Page 55 - Spring2010

Homeopathy Journal

TRAVIS THE TEENAGER LOVES NIGHTSHADES
By Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom (NA)

“Sweet!” swooned Travis, the sixteen- Belladonna, or deadly nightshade, was the
year-old, as he rose one morning with renewed remedy Travis’s parents chose because his fever
strength. Just the night before, he had suffered was high, his eyes had a glassy look, and his ear
from a 104-degree fever, thrashing anger and pain was severe. And the illness came on with a
ruthless ear pain. After three doses of the ho- fury. These are the keynotes of symptoms that
meopathic remedy Belladonna and much needed need to be present for Belladonna to do its good
sleep, this pale, emotional adolescent was made work. If the fever had been low, accompanied by
whole. Since it was Saturday, this meant he would chills, and presented in an irritable teen, the rem-
be able to go to his school dance that night. His edy choice would likely have been Nux vomica.
parents had no reservations about his intentions Or if Travis’s earache appeared with a medium
for the evening. They knew from years of using fever, he was fractious, and with one cheek red
homeopathy that when the remedy is correct, while the other pale, he might have been given
there is no need for a relapse. Regardless of the Chamomilla.
intensity of his illness, they recognized that their This is how patient-detailed and individual
son had recovered fully. the selection must be. No other medical paradigm
When properly administered, homeopathy incorporates the individual into the remedy
is an unparalleled form of medication. It mat- choice. In fact, one of the common criticisms
ters not that it’s medically documented, nor that of modern medicine is that it treats all of us the
it’s accepted as the norm by medical doctors same—not so with homeopathy. And perhaps
in England, Germany, France and India. What even more important, had Travis’s parents suc-
matters to Travis and to thousands of other teens cumbed to the conventional medical treatment of
throughout the world is that it works. their son, the infection might have been subdued,
How can something so inexpensive and but we would have been left with the angry teen.
gentle make such a difference in a high fever, or Is it no wonder that parents who use homeopathy
in any illness? The efficacy of homeopathy has find that their children are often less disruptive
been evidenced in medical journals throughout to the family after the well chosen remedy is
the world. It has been shown clinically for more administered? The illness actually becomes
than two hundred years to resolve illness such an important opportunity to tender the proper
as the one Travis suffered, without side effects remedy for deeper issues.
and within remarkably short order. These results Homeopathy’s role in the health of teens
are to be expected because homeopathy stirs the offers more than meets the eye. A medicine that The illness
person’s own ability to bring illness to a natural addresses a noteworthy fever and earache as actually
close. If, in the case of Travis’s fever, an antibiotic well as the accompanying anger is the role of a
and analgesic had been administered instead, dynamic medical model. Yet Travis doesn’t need becomes an
Travis would have experienced a false sense of to be convinced of homeopathy’s ability to do important
wellness, propped up by powerful drugs, which the job. His only concern is how to persuade his opportunity
have a list of side effects as long as his texting parents to let him borrow the car for the dance.
buddy list. For many who are dosed this way, The scientific statute of “like cures like” is to tender the
such an illness turns into repeated episodes over the foundation upon which homeopathy is girded. proper
a period of months. This is a common outcome Homeopathy employs plants that often have remedy for
in ailments that have been suppressed by con- poisonous characteristics and transforms them
ventional pharmaceuticals. into submissively curative agents. Although the deeper issues.

SPRING 2010 Wise Traditions 55