emphasises the physical symptoms, the fastidiousness, and the stinginess. Then we see an increasing emphasis on the insecur-ities, dependency, anxiety about health, anxiety over losing others, the fear of being alone, and the fear of death. Gradually the fear of death becomes an obsessive, anguishing fear, the central issue of the person’s life.
As the illness progresses, we see the emergence of a paranoid, delusionary state. Suspicion dominates the picture. Once the par-anoid state develops in a case, we frequently see the fastidious-ness disappear. Eventually, the anxiety and fear diminish as a deep state of depression sets in—a despair of recovery, a loss of interest in life, and the suicidal thoughts, suspicion of others and the fear of killing people upon whom he depends. In this stage, the person may even avoid talking to people, becomes obstinate, inward.
It is in this stage of insanity that one may find the most difficulty prescribing Arsenicum without a knowledge of its stages. Many of the usual symptoms of Arsenicum may be missing—anxiety, desire for company, fear of death, restlessness, fastidiousness. It may be difficult to separate Arsenicum from Nux vomica, or other remedies, at this stage. But if the case is taken carefully, the full dynamic process will become clear.
The stages described herein illustrate nicely the progression of pathology steadily into deeper layers of the organism. It begins on the physical level, progressing to a state of anxiety and inse-curity, then to fear of death, and finally despair, a loss of interest in life, suicidal disposition and a delusionary state on the mental plane. Consequently, under correct prescribing of Arsenicum in such a case, we can except a reversal of this sequence. As the paranoia and delusions lift and the fears and anxieties return, the homoeopath with a true knowledge of health and disease will recognise progress in the direction toward health.