Hyoscyamus niger

by Anja Heij

 
Hyoscyamus niger is a remedy for the more passive psychoses. There certainly can be outbursts of violent aggression, but usually the patient is mainly occupied with him- or herself. These people are talking nonsense to themselves or to unseen people, often making automatic gestures like picking at their clothes. This is the behaviour you often see in old senile persons.

The Indian homoeopath Sankaran states that the underlying basic emotion in Hyoscyamus is the idea that something injust has been done to him, as if he is sold or betrayed. Such an idea can result from a disappointed love affair, what makes understandable that one of Hyoscyamus’ delusions is that “men are swine”. The underlying disturbance in this remedy picture is a severe jealousy and suspicion. Hyoscyamus projects things upon others, holds them responsible for the wrongs in his life (it is possible that they prepare in cold blood a murder on the lover of their ex). Their tendency to blame everybody else is the seed for an ever growing suspicion and paranoia. It can possibly start with the idea that others are badmouthing him and end with the idea that every stranger behind a window is trying to kill them. In this great fear they refuse to take medicines or eat food because it might be poisoned. This fear is accompanied by great nervous restlessness, resulting in spasms, trembling, twitching, convulsions and constantly repeated movements like picking at bedclothes or making
involuntary gestures in the air.

 
Another thing is being obsessed with controlling certain things, like guiding imaginary walking insects on the wall. Or by sitting on the floor while firmly pressing the feet against a bathroom door, because the devil and his army would hide behind it – as one of my patients feared.

 
When the insanity grows stronger the attention gets focused on the instinctive sphere. Here comes the erotic mania in, so characteristic for Hyoscyamus. They are very loquatious and like to talk dirty. Patients undress and expose their genitals to anyone; they constantly play with their genitals (it can be a good remedy for exhibitionists). At the same time they get very interested in urination and defaecation. It can work out in the way that they continiously speak and joke about sex, urination and stool. Or they play for hours with their genitals or their stool. Or they suffer from involuntary loss of urination and stool and sit or lie in it without conscious notion.

 
(Please note that Hyoscyamus might also be the right remedy for a child who involuntarily looses urine or stool without any particular reason! In that case the child does not need to show any of the mental characteristics of this remedy.)

 
Swallowing can be difficult because of a spasm of the throat muscles. The tongue and mucous membranes are dry.

 
They feel worse by lying down, emotions, touch, jealousy, cold and sleep. They ameliorate by sitting straight up, by movement and warmth.