Carbo Veg.

Carbo vegetabilis

Origin
Made from silver birch, beech, or poplar trees, which grow on moors, heaths, woodlands, and mountains throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

Background
Used in traditional and conventional medicine for ulceration, septic diseases, flatulence, and indigestion. Also known for its deodorant and disinfectant properties.

Preparation
Fist-sized bits of wood are cut, heated until red hot, and sealed in an airtight earthenware jar. The resulting ash is then triturated, diluted, and succussed.

Common Names
Charcoal, wood charcoal.

CHARCOAL Wood is burned in a sealed environment from which air is excluded to make charcoal.

Key Symptoms

listless behavior, confusion, coldness, collapse, person feels better from fanned air, flatulence, desire for sweets, coffee, salt, and alcohol

Charcoal's hardness and durability have in the past made it a popular material for staking out land boundaries. Its ability to absorb gases and toxins in the body gained charcoal a reputation as a "purifier," and in the 18th and 19th centuries it was used in dressings for skin ulcers and in mouthwashes. Hahnemann proved and published the homeopathic remedy in his Chronic Diseases (1821–34). It became known as the "corpse reviver" for its ability to restore severe collapse.

Remedy Profile

People who need Carbo veg. may be in a state of physical and mental collapse. It is used for debilitated states ranging from a simple faint or fatigue to exhaustion or more serious collapse. Those affected may never have fully recovered from a previous illness. Symptoms include extreme weariness on making the least effort, indifference, and anxiety at night, along with a fear of the supernatural.

Typical physical symptoms include a cold, clammy body, a sallow face, weakness, and numbness or burning pain in the limbs. A tendency to suffer from trapped gas is common.

Despite usually feeling cold, people who respond to Carbo veg. like fresh air, especially if it is fanned over their faces. They may crave junk foods, coffee, sweets, and salt, and long for alcohol although it makes them feel unwell. In common with herbalists, homeopaths often give the remedy for flatulence and weak digestive functioning. Carbo veg. may also be taken for respiratory problems, or for a poor, sluggish constitution, particularly in the elderly.

Fatigue

Symptoms: Weakness, severe exhaustion, or low vitality. The skin is cold and pale, but the body feels hot inside, and there is a bitter taste in the mouth. Carbo veg. can be used for loss of vitality, fatigue, or shock during convalescence.

Symptoms better: For burping; for being fanned.

Symptoms worse: For warm, wet weather; in the evening; for lying down; for rich, fatty foods; for wine; for coffee.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Symptoms: Aching, burning pains all over the body, and swollen, tender glands. Confusion, difficulty in concentrating, and anxiety may be evident, along with other symptoms of fatigue.

Symptoms better: In the afternoon; for lying down.

Symptoms worse: For cold, damp weather; at night; for exertion; for talking.

Indigestion & flatulence

Symptoms: Indigestion and flatulence that occur regardless of diet. Regurgitation of food may be accompanied by sour burps, smelly gas, diarrhea, and bloating so that the skin of the stomach is stretched taut. Overeating may trigger nausea, dizziness, fainting, and morning headaches where the head feels heavy and hot.

Symptoms better: For cold, fresh air; for passing gas; for burping.

Symptoms worse: In the morning; for lying down; for rich, fatty foods; for milk, coffee, or wine.

Breathing problems

Symptoms: Spasmodic cough, whooping cough, asthma, and bronchitis in the elderly. There may be cold perspiration and weakness, choking, gagging, and vomiting of mucus. A desire for fresh air is common, as is a feeling of suffocation.

Symptoms better: For fresh air; for being fanned; for sitting up.

Symptoms worse: In warm, wet weather; for overheating; at night; for rich foods.

Poor circulation

Symptoms: Reduced energy and lack of coordination due to poor circulation of oxygen around the body. The skin on the face, hands, and feet may be cold and blue. Hoarseness and a cold tongue and breath are common, and there may also be cold, puffy legs with a tendency for bleeding varicose veins to form.

Symptoms better: For cold, fresh air; for burping.

Symptoms worse: For lying down; in the evening; for milk, coffee, or fatty foods.

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