by Arul Manickam
A 14-year-old girl who had been suffering from psoriasis for a year — especially on the face and extremities — came to the clinic. The rash was worse in winter and better in summer. The itching was worse at night and after bathing and bled slightly when she scratched.
She says the following about herself:
“I want to do everything immediately as soon as I think of it. Why should I follow other people’s opinions? I don’t like being criticised.
I want to go out to see all the places I have not yet seen, but at present I am unable to go outside.
I want to eat all the foods I like, but I cannot eat many foods and cannot wear decent clothes. Now I must constantly look at the same place in our house; I am confined to my room. I don’t like being in our house. If I could go out, I would play, enjoy good food and beautiful scenery. I would like to go to the temple garden, that would be lovely for me.
I don’t like being alone. I cannot do my chores alone, my parents have to help me with my daily routine. At home no one talks to me; time passes slowly, I don’t want to stay there for a long time always in the same place. I want to go to the Velankanni Temple (a religious site in the Bay of Bengal). My friends have gone to that temple and told me how beautiful it is there. If I could go to different places, I could relax. But because of my illness I prefer to stay in my room and do not like to speak.
I fear that my complaints will spread to my brain, my heart or my lungs; when I eat the scaly lesions could fall into my food and infect my internal organs. It could affect my brain and drive me mad like my father, who suffers from a mental illness.
I am afraid that if this condition continues for a long time I will end up being an outcast. I want to cry alone. The pain in my wounds makes me want to die — it throbs and pulls. I am afraid of dying from my disease.
I am constantly worried about what others think of me and what they say about me.
At school I am ignored by the other pupils and teachers; they do not want to come near me or touch me. It makes me angry when people look at me very closely and ask why I have this disease, what happened to me? I feel that everyone is watching me, they are embarrassed even when they look compassionate. No, I don’t want to go to school any more, and I don’t want to go out either. Nobody speaks to me, not even at home. I also don’t like talking to strangers, because of what people say about me. My heart races when I have to speak to strangers.
I believe I have a contagious disease that infects everyone, so I do not like going out in public.
If this disease persists I will not be able to leave the house. But I do not want to be imprisoned, I will go mad if this state continues. I want to die.
It makes me angry when people shove me around. Why must I listen to the advice of these people? I feel weak and powerless, these people are strong and powerful because they are healthy; that is the only reason they can boss me about like that.
My father has the same problem of psoriasis with madness, so people say that my disease comes from him and that he is mad. I get very angry when others make such remarks about my father. I don’t know how this disease came to me, so I am very careful with my activities. If my father were healthy, he would be loving to me and would give me toys.
From the mother’s point of view: “She always quarrels with her sister. She is very stubborn and will not give in, she does what she wants. She becomes angry easily, and she will not do her daily routine work without help from others. She is selfish and feels no affection for her sister.”
Psoriasis
Observations
General:
Sweating on the upper lip and on the neck
Climate: rash worse in winter
Winter — craving for
Summer — aversion to
(Sweating, heat, aversion)
Likes the maximum in every season
Covering: great aversion in every season
Bathing:
plain water in all seasons
Appetite: good
Thirst: 2–3 litres/day
Bowels: unsatisfactory, every other day, constipation
Pain on defecation, occasional bleeding.
Urine: normal
Menses: lasting 10 days for the last 4 months, regular.
Dream: “A lot of snakes are around us; there is nobody except me and my mother. It is a critical situation. Nobody is there to stop them, and we cry for help. I believe we will die. Then the snakes disappear and we can escape. God has saved us.”
Food and drink: Craving for rice with curd/tofu, pepper; pepper gives Pongal[a] its flavour
Drawing:
I asked her to draw a few pictures and talk about them spontaneously.
1. Apple, grape, mango: “I want to eat apples because they taste so sweet. And I want grapes and mangoes, they have a sour taste; these fruits taste much better to me than other fruits.”
2.
Flowers — roses, jasmine: “Both look very beautiful, we can decorate them nicely. I want to be alone, because then nobody can say anything about my disease. Being in nature is relaxing.”
3. Mountain, sun, river; a man getting into a boat: “Here is a natural, peaceful environment, the climate is cool, a very inviting place, I want to be in this place I have never seen before. At this place I feel happiness and joy.”
AM: “Please close your eyes and tell me what comes to your mind spontaneously now!”
P: “A quiet place. There is nobody to criticise me. It is a pleasant place, I am happy.”
4. Nature, house with garden, trees, birds, sunrise, sun, fish, chicken, zoo: “I love nature, I like to see the sun rise and set, it looks beautiful. Fish and chicken both look nice; they are my pets. They never disturbed or bit me. No disturbances, no noise, nobody there. Pleasant sounds, a place that looks cool. I like to be there, we can play nicely, and the pets love us. That gives me joy. Gardens and zoos are the places I find most beautiful. I like to see the animals, it creates a good mood where we can play.”
Analysis
1. She wants fun and entertainment.
2. She wants tasty food.
3. She wants exciting and stimulating games. She wants liveliness and stimulation.
4. She wants joy and cheerfulness.
5. She finds time passes too slowly (boredom).
6. She wants to be in pleasant places with beautiful scenery: temple, garden, zoo, mountain, sun, river, a man getting into a boat, nature, house with garden, trees, birds, sunrise and sunset, fish.
Plant kingdom
Sensitivity and reactivity
On the one hand her sensitivity lies in her painful situation, which creates boredom and lack of stimulation, and on the other hand she seeks entertainment and enjoyment. The fundamental main sensation fits the Piperaceae family.
Miasm: Leprosy
Despair
Feeling of abandonment
Outcast
Disgusting, dirty, embarrassing situation, therefore she avoids the sight of other people
According to Rajan Sankaran’s schema:
The Piperaceae family and the leprosy miasm point to Cubeba officinalis.
Confirmation: the craving for Pongal pepper fits the pepper family.
Rubrics
MIND — PLEASURE — Desire for: Piper methysticum (Piperaceae family)
General — Food and Drink — Savouries — Desire for: Cubeba officinalis
General — Food and Drink — Fruits — Desire for — sour fruits: Cubeba officinalis
Prescription: Cubeba officinalis C 200, single dose
Follow-ups
Two months later: one week after the remedy she developed fever and cough which lasted two days. Sleep is good, the itching improved, and the crusting on the scalp has completely disappeared.
Overall 50% of the rash has disappeared. No problems or bleeding on exertion any more. The intensity of despair has decreased compared with before. Ten days ago she went to the Velankanni Temple with her friends and had a great time. Her boring and painful situation has now changed, and she goes out to amuse herself.
Six months later: the rash is almost gone, no itching, no scarring. She sleeps well and has no dreams. Bowel movements are regular and pass without effort. Psychologically she feels well; she has started going back to school and is now very interested in her studies. She mixes easily with the other children. The feeling of being neglected has almost gone. She is very happy about her recovery.
Prescription: Sac lac.
Eleven months later: the rash has not returned; she is generally well. She has been to various interesting places and has enjoyed herself.
Psoriasis 
Prescription: Sac lac.
Fifteen months later: minor eruptions with slight itching on the knee and fingers, lasting one month. Five months later she comes back because she fears the rash might recur.
Prescription: Cubeba officinalis C 200, one dose
One month later: The rash has completely disappeared, no more itching. Sac lac prescribed.
Two months later: no recurrence, she is physically and mentally well and studies well. The desire for pleasure and enjoyment has decreased compared with before.
This article was published on www.interhomeopathy.org
Photos: Arul Manickam
Category: Cases
Keywords: Psoriasis, boredom, craving for pepper, fear of the sc
[1] Pongal, a traditional Indian dish, is a kind of rice porridge made with fresh milk and palm sugar syrup. The aroma of ghee and pepper gives Pongal its characteristic flavour.
