Dr Amit Pandey
Abstract
Sepia officinalis is commonly known as Cuttlefish. Found mainly in the Mediterranean sea. Parts used-pure pigments in the ink. Cuttlefish ink has long been used as a pigment in artists paints. Medicinally, it was used in ancient time to treat Gonorrhoea & Kidney stones. Hahnemann published details about the homoeopathic remedy in 1834. He proved the remedy after observing that an artist friend who licked his sepia-soaked paint brush frequently developed an obscure illness, which was caused by the ink. It is an excellent remedy for women’s complaints. Dr.Gibson Miller has stated that if he were allowed to keep only one drug, he would choose Sepia .Margaret Tyler with Sepia marvelous insight calls it a washerwoman’s remedy.
One day I was deeply absorbed in NJH in my clinic. After few minutes, a lady came with her husband. As soon as I looked at her & I remembered the constitution of Sepia that was exactly the same as I had been taught by my great teacher Dr. S.C.Mishra Sir who wants every of his student become a good homoeopath. Suddenly, I was lost in the memories of that class. My chain of thought was broken by her husband- Doctor!! Where are you? May we sit? I say Yes-Yes, please.
Then her husband asked me ,- do you remember me? I answered, Yes you are Mr & Mrs “Sepia ” & how are you? He replied- not all well. I am suffering from diarrhea continuously for over five years. On enquiry he gave a history that the disorder had started after his marriage when he had taken some strongly boiled milk & soon had an urge for stool. Being in the midst of the marriage ceremony, he had controlled the urge. But from the next day he had developed the diarrhea which had persisted so long. Now condylomata surround head of his panis. URINE THICK FOUL, ADHERENT RED SANDY SENDIMENT. Heavy bearing down feeling in his hypogastrium. Naturally, he had consulted numerous physicians but had found no relief.
I saw Mr. & Mrs. Sepia, both are tall & lean with slim hips, dark hair & brown eyes. Pigmentation across their nose & cheeks can result in a yellow-brown “SADDLE”. Mrs. Sepia is attractive & elegant, with an angular, slightly masculine appearance. She look downcast & sit with their legs crossed (because of a weak feeling in the pelvic area). Her “Tell Tale Face” indicates the internal derangement with MALE TYPE OF PELVIC. On further enquiry she gave her complaints as follows:-After marriage she was active but gradually becomes less & less active interested in sex. Now, inspite of her strong sexual desire, she has aversion to coition due to pain during intercourse & feel exhausted afterward & as such she does not enjoy intercourse.(That is why Boger describes the Sepia patient as “ miserable”). Anything to do with sexual matters makes her feel nauseous. Her husband wants sex and finally she pretends. She does not like mixing with friends whom she actually wants; rather she desire company of some unknown person.(Wants company but no friends-Adolph Lippe).
She has a very distinct aversion to men & persons whom she loves best, but she can’t help herself appreciating their company. (It is somewhat like Lycopodium who does not want company in his room but wishes somebody should be there in the next room so that he feels that he is not alone).
She loses her husband (or children) whereas formerly she loved them dearly. Pelvic viscera are attached by their ligaments to the posterior wall of the abdomen or the back and also the fact that all the ligaments supporting the vertebral column become relaxed & resulted like her elder sister Mrs. Murex, she has sensation of something from coming out of the vagina (DRAGGING OR BEARING DOWN SENSATION) & to prevent falling down sensation, she sit close & crossed their legs tightly together. ( Lillium tigrinum feels her uterus or whole of the abdominal viscera is coming down & when standing or walking puts her hands on the vulva and presses it up in order to prevent protrusion).
Mentally she is irritable, angry, impatient, and intolerant of contradiction, suspicious, indifferent, and confused. She weeps while telling her symptoms (like Pulsatilla). Any attempt to console her aggravates & starts a fresh flow of tears. She has had tendency to abortion from 5th to 7th month. Abortion seems to produce a kind of serious disturbance in her health. (Schmidt writes,’ Sepia is uses as a preventive medicine for habitual esp. 7th month abortion). I know all of you interested to know much more about Sepia. So please continue….
The menses are usually late and scanty & of short duration (one or two days), and often flow only in the morning. In occasional instances they are early & profuse. There is pain from back to front. Great irritability during menses. Mania from profuse menses. Metrorrhagia at the time of climaxis. The flow is accompanied by empty feeling in the epigastrium, hot flushes, shuddering, general coldness & icy cold feet. Leucorrhea, yellow, greenish, in large lumps, in little girls, instead of menses, with stitches up in vagina from uterus to naval with much itching.
Sepia produces a general venous congestion. This is most marked in the portal system. Due to congestion, uterus displaced backwards & press upon the rectum & produce a sensation of a BALL or WEIGHT in the rectum or a frequent sensation for stool (cf. Nux-v). So that the patient goes & strains without result & only succeeds in adding to her discomfort by increasing the congestion.. Uterus also may press upon the bladder and provoke frequent urging for micturation. Sepia has ‘painful sensation of emptiness, goneness or faintness’ (also – Ignatia & Hydrastis canadensis) in connection with uterine symptom. Tongue white coated & bitter taste in the mouth with longing for acids or pickles which seem to relieve those symptoms. She often has nausea at the sight, smell or even at the thought of food (cf. Hyperemesis gravidarum). There are both < & > from eating. The periodicity of Sepia in headache & other complaints (eg. paroxysms of malarial fever) which recur regularly every twenty-eight days.
Sepia child– Sallow, sweaty skin. Chily & sensitive to changes in the weather. Nervous and dislikes being alone. Dislikes parties, but if forced to makes an effort will come alive, particularly if there is dancing. Tends to be constipated. Incontinence of urine during first sleep from which the child is roused with difficulty (also Kreos.).Skin –Blotched, boils in axilla. Ringworm < every spring. Urticaria < open air > warm room. Thick crusts from upon the joints. Fever– Easily chilled. Chilly with air hunger. Cold, in spots, on vertex, between scapulae, feet, in bed.
“Pulsatilla and Sepia often resemble each other, both being very touchy, but the Sepia patient does not break down or weep so easily. Pulsatilla seems to be needed more by the immature, adolescent, sensitive girl of puberty, while Sepia seems to better in the experienced, hardened women of climaxis”.– P. SHANKARAN.
“Lachesis 200 had a most unpleasant effect later antidotes by a dose of Sepia”.- Dr. M.L. Tyler
“Sepia is to be given in the evening because if given in the morning, it may produce a sufficient aggravation to have the patient feeling quite useless for that day”.- Dr. R.A.F. Jack
Merc. sol & Sepia after Belladonna are most reliable in uterine congestion”.- Dr. T.K.Moore.
Complementary:- Nat-m.
Inimical- To Lachesis should not be used before or after, to, Pulsatilla, with which it should never be alternated.- Allen Key Notes.
Symptoms worse,- COLD, AIR, morning & evening. After first sleep. Ascending. Washing cloths, coitus, before thunderstorm, pregnancy, before menses. BETTER- VIOLENT MOTION, pressure, crossing or drawing limb up. After sleep & warmth.
Dr Amit Pandey
Anushree Homoeopathic Medical College, Jabalpur
Email : amitpandey007@rediffmail.com
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