Ambra Grisea appears in 12 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.
- Allen HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.
“Ambergris. (A Nosode.) For children, especially young girls who are excitable, nervous and weak; nervous affections of old people, nerves "worn out.". Lean, thin, emaciated persons who take cold easily. Great sadness, sits for days, weeping. After business embarrassments, unable to sleep, must get up (Act., Sep.)…”
- Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“Ambra grisea. Found in some marine animals, and frequently obtained floating on the Southern seas. Preparation , Triturations. Authorities. (Hahnemann's M. M. Pura); 1 , Hahnemann; 2 , Gersdorff. Distorted images, grimaces, diabolical faces crowd upon his fancy; he cannot get rid of them, 1. Lewd fancies, even when…”
- Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“Ambergis-A Morbid Secretion of the Whale Suitable to excitable, nervous children and thin, nervous patients. Extreme nervous hypersensitiveness . External numbness of whole body in the morning and weakness. Nervous bilious temperament. Thin, scrawny women. Adapted to hysterical subjects, or those suffering from spinal…”
- Boger (GA) — Which general headings this remedy belongs under — the analytical scaffolding.
“ALTERNATING EFFECTS, sides, states, etc.(Comp. Periodicity, Wandering, Waves). COUGH, excited from Throat or Larynx DIRECTION of sensations, Diagonally FEMALE ORGANS ITCHING, tickling, etc., internal LYING, Agg. MOTION, beginning, Agg., continued, Amel. MOTION, slow, gentle, etc.., Amel. OLD AGE, senility REACTION…”
- Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“Ambergris. Most probably a morbid product found in the Sperm Whale or floating in the sea. (Not to be confounded with Amber-Succinum.) Trituration and tincture. Anus, irritation of / Asthma / Bashfulness / Brain, softening of / Cardiac asthma / Convulsions / Cough / Deafness / Emaciation / Epistaxis / Face, pimples on…”
- Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Ambergris. Probably a nosode or morbid product found in belly of sperm-whale. The best is that which whalers cut out, and which is usually to be had in Boston. Most of it is picked up in the Eastern seas. Used by the Arabians and since. Introduced by Hahnemann in 1827 ; especially proved by his friend, the Count de…”
- Kent — The mental and general picture — who the patient is, before what the remedy cures.
“Premature old age: On looking over this remedy as a whole it will appear to you that you have been studying the characteristics of one prematurely old. You will often see symptoms coming on in one at fifty years of age that should appear at eighty, and after studying this remedy you will see that the same aspect is…”
- Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.
“Tearing in the muscles of the joints, often one-sided. Itching from the small of the back through the right leg and burning, especially where the skin turns into mucous membranes. External numbness of the whole body in the morning. Weakness in the morning and at night when awakening. Ebullitions and pulsations in the…”
- Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.
“Great restlessness. Hastiness and nervous excitement when talking. The fancy is crowded with fantastic illusions. Aversion to talking and laughing. Embarrassed manner in society. Despair, loathing of life. Vertigo when walking in the open air, with weakness in the stomach. Congestion of blood to the head, when…”
- Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: ambergris. Nervous affections of old people; nerves worn out (A.). Especially called for young girls, who are excitable, nervous and weak (A.). Forgetful; cannot remember the simplest fact (Anac., Kali-P., Lyc., Sil.) (F.). Intensely shy, blushes easily (Br.). Time passes slowly (D.). Does everything in a…”
- Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Ambra grisea. Convulsive cough, with frequent eructations of gas. Discharge of blood between the periods; after a hard stool; or walk. Very nervous women, cannot void stool or urinate when others are in the room. Discharge of blood between periods; any little exertion or straining at stool causes it. Nervous cough…”
