Interpretation of mind rubrics in repertories

Dr Mansoor Ali
Govt. Homeopathic Medical College. Calicut

“Mind is the key to man” – Dr. Samuel Hahnemann
This is a work based on S Y N T H E S I S reperory

This work is meant for the serious students of Homoeopathy and for those who sincerely want to understand and interpret the rubrics. It does not promise solutions but it represents an honest search. Special Thanks To Prof. K. B. RAMESH For his valuable comments and suggestions.

Explanations and Examples Given By Eminent Authors and My Beloved Teachers are Also Included.

Most of the Homoeopaths consider the symptoms of the human mind to be the most important one while treating any case. He mind covers the emotional as well as the intellectual and communicational characteristics. To be acceptable the mind symptoms must be peculiar and characteristics of the patient.

Mental symptoms play a very important role in unfolding the true image of the sickness, but in practical experience it is very difficult to obtain from the sick person and also very difficult to understand or interpret them correctly. Repertory which is an index of symptoms can be utilized in a  better manner only when the user is aware of how to convert the conditions into symptoms, and the symptoms in to rubrics.

Many of the practitioners and students find it very difficult to interpret these symptoms and conditions to refer in the  repertory and to arrive at the similimum. And this is an effort to help the practitioners especially the new comers in using the repertory.  Many of the rubric are ambiguous and implicit and need a continues study for using these rubrics in bedside.

Majority of the rubrics found in the mind as well as in the generalities are neglected by the common practitioners for want of correct understanding and interpretation of the rubrics. Hence the meaning as well as the denotations of the important rubrics of the Synthesis repertory are explained here under. The mental rubrics are difficult to understand by dictionary meanings alone. We should understand the correct means assigned to a particular rubric.  Homoeopathic physician even if given mental symptoms by the patient, unable to perceive the case because of his lack of knowledge in this field. He ignores such symptoms unintentionally and the case may be a failure.

One of the main problems we encounter in practice is the conversion of the patients’ symptoms in the proper language of the repertory. In order to overcome this problem we shall be able to understand exactly the meaning of each rubrics, sub rubrics with cross references and remedies. The work has been made with the purpose of helping the students and practitioners who my wish to make themselves familiar with the rubrics of the mind.  Meanings as well as the explanations of the rubrics mentioned along with appropriate examples for easy comprehension.

I make no pretense that this work is either complete or final. I had made an honest attempt to compile explanations and examples given by eminent authors and my beloved teachers together.  Despite all these there are limitations in the interpretations of rubrics and the void is   to be filled by the experience of the practitioner with the knowledge of Materia medica.

My aim is to stimulate the students and practitioners to make their own ideas and observations. I welcome any suggestions from any quarter it may be, so that this work can be improved upon.  – Dr.K.R.MANSOOR ALI

1.Abandoned
Feeling of not having enough attention, help or support by others, deserted left alone without help.
This rubric may be worked out for children in orphanages, inmates in asylums and old age homes.

Important medicines are : Aur,Psor,Plus & Platina

CROSS REFERENCES

• Mind. Ailments Friendship, deceived
• Company. Desire
• Confidence. Want of self
• Delusion. Affections of friends has lost
• Del. Alone that she always
• Del. Alone feels
• Del.alone cast away
• Del.alone graveyard
• Del.alone wilderness
• Del.alone.world
• Del.appreciated she is not
• Del.belongs to her family does not
• Del.confidence in him his friend have lost all
• Del.deserted
• Del.disgraced
• Del.dispised
• Del.enemy every one
• Del.does not belongs to her own
• Del.forsaken
• Del.friend affection has lost the
• Del.friendlessness
• Del.friend a lost friend, she is about to
• Del.help calling for
• Del.husband think he is not her
• Del.neglected he is
• Del.persecuted he is
• Del.reproach he has neglected his duty
• Del.repudiated relatives by his
• Del.wife faithless
• Del.wife will run away from him
• Del.wrong suffered he has
• Deserted
• Estranged
• Forsaken feeling
• Forsaken
• Isolation sense of
• Helplessness feeling of
• Lamenting
• Weeping forsaken feeling from
• Weeping goes off alone & weep as if she has no friends

Clinical diagnosis : Usually seen in maniac depressive psychosis  

5. Absent minded
Inattention of mind
Preoccupied to the point of failure to respond to the ordinary demands on the attention without having any thoughts. A person who is not doing anything and still he don’t respond to the ordinary calls although he has no other thoughts in his mind.

Eg. A person when asked any question, does not respond at first call .Looks as if thinking something else, but when asked ,he has no other thoughts which remain a fact. Generally he is observed like this at home also.

Habitually forgetting the routine.

Important subrubrics are –
Absent minded – School children
Reading while

Usually observed in Alzheimer’s disease, depressive illness & schizophrenia.

6. Absorbed

• An intellectual mental rubric
• As in Edison, Einstein etc.
• Being fixed in certain thoughts

The mental capacities are working perfectly well, but the mind is fixed in certain thoughts, totally engaged in certain problem, introspective and not reading what is going around him.

• In Absentmindedness there is no fixation of mind at all,
• In Absorbed the minded towards one problem.
• Important medicines are Hell,Mez,Nux.m & Sulphur  

CROSS REFERENCES

• Mind. Absent mindedness
• Abstraction of mind
• Anxiety future about
• Brooding
• Day dreaming
• Dream as if in a
• Fancies absorbed in
• Forgetful
• Frown disposed to
• Introspection
• Meditation
• Plans making many
• Reflecting
• Sit meditate wrapped in…
• Theorizing
• Thoughts – thoughtful persistent
• Unobserving
• Face. Expression vacant  

7. Abstraction of mind
Inattention of mind
A destructive symptom, something in the mind has been lost

Here the person is totally out of reality, separated from the rest of the world. This state is going to schizophrenia usually found after the use of psychodelic drugs.
Important medicine is Nux.m
Important sub rubric. Driving the car when.

8. Absurd
Ridiculously unsuitable, unreasonable or foolish

9. Abusive
Person is in the habit of employing harsh insulting languages. These words used by him as a routine

• He may abuse the doctor who treated earlier
• They usually have the habit of insulting people
• Abusive may be a nature of a person or it can be a changed state without the involvement of any other faculty.
• But cursing is due to some provocation by somebody or some provocative
• Swearing. A lady after a heated exchange with another lady makes an oath to inflict a misfortune to that lady who was in confrontation with her.
• Also usually found in drug addicts
• Important sub rubrics. Children-parents, Children insulting parents, Husband insulting wife before children 

10. Activity desires
Constantly being engaged in action, too busy, preoccupied by only performance, a demand for action. But the net result is fruitless. Also a desire to do something despite physical incapacity.
Usually found in Obsessive Compulsive Neurosis

11. Acuteness
Acuteness of the mind means high perception, sharpness, keenness, being extra ordinary, highly sensible individuals. He can use his mental faculty without getting tired and who can undertake any mental work without being confused.- shroud personalities.

12.Adaptability loss of

• Those who find it very difficult to adjust to the situation or surroundings.
• May occur in paranoid schizophrenia
• Important medicine is Anaholinum 

13. Admiration
A high degree of pleasure in himself or others, a feeling of delighted, a high opinion of. Who like to admire frequently.
Occur in narcissist personality disorder.

14. Admonition <
Aggravation from even gentle or mild advice or friendly reproach.
Here the person feels excited or get angry or has a strong aversion to any advice or word of caution given to him either by an elderly person or a friend.
Usually found in paranoid schizophrenia & in behavioral personality disorders.

Important medicines are Bell

• Nux.v – will be easily offended and mortified even by slight admonition
• Calc – will weep
• Nit.acid – hate the person for a slight offence
• Carcinocin – fastidious in everything, cannot accept the facts
• Platina – is haughty & cannot tolerate to be admonished by any one. 

15. Adulterous
A person having sexual relationship with a female other than his lawful wife. Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and someone else.

Occur in behavioral disorders & antisocial personality disorders.

16. Affability
The quality of being pleasant and at ease in talking to others. He may be extremely gentle and polite to others including those who are his enemies.

17. Affectation
Artificial behavior designed to impress others.
Unnatural behavior, the actors, the great pretenders, they are giving a show. They want to give an impression that they possess something unnatural and which they don’t have.
Showing feelings that are not natural

18. Affection
A tender attachment, emotion

19. Affectionate

• A person having affection or warm regards beyond normal limits which may become a cause of concern.
• People with settled goodwill, love & attachment
• They are warm, friendly, sensitive, nice persons 

20.Afraid

• Filled with fear and apprehension
• Alarm and agitation caused by the expectation or realization of danger.
• Usually found in phobia and schizophrenia 

21. AGILITY MENTAL
The quality of being quick and resourceful. This person shows a high degree of intelligence. The condition can be seen in certain children, who are so quick that before the teacher completes the questions, are ready with answer.

22. AGITATION
The state of being mentally excited or disturbed. A tremulous and disturbed state of mind or inviting public attention to a controversial matter or issues

A person feels that his circumstances are not in accordance with his thoughts, due to some cause or provocation or he feels disturbed, when things are moving in the opposite direction against his intention. So he may have some ailments as he feels agitated in his mind, which may be a cause of his illness.

23. AGONY
Intense pain of mind or body. Usually found in depression cases.

24. AGORAPHOBIA
Abnormal fear in open places

25. AILMENTS FROM
Causation, complaints since that incident. Patient’s suffering may be due to fear, fright, sadness, disappointed love or mortification.

Important sub rubrics are

• Ambition deceived
• Business failure
• Disappointment
• Discard between chief and subordinates
• Domination parental control excessive
• Love from disappointments
• Reputation loss of 

26.AIR CASTLE
Making theories or thinking in such a way which may not be practicable. Imaginative plan without any head or tail which keep the mind busy. This type of people are very imaginative and less practical. Usually found in schizophrenia and in personality disorders.

27. ALCOHOLISM
Continued, excessive and/or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks.

28. ALERT
Vigilantly attentive, quick. Mentally perceptible and quick

29.ALIENATED
Indifference to those formerly attached. Made unfeeling

30. ALONE BEING
Isolated, separated from others without any aid or support.

31. ALOOF
Reserved, keeping distance especially in social relations. These are people who would like to remain alone perpetually and are quite comfortable when alone.

32. ALTERNATING MENTAL
Happenings occur in succession or in turn. There is a successive change of symptoms at alternating intervals, at one time on mental plane, other time on physical plane.

33. AMATIVENESS
‘Some part of me wants to run away with any attractive person I meet’. A disposition to love. These patients also may have an increased sexual desire and they constantly dwell on sexual matters.

34. AMBITIOUS
An ardent desire for rank, fame or power. Whenever such desires are not fulfilled and the person feels that, he has lost the game or goal. A person work hard to achieve a goal but he does not succeed, due to this failure, his ambition remain unfulfilled and he become lazy and frustrated. His present ailments may be due to this condition.

One sub rubric is Indolence – inactivity arising from indisposition to labor Eg. Promotion

35. AMOROUS
An intense desire for love particularly sexual. Greatly attracted towards sexual matters even in thoughts or dreams. Practical indulgence in sex is not necessary, but it is the diversion of mental energy towards that side.

Compare with Lasciviousness : Extreme desire for sex, always devoting his energy towards this type of lustful desire. He may be sick and still he is asking the physician whether he has to observe any restriction on sex. In lasciviousness, a person is much more attracted towards sexual thoughts and act.

Lewdness. The sexual thoughts may not be predominating but the person desires to expose the body. She will leave them uncovered in such a manner that she remains exposed. This is a voluntary act.

Shameless. Patient always seem to be half naked or talk in a shameless manner which is noticed by all but she does not pay attention to her dress or talk. This is an involuntary act.

36. AMNESIA
A gap in one’s memory. Loss of memory usually due to a brain injury, shock, fatigues, illness .
Usually seen after an organic brain disorder or shock

Compare with Forget full. A weakness of memory. May occur in multiple personality disorders, pseudo amnesic  depression, sleep walking disorder etc.

37.AMUSMENT
People who desire as well as averse to entertainment, to distraction, to play, to passing their time in idle way. Aversion or desire from a particular type of amusement is relevant if he had an attachment or hatred with such things earlier.

‘Diversion, entertainment or occupation’ means devoting mental or physical energy towards something by which one may feel physically or mentally relaxed. But in amusement it is only a pleasure, which he derives from doing the act.

Eg. In Baryta carb. The patient is too timid, he will not like to amuse himself, too bashful, afraid to be laughed at. He is sitting somewhere in the corner alone, not participating in any games.

In Lilium tig. She is too busy, but does not amuse herself. They are very difficult to please, they have religious fanaticism and ideas- according to them it is a mere waste of time. Actually they don’t really perform something, but they feel they should.

May occur in depression and schizophrenia

38. ANARCHIST
Opposite is Dictatorial
One who rebels against anything or rule or ruling power. They use violent means to overthrow the established order. A person who believes all governments should be abolished.

39. ANGER
A strong feeling of displeasure, usually of antagonism. An outburst of passion or expression due to some provocation. When the feelings of a person are injured, he gets angry but this is something common. When a person get angry at conditions like contradiction, interruption, consolation etc. it becomes a point of reference. Suppressed anger or conditions arising as a result of anger also falls within the range of this rubric.

36. AMNESIA
A gap in one’s memory. Loss of memory usually due to a brain injury, shock, fatigue, illness .

Usually seen after an organic brain disorder or shock

Compare with Forgetful. A weakness of memory. May occur in multiple personality disorders, pseudoamnesic depression, sleep walking disorder etc.

37.AM– USEMENT
People who have desire as well as aversion to entertainment, to distraction, to play, to pass their time in idle way. Aversion or desire from a particular type of amusement is relevant if he had an attachment or hatred with such things earlier. ‘Diversion, entertainment or occupation’ means devoting mental or physical energy towards something by which one may feel physically or mentally relaxed. But in amusement it is only a pleasure, which he derives from doing the act.

Eg. Baryta carb, the patient is too timid, he will not like to amuse himself, too bashful, afraid to be laughed at. He is sitting somewhere in the corner alone, not participating in any games. Lilium tig, She is too busy to have no amusement herself. They are very difficult to please, they have religious fanaticism and ideas -according to them it is a mere waste of time. Actually they don’t really perform something, but they feel they should. May occur in depression and schizophrenia

38. ANARCHIST
Opposite is Dictatorial
One who rebels against anything or rule or ruling power. They use violent means to overthrow the established order. A person who believes all governments should be abolished.

39. ANGER
A strong feeling of displeasure, usually of antagonism. An outburst of passion or expression due to some provocation. When the feelings of a person are injured, he gets angry but this is something common. When a person get angry at conditions like contradiction, interruption, consolation etc. it became a point of reference. Suppressed anger or conditions arising as a result of anger also fall within the range of this rubric.

40. ANGUISH
A state of being extremely distressed by emotions or pain- an anxiety with physical sufferings. The pain can be in the bodily or mental plane. An extreme anxiety, it is felt clearly with bodily symptoms of sweating, palpitation, oppression or nervousness. Here the patient’s tolerance to endure mental or physical pain is very low. eg. When one of elders said something disagreeable to a person, which he felt too much but could not say anything as he is having much regard for him. Due to this he developed some physical ailments.

41. ANIMALS LOVE FOR
Persons having excessive attachment or love for animals. Cannot bear the pain or anything happen to them.

42. ANIMATION
The state of being full of life, jest and vigor. The person develops mental or physical aggravation from a state of being full of life. May occur in drug abuse or maniac disorder.

43. Annoyance (see Irritability)

44. Anorexia mentalis & Nervosa
A forceful unwillingness to eat. Loss of appetite as a result of some psychological disorder or other illness.

45. ANSWERS
Something spoken in return to a satisfying question

• Abruptly – To answer in an unexpected manner
• Shortly – in a short manner, every answer is very short which may or may not cover the point.
• Curtly – in a curt manner, the reply is a type of annoying or irritable manner
• Averse to – does not want to answer, averse to answer to any question.
• Snappishly – in an abrupt manner 

46. ANTAGONISM WITH HERSELF
Actively expressed opposition, the condition of being an opposing force or factor, a contradiction in his will. eg. When a woman goes for shopping she is unable to decide which particular design or colour will suit her. The same thing happens with the case of deciding her carrier or anything like that.

47. ANTHRAPOPHOBIA
Fear of men. The object of fear may vary from robbers, physicians, strangers etc. They usually stay indoors, will not like to mingle with people around them. This is an abnormal behavior, since they have some mental disorder. May occur in phobia, homosexuality & battered child syndrome.

48. ANTICIPATION
Ailments or complaints arising as a result of thinking an event to take place- usually a good thing-the completion of a particular job assigned to a particular person. This state is usually seen when a person has to appear for an examination or marriage or for a new event. May occur in anxiety neurosis also.

49. ANTICS
Grotesquely ludicrous act or action. A childish or foolish behavior. This is commonly observed in children who are in the habit of making fun and gesticulating in classroom. A natural phenomena, but can happen involuntarily in diseased condition or in elders also

Download the complete article (Explanation of more than 1000 rubrics) : www.similima.com/pdf/mind-rubrics-repertory.pdf