Baryta Carbonica - Homeopathc Remedy

 Baryta carb. is remedy which can be prescribed at all stages of life - childhood, adulthood, old age - but it is most commonly indicated in children. This remedy brings aid to scrofulous children, especially if they are backward physically, are dwarfish, do not grow and develop.
 The dwarfishness is seen not only on the physical level but on the emotional and mental levels as well.
 By dwarfishness we do not mean that Baryta carb. is routinely prescribed for people who are short in stature, or for actual dwarfs. It is not indicated in people with quick intelligence and strong vitality. Baryta carb. dwarfishness on the physical plane refers more specifically to conditions in which specific organs have not fully developed, especially the genitalia. The testes and penis may be very small and relaxed. Or the uterus may remain child sized even into adulthood. Delayed development in general is a strong, element in Baryta carb.
 The appearance of Baryta carb. children is quite distinct. They are not fat, but they may have enlarged bellies with an otherwise marasmic appearance - like Calcarea carb. The skin is not fresh as it is in most children; it appears older, as if it is about to become wrinkled. The glands may be swollen, and especially the tonsils may swell to such an extent that it interferes with the child's appetite. Because of this adenoidal and tonsillar swelling, the child may breathe through his mouth, which adds to the generally "stupid" look on his face. Baryta carb. children, have a very serious look on their faces. There is an unintelligent seriousness to their mind. They lack brilliance, so they appear as if they are always trying to figure out what is happening. It is as if the mind is completely vacant.
 These children are very shy. In the interview, a Baryta carb. girl will hide behind the chair and cling to her mother, peering out at you with that dull, serious look. You cannot coax her to come out. If you go over and take her by the hand, however, she will not resist. Other remedies - like Natrum mur, Tarentula, Arnica, or Hepar children - will kick up a fuss if you make a move toward them; they know how they feel and they will not allow you to touch them. The Baryta carb. child, however, will allow you to bring her to you.
 She is docile. She may stare at you, wondering "What does this man want of me"? But she has no will of her own. She will try to do whatever you wish. It is a shyness that comes from a lack of comprehension and an instinct to remain in familiar circumstances and with familiar people who can protect her. It should be pointed out, also, that this shyness may persist until the age of 8 or 10 years. It is natural for children 3 or 4 years to be shy, but in Baryta carb. it persists to a much older age and exactly the same childishness. This is why Baryta carb. is listed in the Repertory as having a fear of strangers and aversion to company.
 Baryta carb. children are slow to learn - to walk, and especially to talk. They may not learn to talk until the age of 3 or 4 years. You stand them on their feet, to teach them to walk, but they simply do not seem to comprehend that they are supposed to put one foot in front of the other. In a normal school, these children fall behind quickly; it is common for them to hold back a year every three or so until they receive Baryta carb.
 In Greek, there is a word, MICRONOUS, which means "small mind" or "simple-mindedness". This is an accurate description of the Baryta carb. intellect. Their minds seem completely incapable of handling complexities - any problem involving more than 4 or 5 factors, for example. They tend to think in a rote fashion. Structure and routine are best for them.
 A father may ask his Baryta carb. son to study a passage in the history book for class the next day. He willingly sits there for a long time applying himself to the passage and by the end of the time he can recite it from memory. However, he has no really comprehended its meaning. The next day, the teacher asks him to describe that passage, and he simply cannot respond. Partly he is overcome by shyness, but mostly he has forgotten the passage completely. The Baryta carb. mind is vacant; it cannot comprehend easily, cannot retain things.
 These children realise that they don't understand all that happens in the world around them. This is why they tend to stay by themselves, in familiar and sage surroundings. They will no play with other children. They will not make new friends. This also is the reason why they have anxiety about others; they are fearful of losing their protectors, their familiar relations.
 Of course, one might think of Baryta carb. for mongoloid children. One must be careful, however, to distinguish conditions which are pathological and actual defects. In mongoloids, there is a specific defect; there is only a certain amount of intelligence available at birth. The intelligence which is lacking from the outset cannot be brought to normal. However, mongoloid children sometimes have other problems, susceptibilities to colds, etc. which can he helped by various remedies such as Calc. carb., Tuberculinum, Pulsatilla, and others.
 This description of Baryta carb. carried on into adulthood as well, but usually these people have learned to compensate for their lack of intelligence. In social gatherings, they remain silent while everyone else speaks. Generally, they shun society and stick close to their own family.
 It is in adulthood, however, that the CHILDISH behaviour becomes most evident. They say things that seem to have no relation to the topic being discussed - silly things, ridiculous things. For example, people are discussing popular music, and someone remarks that Elvis Presley is a great performer. Then the Baryta carb. man says, "Yes, he's O.K.  but he cannot compare to Maria Callas"! This is the kind of silly, out-of-context remark that Baryta carb. patients make. They seem to lack perspective altogether, so their minds make only the simplest of connections, which seem ridiculous and childish to other people.
 Let us take another example, Baryta carb. patients van perform their routine daily functions quite adequately, but they cannot cope with extra complications. Suppose a man tells his wife that ten people are coming to dinner. She is perfectly capable of cooking for just herself and her husband, but ten people? She can't cope with the complexity of which utensils to use, how to time things so that all the food is ready at the same time, etc. She doesn't know where to begin or where to end. But instead of saying this straight out, she says other husband, "But I do not have the right shoes to wear"!
 It is this inability to handle complexity that leads to the IRRESOULTION which is so characteristic of Baryta carb. Suppose a man and wife are looking for a new house, and one is offered at a bargain. It is a perfect sized house, located in a very nice area, and the price is the only one quarter of the usual marked value for such houses. The husband asks, "What do you think"? The wife realises that this is the moment for a decision : they have saved their money, but now she is afraid of the magnitude of the decision. So she says "Yes, but that mountain nearby is so big; it may cut off the air? And there is dirt on the porch". She has no ability to put things in their correct perspective, so she cannot come to a decision. It is like asking a child to make the decision on buying a house. Whenever irresolution is the major expression on the mental level, Baryta carb. is one of the main remedies to consider.
 Because the mind is so simple in Baryta carb. they do not have the burden of over-intellectualisation. Often they can be quite receptive and accurate in an intuitive way. Upon meeting someone, they will immediately intuit whether that person is good or bad, and they will often be right. Even so, their judgement will be quite complex. They are not really capable of very subtle or refined impressions.
 Baryta carb. is a remedy which can be indicated in old arterio-sclerotic people whose minds have deteriorated in a specific way. These are old people who play with dolls, or the ribbons in their hair - childish behaviour. In such people, Baryta carb. may well bring them back to their normal selves for another two or three years until the inevitable decline overtakes them.
 Baryta carb. and Baryta mur; are often indicated in mononucleosis, when the glands have become swollen and very hard.
 Generally, Baryta carb. patient are chilly. They often have an aversion to sweets. Baryta carb. is one of only three remedies which have an aversion to fruits, and especially to plums.
 A peculiar symptom which might lead you to Baryta carb. is the sensation that they are inhaling smoke when in fact the air is clean.