Poison hemlock was the method used to execute Socrates. The description in the materia medica is one of ascending paralysis.
I have used this remedy very successfully to treat tick paralysis when I had dairy goats. I had picked up the flyer about this at the local vet and noticed that the description in the flyer matched so closely with what was in the materia medica for Conium. First the lower legs start to loose function (back legs in a four legged animal) and the paralysis ascends the body, affecting the respiratory muscles. The animal dies of asphyxiation as the chest muscles can no longer expand and contract allowing gaseous exchange in the lungs.
The common go to remedy for insect bits is Ledum. This remedy also has an element of paralysis in its picture and is the most frequently recommended remedy for tick bites. But after reading the flyer from the vet and a description in “Studies of Homœopathic Remedies” by Dr. Douglas Gibson, I saw that Conium matriculatum was the most likely remedy to use for tick paralysis as it perfectly matched the syndrome and seemed a perfect like be treated with like scenario.
The method I used was to put one pillule of the remedy into a small cup of water. I administered a 5ml syringe of this medicated water to the goat. Initially, I would repeat the dose every half hour or so, gradually lengthening the time between subsequent doses. I would give a dose 3-4 times a day for the next 4 days. In the case of a kid (baby goat), it was important to combine the remedy with diligent nursing as missing regular feeds will result in a failure to thrive. I had found that if I put the kid on a bottle while it was sick, the mother refused to take the kid back once it could walk again and I was stuck bottle feeding until weaning. So I would tie up the doe (mother goat) in the milking stand and hold the kid to the teats so it could feed itself. In this way the relationship between doe and kid was maintained and normal feeding resumed after the crisis. I used this remedy many, many times throughout my goat keeping years and never lost a goat to tick paralysis once I had started utilising it. Ledum never gave the same results.
I also used Conium on my cat for tick paralysis, she was never again affected by ticks and passed the immunity on to her kitten.
The most common idea behind matching this remedy is stony hardness in the glands. Commonly this is glands associated with sexual organs such as the breast and testes. This is especially so if there has been blunt trauma to the area. For example hard blow / punch or fall onto the breast may result in a hard lump, Conium may help resolve this. It is also indicated in cancer of the mentioned organs, where the lump is stony hard.
It is also indicated for enlarged prostate which affects urination and bladder emptying.
Another area this remedy may be useful is in vertigo and Meniere’s syndrome. There’s a sensation of things turning around, especially while lying down or trying to turn in bed.
Indications
Induration, stony hard lumps
Paralysis – physical or mental
Suppressed sexual desire
Enlarged prostate
Vertigo
Disclaimer: This information is supplied for educational purposes only. Sources include published literature and anecdotal experiences of myself and other men, women and animals. The information is not intended for the treatment of any particular individual person or disease. If you are suffering any particular complaint please consult professional help.
Thanks Jayne!