hurriedly rushes about, almost hysterically frantic. Even though he may be physically and mentally capable of accomplishing all of the necessary tasks within fifteen minutes, the sense of being pressured causes him to lose any ability of functioning effective- ly. He becomes immobilized and confused, almost paralyzed. It is a slow competence that, if pushed to a faster pace, complete- ly disintegrates. An interesting consequence of the mental slow- ness and confusion of Alumina is a distorted time sense – time may seem to pass too slowly (Medorrhinum).
The patient often recognizes his mental inefficiency. He may work hard to overcome his weakness by keeping notes and per- forming tasks in an organized, systematic manner; however, the apprehension that he may not finish things on time remains. It is as if the patient moves at a slower rhythm than the rest of the world. With the slightest provocation he feels rushed. He may know certain information perfectly well, but if one were to say, “Quick, tell me about this matter!” he would become confused and unable to think clearly.
From the above it is easily understood that the Alumina patient does not like surprises or excitement. He may tend to be rath- er antisocial, preferring small gatherings or one-on-one interac- tions. Especially in the morning upon awakening there may be a great aversion to conversing, interestingly, Alumina women may be more open and outgoing during the menstrual period, as if the flow of their emotions parallels their menstrual flow.
As a rule, the Alumina individual is self-protective. He withholds his feelings until he is certain that his affection is reciprocated. He represses his anger and may later redirect it toward family members. Again, one sees the idea of retention. Often an Alu- mina patient will be encountered who lives excessively in his imagination. He will have all sorts of daydreams and fantasies, but he tends to keep them to himself. Sometimes his mind will get stuck on one theme, and he weak, and he makes silly, stupid comments. At other times he becomes argumentative, bringing up foolish objections during a discussion. One can be tempted to shake one’s head in disbelief at some of these foolish statements.
The mental deterioration occurs in stages. At the beginning the patient merely exhibits some slowness of thinking. Then he