, of the eyes and features of the face. Eclamptic convulsions and involuntary movements of the limbs as in chorea. Coldness during convulsions.
Aggravation after coition, by motion and heat.
Vertigo
Here we see a strong aspect of the remedy which produces a state as if drunken, intoxicated. Vertigo with debility and stupidity of the head. Vertigo and dullness with cerebral congestion, red face and tendency to fall backward. Vertigo with feeling of drunkeness and staggering gait. Vertigo with debility in the back and lower extremities, unable to remain upright. Vertigo with contraction and digging in inner canthi of eyes, extending into brain.
Head
In the head we have several keynotes peculiar to this remedy such as: Sensation as if brain were laid bare and cold air passed over it through head. Sensation as though there were water in head worse when walking. Sensation as if heavy objects and balls moved about in head when lying on right side. Sensation as of a ball rolling in brain. Motions in head at night especially while lying on right side. Trembling sensation in the head. The general idea is that it has feelings of motion inside the head. Sensation as if something turned round in head, with pains in stomach, great appetite, colic, sexual desire, chills and choking. Congestion of blood in the head, with great heat, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and epistaxis (this last symptom as well as others in vertigo section and elsewhere point out that the remedy may be of use in high blood pressure in oversexed individuals).
Eye
In the eyelids and eyebrows we also see peculiar symptoms. Warts and lupia in the eyebrows. Ulceration of lachrymal canal. Ulceration of margins of lids with inability to separate them, crusty eruptions. Inversion of eyelids. Heaviness of lids. Has difficulty opening the lids. Trembling of the lids. Paralysis of optic nerve, amaurosis. Spasmodic contraction of eyes, which remain turned upwards; contracted pupils. Spasmodic motions of the pupils, which obscure the sight at intervals. Light produces itching in eye. The images of objects are retained in an annoying manner. Everything seems excessively bright and shining. Sees fiery circles. Muscae volante in considerably younger persons. Dimness of vision, as if from watery vapours before the eyes. Photophobia. Unsteady, wild look.
Ear
After listening for some moments, the hearing becomes fatigued, and the words are confused and indistinct. Heat in the interior of the ear, with pulsation and sensation as if there were abscesses in them. He frequently hears a noise as of waves beating against the shore, with a deafening sound, which prevents him from hearing a word.
Purulent discharges. Tearing pain behind the ear. Increased wax. Damp weather aggravates impaired hearing.
Nose
In the nose we have further peculiar symptoms such as: Crushing sensation at root of nose. Pressing pain in root of nose. Nose enlarged, red and covered with many small blood vessels. A boil or a small tumor on tip of nose. Ulcers in nostrils.
Discharge greenish, bad smelling. Discharge copious; offensive; purulent. Sneezing in cold air. The air which passes through nostrils seems icy cold and caused sneezing. Liquid comes out through the nose on attempting to swallow.
Burning, smarting; stitching pain in nose.
Face
The face becomes red, cyanotic during vertigo; it has a vacant expression. Spasms in face, convulsive movements as from tic douleureux, or trismus, with pain in lips and chin. Pain in facial bones as if crushed or dislocated. Yellow or red spots. In the face we see miliary eruptions, urticaria, pimples, eruptions which are crusty, scabby eruptions, herpetic eruptions; miliary and urticarious eruptions; erysipelatous swelling; abscess. Swelling and suppuration of submaxillary glands. Ulcers; on lips; in corners of mouth.
When we have intense symptoms on the skin or in the eyes we may not find the mental-emotional-sexual pathology.
Mouth
Scurvy. Boils on gums; ulcers on gums. Exfoliation of different parts of the buccal cavity. Gums feel hot with cold sensation in teeth; swelling of gums; of tongue.
Tongue fissured; on edges, bleeding. Tongue feels cut on edges. Inflammation of tongue; gray tongue. The tongue is fissured, lacerated and as if cut on edges, with copious salivation and debility. Difficult speech; from swelling of tongue. Stammering.
Constant inclination to clench teeth together. Gnashing and grinding of the teeth, they crumble and break. Sensation of cold in the teeth with heat in the gums and the whole mouth. Toothache – worse in afternoon, evening, night – aggravated from change of weather; from wine; from coffee; from anything cold; by the least contact; cold air; from drinks; during eating; from masticating. Pressing toothache, as if teeth were wedged. Toothache feels as if teeth were being pulled out.
Throat
Pain on swallowing. Frequent and stubborn abscesses in the tonsils. Inability to drink, in spite of great thirst, on account of spasm in the throat, which contracts and feels tight as soon as he hears anything said about water, or sees shining objects.
Has difficulty swallowing liquids. Liquids taken are forced into nose. Sensation of lump, plug in throat. Sensation sometimes of burning heat, sometimes of icy coldness in esophagus. Feeling of crawling in esophagus. Sensation as if he had a burning stick extending to esophagus and reaching down to stomach. Swelling of throat. Tickling as of some live thing in esophagus, with fits of suffocating cough.
Difficulty of speaking with drowsiness, with glandular inflammation.
Stomach
Very painful pressure, with short anxious respiration. Stitching pain extending to chest. Pains that leave him no rest day and night and engross him entirely. Spasms and cramps in stomach hindering respiration. Sensation of a hard tumor starting from pylorus and extending to liver. The stomach feels as if it were full of ulcers.
Extreme debility coming from the stomach, and which can in no way be relieved.
Burning in the stomach as if it were on fire. Very painful contractions in the epigastric region. Many times the stomach symptoms are accompanied by headache.
Increased hunger at night, has to get up to eat something. Unquenchable thirst. Desire for cold water; strong liquors; cider; sour drinks. Love of strong odors; desire for garlic. Desires aromatic drinks. Painful eructations especially after eating vegetables. Foul eructations. Incessant nausea and inclination to vomit. Vomiting during headache; vomiting with constant dread of death. Vomiting of bile. Vomiting of food, and often of blood, after meals. Vomiting of acrid, burning matter followed by bile and blood. Vomiting undigested food.
Abdomen
Tympanitic distension. Dropsy, edema. Inflammation and swelling of liver with a pulsating aching dull pain in the liver region. Inflammation and swelling of the liver as if caused by abscesses, with edematous swelling of the belly, and even of the whole body; prostration; stool hard, difficult; blackish. Dull pain in the spleen.
Lancinating pain in the spleen; pulsative, digging pains in the region of the liver.
Twisting and tearing pains in bowels, with nausea and vomiting. Pulsation in the hypochondria. Swelling of glands in inguinal region; spleen. Tumor like hernia or buboes in groin.
Rectum
Large hemorrhoidal tumors and abscesses; tumors like mushrooms. Suppurating hemorrhoids. Obstinate constipation. Stool knotty, like sheep-dung, hard, lumpy. Anus prolapsed and very painful. Stool with bloody, slimy mucus. Brownish-yellowish stool, very offensive. During diarrhea and vomiting, nose and ears very cold.
Urinary organs
Frequent emission of urine which is turbid. Frequent ineffectual urging. Urine discharged by drops. Involuntary urination at night in sleep, during cough or while walking. Stitching pains in ureters. Acrid, greenish, yellow, thick discharge with priapism. Fullness and distention of the bladder with inability to urinate. Clear urine with chalky sediment, and looking like milk when shaken. Clear abundant urine, day and night, with debility, great thirst, dryness of the mouth. Urine with iridescent pellicles. Urine thick, red and very sedimentous. Sensation as if the urethra canal were obstructed by tumors and excrescences. Ardor urinae.
Genitalia-male
We see the definite and strong action of this remedy upon the sexual sphere in men and less so in women. Men have a tremendously increased sexual desire. In the text we read: Violent sexual passion, violent erections. Priapism. He tries to satisfy his desire until he is driven to masturbation and madness.
During coitus all his sufferings cease only to reappear afterwards with increased severity. Sexual desire with attacks of impotency. Eventually the excessive practice will give way to impotency, no erections, while the desire is strong. Eventually the desire disappears as well. The enjoyment is lost during coition and the seminal discharge is difficult and incomplete. Nightly seminal emissions; without dreams.
Ulcers and pustulous herpes-like acne rosacea on the penis. Herpetic; eruptions. Eruptions on prepuce of penis. Edematous; swelling of scrotum. An indurated ulcer, like a chancre on the penis. Inflammation and swelling of the testes. Sensation of hard tumors in the testicles and spermatic cord, with severe pains in these parts.
Syphilitic ulcers on penis.
Genitalia-female
Sterility as from atrophy of the ovaries. Prolapsus of uterus and displacement. Induration of cervix. Hard tumors like scirrhus on the neck of the womb. Vulva inflamed and ulcerated. Congestion of uterus. Swollen uterus. Eruptions whitish and reddish in vulva. Pustules like confluent smallpox, like measles and scarlatina.
Burning pain in ovaries. Sensation of swelling in the ovaries. Menstruation retarded; the blood dark, thick, followed by fetid, light coloured leucorrhea. Total suppression of menses. Leucorrhea can be greenish; milky; offensive; purulent; thick; thin, watery; white. Walking aggravates leucorrhea. Disposition to masturbate. Bright red menses. Burning pain in uterus during menses extending to kidneys.
Chest
Impeded, obstructed respiration with constriction in stomach. Paroxysmal cough, spasmodic, followed by copious mucus; greenish, purulent expectoration. Cough from tickling in larynx. Exhausting, suffocative, violent cough. Whooping cough.
Heart seems paralysed, as though it could not bear up any more, with death-like weakness. Palpitation in heart on sudden waking. Violent palpitations, with suffocative attacks from the least emotion. Atrophy of mammae. Erysipelas; inflammation of mammae. Excoriation of nipples. Increased milk. Stitching pain in mammae.
Back
Lancinating pain in lumbar region. Stiffness of neck and back. Contraction of the trunk, with sensation as if the back became crooked. Sensation as if stabbed between the ribs. Sensation as if a nail had been driven into the kidneys. Paralytic weakness of vertebral column and extremities. Pain as if scapulae were broken. Lumbago with great debility.
Extremities
Abscess and ulcers in arms and hands. Cracked skin on hands. Swelling of ganglia of axillae and chest. Gangrenous abscess in upper limbs. Erysipelatous swellings of the forearms. Erysipelatous inflammation of elbow. Paralytic weakness of the arms.
Convulsive motions of upper extremities, especially of the forearms. Very painful boils on legs. Eruption on foot. Diseased and distorted nails. Excoriation between thighs. Sciatica pain becomes localized in heel. Rheumatic pain in leg; in heel. Burning pain in fingers. Offensive foot perspiration. Pulsation in fingers. While walking: acute contractions in the extremities of the toes and under the nails, with bleeding fissures in the feet.
Sleep
Constant drowsiness with inclination to go to bed and difficulty of speaking. Awakes towards midnight with inability to go back to sleep. Unrefreshing sleep.
Dreams of epidemics, contagious diseases and especially of hydrophobia. Anxious dreams that he cannot define. Dreams of falling from a high place; of feasting; of journeys; of disputes and quarrels.
Fever
Skin cold and frigid and pale or violet. Stinging and burning heat.
Skin
The symptoms of the skin are prominent and are characterised by abcesses, boils and ulcers. Ulcers yellowish, violet, swollen, everted, syphilitic, on different parts.
Crusty herpetic eruptions. Granular rash. Red pimples like urticaria with itching and burning. The skin is scarlet and always burning. Moist herpetic, scaly eruptions. Whitish eruptions. Erysipelas. Pruritus. Miliaria; measles, smallpox, scarlet fever. Syphilitic ulcers. Bluish spots. Excessive itching all over, especially in the evening, and at night in bed. The skin is very tender, it breaks, ulcerates, and suppurates readily. Sensation as if he wore a hair shirt that pricked him everywhere. Warts. Coldness and paleness of the skin.
Clinical
Sexual mania, sexual perversions, impotency, manic-depressive states. Convulsions of all kinds. Tic douleureux. Cancer. Abscesses. Boils. Erysipelas. Tumours. Syphilitic ulcers. Glandular inflammation.
Causation
Sexual excesses
Relationships
Compare: Platina, Bufo, Cannabis indica, Lachesis and Thuja
Antidotes
It is antidoted by aromatic liquors.
Inimical to it: wines and spirits.
Dosage
6c to highest potencies.
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* A complete explanation of this statement is given in my book “A New Model for Health and Disease” G.V.

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Anonymous
Anonymous
7 years ago

thank you for this! very detailed.