A SHORT DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE POLYCRESTS - LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM

LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM

 General description and domicile:
Lycopodium is an evergreen plant native to Europe and North America. It is a slender, trailing plant. The roots of this moss resembles a claw - hence the name Wolf's Claw. Lycopodium grows wild in most of the northern hemisphere. In summer the plant produces spore cases at the tips of the stalks.

Part used and extraction:
In summer the spores are harvested by cutting the spikes and shaking the spores from the end of the spikes.

Remedy preparation:
The spores are soaked in alcohol for a week or more before it is filtered to obtain the mother tincture.

History:
This plant has been used medicinally since the middle ages when the spores were given to people suffering from gout, digestive disorders, kidney stones and water retention. The spores were also used as a coating on pills because of the water resistance of the spores. The spores are very flammable and were used in fireworks.

Remedy profile:
Good for chronic insecurity or fear of an upcoming event. Best for people that have a low self esteem and tend to hide this behind overconfidence and brashness. Night fears, sleeplessness, nightmares and headaches.
Physical symptoms are digestive disorders tending to bloating and wind. Low energy levels specifically in afternoons. Kidney stones, impotence and prostate disorders benefit men. Complaints often originate in the right of the body.

This drug is inert until the spores are crushed. Its wonderful medicinal properties are only disclosed by trituration and succussion.

In nearly all cases where Lycopodium Clavatum is the remedy, some evidence of urinary or digestive disturbance will be found. Corresponds to Grauvogle’s carbo-nitrogenoid constitution, the non-eliminative lithemic. Lycopodium is adapted more especially to ailments gradually developing, functional power weakening, with failures of the digestive powers, where the function of the liver is seriously disturbed.

 Atony. malnutrition. Mild temperaments of lymphatic constitutions, with catarrhal tendencies; older persons, where the skin shows yellowish spots, earthy complexion, uric acid diathesis, etc.; also precocious, weakly children.

Symptoms characteristically run from right to left, acts especially on RIGHT side of body, and are worse from about 4 to 8 P.M.

In kidney affections, Red sand in urine, backache, in renal region; worse before urination. Intolerant of cold drinks; Craves everything warm. Best adapted to persons intellectually keen, but of weak, muscular power.

Deep-seated, progressive, chronic diseases. Carcinoma. Emaciation. Debility in morning. Marked regulating influence upon the glandular (sebaceous) secretions. Pre-senility. Ascites, in liver disease. Lycop. patient is thin, withered, full of gas and dry. Lacks vital heat; has poor circulation, cold extremities. Pains come and go suddenly. Sensitive to noise and odors.Throat and stomach are better from warm drinks.

Key Symptoms:
Bloat, low self esteem, dread of upcoming event, constipation, insecurity. Craving for sweet comforting foods.

Used for treatment of:

Digestion:
Bloat and constipation as well as nausea, heartburn, effects of overeating and bleeding hemorrhoids.

Anxiety and fear:
Particularly fear of failure and a sense of inferiority. People that tend to hide a sense of inferiority by exaggerating their achievements and project an aura of false confidence. Aversion to change and fear of upcoming events typically those that are in the limelight like public speaking. Fear of failing in exams can lead to fear of exams or being tested. Fear is often accompanied by bowel disorders.

Prostate and kidney complaints:
Enlarged prostrate, sand like gravel in urine, blood in urine, mostly in men.

Skin disorders:
Psoriasis, nettle rash and other allergic reactions of the skin.

General Symptoms Worse for: Factors/Conditions that make the symptoms worse
After 4pm and before 8pm,
Hot weather
Tight clothes
Hot, stuffy rooms,
Extreme cold
Overeating
Cold drinks

General Symptoms Better for: Factors/Conditions that improve symptoms
Cool, fresh air
Late Night
Loose clothes
Hot meal and drink
Light exercise

 Some of the prominent components of Lycopodium are:

 – Lack of self-confidence;

 – Egotism;

 – Sentimentality;

 – Memory poor;

 – Irritability;

 – Cowardice; fear of people;

 – Desires company;

 – Contradiction, intolerance of;

 – Hurry/Impatience/Restlessness;

 – Lascivious;

 – Moods changeable;

 – Avarice;

 – Conscientious.

Every Lycopodium patient will have a combination of some of these attributes. Which of them will be prominent will depend upon age, sex and social situation. The ones approved by the society in which he operates will be prominent, while those which are frown upon will appear in a milder or compensated form.

 For example, in a society where lasciviousness is considered a sin, you will find the patient has compensated for it by some means. Or where egotism is frowned upon, the patient will try to avoid a display of this quality. Sometimes, he may purposely denigrate himself, so that even by mistake he does not sound egotistical.

Again, in an adult, cowardice my be hidden by an outward show of bravado. This becomes necessary to protect his ego. Occasionally, the Lycopodium patient may take recourse to tall talk, boasting with false bravado. This eventually produces a feeling of guilt with a fear of being discovered.

 An offshoot of this egotism is the censorious attitude towards others. The Lycopodium patient is not unhappy with others, but he nevertheless criticizes them in order to establish his own superiority. At the same time, his “Conscientiousness” will not allow him to overcriticize others. However, he will justify his criticism and say (and feel) that it is his duty to do so in the interest of the person criticized. Thus, Lycopodium can be very subtle in his criticism of others.

 “Egotism” also makes him “Intolerant of contradiction”. His views are supreme and must be accepted. This creates a lot of hurt feelings in those around him, and also for the Lycopodium patient himself. In the Repertory, “Egotism” is also to be compared with rubrics like: “Haughty”, “Contemptuous”, “Presumptuous”, etc. This egotism ultimately shapes many symptoms of Lycopodium.

 The Lycopodium child will have: “Fear of new people”, “Fear of men”, “Fear of strangers”, “Cowardice”, “Timidity”, etc. Hence, he stays away from new situations and new people, sticking always to the familiar and the known. In an adult this quality gets heavily compensated or overcompensated.

 Lycopodium’s ego does not allow him to accept his “Cowardice”, “Lack of self- confidence” and “Fear of men and people”. So he creates for himself a world within a world, where he surrounds himself with people whom he does not have to fear, but, in fact, who fear him. He will select a woman who is mild, who will never raise her voice and he will marry her. The Pulsatilla woman is the best for him, I suspect. In his work, play and social situation, he will gather around him only such people whom he can dominate and who he needs not fear.

 Also such people will praise him and boost his ego. They will never contradict him. In such an environment, Lycopodium will dominate, dictate and rule with an iron hand. But outside the safety of his domain, he will still remain anxious and timid. He will never venture out of this domain; yet, at the same time, he will seek to expand it, and will bring more and more people under his power. This situation is found under the rubric “Love of power”.

 This “Love of power” makes Lycopodium very ambitious. He will seek to achieve a position where he can dictate to others and he dare not be contradicted. Whether it is political power, or scientific authority or even an executive post or as the head of an institution, Lycopodium seeks power anywhere and everywhere. A frustrated ambition, displacement, even retirement can be a severe blow for Lycopodium. He may not give up so easily; nevertheless, there are going to be times when he is deeply upset about the whole incident.

 Lycopodium represents the constant struggle of a man between “Cowardice” and “Egotism”, between “Lack of confidence” and “Haughtiness”, between “Timidity” and “Dictatorial” attitude. The earliest signs of this struggle are seen in childhood. The child is usually lean. He is timid, especially in the presence of new people. For example, it would be difficult for him to approach a shopkeeper for something. He wants to speak on the stage before an audience, but gets a stage-fright. So, he indulges in childish fancies and theories and has to remain content with this for some time. He imagines, or dreams, that he is someone big, a leader of people, a much respected and powerful man – “Delusion, childish fantasies, has”.

 Lycopodium remains a loner; he cannot make new friends easily and does not like to play. This “Aversion to play in children” arises out of his timidity and also his physical weakness. He is scared also because his brain is more developed than his physique. He is scared of those in authority, of his father and of the head of the college, but not of his mother. So, in his home, he dominates, rules like a tyrant, makes others do what he wishes, commands them; but in the school he is an angel, a pet of his teacher. To those with whom he can be, he is rude and contemptuous – “Contemptuous, hard on subordinates and agreeable to superiors or people he has to fear”.

 Once, a child of six or seven was brought to the OPD. The parents were describing the child’s nature, and I was observing the child. He was mild, reserved, scared, timid and cowardly, whereas his parents were saying that he was very irritable, rude and dictatorial. The contrast between what the child did in a familiar circumstances and what he did in the presence of new people struck me and enabled me to give a prescription of Lycopodium with success. 

 This contrast comes up again when deciding about his profession, his future. His two main considerations in this respect are: security, and a position of power and a challenging job. Therefore, he will have a lot of irresolution while searching for a job that fulfils both these needs. Ultimately security will win, but he will scheme and plan for a better position in the future.

 With this basic framework, let us now examine the other aspects of the Lycopodium personality.

 “Desire for company”: Firstly, Lycopodium has a fear of being alone in a hostile world, amidst unfamiliar persons. He seeks out known persons, wants someone around him all the time, “even if in the next room”, or to accompany him. Thus, he becomes dependent on those few relationships that he develops and he feels anxious if these are threatened by illness or death or if they move away. This makes the Lycopodium appears sentimental, desiring company, affectionate, sympathetic and these qualities make Lycopodium appear like Phosphorus, but the big difference is that the Lycopodium does not like others to depend on him. He would like to avoid responsibility as far as possible. Hence the rubrics: “Estranged, flies from her own children” and “Escape, attempts to, from her family, children”. 

 “Lasciviousness”: Next comes the “Lasciviousness” of Lycopodium which, with his desire for company, leads to love affairs. His fear of the new initially makes him shun them, but once he overcomes the fear, he plans the love affair with great care and thought, that is the characteristic approach of Lycopodium to all his problems.

 He is willing to share and give, but not to commit. So, when an affair reaches a peak, he backs out. Thus, he has a string of love affairs until he eventually decides to settle down. Lycopodium usually has late marriage. He now plans the choosing of his spouse seriously – one whom he can depend upon, lean on, who can be his constant companion, one who can be relatively independent but who can reciprocate his warmth and care and allow him to dominate. When he finds such a mate, he marries.

 “Strong sense of duty”: The third feature of the Lycopodium personality is his “Strong sense of duty”. Once he commits, he accepts full responsibility, as he is duty bound to do. In short, once he commits himself he is not irresponsible.

 “Affectionate”: Another feature of the Lycopodium personality is that behind his irritable exterior he can be very “Affectionate”, “Sentimental” and “Emotional”. Hence, the rubric: “Abrupt, rough, yet affectionate”. The sentimental and emotional part of Lycopodium is rarely seen; it is often hidden. He can weep when seeing sentimental scenes, both of joy and sorrow. Nostalgia, pleasant memories, relationships with his parents, memories of his relatives – these can cause tears. Thus the rubric: “Weeps when thanks”. He can be sentimental also from scenes in novels and cinema.

 Naturally, with all these contradictions in his nature – his irritability and sympathy, his cowardice and love of power, his lack of confidence and dictatorial tendency – all these are bound to create a split in his personality and give rise to two symptoms: “Irresolution” and “Moods changeable”.

 Let me now emphasize two more aspects of Lycopodium, viz. hurry and impatience, and restlessness.

 “Hurry”: “Hurry” is a component which usually does not need to be compensated, as it is encouraged and approved by social standards. In this fast paced world, hurry can be an asset. Therefore, this symptom of Lycopodium will be found directly in most patients. They do things fast, but not necessarily in an orderly manner. They are impatient and cannot wait for anything (like Histaminum). In the clinic during the interview, especially during the follow-ups, they are quite impatient and want to get away quickly. Combined with their poor memory, this impatience accounts for a lot of mistakes. So, there are mistakes in speech, writing, etc. Their mind works too fast, and is always racing ahead (Natrum muriaticum lives in the past, while Lycopodium lives in the future).

 “Weakness of memory”: Another aspect of Lycopodium is his “Weakness of memory” and “Mistakes in speech and writing”. The weakness of memory is especially for proper names; it also extends to dates, events and the things he has to do. This poor memory is a big handicap for Lycopodium.

 In some aspects, Lycopodium resembles Nux vomica with the irritability, impatience and dictatorial nature. These two remedies may come close, but the main difference is that Nux vomica is not so cowardly inside; he is more rash and audacious. He is more forceful and expressive, more impulsive and explosive. From a young age we can see this difference. Lycopodium has a shy and introverted childhood, while Nux vomica has a daring and mischievous one.

 In adulthood, when given a job, a Nux vomica will do it “by hook or crook” and he will break all the obstacles in his way like a “road roller”. He can often get violent. The Lycopodium is not so ardent and daring; he weighs each step and does not rush into things. If the obstacle is big, he will hesitate and may even withdraw.

 Other remedies to be compared are Aurum metallicum, Staphysagria, Chelidonium, Phosphoricum acidum, Platinum, Medorrhinum, Sulphur (Lycopodium is called vegetable Sulphur), China, Silicea, Argentum nitricum, Bryonia, Calcarea carbonica (the exact opposite of Lycopodium in that Calcarea carbonica is slow and indolent while Lycopodium is fast paced and emotional).

 Lycopodium is a man who was told  that he is not loved as he is, but only if he achieves something in his life. So his feelings are connected with achievement. He feels he must achieve in order to be loved. A mother tells her son: “Look on, you must achieve a position of eminence for me to care for you, to feel good about you and value you.” He receives the message that in order to get her love he must achieve, reach somewhere which is not easy, but difficult, because the circumstances around him are difficult. When Shivaji’s mother told him: “You must reach that fort and conquer it”, he had no army and the fort belonged to the Emperor, so he had an uphill task. He had to collect an army around him, to conquer and achieve what his mother wanted to do; and when he said: “Mother, I have done it”, she replied: “Conquer another fort.” Lycopodium is the son of a mother who demands achievement, the son of a father demanding achievement.

 In order to conquer and achieve he needs people to whom he can dictate, he needs an army around him, and he is afraid that he will not reach the goal, it is too difficult. So, he has “Anticipatory anxiety” and “Lack of self-confidence”. On one side he has “Egotism”, “Ambition”, “Love of power” and “Dominance” and on the other side he feels uneasy without achievement. It is the feeling of inferiority which requires him to be egoistic. Lycopodium is duty conscious because he feels it is his duty to please the person who demands, yet he feels that his slender means reduce his capacity, therefore the rubric: “Fear, unable to reach his destination”.

 This feature of love of power and achievement never leaves a Lycopodium patient even when he tries to look for a wife; he feels that a woman can love him only if he achieves. When he is close to a woman, he wants her to like him not because he is what he is, but because of his achievements. He does not like a woman who likes him for what he is. He feels the need to show her that he is achieving, and he constantly emphasizes that he is a great achiever. The moment he knows that it is not so, the whole relationship breaks down. He always likes to be on a pedestal; if he steps down from the pedestal, he is low/short. He has to be on a pedestal. He has to be an achiever.

 When a woman leaves a Lycopodium person, he feels she left him because he had not achieved. He will now be more busy in achieving; he has no attachment to his children – rubrics: “Children, flies from his own”, “Indifference to her children”, “Estranged, flies from her own children”, “Escape, attempts to, from her own children”.

Relationships
Complementary: Lycop. acts with special benefit After calcar. and Sulphur. Iod.; Graphites; Lach.; Chelidon.

Antidotes: Camph.; Puls.; Caust.

Compare: Carbo-nitrogenoid Constitution: Sulphur; Rhus; Urtica; Mercur.; Hepar. Alumina ( Lycop. is the only vegetable that takes up aluminum. T. F. Allen.) Ant. c.; Nat-m.; Bry.; Nux; Bothrops (Day-blindness; can scarcely see after sunrise; pain in right great toe). Plumbago Littoralis - A Brazilian plant - (Costive with red urine, pain in kidneys and joints and body generally; milky saliva, ulcerated mouth). Hydrast. follows Lycopodium Clavatum. in indigestion.