M.T. Ahmad J.T. Kent
No doubt, Calcarea Sulph is well known for the treatment of epilepsy, but Calcarea Ars is also an important remedy. It comes next to Calcarea Sulph. About Calcarea Ars, Dr. Kent is of the opinion that it can cure epilepsy completely. In my opinion, every kind of epilepsy is not curable. Epilepsy which is secondary to the structural deformity of the head needs to be treated surgically.
In Calcarea Ars, there is a tendency towards twitching of the muscles, as well as paralytic weakness. In fact, calcium causes profound weakness even if slightly imbalanced in the body. The blood pressure is also affected and sometimes the patient can suddenly collapse. These kinds of symptoms are very common in cattle. Due to calcium imbalance in their body, they collapse suddenly. Usually the day-to-day weakness of the patient is not related to the imbalance of Calcarea, but the sudden weakening may very well be due to the hyperacidity in the stomach. The condition is scary and frightful but not fatal. Sometimes these patients may become unconscious, but it is not epilepsy per se. The fits of weakness and unconsciousness due to epilepsy are for life. But sudden episodes of unconsciousness are not necessarily due to epilepsy.
The epilepsy secondary to congenital abnormality can adversely affect the rational thinking of a person. The patient’s forehead reflects his mental abnormality i.e. he is mentally not at par. His eyes express an idiotic look or, if the patient happens to be oversensitive, he keeps on pondering over trivial things. He is incapable of thinking wisely and seriously.
Some opponents of Islam viciously criticise the Holy Prophet(sa) of Islam and other Prophets, peace be on them all, saying that they did not receive any revelation from God but that they suffered from epilepsy. When the great achievements of Prophets are pondered upon, there remains no room for raising any such absurd objections at all. Even under very heavy pressure, the Prophets did not suffer from any kind of serious ailments. Whereas, when somebody is under that much pressure, epilepsy must ensue. It is said about the great Roman monarch Caesar, that when he used to address his people under great mental pressure, he used to faint and fall unconscious. In contrast, the Holy Prophet of Islam, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was ever so ready and alert, rather much more so in the face of dangerous situations. The rocky hillock of Uhad and the battlefield of Hunain are evidence enough to make these wretched opponents feel ashamed. The thought of the dozing and slumber which is present at the time of revelation from God, is no way close to an epileptic seizure.
Mental overload and acidity of the stomach can sometimes create a state of extreme physical weakness, so much so that the person may not be able to even move his finger. I have gone through this situation myself and felt during the physical exhaustion that I used to have, as if I was about to die. For many days I could not even get out of bed. This condition is temporary. When the acidity of the stomach is properly treated, the condition of this kind of serious weakness will leave forever.
The weakness that is observed in Calcarea Ars is not necessarily a sign of epilepsy. Arsenic is a part of the compound of Calcarea Ars. It has the tendency to produce an excessive amount of acid in the stomach. However, for the treatment of this kind of weakness, Nux Vomica is a better remedy than Arsenic. Calcarea Ars is different from Nux Vomica and other medicines. In Calcarea Ars patients, the paralytic tendency is a permanent feature while mere hyperacidity of the stomach does not cause paralysis. In Calcarea Ars, the hands start to shake and the entire body trembles before the onset of paralysis.
In medical terms, the word aura is used by doctors to describe the sensation of twinkling or tingling before the onset of epilepsy. In some patients, the aura starts at the stomach, while in others it starts at the heart. For example, the heart has a sinking feeling with a sensation of fright. In Calcarea Ars, the aura always starts at the heart. So if the patient notices something strange happening over the heart and the fit is like that of epilepsy, Calcarea Ars has the capability to completely cure this condition. Another sign of Calcarea Ars is that before the epileptic fit, the voice subsides and the person cannot speak.
Calcarea Ars is useful in the treatment of shortness of breath while going up the stairs. Its diseases tend to affect the left side of the body. In Calcarea Ars and in Staphysagria, neurological diseases develop as a result of anger, dislike and displeasure. The patient imagines ghosts and suffers from other kinds of hallucinations and delusions. Sometimes its patient sees fire in the dreams. This also happens in Natrum Mur, in which the patient sees fire and snakes in his dreams. If along with these symptoms, permanent insanity seems to be developing, Calcarea Ars would prove to be a good remedy for such insanity.
Calcarea Ars is also useful for the treatment of vertigo, imbalance and convulsions secondary to the excessive rush of blood towards the head. Calcarea Ars can be of use in old and chronic types of headache. It is worth a try if everything else has failed to relieve the headache. The headache in Calcarea Ars is just the reverse of the headache in Cimicifuga. In Cimicifuga, the pain becomes intense on lying on the affected side. In fact, local pressure on the affected side may provoke twitching of the muscles. In Calcarea Ars, the person will feel pain on the side opposite to the one he lies on. If he lies on the right side, his headache would be on the left side, and viceversa. This is typical of Calcarea Ars. Any chronic headache showing this kind of pattern will be most responsive to Calcarea Ars. Other than this, there is no other specific sign of the headache in Calcarea Ars.
Eczema develops on the skin of the face and the scalp. The kidneys hurt, the pain being the result of inflammation rather than of a stone in the kidneys. In Calcarea Ars, the leucorrhoeal discharge is yellowish and is corrosive like acid. Sometimes, this type of leucorrhoea can also cause psychiatric complications. In the treatment of this kind of leucorrhoea, Kali Phos and Arsenic are also useful remedies. In fact, these are the true antidotes for foul smelling discharge resulting from internal inflammation.
Calcarea Ars is very useful in the treatment of the constant oozing of the blood-mixed, acidic, foul-smelling discharge due to cancer of the uterus.
Antidotes: Carbo Veg, Glonoine, Pulsatilla
Potency: 30 to 1000
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
CALCAREA ARSENICOSA
As this remedy is a chemical union of two well proved deep acting remedies it would most likely appear at once to the mind as a long acting remedy, well suited to many chronic diseases.
In fact, it is deep acting enough to cure some of our most stubborn cases of epilepsy. It has made its record in this class of cases.
Great mental and physical weakness. Tremulous and paralytic weakness. Sense of lightness of the body as if floating in the air. Fainting spells. Epileptic convulsions where the aura is felt in the region of the heart. Marked lassitude. Pain and sinking in the region of the heart followed by spasms. Weakness, or vertigo, or momentary blindness.
Convulsions with valvular disease of the heart. Evening and night aggravations are common. The patient is sensitive to cold-a lack of vital heat. Aversion to the open air.
General physical anxiety. Many symptoms from ascending stairs. It has many burning pains like Arsenicum.. It has cured many cases of albuminuria in the early stages.
It is a useful remedy in chlorosis. Dropsy is a strong feature, as it is in Arsenicum and Calcarea. Complaints are worse from slight exertion; faintness, palpitation, dyspnea and weakness come on. The left side of the body is most affected.
Mind: The following mental symptoms are often a guide to its use. Anger and complaints from anger and vexation.
Anxiety in evening, at night, in bed, and during a chill, and on waking. Apprehensiveness; about the future, about his salvation, at night. Inclined to criticize.
Desire for company. Confusion of mind on waking. Inability to concentrate the mind. Delusions. Sees dead people, phantoms, images. Illusions of fancy.
Sees visions of fire, worse at night, and on closing the eyes. Despair of recovery, of salvation. Discontented. Excitable. Fear of death at night, of solitude, of insanity.
Becomes indifferent to pleasure. Insanity. Irresolution. Irritable. Lamenting. Loathing of life; weary of life. Weakness of memory.
Mischievous. Obstinate. Sensitive, easily offended. Extreme restlessness, especially at night, tossing about in bed; during heat; and during menses. Extreme sadness in evening, and during fever. Easily startled. Timidity. Weeping, at night.
Head: There is violent rush blood to the head with vertigo and general spasm. It has caused and cured many chronic headaches.
A very peculiar feature of the pain in the head is that it moves from the side lain on and goes to the side not lain on, and continues to change about by changing position.
Not all of its headaches do this way. It has many peculiar little symptoms. Pain in the head ameliorated during mental exertion, but much worse afterwards. Oedema of face, lids, temples and ears.
Eczema of face and scalp. Coldness of head. Pale, sickly, bloated face. Fluent coryza. Sneezing.
Loss of all desire for food, but thirst for cold water. Eructations and vomiting after food. Stomach easily disordered, especially after milk and cold food.
Pain in stomach after drinking cold water. Load in stomach after eating. Pain in groin after drinking wine. Waterbrash and spur stomach. Anxiety and burning in stomach. Stitching pain in stomach. Gnawing pain in stomach. Distension of stomach and abdomen. It has cured gastric ulcer.
Much soreness in region of kidneys. Scanty, burning urine, contains albumin and casts.
Pain in the spermatic cords, after exertion, and after drinking wine.
Excoriating, yellow leucorrhoea. Offensive, bloody leucorrhoea. For offensive leucorrhea, it compares with Kali ars. and Kali phos, it is useful in cancer of the uterus when there is burning and acrid offensive bloody flow.
It restores the menstrual flow, when the symptoms agree. Copious menstrual flow, or scanty flow, too frequent and protracted.
Pain at the approach of the menses. Metrorrhagia. Burning pain in uterus and vagina.
Drawing as with a thread from larynx backward. Dryness in larynx. Loses the voice before an epileptic convulsion. Suffocation and palpitation at night in bed.
Burning heat in chest and pain in region of heart before an epileptic convulsion.
Orgasm of blood in region of heart. Throbbing in the blood vessels, especially in head and back; it drives him out of bed. Pain in heart with palpitation. Angina pectoris.
Grasping pain in heart. Palpitation, with heat of face. Palpitation from least excitement or exertion; worse evening and night. Every fourth beat of pulse omits. Rapid pulse.
Violent headache between scapula and sacrum. Pain in back extends to arms. Pain in chest extends to arms. Oedema of the hands and feet. Weakness of lower limbs.
The sleep is disturbed by violent dreams. Palpitation and suffocation. Latter part of night wakeful, and much sweat.
If this wonderful remedy is studied with the mind on Arsenicum and Calcarea, a broader knowledge will be gained. It needs further proving in potencies.
by James Tyler Kent