Aconite (Wolfsbane)
Early stages of colds, fevers, and inflammations. Complaints come on suddenly. Possible causes: cold/dry wind; fright/shock. Characterized by extreme restlessness and fear. May specifically have an unfounded fear of death. Dry, hot skin. Symptoms worse in the evening/around midnight. Thirsty for cold drinks. May say everything tastes bitter except water. Better: fresh air. Worse: touch.

Apis mellifica (Honey Bee)
Bites and stings. Edematous swellings. Parts feel constricted. Redness. Pain is burning and stinging. Restlessness. Thirstlessness. ‘Styes also prevent their recurrence’ – Boericke. Sore throat with stinging pains and swollen uvula. Better: cold applications. Worse: heat; 4-6pm.

Arnica (Leopardsbane)
Accidents, shock, and physical exhaustion. First choice for most minor accidents, falls, injuries, or physical ordeals. Swelling and bruising. The patient has a fear of being touched because of the pain and may want to be left alone. May claim to be alright when they clearly are not. Classic response of someone in shock. The upper body is hot, whilst the lower is cold. Memory may also be poor. Better: Lying down. with head low. Worse: jarring; lying on injured part.

Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade)
Minor fevers. The inflamed area or entire patient is burning, throbbing, and hot. The eyes are glassy and the pupils are dilated. The onset of complaints is sudden. Possible cause: a chill to the head. Pains are intense and throbbing. Rapid pulse. The patient is angry, with acute senses, in a world of their own. Photophobia. Thirsty, may crave lemonade. Better: lying down. Worse: touch or jarring movement;

Calcarea carbonicum (Oyster shell)
Slow, difficult teething. For children going through major developmental changes. Classically fat, fair, and flabby. Chilly. Easily over exerted and very sweaty (esp. back of head). Sour-smelling. May fear many things (e.g., the dark, monsters, animals, insects). Apprehensive, worse towards evening. Slow developers are particularly poor at assimilating their food. Gets a cold at every change of weather. Better: constipation; dry weather. Worse: heights; getting cold or wet; teething; milk.

Carbo vegetabilis (Vegetable Charcoal)
Many digestive disorders, especially wind (cf. Lycopodium). Upper abdomen/stomach very bloated. May be brought on by over-indulgence. Nausea in the morning. Slow digestion. Tickling cough with burning in the chest. Better: cool air; being fanned; burping. Worse: warmth, dehydration, before sleep, and tight clothing.

China officinalis (Peruvian Bark)
Debility from dehydration. Delicate types whose senses are too acute. Emotionally and physically exhausted. Ringing in the ears. Complaints arise after loss of fluids/dehydration (e.g., after a fever or diarrhea). Bloated abdomen, but not relieved by burping (cf. Carbo veg). Better: hard pressure; lying down; fasting; loose clothes. Worse: light touch.

Gelsemium (Yellow Jasmine)
Acute influenza with shivering up and down the spine. Characterized by lethargy and apathy. Wants to lie down. There is complete physical prostration but coupled with mental alertness. The patient trembles and has aching muscles and heaviness, especially in the head and eyes—even the eyelids droop. Diarrhea from emotional excitement. Better: for sweating or urination. Worse: physical exertion.

Hypericum (St John’s wort)
Injury to nerves, especially of extremities and sensitive parts. First aid for lacerated wounds from sharp instruments or any injury to nerve-rich areas (e.g., from slamming a door on fingers or toes or falling on the coccyx). Pains are extreme and shoot along the nerves. Punctured wounds, injured nerves from bites of animals. Generally worse for motion or pressure.

Ipecacuanha
Remedy for nausea. Vomiting of food or bile brings no relief. Sudden bright red hemorrhages (nosebleeds, piles, periods). Spasmodic respiratory complaints with tightness of the chest. Dry cough with gagging, nausea, and difficulty expectorating (cf. Ant Tart). Thirstless. Constant salivation and a clean tongue. Better: open air. Worse: overeating.

Lachesis (Bushmaster Surukuku snake)
Left-sided complaints begin on the left and move to the right (especially sore throats). Warm-blooded. Hot flushes during menopause. Talkative, amusing, but with an overactive mind. Can be suspicious and jealous. Intense. Better: open air; cold drinks; during or after period. Worse: menopause; alcohol; anything tight around the neck; after sleep; heat; heavy weather.

Lycopodium (Club Moss)
Anxious and apprehensive. Lack of self-confidence, especially when doing new things or speaking in public. Fine, once they get started (cf. Arg Nit, who hurries too much and does fail). Can be charming but may be dictatorial at home. Complaints move from right to left (opposite of Lachesis). Lots of wind. Bloated stomach and abdomen. Tendency to flatulence. Better: warm drinks, sweets, motion, open air, passing wind. Worse: 4pm-8pm.

Mercurius viv. (Quicksilver)
Mouth ulcers. It suits those people who are human thermometers, incredibly sensitive to both heat and cold, better moderate temperatures. They have very smelly breath and yellowish-green discharges (which may be streaked with blood). They are prone to swollen glands/colds and sweat profusely. Sore throat with a constant desire to swallow. Excessive saliva, especially at night, but they are extremely thirsty. Worse: in bed at night.

Nux vomica (Poison nut)
Hang-overs and over-indulgence in rich food. People who need this remedy are very chilly. Emotionally they tend to be tense, irritable, and oversensitive. They suffer from digestive complaints and nausea, and although they feel much better after vomiting, they find it difficult to do so. They often work and play very hard, surviving on a ‘diet’ of coffee, alcohol, and tobacco, despite the effect it has on them. For best results take the remedy a few hours before going to bed. Better: rest, warmth, and hot drinks. Worse: in the morning.

Ruta graveolens (Rue)
Strains and sprains of tendons. Injuries to cartilage and bone surface. It is less restless than Rhus Tox. Bone feels damaged. Injuries to wrists, knees, ankles, or bones with a thin covering of flesh (e.g., shins). Eye strain followed by headache. Better for movement. Worse: lying on the affected part.

Ruta graveolens (Rue)
Strains and sprains of tendons. Injuries to cartilage and bone surface. It is less restless than Rhus Tox. Bone feels damaged. Injuries to wrists, knees, ankles, or bones with a thin covering of flesh (e.g., shins). Eye strain followed by headache. Better for movement. Worse: lying on the affected part.

Silicea (Pure flint)
Suits chilly types, who keep getting infections that are very slow to clear up. Abscesses and boils. Thirsty. Perspire easily. Offensive sweat on the feet, underarms, and hands. Better: heat. Worse: cold, damp, wet weather. ‘Promotes expulsion of foreign bodies from’ tissues’—Boericke

Sulphur
Red, burning, or itchy skin problems, worse from scratching and washing. Warm-blooded, wants doors and windows open. Heat in the hands and the soles of the feet at night. Weakness with an empty, sinking feeling in my stomach at 11am. Desires sweets and spicy food. Burning pains. Offensive, corrosive, burning discharges. Itchy. Better: fresh air. Worse: warmth; bathing; 10-11am.