Editorial: Matridonal remedies - gifts of the mother

This issue covers a range of remedies from the intra-uterine period and the period shortly after. Melissa Assilem, who has pioneered much of the work with these remedies, has named them “Matridonal remedies”, Gifts of the Mother. In her book on the same subject, she describes the place that these remedies have in homeopathic practice. While for many homeopaths these remedies are becoming well-known, and are beginning to take their place in homeopathic practice, for others, they still are (relatively) unknown. Some homeopaths are of the opinion that we already have enough remedies to cover all the possible ailments of mankind and that we do not need new ones, and others dismiss them as being fanciful. For those who are learning to apply them in practice, however, their usefulness is indisputable. Like any other remedy, they simply cannot be substituted; when one of these remedies is needed, nothing else seems to bring about the same miracles.

As one would imagine, the working realm of these remedies is the intrauterine period; problems that have arisen during pregnancy or shortly after birth can be addressed with one, or perhaps more, of these remedies. Situations that have to do with the sense of security and protection of the foetus, his nutrition, his bond to the mother, and thus to Mother Earth, all come within the scope of these remedies. If the mother has had problems during pregnancy, the sense of security can be damaged and the child can feel unwelcome and unloved. Even with a loving mother, if the birth has been traumatic, perhaps resulting in surgical intervention or isolation in an incubator, the bond can also be disturbed. Conversely, if the mother and child bond is fusional, the father can feel a lack of loving attention, and can start to wander away from the family. For the child, the problems can manifest in many forms and countless physical ailments have been treated successfully with these remedies. At an emotional level, these remedies can help to alleviate the effects of early stress and lack of bonding:  feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, lack of confidence, lack of concentration, autism, and depression. They are just as effective in adults as in children, as we tend to carry our unresolved issues with us no matter what our age. In general, these remedies act as an opener to other remedies, which might be needed later on, corresponding with problems later in life.

Several leading homeopaths have done great work in this field. As mentioned earlier, Melissa Assilem has provided us with a wealth of insights and experience, garnered over the years. In Holland, Tinus Smits has worked extensively with Vernix caseosa, the protective layer of the foetus in utero, as well as having proved Lac Maternum. In Australia, homeopathic lactation expert par excellence, Patricia Hatherly continues to develop her work on the mother-baby period, having extensive experience with Lac Maternum, of which she has done a proving. In India, Rajan Sankaran has also done a proving of Lac Humanum. Danièle Joulin of France has over twenty years of experience with the homeopathic use of Oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone,” and cites both the positive and negative aspects of this hormone: the bonding or lack thereof between mother and child, and the possible exclusion of the father. In Holland, Alize Timmerman has done provings of many of the matridonal remedies, adding her experience and insights and making these remedies more well-known. Welsh midwife Linda Gwillem has conducted a proving of Placenta, bringing this remedy into use. The German homeopathic team of Hans Eberle and Friedrich Ritzler have also done a proving on Placenta, bringing to light previously unknown aspects of the remedy and adding important insights through their many cured cases. There are undoubtedly many more who have contributed to this growing body of information on these remedies and I offer my apologies to whoever has been overlooked.

The Matridonal remedies are quite often confused with remedies from the early stages of the periodic table, such as Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium and Boron. In the plant kingdom, they could easily be confused with various primitive plants; Pulsatilla or Stramonium are often given when a matridonal remedy might be more accurate. In the animal kingdom, one needs to differentiate between the various milk remedies, and also with the molluscs, which also have issues around safety and hiding. Yet, their sphere of working is quite unique, and as one gains experience with them, it is possible to recognise the themes of the intrauterine period: safety, security, bonding or lack thereof, nutrition, and to see these in the context of the patient’s history.

In this issue, we have collected introductory articles and short cases to illustrate the remedies. Melissa has written an overview of her vast experience. Several cases have been kindly contributed by Alex Leupen from his Dutch homeopathic site SFO. Danièle Joulin describes her experience with Oxytocinum. Nelleke Bruch, in close association with Daniele Joulin, has also brought homeopathic Oxytocin (available under the name Syntocinon) into wide use, and provides us with some glimpses from her practice. Alize Timmerman has contributed a moving case of Umbilical cord, with reference to the proving she has carried out to the C5 potency. Hans Eberle and Freidrich Ritzler have given an overview of their proving of Placenta, illustrated with three cases. Some cases come from my own practice, as I am increasingly fascinated by the changes in my patients after the use of these remedies.

At this time we, the co-editors of Interhomeopathy, would like to acknowledge the vast amount of work that takes place behind the scenes. Our guest editors tirelessly prod their colleagues for interesting cases from which we can all learn and be inspired. This year we have had guest issues from India by Urvi Chauhan, from the UK by Carolyn Burdet, from Israel by Michal Yakir, and from the US by Sally Williams. Thank you all, thank you to your authors and to your patients who have shared their stories of healing with us.

There are also those who give freely their time and energy to help us translating the issues into French: sister Tabitha, Daniele Joulin, Brianne Delcourt, Jacqueline Ozanon, Emmanuel Carreel, and Antoine Sautenet. Thank you all.

Next year, we will continue to include issues from around the globe, in our effort to share our experiences as “international” as possible.

We wish you all a peaceful end of the year in the company of all your loved ones. May this issue of Interhomeopathy give birth to many new successful cases – please continue to share them with us!

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Geschenk fig.1; Torsten Mangner; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license