A Comparative Homeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory
ACONITE versus BRYONIA
Two of homeopathy’s great acute polychrests, set side by side — the sudden fright of the monkshood against the stitching, worse-motion pains of the wild hop.
Aconitum napellus
Bryonia alba
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Part One
Introduction & How to Use This Book
Why these two remedies are so often reached for — and so often confused.
Few pairs of remedies in the homeopathic materia medica are invoked as often, in as similar a moment, as Aconitum napellus and Bryonia alba. Both are remedies of acute conditions, sudden onsets, and inflammatory states. Yet, examined closely, they describe almost opposite pictures of what distress and inflammation feel like from the inside.
This e-book brings together two layers of material. The first is a traditional materia medica portrait of each remedy, written in the descriptive style homeopathic students have used for two centuries. The second is a digitised repertory comparison: hundreds of individual rubrics graded on the traditional 1–3 scale of remedy strength, laid out so the two remedies can be read side by side, symptom by symptom.
Reading the grading scale
Homeopathic repertories grade the association between a remedy and a symptom on a three-point scale, traditionally shown in print, italic, and bold: ●○○ (1) the remedy is known to produce or relieve this symptom; ●●○ (2) it is a more frequently confirmed, more reliable indication; ●●● (3) it is a keynote — one of the symptoms this remedy is most famous for, often clinically decisive. Throughout this book, blue dots mark Aconite, green dots mark Bryonia.
Before you begin
This book is a study and reference resource on classical homeopathic teaching. It is not medical advice, and homeopathy’s therapeutic claims are not supported by robust scientific evidence in the way conventional pharmacology is. Both source plants are toxic in their natural form. See Safety, Scope & Responsible Use before applying anything here.
Part Two
Aconitum Napellus
The remedy of sudden shock, panic, and the first hour of violent illness.
Blue · Aconite · Acon.
Aconite
Aconitum napellus · Monkshood / Wolfsbane · Family Ranunculaceae“Sudden, violent, short” — the remedy of the first hour: terror, dry cold-wind onset, and fear so intense the patient predicts the moment of death.
SourceWhole fresh flowering plant, particularly the root, of the monkshood; one of the most acutely poisonous plants in Europe, source of the alkaloid aconitine.
KingdomPlant — Ranunculaceae (buttercup family)
ProvingsFirst proved by Hahnemann himself and published in his Materia Medica Pura; among the earliest and most thoroughly studied homeopathic remedies.
ClassificationMajor acute polychrest; remedy of the “first stage” of inflammatory and febrile conditions
Essence & Causation
Aconite is above all the remedy of shock. Its classic entry point is exposure to dry, cold wind (especially a cold north or east wind), a sudden fright, a piece of frightening news, or a traumatic event. The nervous system reacts explosively: what follows is intense, short-lived, and completely disproportionate in its emotional charge to the physical findings, at least in the earliest hours.
Mind & Emotional Picture
- Sudden, intense fear and anxiety — of death, of crowds, of the dark, of crossing the street, restless tossing that anxiety itself seems to drive.
- Predicts the time of death — a famous keynote: the patient states, with calm certainty, the hour they believe they will die.
- Fear during pregnancy or labour that she or the child will die — a very characteristic obstetric indication.
- Panic that seems to arrive from nowhere: fear of imaginary things and imaginary animals, fear in a crowd or a narrow place.
- Restlessness driven by inner anguish, tossing from one place to another, unable to be still.
- Ecstasies and fancies — a peculiar mental state where the patient is lost in exalted, often pleasant visions or ideas.
Physical Generals & Key Symptoms
- Onset that can be timed almost to the hour: healthy one moment, acutely unwell the next, typically after exposure to dry cold air.
- Dry, burning heat with a red, flushed face and full, hard, bounding pulse.
- Great thirst, especially for cold water, often in large quantities, alongside dry mouth and dry mucous membranes.
- Marked worse at night, especially around midnight.
- Numbness and tingling (formication) accompanying pain.
- Heightened sensitivity of all the senses; noise, light, touch, and motion may all aggravate.
- Complaints predominate in internal parts, upper part of chest, and palms of hands.
- Numbness in the suffering (gouty) limbs.
- Itching generally unchanged by scratching.
- Perspiration of the parts lain on.
- Heat with inclination to uncover.
- Thirst during all stages.
- Sleeplessness predominant after midnight.
Modalities
WorseDry cold wind, night (especially midnight), warm room, lying on the affected side, fright, when swallowing, after lying down, in bed, being wrapped up, opening the eyes
BetterOpen air, rest, uncovering (in fever), after perspiration begins, remission during day and before midnight, walking in open air, closing eyes
Part Three
Bryonia Alba
The remedy of stitching pains, worse from motion, and the desire to be left alone.
Green · Bryonia · Bry.
Bryonia
Bryonia alba · Wild Hop / White Bryony · Family Cucurbitaceae“Stitching, worse on motion, better on pressure and rest” — the remedy of inflammations of serous membranes, with a characteristic dry, irritable state and aversion to being disturbed.
SourceRoot of the white bryony, a climbing plant native to Europe and Asia; known for its drastic purgative and irritant properties in the raw state.
KingdomPlant — Cucurbitaceae (gourd family)
ProvingsProved by Hahnemann and extensively confirmed; a classic remedy for inflammatory conditions and the “worse from motion” keynote.
ClassificationMajor acute polychrest; remedy of inflammations, especially pleurisy, pneumonia, and rheumatic conditions.
Essence & Causation
Bryonia is above all the remedy of inflammation and congestion. Its classic entry point is a condition where every movement aggravates, and the patient desires to lie perfectly still. There is a characteristic dryness of mucous membranes and a stitching quality to the pain, which is worse on motion and better on pressure.
Mind & Emotional Picture
- Irritability and peevishness — wants to be left alone, dislikes being spoken to or disturbed.
- Aversion to company — prefers solitude, often with a fixed, thoughtful expression.
- Delusions of being away from home — a key mental symptom: the patient thinks they are not at home, wants to go home, or talks of business.
- Anxiety about business — worries about work or future affairs, even during illness.
- Muttering delirium, especially at night, with wakefulness.
- Fear of poverty or financial ruin.
- Reproaches himself or others.
Physical Generals & Key Symptoms
- Stitching, tearing pains — sharp, sudden, often aggravated by motion, coughing, or deep breathing.
- Worse from motion — the most characteristic modality; better from absolute rest and lying on the painful side.
- Dryness — dry mouth, dry cough, dry skin, thirst for large quantities of water at long intervals.
- Complaints predominate in external parts, lower part of chest, and upper arm.
- Constrictive sensations, especially of external parts.
- Itching lessened or unchanged by scratching.
- Heat or cold on the suffering part.
- Perspiration lessened after stool.
- Thirst not constant, but predominant — often for cold drinks.
- Sleeplessness prevalent before midnight.
- Nausea in the abdomen, not often in stomach or oesophagus.
- Urine frequent, but scanty, only exceptionally copious.
- Voice nasal or raised.
- Respiration quick and deep, but without motion of the ribs.
- Expectoration not constant; in the morning and evening, more rarely during the day.
Modalities
WorseMotion, touch, any jar, morning, eating, warm air, rising up, lying on painless side, after sleep, cold food, warm food, cold drinks, hot weather
BetterAbsolute rest, lying on the painful side, pressure, cold applications, lying still, during the day, after midnight, in the open air, after perspiration
Part Four
Head-to-Head Differential Table
The key questions experienced prescribers ask first when choosing between these two remedies. → Scroll right for details
→ Swipe left to see full comparison table
| Feature | Aconite | Bryonia |
|---|---|---|
| Onset | Sudden, after cold dry wind, fright, or shock | Gradual or sudden, after chill, exposure, or suppression of sweat |
| Dominant emotion | Terror, panic, fear of imminent death | Irritability, wants to be left alone, anxiety about business |
| Location | Internal parts; upper chest, palms of hands | External parts; lower chest, upper arm |
| Thirst | Marked, for cold water, often in large amounts | Wanting during heat and sweat; constant during chill, large quantities at long intervals |
| Heat sensation | Dry, burning heat with inclination to uncover | Heat with aversion to uncover, or heat on suffering part |
| Sleep | Sleeplessness after midnight | Sleeplessness before midnight |
| Numbness | Numbness in suffering (gouty) limbs | Sensation of coldness or burning in veins |
| Itching | Generally unchanged by scratching | Lessened or unchanged by scratching |
| Perspiration | Perspiration of parts lain on, increased after stool | Perspiration lessened after stool |
| Causation | Fright, vexation, fear, anger, cold dry wind | Chill, cold, suppression of sweat, anger, vexation |
| Nausea | Nausea in esophagus, stomach, or throat | Nausea in the abdomen, not often in stomach |
| Urine | Seldom and scanty (exceptionally copious) | Frequent, but scanty (exceptionally copious) |
| Expectoration | Seldom; in the morning and during the day | Not constant; in the morning and evening, rarely during day |
| Remission | During the day and before midnight | Remission during the day |
| Better | Open air, lying on painless side, rest, closing eyes | Lying on painful side, pressure, absolute rest, cold applications |
| Worse | Warm room, touch, opening eyes, lying on painful side, riding | Motion, touch, jar, rising up, morning, warm air, eating, lying on painless side |
| Key note | Fear of loss of reason, predicts time of death | Delusion of being away from home, desires to go home |
| Senses | Acute, sensitive to noise, light, touch | Dullness of senses, loss of smell |
| Voice | Tremulous | Nasal or raised |
| Respiration | Quick and superficial | Quick and deep, without motion of ribs |
A simple rule many students use as a starting point: Aconite fears he will die; Bryonia wants to be left alone to die. Neither line replaces a careful case-taking, but both capture something true about each remedy’s centre of gravity.
Part Five
Repertory Data at a Glance
Hundreds of rubrics, digitised from the classical comparison chart, grouped by section and grade.
Mind · Rubrics
Generalities · Rubrics
Total Rubrics
Grade-3 Keynotes — the Strongest Indications
Acon · Mind, anguish
Acon · Mind, anxiety, chill during
Acon · Mind, anxiety, fear, with
Acon · Mind, death, thoughts of
Acon · Mind, ecstasy
Acon · Mind, fear, crowd, in a
Acon · Mind, fear, death, of, labor, during
Acon · Mind, fear, death, of, predicts the time
Acon · Mind, moaning, groaning
Acon · Mind, prophesying, predicts time of death
Acon · Mind, sadness, chill, during
Acon · Mind, shrieking, pain, with
Acon · Mind, somnambulism
Acon · Mind, unconsciousness
Acon · Mind, weeping, heat, during
Bry · Mind, business, talks of
Bry · Mind, delirium, morning, at daybreak
Bry · Mind, delusions, home, think is away from
Bry · Mind, home, desires to go
Bry · Mind, morose
Bry · Mind, quiet, wants to be
Bry · Mind, speech, incoherent
Bry · Mind, speech, prattling
Bry · Mind, starting, startled
Bry · Mind, suspicious
The Full Repertory Tables
All rubrics from the source comparison chart, organised into sections. Blue dots indicate Aconite’s grade, green dots indicate Bryonia’s grade; an open circle means the remedy is not graded for that rubric in this chart.
●○○ Aconite — grade 1
●●○ Aconite — grade 2
●●● Aconite — grade 3 (keynote)
●○○ Bryonia — grade 1
●●○ Bryonia — grade 2
●●● Bryonia — grade 3 (keynote)
→ Swipe left to see full repertory table
| Rubric (Symptom) → Scroll right for details | Aconite | Bryonia |
|---|---|---|
| absent-minded | ●●○ | – |
| absorbed, buried in thought * | ●○○ | – |
| affectionate | ●○○ | – |
| anger, ailments after anger, with anxiety | ●●● | ●○○ |
| anger, contradiction, from | – | ●●○ |
| anger, cough, from the | ●○○ | – |
| anger, evening | – | ●●○ |
| anger, irascibility | ●●● | ●●● |
| anger, violent | ●●● | ●●○ |
| anguish | ●●● | – |
| anguish, stool before | ●○○ | – |
| answers, hastily | – | ●○○ |
| anxiety | ●●● | ●●● |
| anxiety, air, in open (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, air, in open, amel. | – | ●●○ |
| anxiety, bed, in | – | ●●○ |
| anxiety, breathing deeply, on (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, chill, during | ●●● | – |
| anxiety, cold drinks, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, company, when in | – | ●●○ |
| anxiety, crowd, in a | ●●○ | – |
| anxiety, evening (agg.) | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| anxiety, evening, bed, in (agg.) | – | ●●○ |
| anxiety, fear, with | ●●● | ●○○ |
| anxiety, fever, during | ●●● | ●●○ |
| anxiety, forenoon | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, fright, after | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, future, about | ●○○ | ●●● |
| anxiety, headache, with | ●●○ | – |
| anxiety, health, about | – | ●○○ |
| anxiety, house, in (agg.) | – | ●●○ |
| anxiety, menses, before | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, menses, during (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, mental exertion | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, motion, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, motion, from (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, night | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| anxiety, night, midnight, before | – | ●●○ |
| anxiety, pains, from the | ●●○ | – |
| anxiety, sleep, during | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, sleep, on going to | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, stool, after | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, stool, before | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, stool, during | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, thinking about it, from | – | ●○○ |
| anxiety, urination, during | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, vexation, after | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, waking, on | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, walking, while | ●○○ | – |
| anxiety, weeping, followed by | ●○○ | – |
| asks for nothing | – | ●○○ |
| audacity | ●○○ | – |
| avarice | – | ●○○ |
| bed, aversion to (shuns) | ●●○ | – |
| biting | ●○○ | – |
| biting, himself | ●○○ | – |
| business, talks of | – | ●●● |
| busy | – | ●●○ |
| capriciousness | ●○○ | ●●● |
| carried, desires to be | ●○○ | – |
| censorious, critical | ●○○ | – |
| cheerful, alternating, sadness, with | ●○○ | – |
| cheerful, gay, happy | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| cheerful, heat, during | ●○○ | – |
| cheerful, menses, before | ●○○ | – |
| childish behavior | ●○○ | – |
| clairvoyance | ●○○ | – |
| company aversion to | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| company aversion to, avoids the sight of people | ●○○ | – |
| company aversion to, presence of strangers, to | – | ●●○ |
| company, desire for | – | ●○○ |
| complaining | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| concentration, difficult | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| concentration, difficult, studying, reading, etc., while | ●○○ | – |
| concentration, difficult, writing, while | – | ●●○ |
| confidence, want of self | ●●○ | – |
| confusion of mind | ●●○ | ●●● |
| confusion, afternoon | ●○○ | – |
| confusion, air, in open, amel. | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| confusion, chill, during | ●○○ | – |
| confusion, drinking, after | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, eructations amel. | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, heat, during the | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, intoxicated, as after being | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| confusion, intoxicated, as if | ●●○ | – |
| confusion, lying, when | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, morning | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| confusion, morning, rising, on | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, morning, waking, on | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| confusion, motion, from (agg.) | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| confusion, paroxysms of pain, during | ●○○ | – |
| confusion, riding, while | ●●○ | – |
| confusion, rising, after | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, sleeping, after | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, standing, while | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, waking, on | ●○○ | – |
| confusion, walking, open air, amel. | – | ●○○ |
| confusion, walking, open air, in (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| confusion, walking, while (agg.) | – | ●●○ |
| confusion, warm room, in | ●○○ | – |
| confusion, yawning amel. | – | ●●○ |
| conscientious about trifles | – | ●○○ |
| contradiction, is intolerant of | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| contrary | ●○○ | – |
| conversation agg. | ●○○ | – |
| courageous | ●○○ | – |
| cowardice | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| dancing | ●○○ | – |
| darkness agg. | ●○○ | – |
| death, presentiment of | ●●● | ●○○ |
| death, presentiment of, predicts the time | ●●○ | – |
| death, thoughts of | ●●● | – |
| defiant | ●○○ | – |
| delirium | ●●○ | ●●● |
| delirium, anxious | ●●○ | – |
| delirium, busy | – | ●●○ |
| delirium, cheerful | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, closing the eyes, on | – | ●●○ |
| delirium, evening | – | ●○○ |
| delirium, foolish, silly | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, frightful | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, headache, during | ●●○ | – |
| delirium, laughing | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, loquacious | – | ●○○ |
| delirium, maniacal * | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, menses, during | ●●○ | – |
| delirium, morning | – | ●○○ |
| delirium, morning, at daybreak | – | ●●● |
| delirium, muttering | – | ●●● |
| delirium, muttering, sleep, in | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, night | ●●● | ●●○ |
| delirium, quiet | – | ●●● |
| delirium, raging, raving | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| delirium, restless | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, sleep, during | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, sleep, falling on | – | ●●○ |
| delirium, sleepiness, with | – | ●●○ |
| delirium, sorrowful | ●○○ | – |
| delirium, violent | ●●○ | – |
| delirium, waking, on | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, bed, sinking were * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, business, fancies is doing * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, dead, persons, sees * | – | ●●○ |
| delusions, delirious, at night, expected to become * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, die, thought he was about to * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, driving sheep * | ●●● | – |
| delusions, engaged in some occupation, is * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, enlarged * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, enlarged, head is * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, faces, sees * | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| delusions, faces, sees, closing eyes, on * | – | ●●○ |
| delusions, fancy, illusions of * | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| delusions, head, heavy, his own seemed too * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, head, large, seems too * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, home, think is away from * | ●○○ | ●●● |
| delusions, images, phantoms, night * | – | – |
| delusions, images, phantoms, sees * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, imaginations, hallucinations, illusions * | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| delusions, injury, is being injured * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, insane, that she will become * | ●●○ | – |
| delusions, people, closing eyes, on * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, people, sees * | – | ●●○ |
| delusions, pursued, soldiers, by * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, pursued, thought he was * | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| delusions, sleeping, while awake, insists that he was * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, small, sensation of being smaller * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, soldiers, cutting him down, better on getting cool * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, soldiers, sees * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, spectres, closing eyes, on * | – | ●●○ |
| delusions, strange, land, as if in a * | – | ●○○ |
| delusions, strangers, control of, under * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, strangers, friends appear as * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, unfortunate, that he is * | ●○○ | – |
| delusions, visions * | ●●○ | – |
| delusions, visions, closing the eyes, on * | – | ●●○ |
| despair | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| despair, chill, during | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| despair, heat, during | ●●○ | – |
| despair, pains, with the | ●○○ | – |
| despair, recovery | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| discontented, displeased, dissatisfied, etc. | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| discontented, himself, with | – | ●○○ |
| discouraged | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| disobedience | ●○○ | – |
| disturbed, averse to being | – | ●●○ |
| doubtful, recovery, of | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| dream, as if in a | ●○○ | – |
| dullness, chill, during | – | ●○○ |
| dullness, emotions, from | ●○○ | – |
| dullness, lying, while (agg.) | – | ●○○ |
| dullness, reading, while | ●○○ | – |
| dullness, sluggishness, difficulty of thinking and comprehending | ●●○ | ●●● |
| dullness, smoking, from | ●○○ | – |
| dullness, standing agg. | – | ●○○ |
| dullness, warm room, on entering | ●○○ | – |
| dullness, wine, after | ●○○ | – |
| dullness, writing, while | ●○○ | – |
| ecstasy * | ●●● | ●○○ |
| envy | ●○○ | – |
| escape, attempts to | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| escape, attempts to, to run away | – | ●○○ |
| escape, attempts to, window, from | – | ●○○ |
| excitement, chill, during | ●●● | ●●○ |
| excitement, excitable | ●●● | ●●● |
| excitement, nervous | ●●● | – |
| excitement, perspiration, during | ●●○ | – |
| exhilaration | ●○○ | – |
| fancies, exaltation of | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| fancies, lively | ●○○ | – |
| fear | ●●● | ●●○ |
| fear, accidents, of | ●○○ | – |
| fear, alone, of being | ●○○ | – |
| fear, bed, of the | – | ●○○ |
| fear, crowd, in a | ●●○ | – |
| fear, crowd, in a, public places, of | ●●● | – |
| fear, dark | ●○○ | – |
| fear, death, of | ●●● | ●●○ |
| fear, death, of, labor, during | ●●● | – |
| fear, death, of, menses, before | ●○○ | – |
| fear, death, of, menses, during | ●○○ | – |
| fear, death, of, predicts the time | ●○○ | – |
| fear, death, of, pregnancy, during | ●●● | – |
| fear, disease, of impending | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| fear, evil of | ●○○ | – |
| fear, falling, of | ●○○ | – |
| fear, ghosts, of | ●●○ | – |
| fear, ghosts, of, night | ●●○ | – |
| fear, heat, during | ●○○ | – |
| fear, insanity, of | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| fear, labor, during | ●○○ | – |
| fear, menses, before | ●●○ | – |
| fear, menses, during | ●○○ | – |
| fear, misfortune, of | ●○○ | – |
| fear, narrow place, in | ●○○ | – |
| fear, people, of | ●●○ | – |
| fear, poisoned, of being | – | ●○○ |
| fear, poverty | – | ●●● |
| fear, sleep, before | ●○○ | – |
| fear, arising from | – | ●○○ |
| fear, suffering, of | – | ●○○ |
| fear, suffocation, of | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| fear, thunderstorm, of | ●●○ | – |
| fear, walking, across busy street | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| foolish behavior | ●○○ | – |
| forgetful | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| fright, complaints from | ●●● | ●○○ |
| frightened easily | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| gestures, hands, motions, throwing about | ●○○ | – |
| gestures, hands, motions, wild | – | ●○○ |
| gestures, hands, waving in the air | ●○○ | – |
| gestures, picks at bedclothes | ●○○ | – |
| grief | ●○○ | – |
| hatred | ●○○ | – |
| home, desires to go | – | ●●● |
| home, talks of | – | ●●○ |
| hopeful | ●○○ | – |
| hopeful, alternating with sadness | ●○○ | – |
| hurry | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| hurry, movements, in | ●○○ | – |
| hurry, occupation, in | ●○○ | – |
| hurry, walking, while | ●○○ | – |
| hysteria | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| ideas abundant, clearness of mind | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| ideas abundant, evening | – | ●○○ |
| ideas abundant, evening, bed, in | – | ●○○ |
| ideas, deficiency of | ●●○ | – |
| imbecility | ●○○ | – |
| impatience | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| impetuous | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| impetuous, perspiration | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| inconsolable | ●●○ | – |
| indifference, apathy, etc. | ●●○ | – |
| indifference, everything, to | ●●○ | – |
| indifference, loved ones, to | ●●○ | – |
| indiscretion | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| indolence, aversion to work | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| industrious | – | ●○○ |
| insanity, madness | ●○○ | – |
| irresolution | – | ●○○ |
| irritability | ●●● | ●●● |
| irritability, chill, during | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| irritability, eating, after | – | ●●○ |
| irritability, headache, during | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| irritability, heat, during | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| irritability, menses, during | ●○○ | – |
| irritability, morning | – | ●○○ |
| irritability, morning, waking, on | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| irritability, perspiration, during | ●○○ | – |
| irritability, waking, on (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| jesting | ●●○ | – |
| jesting, averse to | ●●○ | – |
| jesting, bed, out of | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| jumping | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| kleptomania | – | ●○○ |
| lamenting, bemoaning, wailing etc. (compare weeping) | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| laughing | ●○○ | – |
| laughing, spasmodic | ●○○ | – |
| light, desire for | ●●○ | – |
| loathing, general | ●○○ | – |
| loquacity | ●○○ | – |
| malicious | ●●○ | – |
| mania, madness * | ●○○ | – |
| mania-a-potu * | ●○○ | – |
| memory active | ●○○ | – |
| memory, weakness of | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| memory, weakness of, dates, for | ●○○ | – |
| memory, weakness of, done, for what has just | ●●○ | – |
| memory, weakness of, labor, for mental (compare stupefaction) | ●○○ | – |
| memory, weakness of, thought, for what has just | ●○○ | – |
| mildness | ●○○ | – |
| mirth, foolish | ●●○ | – |
| mirth, heat, during | ●○○ | – |
| mirth, hilarity, liveliness, etc. | ●○○ | – |
| misanthropy | ●○○ | – |
| mistakes, localities | ●○○ | – |
| mistakes, time, in | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| moaning, groaning | ●●● | ●●○ |
| moaning, heat, during | ●○○ | – |
| moaning, perspiration, during | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| moaning, sleep, during | – | ●○○ |
| monomania | ●○○ | – |
| mood, alternating | ●●○ | – |
| mood, changeable, variable, etc. | ●●○ | – |
| morose | – | ●●● |
| mortification, ailments after | – | ●●○ |
| obstinate | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| offended, easily | ●○○ | – |
| prophesying | ●○○ | – |
| prophesying, predicts the time of death | ●●● | – |
| prostration of mind | – | ●●○ |
| quarrelsome | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| quiet, heat, during | – | ●●○ |
| quiet, wants to be | – | ●●● |
| quiet, wants to be, chill, during | – | ●●● |
| rage, alternating, consciousness | ●○○ | – |
| rage, evening | ●○○ | – |
| rage, fury | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| rage, menses, during | ●○○ | – |
| rage, night | ●○○ | – |
| reading, averse to | ●●○ | – |
| reproaches, himself | ●●○ | – |
| reproaches, others | ●●○ | – |
| repulsive mood | ●○○ | – |
| restlessness, anxious, etc. | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| restlessness, bed, driving out of | – | ●○○ |
| restlessness, bed, tossing about in | – | ●●○ |
| restlessness, chill, during the | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| restlessness, evening | ●○○ | – |
| restlessness, headache, during | – | ●○○ |
| restlessness, heat, during the | ●●○ | – |
| restlessness, internal | ●○○ | – |
| restlessness, menses, before | ●○○ | – |
| restlessness, menses, during | ●●○ | – |
| restlessness, metrorrhagia, during | ●●○ | – |
| restlessness, nervousness | ●●● | ●○○ |
| restlessness, night | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| restlessness, perspiration, during (agg.) | – | ●○○ |
| restlessness, pregnancy, during | ●○○ | – |
| ridicule, mania to * | ●○○ | – |
| rocking amel. | ●○○ | – |
| sadness, chill, during | ●●● | – |
| sadness, heat, during the | ●●● | ●○○ |
| sadness, mental depression | ●●● | ●●○ |
| sadness, music, from | ●●○ | – |
| sadness, perspiration, during | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| sadness, walking, while (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| scorn, ailments from | ●○○ | ●●● |
| senses, dullness of | ●○○ | – |
| senses, vanishing, of | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| sensitive, children | ●●○ | – |
| sensitive, chill, during | – | ●○○ |
| sensitive, light | ●●○ | – |
| sensitive, music, to | ●●○ | – |
| sensitive, noise, to | ●●● | ●●○ |
| sensitive, noise, to, slightest | ●○○ | – |
| sensitive, oversensitive | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| sentimental | ●○○ | – |
| shrieking * | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| shrieking, pain, with the * | ●●● | – |
| shrieking, sleep, during * | – | ●●○ |
| sighing | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| sighing, heat, during | ●○○ | – |
| sighing, perspiration, during | ●○○ | ●●● |
| singing | ●○○ | – |
| singing, alternating with weeping | ●●○ | – |
| sit, inclination to | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| somnambulism | ●●● | ●●○ |
| speech, childish | ●○○ | – |
| speech, confused | – | ●○○ |
| speech, hasty | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| speech, incoherent | – | ●●● |
| speech, nonsense | ●○○ | – |
| speech, prattling | – | ●●● |
| speech, unintelligible | ●○○ | – |
| speech, wandering | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| speech, wandering, night, at | ●○○ | – |
| starting, bed, in | – | ●○○ |
| starting, bed, in, while lying awake | – | ●○○ |
| starting, evening, on falling asleep | – | ●○○ |
| starting, fright, from | ●●○ | – |
| starting, sleep, during | ●○○ | ●○○ |
| starting, sleep, from sleep | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| starting, sleep, on falling | ●○○ | – |
| starting, startled | ●●○ | ●●● |
| stranger, presence of, agg. | – | ●●○ |
| stupefaction | ●○○ | ●●● |
| stupefaction, vertigo, during | ●○○ | – |
| suspicious | ●●● | ●●● |
| talk, indisposed to, desire to be silent, taciturn | ●●● | ●○○ |
| talk, indisposed to, perspiration, during | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| talking, sleep, in | ●○○ | – |
| thinking, aversion to | ●○○ | – |
| thinking, complaints of, agg. | ●○○ | – |
| thoughts, intrude and crowd around each other | ●○○ | – |
| thoughts, persistent | ●○○ | – |
| thoughts, persistent, walking, on | ●○○ | – |
| thoughts, rapid, quick, etc. | ●○○ | – |
| thoughts, thoughtful | ●○○ | – |
| thoughts, vanishing, of | – | ●●○ |
| thoughts, vanishing, of, chill, during | – | ●○○ |
| thoughts, vanishing, of, reading, on | – | ●○○ |
| thoughts, wandering | ●●○ | – |
| throws things away | – | ●○○ |
| thunder storm, before | – | ●○○ |
| thunder storm, during | – | ●○○ |
| timidity | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| timidity, about going to bed | ●●○ | – |
| touched, aversion to being | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| unconsciousness | ●●● | ●●○ |
| unconsciousness, delirium, after | ●●● | – |
| unconsciousness, emotion, after | ●●○ | – |
| unconsciousness, evening | ●●○ | – |
| unconsciousness, fever, during | ●●○ | ●○○ |
| unconsciousness, menses, suppression of | ●○○ | – |
| unconsciousness, morning | – | ●●● |
| unconsciousness, morning, rising, on | – | ●●● |
| unconsciousness, rising up, on | – | ●●● |
| unconsciousness, vertigo, during | ●○○ | – |
| unconsciousness, vomiting amel. | ●○○ | – |
| unconsciousness, warm room | ●●○ | – |
| undertakes, many things, perseveres in nothing | ●●○ | – |
| unfortunate, feels | – | ●○○ |
| violent, vehement, etc. | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| wearisome | ●○○ | – |
| weeping, alternating with cheerfulness | ●○○ | – |
| weeping, alternating with laughter | ●●○ | – |
| weeping, chill, during the | ●○○ | – |
| weeping, coughing, before | – | ●●● |
| weeping, daytime | ●○○ | – |
| weeping, evening (agg.) | ●○○ | – |
| weeping, heat, during the | ●●● | ●○○ |
| weeping, nervous, all day | – | ●○○ |
| weeping, night | ●○○ | – |
| weeping, perspiration, during the | ●○○ | ●●○ |
| weeping, tearful mood, etc. | ●●○ | ●●○ |
| wildness | ●○○ | – |
| will, contradiction of | ●○○ | – |
| work, aversion to mental | ●●○ | – |
→ Swipe left to see full repertory table
| Rubric (Symptom) → Scroll right for details | Aconite | Bryonia |
|---|---|---|
| Face, swelling, jaw, lower, glands in general | – | ●○○ |
| abscesses | – | ●●○ |
| air, open, aversion to | – | ●●○ |
| alcoholic stimulants | – | – |
| apoplexy | ●○○ | – |
| autumn, agg. in | ●●● | – |
| bathing, agg. | – | ●○○ |
| bathing, dread of | – | ●○○ |
| bathing, the affected part amel. | – | ●●○ |
| breakfast, after, agg. | ●○○ | – |
| caries of bone | – | ●●○ |
| catalepsy | ●○○ | – |
| catalepsy, fright after | ●●○ | – |
| change of, temperature agg. | ●○○ | – |
| change of, weather agg. | – | ●●○ |
| change of, weather, cold to warm agg. | – | ●●● |
| chorea * | ●○○ | – |
| chorea, fright from * | ●○○ | – |
| clothing, intolerance of | – | ●●○ |
| clothing, loosening, amel. | – | ●●○ |
| cloudy weather agg. | – | ●○○ |
| cold, feeling in blood vessels | ●●● | – |
| cold, wet weather agg. | – | ●○○ |
| constriction, of orifices | ●●○ | – |
| contractions, strictures, stenoses, after inflammation | – | ●○○ |
| convulsions, consciousness, with | ●○○ | – |
| convulsions, consciousness, without | ●○○ | – |
| convulsions, dentition, during | ●●○ | – |
| convulsions, exanthemata repelled or do not appear, when they should | – | ●●○ |
| convulsions, excitement, from | ●○○ | – |
| convulsions, fright, from | ●●○ | – |
| convulsions, hysterical | – | ●●○ |
| convulsions, suppressed, eruption | – | ●●○ |
| convulsions, tetanic rigidity | ●●○ | – |
| convulsions, touched, when | ●○○ | – |
| dropsy, external * | – | ●●○ |
| dropsy, internal * | – | ●●○ |
| dry weather agg. | – | ●●○ |
| eating, while (agg.) | – | ●●○ |
| emaciation | – | ●●○ |
| emaciation, affected parts of | ●○○ | – |
| emaciation, certain parts, of | ●○○ | – |
| evening, 9 p.m. | – | ●●● |
| evening, sunset, after | ●○○ | – |
| evening, twilight, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| faintness, close room, in | ●○○ | – |
| faintness, constriction of chest | ●○○ | – |
| faintness, excitement, on | ●○○ | – |
| faintness, fever, during | ●●○ | – |
| faintness, fright, after | ●●● | – |
| faintness, morning | – | ●●● |
| faintness, morning, rising, on | – | ●●● |
| faintness, raising, the head | – | ●●○ |
| faintness, rising, on | – | ●●○ |
| faintness, standing, while | – | ●●○ |
| faintness, urinating, after | ●●● | – |
| faintness, warm room | ●●○ | – |
| foggy weather agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, beans and peas agg. | – | ●●● |
| food, bread agg. | – | ●●● |
| food, bread, black, agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, butter agg. | ●○○ | – |
| food, cabbage agg. | – | ●●● |
| food, cheese, old agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, coffee agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, coffee, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| food, cold drinks, amel. | – | ●●● |
| food, cold drinks, hot weather, in | – | ●●○ |
| food, cold food agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, flatulent food agg. | – | ●●● |
| food, frozen agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, heavy agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, hot agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, milk agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, oysters agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, pancakes agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, pears agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, pork agg. | ●○○ | – |
| food, raw, agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, rich, agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, salad agg. | – | ●○○ |
| food, sauerkraut agg. | – | ●●● |
| food, sausages, spoiled, agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, sweets agg. | ●○○ | – |
| food, turnips agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, vegetables (green) agg. | – | ●●○ |
| food, vinegar, amel. | – | ●○○ |
| food, warm drinks amel. | – | ●●○ |
| forenoon (agg.) | – | ●●○ |
| formication, bones * | ●○○ | – |
| formication, glands * | ●○○ | – |
| heat, flushes of, alternating with chills | ●○○ | – |
| heat, flushes of, warm water were poured over one, as if | – | ●○○ |
| heat, sensation of | – | ●○○ |
| heat, sensation of, blood vessels, in | ●○○ | – |
| heat, sensation of, evening in bed | – | ●●○ |
| indurations | – | ●●○ |
| indurations, glands | – | ●●○ |
| indurations, glands, nodes under the skin, like | ●○○ | – |
| indurations, muscles | – | ●●○ |
| inflammation, blood vessels | ●○○ | – |
| inflammation, nerves | ●●● | – |
| injuries (including blows, falls and bruises) | – | ●○○ |
| injuries, extravasations, with | – | ●○○ |
| irritability, lack of | – | ●○○ |
| jerking, muscles, sleep, during | – | ●○○ |
| jerking, muscles, sleep, on going to | ●○○ | – |
| knotted sensation internally | – | ●○○ |
| lean people | – | ●○○ |
| lifting, straining of muscles and tendons, from | – | ●●○ |
| loss of fluids | – | ●○○ |
| lying, abdomen, on, amel. | – | ●○○ |
| lying, side on, painful, amel. | – | ●●● |
| lying, side on, painless, agg. | – | ●●● |
| magnetism amel. | ●○○ | – |
| measles, after | – | ●○○ |
| menses, after | – | ●○○ |
| menses, before | – | ●○○ |
| motion, amel. | ●●○ | – |
| motion, continued, amel. | – | ●○○ |
| motion, of affected part, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| night, midnight, before | – | ●●○ |
| numbness, internally * | ●○○ | – |
| obesity | – | ●○○ |
| orgasm of blood, vexation, after | ●●○ | – |
| pain, appear gradually, and disappear gradually | ●○○ | – |
| pain, boring * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, broken, as if bones | – | ●●○ |
| pain, burning, as from * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, burning, blood vessels * | – | ●●○ |
| pain, burning, bones * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, burning, glands * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, burning, parts grasped with the hand * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, drawing, alternating with heart symptoms * | ●○○ | – |
| pain, drawing, evening * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, drawing, evening, 10 p.m. * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, drawing, in bones, as from a thread through shafts | – | ●○○ |
| pain, jerking, bones, glands | – | ●○○ |
| pain, periosteum | – | ●○○ |
| pain, pinching, glands * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, pressing, bones * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, pressing, muscles * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, scraped, periosteum | – | ●○○ |
| pain, scraped, periosteum, long bones | – | ●○○ |
| pain, sore, bruised, bones, as if * | ●○○ | – |
| pain, sore, bruised, glands * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, sore, bruised, heated walk and rapid cooling, after * | – | ●●○ |
| pain, sore, bruised, morning * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, sore, bruised, motion, on (agg.) * | – | ●●○ |
| pain, stitching, muscles, jerking * | – | ●●○ |
| pain, stitching, muscles, tearing in muscles * | ●○○ | – |
| pain, stitching, outward | – | ●●○ |
| pain, tearing, bones, jerking | – | ●●○ |
| pain, tearing, bones, periosteum * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, tearing, bones, pressive * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, tearing, glands * | – | ●●○ |
| pain, tearing, muscles, jerking in muscles | – | ●○○ |
| pain, tearing, muscles, pressing in muscles | – | ●○○ |
| pain, tearing, outward * | – | ●●○ |
| pain, tearing, upward * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, twisting | – | ●●○ |
| pain, ulcerative, bones * | – | ●●○ |
| pain, ulcerative, glands * | – | ●○○ |
| pain, undulating | – | ●○○ |
| paralysis, internally | ●●○ | – |
| paralysis, one-sided | ●○○ | – |
| paralysis, painless | – | ●○○ |
| perspiration gives no relief | ●●○ | – |
| perspiration, after, agg. | – | ●○○ |
| perspiration, amel. | – | ●●● |
| plug, sensation of, internally | – | ●○○ |
| pressure, on painless side agg. | – | ●●● |
| prickling externally * | – | ●○○ |
| prickling, internally * | – | ●○○ |
| pulsation externally, night * | – | ●●○ |
| pulsation, internally, glands | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, contracted | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, febrile | ●●○ | – |
| pulse, frequent, and intermittent | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, frequent, faster than the heart-beat | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, frequent, motion agg. | – | ●●○ |
| pulse, frequent, rising up on | – | ●●○ |
| pulse, frequent, strong and small * | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, frequent, vexation, after | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, full, evening | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, imperceptible | ●●● | – |
| pulse, imperceptible, almost | ●●● | – |
| pulse, irregular, and slow | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, jerking | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, slow | ●●○ | – |
| pulse, strong | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, thready * | – | ●○○ |
| pulse, tremulous | – | ●○○ |
| quinine, abuse of | – | ●○○ |
| reaction, lack of | – | ●○○ |
| relaxation of muscles | – | ●○○ |
| reveling, night, from | – | ●○○ |
| riding horseback agg. | – | ●○○ |
| riding, in a wagon, or on the cars (agg.) | – | ●○○ |
| running agg. | – | ●●● |
| scarlet fever, after * | – | ●●○ |
| scurvy, scorbutus * | – | ●○○ |
| sensitiveness, bones | – | ●○○ |
| sensitiveness, periosteum | – | ●●○ |
| septicaemia | – | ●●○ |
| shocks from injury | ●●● | – |
| shocks, electric-like | ●●○ | – |
| shuddering, nervous | ●○○ | – |
| side, left, then right | ●○○ | – |
| side, right, then left | ●○○ | – |
| side, symptoms on one side | – | ●●● |
| sitting, down, on first, agg. | – | ●○○ |
| sleep, after, afternoon, agg. | ●●○ | – |
| sleep, at beginning of, agg. | – | ●●● |
| sleep, long agg. | ●○○ | – |
| sleep, loss of, from | – | ●○○ |
| smaller sensation | ●○○ | – |
| standing, amel. | – | ●○○ |
| storm, approach of a | – | ●○○ |
| storm, during storm | – | ●○○ |
| stretching, chill, before | – | ●●○ |
| stretching, chill, during | – | ●●○ |
| stretching, impossible | ●○○ | – |
| summer, in | ●○○ | – |
| sun, from exposure to | – | ●●○ |
| swelling, bones | – | ●●○ |
| swelling, glands, hard | ●○○ | – |
| swelling, glands, nodes, like | – | ●●○ |
| swelling, glands, painful | ●○○ | – |
| swelling, periosteum | – | ●○○ |
| swollen sensation, glands | – | ●○○ |
| sycosis | – | ●○○ |
| tension, bones | – | ●○○ |
| tension, glands | – | ●●○ |
| tension, muscles | ●●● | – |
| threads, sensation of | – | ●○○ |
| touch, amel. | – | ●●○ |
| trembling, anger, from | ●○○ | – |
| trembling, internally | – | ●○○ |
| trembling, joy, from | ●○○ | – |
| trembling, vexation, from | ●○○ | – |
| twitching, sleep, on going to | ●○○ | – |
| uncovering, single part agg. | – | ●●○ |
| vaults, cellars, etc., agg. | – | ●●○ |
| vomiting, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| waking, amel. | – | ●○○ |
| walking, fast agg. | – | ●●● |
| walking, wind, in the, agg. | ●○○ | – |
| warm, air agg. | – | ●●○ |
| warm, bed agg. | – | ●●○ |
| warm, bed, amel. | – | ●●● |
| warm, stove agg. | – | ●●○ |
| warm, stove, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| weakness, air, in open, agg. | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, convulsions, after | ●○○ | – |
| weakness, diarrhoea, from | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, lying agg. | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, morning, rising, after | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, morning, rising, amel. | ●○○ | – |
| weakness, morning, rising, on (agg.) | – | ●●● |
| weakness, motion, from (agg.) | – | – |
| weakness, paralytic | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, perspiration, night | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, rising, on | – | ●●● |
| weakness, sitting (agg.) | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, sitting, amel. | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, sudden | ●●○ | – |
| weakness, waking, on | – | ●○○ |
| weakness, walking, air, open, in (agg.) | – | ●○○ |
| wet applications | – | ●○○ |
| wet, getting, perspiration, during | ●●○ | – |
| wet, weather | – | ●○○ |
| wounds, splinters, from | ●○○ | – |
Part Six
Clinical Differentiation Guide
Practical questions to ask at the bedside, framed around the classical teaching.
1· What started it?
A fright, shock, bad news, or exposure to dry cold wind points toward Aconite. A chill, cold, or suppression of sweat points toward Bryonia.
2· What is the mental state?
Articulate terror, fear of death, and predicting the hour of death suggests Aconite. Irritability, wanting to be left alone, and worrying about business suggests Bryonia.
3· What does the pain feel like?
Sharp, stitching, worse on motion, better on pressure suggests Bryonia. Burning, tearing, with numbness suggests Aconite.
4· Where are the complaints located?
Internal parts, upper chest, palms suggest Aconite. External parts, lower chest, upper arm suggest Bryonia.
5· Is there dryness?
Dry mouth, dry skin, dry cough with Bryonia. In Aconite, the dryness is accompanied by intense thirst for cold water.
6· What time of day is sleep affected?
Sleeplessness after midnight favours Aconite. Sleeplessness before midnight favours Bryonia.
7· What about motion?
Worse from motion, better from absolute rest suggests Bryonia. Aconite may be better from motion in some cases.
8· What about lying?
Better lying on painful side suggests Bryonia. Better lying on painless side suggests Aconite.
Part Seven
Illustrative Case Vignettes
Two short, fictional composites written purely to show the contrast in practice.
Vignette · Aconite Picture
A four-year-old was playing outside on a sharp, dry, windy afternoon and came in shivering. By evening she has a high fever, dry burning skin, and a face that is deep red on one side and pale on the other. She is inconsolable, clutches her mother, and repeatedly asks, in real terror, whether she is going to die. She wants cold water constantly and cannot settle, tossing from her mother’s lap to the sofa and back.
Vignette · Bryonia Picture
A middle-aged man complains of a sharp, stitching pain in his right side, worse on deep breathing and any motion. He lies on his back, perfectly still, with a dry mouth and a furred tongue. He is irritable and tells his family to leave him alone. He worries about his business affairs and keeps asking to be taken home, even though he is already at home. He wants large quantities of cold water, but only at long intervals.
Part Eight
Interactive Quiz
Test your understanding of the differences between Aconitum and Bryonia. Read the question, select your answer, and click “Check Answer” to reveal the correct response.
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Part Nine
Glossary of Repertory Terms
- Materia medica
- A structured description of a remedy’s full symptom picture, gathered from provings and clinical use.
- Repertory
- An index that lists symptoms (rubrics) and, under each, the remedies known to produce or relieve them, graded by strength.
- Rubric
- A single symptom-heading in a repertory, nested under broader headings.
- Grading (1–3)
- The strength of evidence linking a remedy to a rubric: 1 (recorded), 2 (frequently confirmed), 3 (keynote).
- Polychrest
- A remedy with a very broad, well-documented symptom picture covering many organ systems.
- Keynote
- A highly characteristic symptom considered strongly indicative of a particular remedy.
- Modality
- A factor that makes a symptom better or worse — time of day, weather, position, etc.
Part Ten
Safety, Scope & Responsible Use
This is a reference book, not a treatment guide
This e-book presents classical homeopathic teaching for study and reference purposes. It does not diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any person or condition.
Both source plants are genuinely toxic
Aconitum napellus and Bryonia alba are dangerous in their natural form. Homeopathic preparations are made by extreme dilution, but never source, handle, or self-prepare either plant.
The evidence picture
Major systematic reviews and health bodies have concluded that there is no reliable evidence homeopathic remedies are effective for any health condition beyond a placebo effect. This book presents homeopathy’s internal tradition faithfully — but its central mechanism is not accepted by mainstream pharmacology.
When to seek emergency or professional care
Head injury, loss of consciousness, internal bleeding, severe pain, confusion, or any severe trauma warrants prompt medical evaluation — regardless of anything in this book. Never delay emergency care.
