– Dr. D.V. Krishnamoorty.
Dread of failure. How am I going to accomplish all these? thought; feeling of lack of strength
When we say flower remedies are prescribed on mental symptom alone, many readers retort, But the patients come to us for treatment of physical ailments and they describe these only. How can we know that is in their mind?
Though flower remedies can cure any physical ailment, the prescription is made on how the patient feels about his illness.
To know the reaction of the mind of a person to illness, one need not have studied psycho-analysis. The very words coming from the mouth of the patient will indicate to us the appropriate remedy. All that a Bach practitioner has to do is to simply but carefully watch, observe and listen to the reaction, gestures or the words coming out spontaneously from the mouth of the sufferer. For this, he has to familiarise himself before hand with the expression used by different types of patients.
In the text-book (Beginners Guide to Bach Flower Remedies) we have studied under OLIVE that there are three remedies for weakness viz., OLIVE , Hornbeam and CENTAURY.
If a practitioner is in doubt, he may give all the three mixed together for a case of weakness. But that is not the correct way to use the remedies. That belongs to the domain of routinism, similar to quackery. The correct method is to individualise your patient. Then a single remedy will do him more good than a combination of remedies.
The Olive type weakness: However formidable a task, a person says I will finish It and starts it. But a few minutes later, his body is tired and so he discontinues it. This is only physical and not mental weakness. I get tired very soon is the expression used by him. Such a patient does not normally consult doctors for this complaint. Even it he does he does not ask for a tonic, but only says I feel very tired even after a slight exertion. I don’t know why….
But the Hornbeam type of person feels the task will be very difficult and wonders even before beginning the work how he is going to accomplish it. But once he starts, now.
Weakness is felt and he accomplishes it easily.
A person of this type asks for a tonic only to get more strength. Those who asks the doctor to prescribe some tonic will generally be of the Hornbeam type.
On reading this, one reader remarked: Well, Sir, suppose a man says he cannot lift a hill; if you administer Hornbeam to him, will he be able to lift the hill? But such a question is facetious.
It is true that no one at the present day can life a hill, and Hornbeam cannot give anyone the enormous strength of a tarzan!
But if he has already done a job several times in the past but now feels a lack of strength to accomplish it, then Hornbeam will remove the feeling of incapacity or incompetence dread of the days work. The feeling of weakness or lack of strength is only at the mental level (dread) and not at the body level.
Where there is a will there is a way! Hornbeam strengthens the will and the way opens.
A professional singer came to us one day with sore throat. I have a program for the day after tomorrow. I wonder how I am going to sing! Hornbeam cured her sore throat. If she feels there is sore spot in the throat that must be removed, then Crab Apple is the remedy . Crab apple is also the remedy if the patient simply complained of roughness or plug sensation in the throat.
To know more about Hornbeam, we may compare it with Mimulus.
For example, take an official who has received an order of transfer. He has to shift his family and entire establishment. He would have gone through many transfers in the past too. But he how wonders how he is going to accomplish the shifting whether all will go well, such as booking the luggage, reaching the station and getting into that the train on time etc. and whether there would not be any incident on the way.
Let us be clear between hornbeam and White Chestnut, so that you may not prescribe the one where the other would be suitable.
The White Chestnut type of person to be sure of success in a performance, prepares for it by doing rehearsal in his mind. But during the performance whatever he has prepared does not come to his mind. This is due to excitement during the performance.
On the other hand, the Hornbeam type of person dreads failure days before the act by reason of feeling of inadequacy of lack of co-operation of others, or things not going all right. Dread is the term for this state of mind. But once he starts on it, there is no difficulty for him in a achieving it. Because of feeling of lack of capacity, the Larch type will never undertake a new thing–fear of undertaking new things. Hence never attempts to learn music But the Hornbeam type, having mastered the subject, and having given performances in the past, dreads an ensuing performance.
One is confident before the job but fails while on it–White The other is not well before, i.e. afraid, but does well while on it – Hornbeam.
Let us now take a housewife. One day she learns that guests would be coming to her house for dinner the next day. The thought of preparing the dinner and making other proper arrangements fills her with dread.
In the past she has prepared dinner for a similar or even more number of guests than this time. Then why this trepidation now? It is only a dread of failure which is only in thought. If she is physically unable then she will straightway refuse to accept the job. It is only the mentally weak that Dreads the job. Hornbeam will help her.
In the morning on walking, he feels he will not be able to accomplish the days work – though it may be of a routine nature.
Whenever any musician wants a medicine for his throat (meaning strengthening his voice) give him Hornbeam.
A man is already doing some job–say, an artist, a mechanic, a design engineer, a writer, a sportsman, He wants something to make him do it better, by having more strength. He should be given Hornbeam. The physically weak says he becomes easily tired (Olive.) The mentally week asks for tonic.
Hornbeam and Chicory compared: In our study of CRAB APPLE and CHICORY type of patients we have seen how the former wants to get rid of something from his body while the latter wants to add some particular thing for increased comforts, otherwise called perquisites in the modern world.
Like the Chicory type, the Hornbeam type of persons too wants to add something. The former wants assistance to lighten his burden–day, a vehicle or a house. The aid is from external. But in the case of Hornbeam type of person, he wants addition of strength to an inner part of organ of his body. For instance, he feels his liver is to be toned up. Wants some liver tonic or an appetiser that will strengthen and tone up the digestive system. Or he may want Something to increase his brain power. He may say, I am unable to concentrate in my research studies as I used to do a few years ago. You should give me some medicine by taking which I will be able to write fifty pages a day. From this very statement we find that he wants to add to his strength which indicated Hornbeam and not Olive. The Olive patient may say Give me something by which I do not become tired even by twenty-four hours of continuous work.
When a person overeats, it may be because of greediness (Chicory.) If he feels that he will have more strength by taking more nutritious food, then Hornbeam is the remedy. There is another type of patient too who overeats. It is the Cherry Plum type. He overeats, not because of greed or for the sake of strength; but only because he cannot resist the temptation to eat more, on seeing the delicious, tasty cuisine. We can also find that he eats only that foodstuff in excess which makes his mouth water, though taking it in large quantity may upset his stomach.
Observe the person: The Hornbeam eats only those items, which he has heard, will give strength or is nourishing. The Cherry Plum patient eats only delicious items. And, for the Chicory type, only the quantity counts, not quality – by eating more at the parties (for which the expense is borne by some one else) he can save equivalent amount of food at his home.
The author knows a lady, who being by nature of the Hornbeam type, will buy good quality fruits and give them to her two children, though they may refuse them. She feels that they will grow strong if they eat the good fruits (which she has heard are nutritious.)
But the poor Hornbeam type of patients do not realise that it is health that is wealth and not strength.
He will ate eggs, or fruit juice, not as part of his diet but as something to increase strength, because of the vitamin contents of nutrients in these type of food.
If you find a person who, without any apparent disease, is taking a lot of vitamin capsules and tablets, and that too without a doctors prescription, then you cannot but think of Hornbeam for him.
In homoeopathy the Pulsatilla type too has a desire for tonic. May be it is the taste of the tonic that attracts him. That symptom belongs to the Cherry Plum type who takes tasty things, because of its tempting taste, and not because he wants more strength
A patient comes to you and asks you to prescribe some tonic for him. You ask him What is the trouble? He replies that he has no trouble. Do you get tired or exhausted? No, but I want to have more strength. I feel my work-load and responsibilities are heavy in my office. You may prescribe Hornbeam for him straightway.
It is not these who really become tired after exertion, ask for tonics. Such patients are the Olive type. The Olive patient feels tired but normally he never asks for a tonic or consults a doctor for this. He may say I become tired very soon. I don’t know why.
When a person demands tonic, he will not be satisfied with tiny pills saturated with Hornbeam because they do not give the appearance of tonic. (Of course, if he takes them, then the desire for tonic will go away.) Therefore, when we give Hornbeam to such patients, we prepare sugar syrup and add Hornbeam to is and give it to him.
We found one person consuming 400 ml of Waterburys compound in a weeks time, which is six times the normal dose. Warning by the other members of his family was of no avail. I am supervising the construction work of the first floor of my house besides other duties. I should have more strength for all these. WE learnt that his role was not big or strenuous.
A few drops of Hornbeam was given to one of the family members who added it to the bottle containing the compound and also to his drinking water. This cured him of his craving for tonic and thereafter he did not but the tonic bottles further. A sort of mania for gulping down tonic to have more strength.