Camphora

by Anja Heij

 
People who need the homeopathic camphor are intensely cold and react in a very specific way to coldness. The body is cold and blue, the face and lips are pale or blue, the face looks Hippocratic (as if the person is about to die). Even the tongue and the breath are cold. Yet this person does not want to be covered! Despite his coldness and his great sensitivity to cold, this person desires cold air and an open window. The coldness is altenated with times of fever. Now during fever the Camphora patient wants to be covered, but as soon as the coldness returns he wants to throw off the blankets and experience cold air again.

Camphora patients only loose small amounts of sweat, urine or stool.

 
But there can be sudden attacks of vomiting and diarrhoa. Apart from the coldness they have cramps or convulsions. And the entire body is very sensitive to the slightest touch. They are tortured by fear. They see very vivid images of beasts, monsters, ghosts and demons what causes extreme fright.

 
During the phases of fever they scream from fear and for help and want to jump out of the window. In the acute stage they are outrageous, furious and violent. It are very weak but irritable patients. But the completely opposite is also possible, in which the person hardly reacts any longer and hardly is aware.

 
It is clear that Camphora is a remedy for serious illness. The life force is prostrated and sends out contrary reactions. This symptom image for instance arises from physical shock, from grave weakness and fever in severe chill, acute diseases like measles and the fever of a woman in childbed. Camphora is one of the great remedies in cholera morbus and Asiatic cholera; it wil cure when the patient is cold and blue, sweats only a little, refuses covering, experiences cramps or convulsions and great fear.

 
Camphora patients feel better when thinking of their complaints, by warm air, and by drinking cold water.