“Full of inexpressible desires.” (Hering’s Guiding Symptoms)

The above expression is very telling of the Ipecac’s total constitution, that is full of nausea, a condition where a person has such a sense of fullness within that needs to be immediately expelled yet it cannot be done so, and she feels unsatiated even if she does expel through vomiting, constructing for us the characteristic image of the remedy, where all symptoms will be accompanied by nausea. Extreme aversion to food and whatever she eats, she vomits, but vomits without relief. The theme seems to revolve around the person wanting to find some form of relief, an expression to how she is feeling inside somehow, so one will find the Mind symptom in Kent’s Rep,

 Tranquility, anger after* 

Which really is just an outlet for the suffering felt within. Because Ipecac symptoms aren’t slow to form, they are of an acute nature trying to find immediate relief. The gut is known as the second brain, and Kent says, “The stomach is disordered.” (Lectures on MM, Ipecac) hence the physical and mental symptoms seem to be interwoven, while accompanied by extreme nausea. It’s like the mind thinks, “if only I could throw up and relieve my body of this fullness, I would feel better!” and she throws up in every possible way, yet the overstimulated mind and body find no 

If one were to give a name to the feeling that arises after such unresolved fullness, would be of disgust and that is what is clear from the mind symptoms found for ipecac, like censorious*, contemptuous*, discontented*, mocking*, scorn* etc, all feelings which give us an insight into the disgusted disposition this individual possesses during her ailment. 

“Ipecac is sometimes as restless as Arsenic.”  Ipecac Kent’s Lectures on MM

The nausea is bound to create such restlessness that creates anxiety and a sense of repulsiveness on the emotional level too so there is an aversion to everything* making the patient cautious* and giving rise to a feeling of despondency. On the physical level there will be an aversion to everything too, a sensitivity to noise, a great many aggravations due to heat, will weep if overheated, heat will cause impatience* and will even have a fear of death during heat*. It is interesting to note how a feeling of suppression that seems to be physical will have such a variety of mental symptoms too confirming interrelatedness of both.

Now how would an Ipecac infant make known its nausea so it is said that the restless child who will “stick his fist into mouth” (Hering’s Guiding Symptoms), is indicating its inexpressible malady, crying, and shrieking violently, gagging, and suffocating due to the inner turmoil caused by such extreme nausea. 

“I could not practice medicine without Ipecac, because of its importance in haemorrhages.” Ipecac, Kent’s Lectures on MM

It seems that the suppression within causing nausea will find an outlet somehow, so Ipecac is known to be an extremely important remedy to think of during internal or external haemorrhages. The copious flow of blood found during heavy periods, especially attended with nausea are all examples of the body causing an eruption on some level to let out the feeling of excess felt inwardly. Physically perhaps the overly loquacious ipecac full of mirth* and jesting* might be examples of a compensation to an inexpressible interior.

The symptoms following indignation and anger will often end up in a sense of nausea which is evident in the individual’s aversion to everything, another suppression causing him to turn more inwards so he will brood*, weep*make trifles important* to justify his disinclination to all else deluding himself as most unfortunate* and a slowness* and stupefaction* may follow.

**Symptoms in Italics are all collected from Kent’s Repertory from the Mind Chapter.



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