Ferrum nitricum.CONCEPTS Nitricum o Assertiveness o Enthusiasm o Tension Congestion o Relaxation o Enjoyment o Congenial Ferrum o Firm o Persevering o Durable o Discipline o Soldier o Beatings

Group analysis o Firm assertiveness. o Persevering and idealistic. o Durable tension. o Discipline creates tension. o Beating people through tension. o Fighting for relaxation. o Enjoying your exams. o Duty gets in the way of enjoyment. o Perseverance in order to feel free. o Failure through too much assertiveness.

Picture of Ferrum nitricum o Essence: firm and assertive.

Firm and assertiveThey like to assert themselves through their work and persevere in what they consider to be their duty. They want to show the world what they are worth and they do this by means of presenting their ideals and then pushing as hard as they can to get them realised.

Lasting tensionTheir will power is extremely strong and they never relax the tension. Their plans are always straight and to the point, but they themselves can feel quite emotional and tense.

Discipline creates tensionThey try to keep their tension under control by being very disciplined, hoping that order and routine can keep that busy and restless feeling at bay. But it usually has the opposite effect: all these rules and regulations make them feel even more hurried and tense.

Beating people through tensionThey are very impatient and the slightest form of criticism can provoke quite an extreme reaction, like a sudden slap for the person who happens to contradict them. Injustice or time wasting is something that makes them very angry.

Fighting for relaxationThey are under so much pressure that there is no longer time for any sort of relaxation. They have to fight for some space for themselves, for some time away from work. As soon as they think they have finished their task there is another job waiting for them. Their sense of duty prevents them from saying 'enough is enough'. In their desperation to get rid of this pressure they may suddenly go to the other extreme and fling off all responsibilities.They may even feel that relationships are nothing more than yet another duty, so they would rather avoid them. A mother might feel her child to be a heavy burden, or a husband may experience the presence of his wife as a huge pressure.

Perseverance in order to feel freeThey like to work, and at the same time to be themselves. They feel they cease to exist if they allow others to walk all over them. Their feeling of self-worth disappears as soon as they are not allowed to be busy and exuberant.

Failure through too much assertivenessTheir extreme assertiveness can also lead to failures. They can be so pushy and put others under so much pressure that they turn round and say: 'Why don't you do it yourself'. Nobody wants to be involved anymore.The other extreme is that they are so desperate to enjoy life that there is no time for work and the whole thing fails because they spend all their time or money on other things.

Failure means the end of pleasureWhen they fail they feel they don't deserve to enjoy themselves anymore. They feel guilty if they make mistakes, even if this is caused by the pressure they are under. Then the guilt takes over: they think that from now on they won't be allowed to enjoy themselves and they will probably get ill or some other terrible thing will happen to make sure the fun is over.

ExpressionsFears: failure, criticism, opposition, observed, anticipation, cerebral haemorrhage, crowds, death, accidents, narrow spaces (3), being locked up, tunnels, caves, shops, lifts, planes, trains, enjoyment, disease (3), cancer, heart disease, vague, unknown, life, strangers, future, travelling, flying, open spaces, insects, spiders, snakes.Dreams: unsuccessful efforts, paralysis, straight lines, battles, fights, contests, war, water, falling, dead people, dead friends.Delusions: large open spaces, criminals, poisoned, war.Mood: happy, restless, gloomy.Irritability: quarrelsome, cursing, insulting, choleric, < noise, < pain, < opposition, about food, < contradiction.Mental: sluggish.Contacts: outside, < damp; hot flushes.Time: < 3 and 9 am; < summer; sudden complaints.Desires: fried bacon (3), fat, fatty meat, ham, cheese (3), salt, carbonated drinks, tomatoes, meat.Aversion: fat (2), cheese (2), fat, ham, meat, beans, eggs, tomatoes, nuts.Food: < eggs, tomatoes, sour, tea, beer, cheese, fat, bacon, beans, coffee, meat.Menses: profuse (3), large clots.Sleep: sleeplessness.Physical: < pressure, pressure of clothes, < shocks and jars, > driving in a car; > slow movement, < exertion; < noise, rustling of paper.

ComplaintsDischarges putrid and stinking.Pains congestive, pulsating (3), stitching, as of splinters (3).Redness, swelling and heat.Hot flushes (3), < night, < after urinating.Paralysis.Vertigo < wine, getting up.Headache every 14 days.Red cheeks, < wine.Nose: crusts, difficult to dislodge and painful. Sneezing.Cough, mucus.Heart and vascular diseases (3); angina pectoris. Palpitations, arrhythmia.Arteriosclerosis. Claudicatio. Cerebral haemorrhage. Anaemia (3), from lack of iron. Low and high bloodpressureStomach complaints, vomiting without nausea. Diabetes.Abdominal pains with swelling, much rumbling, flatus and eructations. Diarrhoea acrid, < eating.Inflammation of joints of hands, with congestion, swelling, stiffness. Shoulder pains (3). Restless feet.Skin: red patches, allergy, eczema.DD: Carbon series, Ferrum series, Stage 8, 11 to 15, Ammoniums, Arnica, Rumex, Sulphur.

----------------Ferrum series

#4.0 The Ferrum series: Kali to Krypton

Strictly speaking it would be more correct to call this the Copper series, since Cuprum belongs to stage 11, like Silver and Gold, after which the two subsequent series are named. But because I have called the fourth series the Ferrum series in my last book, I decided to stick with this name. My initial thoughts about this Ferrum series have since been further developed, particularly with respect to the different stages. That is why we will take a second look at some of the previously mentioned remedies, not only to expand on the old ideas, but also to include some information about the new combinations that have been discovered in the meantime.

Task Work DutyThe central theme of the Ferrum series is the individual task. This theme already presents itself very clearly in the first element of the series, i.e. Kalium. The other elements have a similar feeling of having to fulfil their task. The strong drive to work hard is well known in Calcium. They feel very responsible and want to fulfil their task as best they can.The task is not only a task, it is also a duty, there is a certain element of force behind it, as if they had been ordered by some else to do it. This forceful element is characteristic of all the metals, but the sense of task is typical of the Ferrum series.

Trade Craft Civil servantThese people are the ones who carry out the tasks. They may have a trade, like being a baker, a butcher, a carpenter, but they can also be the government official who follows his orders to the letter. The division of tasks in society is an important theme. Everybody gets a task in which he can specialise, as in a beehive or a colony of ants, where every individual has a specific task.

Skills Technique PerfectionismIn order to carry out their task they have to have certain skills, which they have to learn through a form of training. They want to develop their skills so that they can become craftsmen and enjoy the fruit of their labours. They like to develop their craft to perfection. Their sense of duty increases the drive to precision and perfectionism. They also like others to notice that they are acquitting themselves of their task in the best possible way.

Usefulness PracticalityOf course there is also the practical aspect of their task: they have to earn a living. That is why they tend to judge everything according to whether it is useful or not. They are very practical in their approach to work, very pragmatic.

Order RulesThe sort of work they like doing is very routine orientated. They are the craftsmen who repeat the same actions hour after hour.They like everything to be in order, to divide things into little boxes, so you know where everything is. They need to have things well defined and bound by rules and regulations. [The Dutch are very good at this!]. This desire for order is an expression of their underlying anxiety: 'Am I doing well enough?' We see this very strongly in Arsenicum album with his extreme fastidiousness and in Cuprum metallicum with his spasmodic rituals.

Control RigidityControl is another key phrase of the Ferrum series. They feel they have to keep checking all the time to see whether things are up to standard. This control may result in a suppression of feelings, as Vithoulkas has already described in Kali carbonicum. It can even lead

Observed CriticisedThe feeling of being observed or criticised is a theme that belongs to the whole Ferrum series. It is most prominent in stage 2, where we find Calcium, the remedy we know to be extremely sensitive to being observed.Criticism is another sensitive issue and we find problems related to either giving or receiving criticism. Every remedy in this series has its own way of handling criticism, whilst the opposite, i.e. the handling of compliments, is also part of this whole theme.The beginning stages of the series are more timid and inclined to withdraw into their shell. In the end stages we see more anger in reaction to criticism, because they feel that by now they are wise enough themselves to know how things should be done.

ExamA typical example of an aggravating influence is exam time. This is when their knowledge and expertise is going to be put to the test. They will be judged by their superiors, the Silver series and the Gold series. The exam itself is symbolised by Niccolum, at the top in the Ferrum cycle. Zincum, stage 12, two stages beyond Niccolum, represents the retakes. Cobaltum, stage 9 just before Niccolum, represents the anxious moments just before the exam.

Failure Fault Guilt CrimeThe sense of duty can easily lead to a fear that they can't fulfil their task. This fear can be so strong that they consider the most minor mistakes as a complete failure. In a later stage it may provoke feelings of guilt. Not only have they failed, but they know they could and should have done better, so they are also guilty. The feeling of guilt can in extreme situations take the form of a sensation as if they have committed a crime.The sense of failure comes back in their dreams. They dream of falling, of unsuccessful efforts, of being criticised, of missing the train, of forgetting their passport, of failing their exam etc. The physical expression is often a feeling of tiredness, with or without anaemia, and even paralysis.In the beginning stages of the Ferrum series the failure often takes place before they have even started: they just miss the train (Cobaltum), they are searching for their luggage (Scandium), they have to learn too much for the exam (Manganum). In the end stages the failure comes to light afterwards: they failed an exam in the past (Zincum), they get swept away (Gallium), they are being obstructed, guilt (Bromium).

Pursued Tried PoliceThe more mistakes they make, the more restless they become. They feel hurried and they try even harder to avoid mistakes. Later on the guilt grows stronger, resulting in the feeling that they have committed a crime. This makes them feel persecuted, as if the police are hot on their heels, the law is just about to catch up with them. A typical symptom in the Ferrum series is the restless legs, partly caused by the feeling they have to get into action to perform their task, and partly caused by their sense of having to run because they have failed.

AdolescenceThe phase belonging to this series is that of young adulthood. Adolescence is the time of attending college, a time of learning and exams. It is the time of choosing the direction you want to go in, choosing your profession and under-going the training.

VillageThe area that plays a large role at this stage is the village. In former times it used to be the tribe. It is the community in which everyone has his own func-tion, but everyone still knows everyone else.In a village everyone has his own trade and through this trade he earns a living and receives acknowledgement for his contribution to the community.

ExpressionsFears: failure, criticism, opposition, observed, anticipation.Dreams: fruitless efforts, paralysis.Mental: perfectionism.

ComplaintsCancer.Anaemia (3).Diabetes.Stomach problems.Muscle problems.Paralysis.

DDDD: Silver series. The Silver series also has a task, but a more independent one. Both series may have jobs related to science, but the Ferrum series are the technicians and laboratory assistants, whilst the Silver series are the inventors.This is clearly related to the issue of order. The Ferrum series doesn't like to venture beyond the well trodden path, he likes to stick to the rules, whilst the Silver series thinks regularity is a 'swear-word'.DD Gold series: In the Gold series everything is a lot heavier. They also feel responsible, but this goes far beyond their own task. They also feel responsible for other people, the people they have to lead. They feel responsible for whole groups, for organisations, businesses and whole villages, whilst the Ferrum series feels mainly concerned with his individual task. They have to carry out the task that has been given to them and they have to do it well.DD control: This is an important issue in the Ferrum series. They want to control their own work and they also feel controlled by their superiors. The Carbon series may have a desire to control things, but more as a means to suppress their fears. The Silicium series may also show a tendency to control, but more directed towards the family or friends. The Gold series controls others to get them to work for their own organisation.

4. THE FERRUM SERIES: KALI TO KRYPTON

Task Trade Abilities ProfessionThis is the level where abilities start to be developed. They have to learn to fulfil certain tasks. In order to do this they have to be schooled by another person, either a master or a teacher, a school or the parents themselves. Eventually they learn to carry out this task by themselves.

Youth AdulthoodThis is the phase of becoming an adult. In our society this includes the years of puberty. This is when they learn a certain trade at school.

VillageThis is the area of the village or the tribe, as it used to be in the olden days. The individual gets to know the whole group and starts to determine his own position within this group. This position is linked to a trade he has learned, for instance being a baker or a carpenter. The area is still small enough for everybody to know everybody else, the way it happens in a village. Research has shown that it is possible to know about 2000 people personally, and this is the average population of a village. Ferrum iodatum [Ferr-i.] Concepts Ferrum Firm Standing one's ground Perseverance Beatings Irritability

Iodatum Food Work, busy, restless Freedom of movement Forgetfulness Obsessive Right of existence Escape

Group analysis o They have the feeling that they have to persevere to be able to provide for them-selves. They are hard and efficient workers, Vithoulkas (during a seminar) described them as efficient secretaries. The ferrum side sees to it that they can get on with things and keep unwanted interference at bay, while the iodatum side allows them to do a great variety of tasks quickly and efficiently. o Another aspect of the ferr-i character is that they get irritated if their freedom of movement is hampered. They want to feel free to come and go as they like. This fits in with the image of the unmarried secretary, for whom marriage is the most extreme form of being tied. They like to lead their own life, that way it will be less likely that they clash with their partner, because of their firm and strict behaviour. o A third variation on the general theme is that they are anxious 'to avoid a beating'. They can't relax because of a continuous feeling that something is threatening them. They usually convert this restlessness into a zest for work and greater productivity.

Case A 43 year old woman suffers from bronchitis. It started three years ago with flu, fever, coughing and perspiration. Since then her throat is full of mucous, which is white, loose, salty and tasting of iron. She frequently has a dry cough which makes her chest feel raw. The cough is worse from heat, mist, smog, morning, 3 to 4 h., smell of paint, lying down. Her voice is hoarse and she feels suffocated with a sensation as if her trachea gets cramp. She has warts in the neck, axillae and elbows, they are small, pedunculated warts. Past history: whooping cough when she was 4. Frequent tonsillitis with painful, swollen glands. Dyspnoea when she was a child, almost suffocated a few times. Appendicectomy in 1963. Yellow fever with very high fever in 1965. Hayfever with copious, watery, acrid discharge and much sneezing. Her eyes are watery and burning. Hayfever worse from grass, dust, mite. She keeps her nose covered with her hand. In 1986 severe headache with pressure behind the eyes, pain radiating to neck. General characteristics: Temperature: cold, but heat makes her lazy. Perspiration: copious at night. Desires: vegetarian food, sweet, spices, nectarines. Aversion: meat. Menses: rather copious. Headache and irritability before menses. Back - and stomach pains during menses. Sleep: refreshing. Mind: She knows what she wants and she goes for it. She is very stubborn, 'not an easy person' to deal with. But on the other side she can be very kind. She is rather critical and a bit suspicious. She quickly gets angry, but tries to hold it in. What annoys her most is when people are lazy and take things for granted. She has a had a strict, catholic upbringing with firm rules. If she stayed out late she was not allowed to go out during the whole of the following week. Work: She works as a secretary and she enjoys it very much, although she tends to worry about discussions with her colleagues. She never got round to getting married.

Analysis We have some symptoms of ferrum: the bold personality, anaemia, taste of iron in her mouth, worse from lying quietly, and we also have some symptoms of iodatum: acrid discharge, activity, swollen glands, worse from heat. If we look at the group analysis we find the essence of having to be strong and upright at work. In her case this fits perfectly, because she is active and straight forward and it annoys her very much when other people at work are lazy and 'don't pull their weight'. She couldn't stand the idea of taking it easy and letting things take care of themselves.

Reaction One month after taking ferr-i 1M she feels much better. She has lost weight and finds it easy to eat less. She has remained well and did not need a repeat prescription.

Ferrum iodatum Essence: the idea that they have to stand firm to be able to provide for themselves. Mind: they are hard and efficient workers, who can work long hours and won't give up. A secretarial job suits them very well, they are able to keep unnecessary contact at a distance and carry on with their work. They dislike being tied, as in marriage. They would rather stay independent, because they love their freedom. Being tied would make them angry because they want to come and go as they please, and they are also afraid that others will interfere with their business. Other peoples sounds can even irritate them. This means that they would have to push the other person away again, so it is better to stay single.

General characteristics: Location: right sided. Temperature: warm. Time: Worse from 3 and 5 h. Desires: meat, tomatoes. Aversion: eggs, tomatoes. Menses: frequent, copious. Sleep: restless. Physical: Better from slow movement.

Complaints: Acrid discharges. Anaemia, high and low blood pressure. Red cheeks worse from wine. Dizziness worse from wine and getting up. Headaches, migraines. Colds and hayfever. Swollen glands. Pain in shoulder. DD: ferrums, iodatums, sang.

Ferrum metallicum [Ferr.] I will be very brief about ferrum metallicum, because the remedy is well known. It contains all the basic characteristics of ferrum.

Concepts Ferrum Firm Standing one's ground Perseverance Beatings Irritability

Single All or nothing Loose No integration

Case One of my patients had a beautiful description of the ferrum state: She always had the feeling that she had to do everything correctly from the very beginning. She was afraid that other people would be stronger than her, that they would push her aside, that she wouldn't count. That is why she always wanted to keep an eye on everything, that way she knew where she was and what she had to do. Her sensitivity to sound was connected to her feeling of having to be alert, having to be ready for action. This attitude had started in her childhood, when she had to help looking after 8 brothers and sisters. Being the eldest child, she was a sort of second mother. But it was chaos at home and she found it very difficult to keep everything in order. If she did something wrong she would get a beating, but she never knew when. Sometimes she would get praise and at another time a smack. Hence the feeling 'I have got to get it right first time, otherwise..'.

A brief picture of Ferrum metallicum

Essence: The idea that they have to stand firm for the things they have chosen for themselves. Mind: Firm, brave, persevering. Irritability worse from contradiction and opposition. Angry if other people overstep their boundaries. Fear of criticism and beatings. Jumpy. Sensitive to sounds.

General characteristics: Location: right sided. Temperature: cold. Desires: tomatoes, meat. Aversion: eggs. Menses: copious. Physical: Better from slow movement.

Complaints: Anaemia, low and high bloodpressure. Red cheeks worse from wine. Vertigo worse from wine, worse from getting up. Headache. Pain in shoulders. DD: ferrums, arn, kaliums, sulph.

The Ferrum group

The ferrum group is different from the previous groups of remedies, in chemistry it is called 'the group of transition elements of the fourth period'. These are the ele-ments with atomic number 22 to 30, the metals titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper and zinc. Although these are all different elements, there are certain similarities between these metals, both from a chemical as from a homeopathic point of view. We could apply a kind of group analysis to this group, a group analysis which differs from the one we have used so far. Until now we have used the group analysis on a series of different combinations of the same element. Now we will use it on a series of related, but different elements. We can see the similarities most clearly in the three best known metals of this group: zincum, cuprum and ferrum. But the same characteristic traits can also be found in the other metals in this group.

Forced The most obvious common trait is the forceful aspect of these remedies. They all have the feeling that they have to do something, they have to comply with some sort of rule. This is more than a sense of duty. It is a compulsive feeling that they have to fulfil some sort of task, driven either by an outside, but later on also by an inner force.

Suppression They are not allowed to listen to their own feelings, thoughts and wishes, they have to comply with the wishes of someone else. This leads us to the second characteristic trait of this group: suppression. They easily let their own emotions be suppressed by outside forces. On the physical level we can see this happen in the neurological complaints following suppressed eruptions, as in zincum and cuprum.

Crime Having to live up to something, having to fulfil some sort of task, can also result in a feeling of having failed, or having done something wrong. This is expressed in the delusions: 'being pursued by the police', having committed a crime', having neglected their duty'. These feelings come up again in their dreams: they are being pursued, not so much by animals or robbers, but usually by the police. The police represents the law, and their delusion is that they have committed a crime. Cobaltum has a particular delusion that he is a criminal, and that everyone knows this.

Anxiety of conscience They suffer from great feelings of guilt and anxiety of conscience. This guilt can be totally out of proportion to the so called 'crimes' they have committed. They usually have very high moral standards and even very minor faults may be seen as major misdeeds.

Restlessness Because they feel hurried and persecuted, their behaviour tends to be restless. They can't sit still and do nothing. In zincum we see this restlessness in the continuous movement of their feet, especially when they aren't doing anything, in the evening when they have gone to bed.

The above mentioned symptoms are all linked to the same basic feeling: anxiety of conscience. As soon as one of these symptoms is known in any one remedy, the rest of the picture can be built up by careful analysis. DD bromatums: The feeling of guilt in the bromatum is different, it is more the result of their passions and their instinctive actions. In the ferrum group the guilt is a result of the fact that they haven't been able to fulfil their task, they have failed. The persecution is therefore of a different kind: the bromatums are being chased by God, the ferrums by the police. DD kaliums: The duty consciousness of the kalium resembles that of the ferrum group. But in the kaliums the impetus comes from within themselves, they just carry out what they see to be their task. The ferrum group has to fulfil a task that has been forced upon them by someone else. That is why they feel as if they are being censored, as if they are being chased.

The Ferrums Ferrum metallicum is a relatively well known remedy, but not much is known about the exact contribution of the ferrum element in its different compounds. This is why we will first have a look at the essential characteristics of ferrum.

Firm To be brief, one could characterise ferrum by the word: firm. The description of the word firm in a dictionary gives us some idea of the ferrum personality: solid, stable, steady, determined.

Perseverance, persistence. Ferrum people have the delusion that they will be pushed aside, they are afraid to lose their place. They think that others will push them away if they don't do their best. It is as if they have to deserve their place instead of having a natural right to it. They also have the feeling often that others are crossing their boundary. That is why the characteristic of ferrum is that they have to remain steadfast and resolute. There are some typical phrases which express this persistent character: 'the iron discipline in the army', Thatcher 'the iron lady'. This describes the hardness and the strength of the iron group. Perseverance also has an element of compulsion. They have to persist, they have to hold out. That is why they can't tolerate contradiction or interference with their plans. We see the same theme in the physical symptoms, forcibly holding on and then letting go. Their bloodpressure is sometimes too high and at other times too low. it is as if they blow themselves up and then let all the air out again.

Beatings A recurring theme which I have noticed in the ferrums is that they have often been beaten in their childhood. For instance sudden and unexpected beatings from their father who used to be unpredictable in his moods. This has made them very weary, they had to constantly be on their guard. When they are older their apprehension takes the form of being sensitive to other peoples opinions. They are afraid that others will give them a sudden heavy blow in the form of a negative remark, they would experience this as a heavy beating.

Irritability The ferrums are very irritable. Anything invading their space may upset them, sounds for instance can make them very angry, but also contradiction or opposition in their plans. They feel as if they have to take a stand on something, and if other people work against them they won't succeed. Everything is such an effort for them anyway, the last thing they want is opposition.

DD calciums: there is an obvious relationship with the calciums. It seems that the sensitivity to other people is characteristic of all the elements whose ions have an electrical charge of 2+. The electrical charge of 2 is a representation of the relation-ship between two people. The calcium reaction to this sensitivity is to protect themselves. In ferrum the reaction is more active, they will stand up for themselves. DD kaliums: their boldness may resemble the firmness of the kaliums. But the kaliums have the feeling of: 'I just have to do this', 'IRubricsmind; CONTRADICTORY (31) mind; CONTRADICT, disposition to (80) mind; OBSTINATE, headstrong (206) generalities; FOOD and drinks; chocolate; desires (169) mind; ANXIETY; money, financial matters, about (33) mind; PRACTICAL (7)