Remedy of the Month

The keynote of this remedy is ‘dry’. The patient’s skin is dry, even with a fever (which comes on slowly and isn’t particularly high), and he is very thirsty for cold drinks only. Any discharges are also dry, as opposed to the fluent discharges of, say, Natrum Muriaticum. Any cough is dry, and he needs to sit up to cough. His eyes are so dry it’s painful to move them. He may well have parched and even cracked lips.

They like to keep perfectly still, and even thinking is too disturbing. Any pains tend to be stitching, and if muscular are worse for movement. Symptoms are slow to develop, over a few days not hours, and typically result from overheating or as warm weather comes in.

The patient is very irritable, but will go chilly if he loses his temper. He is described as “like a bear with a sore head”, and, indeed, his right-sided headache is splitting, but a nosebleed relieves it. Nothing you do for him will be right when he’s ill. He may also be very anxious about the tiniest things.

Bryonia is useful in slow-onset measles where there is headache and cough of the above description, and the rash is slow to develop. Think of it also for mumps, constipation, headaches and coughs, if the symptoms fit the Bryonia picture.