Relationship between Sankaran's Sensation and the Doshas

   Ericales::Ericaceae : Chimaphila umbellata (Wintergreen)

Cultural ecology: An evergreen herb found in the United States and Northern Europe. American Indians realised that it has an affinity for the urinary sphere and hardened or atrophied glands.


A. L. Blackwood: Its diuretic action relieves inflammation of the urinary tract and also removes oedema. It is also a digestive tonic. It is indicated in haematuria, ischuria, dysuria and gonorrhoea when there is urging to urinate, burning and scalding and straining following urination.

J.H Clarke: It has been used with success in cases of : inflammation of liver with ascites; abdominal and renal dropsies; enlarged mesenteric glands; The symptom : "Sensation of swelling in perineum on sitting, as if a ball was pressing against it," shows its appropriateness in prostatic disorders.

T. F. Allen: The patient is stupid and sleepy. Very nervous, cannot bear anything at all; hot, irritable, restless; thinks diseased state of the blood irritates the skin, as before the eruption of erysipelas, scarlet fever, or measles; itches terribly.

Urinary ...

• Melancholy. Alcoholism. Stupid and sleepy
• Urethral discharge, gonorrhoeal, chronic.
• Bladder, fullness, inflammation, catarrh.
• Urging to urinate - frequent.
• Urine - sediment - mucous, gelatinous, red.

Cancer ...   

• Chest, Mammae: induration; nodules, sensitive.
• Cancer: Bladder. Kidney. Prostate.
• Skin, ulcers, cancerous.

Oedema ...   

• Generals, dropsy, from intermittant fever.
• Abdomen, dropsy, ascites.

Sensations: Bladder: Pressing. Prostrate: As if sitting on a ball.
Therapeutics: Alcohol related (Oedma). Bladder. Kidneys
Miasm: Cancer or Sycosis (Go. Sx.).

Herbal action: Diuretic, alterative, and astringent.

The Herbal action of Chimaphila, especially the diurectic effect, can be used to help understand how the Homeopathic proving symptoms listed above can be used to understand the inner workings of the remedy - that is, its effects on the three doshas of Ayurveda.

This is because the astringent and diuretic effects are directly addressed by the plants Bitterness and Astringency. In Ayurveda, astringency is caused by a combination of the Air and Earth elements so the effect is drying and cooling. Bitterness is a combination of Air and Ether and its effect is drying, cooling and penetrating.

Ayurveda:  Frawley: Mainly bitter (ether + air => cool, light, dry); PK-V+

The symptoms show aggravation of Pitta and Kapha doshas. Interpretation of  the state of the three doshas in these rubrics (see figure also) shows how the remedy works at different stages of disease.

 Kapha aggravation (water element) results in catarrh, oedema and ascites when sticky, fluid kapha molecules leak out of their normal channels. Those with long standing kapa aggravation devlop thick  mucous deposits in various places, which eventually begin to become inseperable from the tissues and begin to harden or even form tumours and cause pressing sensations.

The cooling, light and penetrating properties of bitter herbs like chimaphila are vata characterisitcs which help break up heavy kapha deposits. Bitter herbs, because they are light and sharp can also pacify cutting and stabbing sensations.

 Pitta aggravation (fire element) causes inflammation and burning sensations.    Excess heat is cooled by bitter and astringent substances and excess stickiness and oiliness is dried up.

In conclusion the correspondence between the bitter properties of the herb (light, drying and penetrating) and the symptoms is clearly demonstrated.   These properties address the disordered state of the doshas and tissues. It is also clear that sensations such as cutting, burning, pressure, etc are closely related to the characteristics of the aggravated doshas accumulated effect on the channels (srotas) and tissue layers (dhatus).

An understanding of the herbal action and state of the three doshas allows us to pack much more information into any remedy description. The established Homeopathic Shorthand of "Miasm", "Stage", and "Sensation" can be extended to include Herbal and Ayurvedic properties.

Introducing my friend Dendoraspis, the Black Mamba

  Dendoraspis, the Black Mamba is a ferocious member of the Elapidae, who all proteroglyphis, i.e. having rigid fangs.  Other members of the Elipidae include the Cobras (Naja), Kraits (Bungarus) and the  deadly Taipan (Oxyuranus).

The venom, which is neurotoxic and usually fatal, runs down a groove in the fang. The bite causes drowsiness and neurological and neuromuscular symptoms, leading to paralysis and heart and lung failure. Death is by asphixiation. It affects acetylcholine receptors in both the peripheral (sympathetic) and central nervous system.  In the CNS, ACh affects arousal. In the PNS it affect muscle fibers.

Meet the homeopathic Mamba

The Mamba feels injured and alone, and he feels it's his duty to fight for others in the same situation.  So, the Mamba is quite sad and sentimenatal and because of this he will extend his sympathy - but he can also become censorious, dictatorial and cruel.

They are quarrelsome by nature and this is what you get if you argue with this guy ...

•  Malicious. Anger: Sudden and violent - from contradiction.
•  Unfeeling. Kill; desire to - contradicts her; the person that
•  Loquacitity - Cursing. Answering hastily,  violently and deceitfully. 
•  Liar. Always avoiding any blame.

It is a quite a sexual remedy. In the sphere of dreams we find a strange and violent sexuality which is mixed with torture and rape. They also dream of danger, dangerous animals and of defending their family.

How many remedies dreams of a monk with an erection?  Dendroapis does. It's the percieved hypocracy that they can't abide.  Everyone's a liar to Dendroaspis ... even you!

It's no use protesting, you'll just make it so much worse for yourself.

Run for it ...

Dendroaspis Physicals  (Arterial Conjestion)
- Head pain - Temples - right.
- Head pain - burning - forehead.
- Head pain - sharp.
- Generals - pain: sudden, shooting or neuralgic.


Bio-Stategy: "Don't mess with me".
Compare: Staphy; Dysprosium; Thulium. 

Mamba toxins:
Fasciculins: block synapses causing tetany and death.
Dendrotoxins: inhibit nerotansmitters, which causes paralysis.


Compare the Mamba with the rattler, Crotalus horridus, a member of the Viperideae family, (sub-family Crotalinae) - who all have huge, folding fangs, also feels under attack ...

DELUSIONS - insulted, he is - looked down upon

He really thinks that he's pretty cool!

T.F. Allen's Encyclopedia; Crot-h; Physicals  (Arterial Conjestion)
The bite cause edema and tissue destruction.  It quickly causes hemorrhage and hematomas. It causes coagulopathy, where like thrombin, it clots fibrinogen and aggregates platelets.  It also causes systemic muscle necrosis.
- Headache, extending into the eyes.
 -Pressive frontal headache, followed by sensation of nausea.
- Dull stitches in both temples.
- Sudden violent drawing pain from the vertex into the right eye. Pressure deep in the orbits, behind the ears, and in the nasal bones, so that, as with the pressure in the temples, he is obliged to bite the teeth together,

Crot-h toxins:
-Neurotoxin: Phospholipase (PLA2), which is a melittin compound, which releases arachidonic acid from cell membranes causing pain and inflammation.
-Myotoxins such as crotamine, which paralyse and cause necrosis of  muscles.
-Fibrinogen clotting enzymes; where coagulation is disrupted causing bleeding from wounds, the GI tract and lungs.
-Bradykinins, which cause blood vessels to dilate, reducing blood pressure. It also  increases vascular permeability. Both effects result in inflammation and pain.

Crot-c, like most snake remedies, can be angry, destructive, competetive, cruel and suspicious.

CONTRADICTION - intolerant of contradiction

Crot-cascavella is a little more playful and sociable and there seems to be slightly more remorse and guilt.

T.F. Allen's Encyclopedia; Crot-c; Physicals  (Arterial Conjestion)
- This is the right handed snake remedy: Head pain side - right.
- The entire skullcap compresses the brain like an iron helmet.
- Painful pressure in the temples.Very acute lancinations in the right temple.  
- Forehead. Frontal headache, as if the head would split, with weight above the eyes.
- Cutting sensation all around the eyeball, as if it was being taken out with a penknife
- Pain under the right orbit, and at the right side of the forehead.
- Sensation as if a red-hot iron were stuck into the vertex.
- Red face.  Flushes of heat. Oppression of breathing, as though there were not air enough in the house. 
- Palpitation of the heart

Crot cascavella can help after a stroke ...

EXTREMITIES - PARALYSIS - hemiplegia - right



Lachesis (Ophidia) Fam: Viperidae/Crotalinae

Lachesis is another cool and sociable type, although  trust can be an issue - they be friendly whilst reserving their judgment about you. A trivial mistunderstanding can spark off a serious quarrel.

 T.F. Allen: "Becomes easily peevish and mistrustful;believes himself intentionally injured by all his environments, and attaches the most hateful significance to the most innocent occurrences".

Lachesis; Physical Symptoms (Arterial conjestion)
The bite causes swelling and pain with local tissue destruction and coagulopathy.  There is also loss of blood pressure and a decreased heart rate.
- Congestion of head. Deep internal Headache.
- Rush of blood to the head for a few hours in the forenoon, especially on stooping, preceded by headache above the right eye.
- Throbbing pain above the right eye, with nausea.
- Pulsating pain in the right temple, that extends into the right orbit.
- Headache extending into the root of the nose with drawing, jerking, tensive sensation in the bones of the skull and cheeks. 
- Feeling as if some one were cutting pieces from the right parietal bone. 
- Sticking in the vertex and temples, as with knives and forks;extending through the whole head, with catarrh and stiffness of the nape of the neck,


Lachesis toxins: Viper toxins plus ...
Haemotoxins: destroy RBCs by haemolysis.

Refs: Info on toxins plus thumbnail images : Wikipedia