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Wow! It's a miracle - The healing power of Calendula

Dee Babicke with her son Christopher

I've been practicing homeopathy professionally for the last few years. My practice
is full of individuals suffering from serious physical, mental, and emotional
conditions, and it's always thrilling to see them rally and overcome their complaints
and afflictions. But recently, I was reminded that homeopathy can be just as
effective closer to home with a serious injury.
     Not long ago, my 10-year-old son Christopher and
his friend decided to go for a bike ride. Despite repeated reminders to wear
sneakers or closed shoes when riding, Chris donned a pair of sandals and took
off. He returned a short while later with blood streaming from each knee, the
side of his left leg, his left elbow, and the top of his nose. In addition, there
appeared to be a "burn mark" across the top of his left foot along where the
sandal strap lay. He had taken a very bad fall and was a mess. I cleaned him
up, dressed the wounds with Calendula ointment and gave him Arnica 30C for the
bruising and swelling.
     The next morning, everything had scabbed over.
Everything that is, but the "burn mark" left by his sandal. Eighteen hours earlier
it had appeared to be the least significant of his injuries, but now it no longer
resembled a burn mark. It was swollen-looking, red, and full of yellowish pus
that was beginning to "weep." A red streak indicating infection had appeared
and was making its way up his foot toward the ankle. His foot was so swollen
that it was painful to walk on, and Chris began using a walking stick to get
around the house.
     I went to my remedy case and selected Calendula
30C. Well known for its infection-fighting properties, this remedy seemed the
most appropriate choice. I gave Chris several pellets of Calendula and repeated
it twice more within the hour. The redness and swelling began to subside. The
pus over the scab was still there but was beginning to dry. Chris also soaked
his foot in salt-water several times during the day. By bedtime, the improvement
was noticeable. He took one more dose of Calendula 30C before bed.
     By the next morning the scabs still had some pus
but were reduced in size. The red streak had begun to retract and the swelling
was down. Chris was able to hobble about without a walking stick. Before leaving
for work, I had Chris soak his foot again. After the soak, about one third of
the yellow, pus-filled scab began to detach. Beneath the pus was clear, clean
skin—a good sign.
     When I returned from work at 3 p.m., I gave Chris
a single dose of Calendula 1M, a higher potency I had obtained at the office.
What happened after that is nothing short of magic. At 3:45 p.m., Chris literally
came running into the living room, when just an hour before he had been favoring
his injured foot. "Mom," he said, "Look at this—I wiped it and it just
came off." Christopher's wound was completely clean. Every bit of pus had come
off. The foot was almost back to its normal size.
     In this case, Calendula 30C had an immediate effect
on the infection in Christopher's foot, but it was not until he received the
higher, 1M potency, that the healing was completed.*
     He repeated the 1M dose at 7 p.m., and by bedtime,
Christopher's foot had a dark, dry, red scab across it, which resembled every
other scab on his battered body. The swelling had completely gone, as had the
red streak.
     Friday morning, Chris woke. "Wow," he said, "I
can't believe how different my foot looks from yesterday! It's a miracle!" Yes,
it is. And that miracle is called homeopathy.
     All this stands to reason given the healing properties
of Calendula, which is known for its antiseptic qualities and its ability to
fight infection. It should always be considered for any form of abrasion, scrape,
cut, or lacerated wound, with or without yellow pus and infection.
     Homeopathy is so simple and effective that it can
have dramatic effects even in first-aid situations and can be used successfully
by individuals who have only a modest amount of homeopathic knowledge. The magic
of homeopathy never ceases to amaze me.

*Editor's note:
Homeopathic remedies come in many different "potencies" or strengths. 6X, 6C,
12X, 12C, 30X and 30C are safe for home prescribing with each being stronger
homeopathically than the previous one. Lower potencies tend to need more repetitions
than higher potencies to get a healing response.
     Higher potencies, such as the 200C, 1M, and 10M,
tend to work faster and are useful for more serious complaints, such as bad burns
or head injuries with concussion. For the typical home prescriber, however, using
the lower potencies is recommended.

The English marigold is a cheerful, annual plant with deep orange flowers that
open and close with the sun just like Bellis perennis, the common daisy, another
of homeopathy's great healers. Calendula has been used herbally for hundreds
of years in the kitchen and the sick room. The old herbalists advised that the
dried flowers be added to broths in order to comfort "the heart and the spirits,
and to expel any malignant or pestilential quality which might annoy them." Homeopaths
and home prescribers are well aware of Calendula's healing benefits as a topical
preparation in tinctures, creams, and salves. Fewer people know, however, that
Calendula is also useful as a homeopathic remedy—potentized and prepared
by a homeopathic pharmacy. In this form, Calendula is indicated for lacerated,
suppurating (i.e., pus-filled) wounds—especially if they are extremely
painful and if the pain is out of proportion to the injury. It promotes rapid
healing and prevents infection.

About the author: Dee Babicke studied with The Hudson Valley School of Homeopathy,
graduated from The British Institute of Homeopathy, and completed two years of
clinical training at The Desert Institute of Classical Homeopathy. She is co-founder
of the East Valley Homeopathic Study Group and currently practices at The Desert
Institute of Classical Homeopathy in Phoenix, Arizona. She can be reached at
(480) 704-7996.