CENSORIOUS (CRITICAL): A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

CENSORIOUS (CRITICAL):

A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS★

G. William Jones, M.D.

53 remedies are posted under the rubric "critical" or "CENSORIOUS" in Kent's Repertory. Of these, 13 are of particular importance. In considering this differential diagnosis I have added Graphics. Rhus, the remedies which will be discussed here include Arnica, Arsenicum, Baryta Carbonica, Causticum, Graphites, Ipecac, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Mezereum, Nux Vomica, Pratima, Sepia, Sulphur and Veratrum Album.

Inclusion of a remedy under a rubric implies on outstanding degree of severity of the symptom, qualitatively or quantitatively. Most of us can be overly critical of others at times, but patients requiring these remedies manifest the quality of being critical to an unusual degree.

The rubric is listed in the repertory as censorious. Critical is placed as a qualification in parentheses. The dictionary indicated a slight difference between the two words. The word "criticize" seems to have a broader connotation. It may mean merely to evaluate without necessarily finding fault, but usually it does imply a detailed expression of disapproval. "Censure" on the other hand refers to an open and strong expression of disapproval. It may also imply a reprimand or formal criticism of a person or persons by someone in authority. I was interested in finding an old 1914 dictionary and in reviewing these words in it, since after all the repertory was written in the early 1900's and not in 1981*. The meanings of words have frequently changed to some degree since the repertory was originally written. In the older dictionary, the word "critical" is defined as "inclined to criticize,, especially captious, censorious." To criticize is "to judge as a critic especially to find fault.". Captious means "Apt to catch at faults, caviling, carping". In this old dictionary the word "censorious" is defined as "given to censure, apt to condemn" and "the act of finding fault with or condemning as wrong; hostile criticism, blame, condemnation."

Arsenicum and Sulphur are the two remedies in bold print in the repertory– this is interesting as Kent mentions that these two remedies are opposites in many respects.

Let us consider the characteristics of the 14 remedies as they pertain to the Rubric – critical or censorious, in alphabetical order.

ARNICA

Kent has the dental symptoms "I am not sick, I did not send for you". The ARNICA patient does not want to be approached, does not want to be talked to. Full of anguish, may have sudden fear of death at night. "When in a state of health he was friendly, kind-hearted, glad to shake hands, but now he is irritated at seeing me and insists there is nothing the matter with him."

ARSENICUM

ARSENICUM, the insecure perfectionist, is full of these traits. Arsenicum is very forthright, judgemental. Tastes are very definite with a strong impression of intolerance, of incompetence, weakness, poor performance. Demanding and critical in their nature. Clarke mentions indecision and changeable humor– which demands this at one time, that at another and rejects everything after having obtained it. A tendency toward ill-humour, impatience, vexation, inclination to be angry, repugnance to conversation, inclination to criticize and great susceptibility.

And the provings come out with this quality with frequency. "Ill humour alternating with gentle kindliness", "vexed about trifles".

"He is vexed at every trifle and cannot stop talking about the faults of others."

"Very peevish and dissatisfied with everything, she finds fault with everything. Everything seems to her too strong and loud, all talk, every noise, all light."

"Very peevish and sensitive; the least thing insults him and angers him."

"Very peevish and passionate, capricious, she takes every word I'll and is cross when she has to answer."

"Inclined to sarcastic mocking."

BARYTA CARBONICA

Mentally Baryta Carbonica manifests an arrested mental development. Children grow up without the ability to perceive and fail to develop. All sorts of complaint and grievances that may happen are hatched up. "The more he thinks about the complaint the worse it gets". From this background, characteristics develop which include mistrust, want of self confidence, and to quote Clarke "Sudden fits of passion from struggling causes".

CAUSTICUM

On the physical level, Causticum may manifests in a progressive, slow decrease of muscular power– paralysis. Mentally there may be a gradual increasing hysteria. Prolonged anxiety. Unhappy– looks on the dark side– suspicious and distrustful. Timid, nervous and anxious. And from the provings, "Very much vexed,peevish, irritable, censorious". Clarke says "Inclined to fits of anger with scolding".

GRAPHITES

The well known description of this remedy is "Graphites is fat, chilly and costume". This is one of the remedies which can have constantly changing moods. Kent mentions that there is a slowness of thought– worse in the morning, but often excited, hurried and exhilarated in the evening– and extremely fretful and impatient, irritable about trifles and very critical.


IPECAC

The most important feature of Ipecac is its nausea. However, mentally, , Clarke mentions moroseness with contempt for everything. And in the provings are: "Sulky humor that disposes everything and he desires that others should not esteem or care anything." – and – "Ailments from vexation and reserved displeasure."

LACHESIS

Lachesis has an intolerance to restrictions, constriction or pressure. There is overstimulation attempting to find an outlet for relief. He is impatient at tedious and dry things. It is not surprising that the tendency to be critical would be present in this remedy.

LYCOPODIUM

Here we have another of the great polycrests. A most complex remedy, indeed. A very cool character with habits of superiority and haughtiness. In the provings we find: "Sensitive, irritable, peevish, and cross on waking. Easily excited to anger. Cannot bear opposition and is speedily beside himself." Ailments from fright, anger, mortification or vexation with reserved displeasure."

NUX VOMICA

Here is our type A personality – full of the ability to be critical. Kent mentions "they all show over-sensitiveness; irritable, touchy, sensitive to conditions. They are never contented, never satisfied, disturbed by their surroundings , and they become so irritable they want to tear things, to scold. Impulses are strongly marked at times." And among the provings: "takes everything amiss, readily breaks out into scolding and abuse".

"It seems as if he would like to strike anyone in the face who speaks a word to him, so irritable and uncontrollable in his disposition."

"Every harmless word offends. Peevish malevolent, first, excited temperament. Ill humor , vexation, and anger, breaking out in acts of violence".

"Much disposed to scolding crossness".

"Much given to reproach other for their faults".

PLATINA

Platina with its great feeling of pride, arrogance and haughtiness and with its hysterical aspects would be expected to manifest this trait. Clarke mentions,"great irritability with prolonged ill humour – after a fit of passion and mania; with great pride, with fault finding, with unchaste talk; trembling and clonic spasms, caused by fright or from anger."

SEPIA

Sepia tends to be repressed in their affections and sexuality. Accompanying this can be a very irritable side. Kent mentions that the Sepia woman permits no opposition to her opinions. "The best impressions of her are lost if controversy arises". "Passionate, irritable, the greatest irritability from slight causes", "Very easily offended", "Vexed and disposed to scold", "She vents her spite on those she loves best."

SULPHUR

Sulphur, certainly, is a very grand remedy. It is interesting that Kent in his discussion of Sulphur does not directly mention the words critical or censorious. However, as we know, Sulphur can be very impatient with others. He wants to get along, he can be argumentative – especially on the intellectual level. Clarke mentions "ill humour, moroseness, quarrelsome this position and a disposition to criticize."

VERATRUM ALBUM

This is a remedy characterized by coldness of discharges, coldness of body and prostration on the mental level, there is violence and destructiveness and hysteria. Wants to destroy and tear something. Always wants to be busy. Clarke mentions "quarrelsome and delirious, striking a kidney with a hand and foot changed to a happy and comical delirious state."


In summary, I have reviewed some of the characteristics of the important remedies relating to the Rubric "Censorious or Critical". This has been a helpful exercise to me and I would recommend it to others as one method of study of the materia medica and of the relationship of remedies to each other.


From:– Similia Similibus Curentur, Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy, June, 1981

★This article was presented to the California State Homeopathic Medical Society, March 7, 1981, El Cortez Hotel, San Francisco, CA.

MENTAL SYMPTOMS

MENTAL SYMPTOMS

William Boericke, M.D.

In certain drugs the mental symptoms lead and determine almost absolutely, like Aconite, Ignatia, Cannabis Indica; in others, although important and characteristic, yet they are associated with and expressive of a physical state that is more indicative of the remedy. Thus, our great liver remedies like Chelidonium, Podophyllum, or uterine remedies like Lilium, Sepia etc., have their mental state secondary to the physical lesion, whereas the mania of Hyoscyamus, the anxiety of Aconite, the mental and emotional instability of Ignatia, are less dependent on recognized physical lesions.

Where mental states and emotions are evident primary causes or contributing factors to the production or continuance of diseased conditions , Homoeopathy offers much useful aid, thus: Remember the adaptability of Coffee, Aconite and Opium to the ill effects of different emotional disturbances, especially Gelsemium to the effect of fear. Ignatia and Phosphoric Acid to the effect of grief, etc.

From the standpoint of the general practitioner , merely as illustration, let me review a few remedies, whose mind symptoms have been verified. Passing over the well known anxious, restless, agonized Aconite with its fears and forebodings, whose mental state dominates and characterizes every other symptom-group;  the wild, restless, violent, noisy Belladonna; the terror-stricken Stramonium; the zealous, lewd, lascivious, silly, agitated Hyoscyamus; the oversensitive, snappish, uncivil, irritable, angry Chamomilla; the gentle, timid, yielding, weeping Pulsatilla, with not much reserve force and then fretful, morose and easily put out of sorts. Let me call to your rememberance two or three remedies of special wide range of mental application for cases presenting themselves to the general practitioner.

Anacardium is of great value in many conditions associated with profound melancholy, hypochondriasis, hypersensitiveness and irritability. This hypochondriacal state is associated with gastric disturbance , constipation and hemorrhoids. It follows and often displaces Nux, which has similar irritability, but where eating aggravates, whereas under Anacardium eating always temporarily relieves. This is a sure guiding symptom. Anacardium has fixed ideas, hallucinations, a weakening of the moral fibre, with tendency to curse and swear, to explosive profanity, laughing at serious things, want of moral and religious sentiments, takes everything in bad parts and becomes violent. He always carries a chip on his shoulder. He is the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde of the materia medica, because he brings to his conscious perception the two natures found in each of us, the two wills, one urging on to do things that the other forbids. Contrary mental indications at the same time; now he will – now he won't. The loss of memory, the difficulty in collecting the thoughts, the mental depression with the angry sensitiveness breaking out in swearing and violence, are the guiding mental symptoms.

Aurum is the remedy for melancholy due to congestion, especially when there occurs with it the suicidal tendency. The patient is afraid of the slightest noise. Sorrow and depression with desire for solitude, fear that he has lost the love and esteem of others, with great grief and weeping; religious anxiety, with longing for death and constant prayer. Burnett calls attention to its successful employment for pining boys who are low-spirited, lifeless, have weak memory, poor testicular development. In syphilitic patients with this mental depression, suicidal thoughts accompanying violent pain in the head, worse at night, with symptoms of exostosis of cranial bones. The homoeopathic treatment of syphilis is at best a dreary desert, but Aurum in these conditions is a living oasis, offering brilliant and speedy help in this special line. We all know that despondency and satiety of life is frequently radically cured by the crude drug in bountiful dosage, as coin of the realm; it is equally certain that the homoeopathic attenuation will do its appointed work when indicated.

As a representative of the animal kingdom our well-proven Lachesis easily takes precedence. It is particularly serviceable in the mental depressions which occurs sometimes at the climacteric period. The patient is very loquacious and jumps from one subject to another in conversation. Hasty speech. The patient is nervous, sensitive, emotional, easily moved to tears, insanely jealous and depressed, especially sad in the morning, when all the symptoms of Lachesis are worse.

Restless and uneasy, does not desire to attend to business, wants to be off somewhere all the time– thinks there are robbers in the house and tries to escape, and fears being poisoned. Patient is always awakened by distress. I think it is the general experience of the school that the best results are obtained from these remedies by the use of a dosage attenuated.

I believe the more systematic study of the mental and nervous symptoms of our materia medica, especially as they express and interpret the temperamental side of the action of our remedies, will do most for the practical working capacity of our special method of drug study and it's application in disease.

*Condensed from Pacific Coast Journal of Homoeopathy. March 1912
*Similia Similibus Curentur, June, 1981, Journal of the American Institute of Homoeopathy.