Anacardium Orientale.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 Jan / Feb Vol III No 1.
Kasivishwanathan T K.
Materia Medica.
` Anac.
The theme of this issue is Schizophrenia which means split (Schizo) mind (phren). Patients suffering from this disorder exhibit symptoms of disturbances of thinking, feeling and behaviour.
This idea of separation or split is also the leading characteristic of Anacardium. There is separation at the mental, emotional and physical levels. Only these aspects of the drug have been collected from various reference books and articles and presented here.
Mental Plane:
- Two trains of thoughts (KR 88, SRI 1016)
- Feels as if he had two wills (KR 95, SRI 1095)
- Will contradiction of (KR 95, SRI 1094)
- Irresolution marks his character. He cannot settle between this or that. He hesitates and often does nothing. He hears voices commanding him and they seem to be between a good and an evil will. He is persuaded by his evil will to do acts of violence and injustice. But, is withheld and restrained by his good will. It is a Jekyll and Hyde personality (See Help!Help!Help! case by Dr. P Humranwala in this issue).
Some other symptoms of its devilish nature are-
- Sees devil, he is a devil (KR 23)
- Blasphemous words devil whispers.
- Devil sits on his neck.
- Devil speaking in one ear and angel in the other, prompting to murder or do acts of benevolence (SR I 265, 266).
- He may also feel antagonism against himself (KR 4) and suffer from a delusion that he does nothing right (KR 31) and that he cannot succeed (KR 33)
Physical Level:
This separation extends to the physical level; a feeling that the body and mind are separated (KR 29); thoughts persist that mind and body are separated (KR 87). Soul fancied that body was too small for that it was separated (KR 32).
Delusion of being double (KR 24)
He feels estranged from society (KR 39), estranged from family (KR 39)
Emotional Level:
Emotions are sometimes split up-Delusion, child not hers (KR 22)
Delusion husband thinks he is not her (KR 27)
Unfeeling (KR 91)
Anacardium patients can be very cruel-
Cruelty (KR 17)
Resentful and Hatred (KR 51)
Want of mental feeling (KR 71)
Godless want of religious feeling (agnostic) (KR 50)
There is a school of thought which says that this lack of moral, and religious feelings and cruelty may arise out of severe repression in children of parents who are domineering or very strict. This allows children no room for independence. The parents are always enforcing their expectations on the child.
Anacardium has also many fears- Fear of being pursued, looks for thieves, is surrounded by enemies, fear is of everything and everybody, fear of mistrust of future with discouragement and despair. There is a disposition to take everything amiss, to contradict and fly into a rage.
Anacardium has a stranger feeling that someone else is present behind him.
Delusion people behind him, someone is (KR 30)
Someone is beside him (KR 30)
Delusion voices hears, calling his name (KR 34)
Delusion, someone calls (KR 22)
Delusion as if someone was in bed with him (KR 21)
They are also separated from reality: 1x
Unconsciousness, dream as in a (KR 90)
Delusion that he is separated from the world (KR 31)
Mistakes in time, confounds present with the future (KR 66)
Delusion that he is a devil
Delusion that he is under superhuman control (KR 33, SRI 362)
Brain-fag and poor memory and a sensation of plug in various parts of the body are two more characteristics of this drug.
Differential Diagnosis:
- Cannabis-indica
This drug also has hallucinations of being divided into two parts, of being double; body and soul separated. He seems to have two existences or just in two spheres. Unlike Anacardium it produces exaltation of the mind with sublime visions and delusions in a great variety. Delusion that he / she thinks himself to be Christ or Virgin Mary, as an emperor or a queen or is a superhuman being. Time seems interminable, space seems illimitable. - Nux-moschata
It is listed by Dr. Kent in the rubric Delusion of being double. This drug produces states of exaltation resembling hysteria and consciousness of a double personality. His real conscious self seemed to be watching his other self, playing piano (Dr. Clarke). Other keynotes like loss of memory (much more intense than nacardium), Chilliness and tendency to fainting will differentiate this drug. - Mancinella
While Mancinella has vanishing of thoughts, it has no feeling of being double like Anacardium, it is under the influence of a devil but fear of evil spirit is greater and being taken over by the devil (KR 23). There is no conflict of two wills as in Anacardium. There is a fear of becoming insane.
(Sources: Kent MM, Clarke etc.).
