Homeopathic Emergency Kit

A basic homeopathic kit kept in the home, or packed along when traveling, can save lots of time, discomfort and distress when those inevitable or unavoidable acute injuries and illnesses strike. No home should be with out one. There are many wonderful ready made kits available online, but it is sometimes more appropriate to put one together for yourself, since you are the one that knows your family’s susceptibilities the best.

Following are some of the most commonly indicated homeopathic remedies needed in minor acute emergencies and illnesses. Choosing the 6c or 30c potency is usually the best option for laypersons and those potencies are readily available. Dosage, in acute conditions,  may be 1 or 2 pellets repeated every 1/2 to 1 hour if necessary, up to 3 doses. Dosage frequency can then be reduced to 3 times a day for a couple of days, if necessary.

Aconite – This remedy is considered the “A” in the ABC of Children’s Remedies. Aconite is indicated at the onset of chills and colds, especially those that begin after exposure to a cold wind. Symptoms can include frequent sneezing, hot clear liquid from the nose, fever and thirst. Aconite is also indicated for mental trauma, fear and shock – ranging from having an argument to witnessing a terrible accident. Irritability, restlessness and anxiety are often present.

Apis – This is a great remedy for stings and bites, especially those of wasps and other insects. It is particularly indicated in bites and stings which burn, itch, sting and swell with redness and heat and feel better with cool applications.

Arnica – One of the most well known homeopathic remedies, Arnica is an excellent first aid treatment for physical trauma of any kind. Falls, bruises, strains, wounds, muscle soreness and swelling yield particularly well to Arnica. It is the first thing I reach for in just about any injury, from mild to severe.

Arsenicum – Arsenicum has many us, one of which is for vomiting and nausea due to food poisoning – particularly from bad meat. It is also an excellent remedy for colds with painful sneezing and thin, watery nasal discharge, where the person is very chilly and thirsty, but only for small sips of water.

Belladonna – This remedy is the “B” in the ABC’s of Children’s Remedies. It is indicated in conditions like fevers and headaches where there is sudden onset, throbbing pains, red, hot skin and dilated pupils. It can also be used for scalds or burns, if there is throbbing present and inflammation is starting.

Bryonia – This remedy is indicated in colds and flus where there is a delayed onset and the person wants to remain completely still because even the least movement makes the symptoms worse. There is a tendency for the condition to spread to the chest with a dry cough that is worse at night. There may also be a great thirst for cold water.

Calendula – Essential for open cuts and wounds, Calendula is an effective antiseptic and speeds healing. Use Calendula topically instead of Arnica on open wounds.

Carbo Veg – This remedy can be used for stomach upsets and food poisoning, especially when the source is bad fish.

Chamomile – Chamomile is the “C” in the ABC’s of Children’s Remedies. One of the symptoms that almost always indicates this remedy is that one cheek is hot and red, while the other is cold and pale. Useful for teething infants, pain and fever, especially in those who are very sensitive to pain. Other symptoms are intense irritability, restlessness, temper tantrums and children who only calm down when carried.

Hepar Sulph – This remedy is indicated when wounds, sores or boil show signs of infections, such as, redness, heat and swelling. Hepar Sulph is a great remedy for abscesses. It is also helpful in colds that have much sneezing and develop thick, yellow, offensive nasal discharge.

Hypericum – This remedy is extremely helpful in wounds and trauma that involve nerve endings, fingers, toes or spine or those injuries that cause intense pain. Things that come to mind are slamming fingers in the door or stubbing the toe.

Ledum – Ledum is the prime remedy to use in puncture wounds. It is also useful for bites and stings that feel cold (opposite of Apis, above).

Nux Vomica – This remedy is indicated in indigestion, nausea and vomiting which results from nervous strain, stress, overwork or overindulgence in food and drink – the hangover remedy. It is also useful in colds where the nose streams in a warm room, but is stuffed up at night. The person is extremely chilly, cannot warm up and is very irritable.

Pulsatilla – Pulsatilla also can be indicated in indigestion, but from rich or fatty foods. However, it is better known for conditions such as earaches, headaches and colds. In all cases there is usually thirstlessnes,  amelioration from the open air and aggravation from warm, stuffy rooms.

Rhus Tox – Useful in cases of joint injuries, sprain, muscular stiffness after over-exertion or exposure to cold and wet conditions, Rhus Tox is also a great remedy for poison oak and chicken pox, as well as colds and coughs. Some of the main symptoms indicating this remedy are restlessness, feeling worse from beginning to move, but feeling better after continued motion, feeling worse at night and from uncovering, but better from warmth.

Ruta – Ruta is used when injuries have occurred to the tendons or cartilage, and especially, to the wrists and ankles.

Urtica Urens – This is an excellent remedy for first degree burns as well as sunburn and nettle stings, or other rashes from plant contact.

Homeopathy Facts

The following is a compilation of excerpts from an article written by Louise Mclean, LCCH MHMA, editor of Zeus Homoeopathy News and www.homeopathyheals.me.uk

FACT:  Hippocrates ‘The Father of Medicine’ of Ancient Greece said there were two Laws of Healing:  The Law of Opposites and the Law of Similars.  Homeopathy treats the patient with medicines using the Law of Similars, orthodox medicine uses the Law of Opposites, e.g. antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, anti-convulsants, anti-hypertensives, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics.

FACT:  Homeopathic theories are based on fixed principles of the Laws of Nature – unlike medical theories which are constantly changing!

FACT:  Homeopathy is an evidence-based, empirical medicine.

FACT:  Homeopathy is both an art and a science.

FACT:  The Homeopathic PROVINGS of medicines are a more scientific method of testing than the orthodox model of RCTs or double blind trials.

FACT:  Homeopathic medicine awakens and stimulates the body’s own curative powers.  The potentised remedy acts as a catalyst to set healing into motion.

FACT:  Homeopathic medicines work by communicating a current/pattern/frequency of energy via the whole human body to jump start the body’s own inherent healing mechanisms.

FACT:  Homeopathy assists the body to heal itself, to overcome an illness which brings the patient to a HIGHER level of health.  Orthodox medicine suppresses the illness, bringing the patient to a lower level of health.

FACT:  The homeopathic practitioner endeavors to search for and treat the CAUSE of the disease in order to heal the EFFECT.

FACT:  Outcomes of homeopathic treatment are measured by the LONG TERM  curative effects of prescribing and complete eradication of the disease state.

FACT:  The homeopathic practitioner treats the WHOLE PERSON, believing all symptoms are interrelated and seeks to select a medicine which most closely covers them all.

FACT:  Homeopathy works FAST in acute illnesses, slower in chronic illness.

FACT:  Homeopathic medicine has been proven extremely effective in Epidemics such as cholera, typhoid, diptheria, yellow fever, polio and influenza and were used extensively in 19th century.  http://www.whale.to/v/winston.html

FACT:  Homeopathic remedies are cheap.

FACT:  Pharmaceutical medicines are expensive.

FACT:  Homeopathy is the 2nd most popular and widely used medicine in the world.

FACT:  There are more than 4,000 homeopathic medicines.

FACT: Homeopathic medicines have no toxic side-effects.

FACT: Homeopathic medicines are NON-ADDICTIVE.

FACT:  In 200 years, there has never been a single homeopathic medicine recalled, unlike pharmaceutical medicines.

FACT:  Every true homeopathic medicine is made using ONE SUBSTANCE – whether plant, mineral, metal, etc. The exact substance is known, unlike most modern drugs where we are rarely informed of the ingredients.

FACT:  Any remedy up to a 12c or a 24x potency still contains the original molecules of the substance and this is known as Avogadro’s number.

FACT:  Every Patient is Unique so homeopathic medicines are individualized.

FACT:  Homeopaths treat genetic illness, tracing its origins to 6 main genetic causes or ‘miasms’: Tuberculosis, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Psora (scabies), Cancer, Leprosy.

FACT:  High fevers will drop within minutes after taking the homeopathic medicine Belladonna or Aconite.

FACT :  In the United States in the early 1900s there were 22 homeopathic medical schools and over 100 homeopathic hospitals, 60 orphanages and old people’s homes and 1,000+ homeopathic pharmacies.

FACT:  Members of the American Medical Association had great animosity towards homeopathy after its formation in 1847 and it was decided to purge all local medical societies of physicians who were homeopaths.

FACT:  Big Pharma does not want the Public to find out how well homeopathy works!

FACT:  In 2005 World Health Organization brought out a draft report which showed homeopathy was beneficial causing Big Pharma to panic and the Lancet to bring out an editorial entitled ‘The End of Homeopathy’.

FACT:  In 2005 the Lancet tried to destroy homeopathy but were only looking at 8 inconclusive trials out of 110 of which 102 were positive.  This was a fraudulent analysis.
“The meta-analysis at the centre of the controversy is based on 110 placebo-controlled clinical trials of homeopathy and 110 clinical trials of allopathy (conventional medicine), which are said to be matched. These were reduced to 21 trials of homeopathy and 9 of conventional medicine of ‘higher quality’ and further reduced to 8 and 6 trials, respectively, which were ‘larger, higher quality’. The final analysis which concluded that ‘the clinical effects of homoeopathy are placebo effects’ was based on just the eight ‘larger, higher quality’ clinical trials of homeopathy. The Lancet’s press release did not mention this, instead giving the impression that the conclusions were based on all 110 trials.”
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1375230

FACT:  There have been many clinical trials that prove homeopathy works.  In the past 24 years there have been more than 180 controlled, and 118 randomized, trials into homeopathy, which were analyzed by four separate meta-analyses.  In each case, the researchers concluded that the benefits of homeopathy went far beyond that which could be explained purely by the placebo effect.

FACT:  The Bristol Homeopathic Hospital carried out a study published in November 2005 of 6500 patients receiving homeopathic treatment.  There was an overall improvement in health of 70% of them.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4454856.stm

FACT:  Homeopathy can never be properly tested through double blind randomized trials because each prescription is individualized as every patient is unique.  Therefore 10 people with arthritis, for example, may all need a different homeopathic medicine.

FACT:  Homeopathic medicines are not tested on animals.

FACT:  Homeopathic medicines work even better on animals and babies than on adults, proving this cannot be placebo effect.

FACT:  Homeopathy is safe for women to take while pregnant and safe for old people.

FACT:  Scientists agree that if and when homeopathy is accepted by the scientific community it will turn established science on its head.

FACT:  The popularity of homeopathy has grown in the past 30 years, its revival entirely through word of mouth and estimated to be growing at more than 20% a year the world over!

FACT:  Hundreds of famous people throughout the past 200 years have enjoyed the benefits of homeopathic medicine.  www.homeopathicrevolution.com

FACT:  The Royal Families of Europe use homeopathic medicine and Queen Elizabeth II of England never travels anywhere without her homeopathic vials of medicine.

FACT:  Homeopathy is practised nowadays in countries all over the world.  In India there are 100 homeopathic medical schools and around 250,000 homeopathic doctors!

FACT:  In a recent Global TGI survey where people were asked whether they trust homeopathy the following percentages of people living in urban areas said YES:  62% in India, 58% Brazil, 53% Saudi Arabia, Chile 49%, United Arab Emirates 49%, France 40%, South Africa 35%, Russia 28%, Germany 27%, Argentina 25%, Hungary 25%, USA 18%, UK 15%. http://www.tgisurveys.com/documents/TGIbarometerhomeopathy_Jan08.pdf

FACT: The media as a whole has been unwilling to air a defense of the efficacy of homeopathy and the validity of this 250 year old profession.

My Journey to Natural Health

My journey in natural healing began almost 20 years ago. To overcome a recurring bout of bronchitis, a friend suggested I try an herbal remedy  instead of the usual course of antibiotics that were obviously not working very well. I was amazed when I recovered in half the time I usually did. What was even more amazing was that my episodes of recurrence became less and less frequent until bronchitis became a thing of the past for me. That did it…..I was hooked….

Within a couple of years, I decided to undertake a course of study in Herbal Medicine with well known herbalist, Cascade Anderson Geller,  in Portland, OR. After completing beginning through advanced courses,  I was unsure of how to put my new-found knowledge to best use. I was not comfortable with the responsibility associated with asking people to put their health in my hands. However, I had a genuine desire to work with herbs. So, after some brainstorming, and a serendipitous class in herbal soap making, I decided to start a business hand crafting herbal soaps and skin care products. My Christmas gift recipients that year became the guinea pigs for my new line of products. Fortunately, they were all well received and Herbs of Grace was born. (Herb of Grace is one of the common names for Ruta graveolens, or Common Rue.)

My main marketing venue for the first several years, aside from my website, was the local farmer’s market in Vancouver, WA. I had a steadily growing base of clientele and the part-time schedule worked well with my growing family which now includes a husband and three daughters.

When my second daughter, Scarlet,  was 10 months old, we attended a birthday party where we later learned we were exposed to strep throat. Right on cue, my daughter developed symptoms that led me to believe she had contracted the illness. After calling our naturopath and describing her symptoms, he confirmed that she most likely had scarlet fever (what did I expect, naming a child Scarlet…) After some research, he advised us to give her Belladonna 30C every 20 minutes for 1 hour and then 3x/day for the next 2-3 days. He said she would probably fall asleep right after the first 3 doses and her fever should break. He also mentioned that the fever may spike again in the evenings, but that was normal over the course of the illness, and that after 2 or 3 days, she should be well. To my delight and relief, she recovered *exactly* as he had described. This experience was a huge turning point in my life and eventually my business. Treating my own illnesses with natural modalities was one thing, but trusting my intuition to forego the mainstream conventional medical treatment in favor of traditional healing wisdom with someone else’s health, moreover my baby’s health, was another thing altogether.  This experience not only cemented my trust in alternative medicine, but it also strengthened my trust in myself and my intuitive healing abilities.

In 2004, within months of the birth of our third daughter, our family had the opportunity to move to Japan for a year. I had just debuted a new line of mineral makeup based on the needs of my clients and it was very well received. Somehow, in my sleep-deprived, post-partum state, I decided that it shouldn’t be too difficult to pack up my business and 3 babes, move to a foreign country where I don’t speak the language and set up shop….So, off we went! That year proved not only to be the most challenging, but by far, one of the most enjoyable I have ever had. One of the biggest obstacles I had to face during the course of our stay in Japan resulted in my decision to stream-line my product offerings by discontinuing everything except the mineral makeup line. While this allowed me to focus on what was really selling well, it also took me away from working with my beloved herbs.

However, my business continued to grow, and by the time we came back to the states, my husband and I decided to take the risk and see if my business could provide for the family on a full-time basis, so we incorporated in January 2006.  For the past 4 years now,  we have been working from our farmhouse in rural western Washington, unschooling our girls, growing some of our own food, teaching belly dance classes on the side and now have Herbs of Grace Natural Look Mineral Makeup placed in over 60 retail locations nationwide.

Our decision has required us to forgo many things. We live closer to the earth, which has been a blessing to me. It has afforded me the chance to grow, harvest and use my own herbs for the first time, and I feel like I am literally getting back to my roots as an herbalist. Having these experiences has ignited in me the desire to incorporate natural medicine into my business… and having had so many wonderful experiences with homeopathy over the years, such as the one I mentioned earlier, I feel like I am now ready for that responsibility. These events led me to the British Institute of Homeopathy to enroll in the General Diploma of Homeopathy program.

I have a deep passion to continue the herbal and homeopathic traditions of the past and expand awareness of more natural, gentle forms of healing. I believe it is important at this point in time to remind people not only of their innate power to heal themselves, but also their responsibility to do just that. Herbalism and homeopathy have been a very empowering force in my life and I hope to share that experience with others. As I continue to add to my knowledge of natural healing modalities, I have decided the best way to share my skills is to put the “herbs” back into Herbs of Grace by offering consultations in natural health, specializing in herbalism and homeopathy.


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