The Bowel Nosodes

Words: Dr Deborah OLENEV

If some billionaire were to offer me a million dollars as a gift, or knowledge, of the bowel nosodes, as an alternate reward, I would say keep your million dollars, but give me knowledge of the bowel nosodes. This may be one of the philosopher’s stones that the alchemists were searching for when they sought to turn base metal into gold — a key to health.

Homeopathy promises achievable ‘miracles,’ but people can sometimes go from one homeopath to another and take many remedies over years, each of them helping, but in some cases falling short of delivering the gift of health.

What is health? Freedom from pain and illness and energy and vitality to use your body, mind and spirit as an instrument of your will.

The pioneers in the field of the bowel nosodes were Dr Edward Bach, who later went on to develop the Bach Flower Remedies, and Drs Elizabeth and John Patterson, and Dr Charles Wheeler.

The bowel nosodes are not actually nosodes, which by definition are products of disease. The bowel nosodes by contrast are Non-Lactose Forming Bacteria [NLFB], which are the products of health. To understand this, I’d recommend Bowel Nosodes in Homeopathic Practice Third Edition by Dr John Saxton.

Dr Bach originally identified seven bowel nosodes. Subsequently, the list expanded to 13. The seven original bowel nosodes are:

• Morgan Pure
• Morgan Gartner
• Gaertner Bach
• Dysentery Co
• Sycotic Co
• Mutabile
• Faecalis
• Coccal Co.

Each of these have their own Material Medica and remedy picture. Each bowel nosode is also affiliated with a range of constitutional remedies. There is an original list of the affiliated remedies, which was subsequently expanded upon due to the introduction of new remedies and greater clinical experience with the bowel nosodes.

The relationship of the bowel nosodes and constitutional remedies is often one of a complementary remedy, as in the case of the well-known triad of Calcarea carbonica, Sulphur and Lycopodium clavatum.

The relationship is not one of acute remedy to chronic remedy as in Bryonia alba, the acute, to Natrum muriaticum, the chronic.

The relationship is rather one of association and supportive function, but sometimes the bowel nosode can stand alone as the therapeutic agent needed for healing.

The bowel nosodes can be given in close proximity to the constitutional remedy — and, suddenly the constitutional remedy, which you may have tried before with less than satisfying results works in a deep, transformative way. Or, the bowel nosode can be given and observed over a long period of time to allow the healing process on it to unfold uninterrupted.

The change wrought by a bowel nosode can be to remove a layer, and the next layer that is needed shows up quickly and the next remedy works more effectively. Occasionally, more than one bowel nosode is needed.

With the bowel nosodes the process of restoration of health can be speeded up exponentially, and the process of what homeopathy can do is revealed in a more rapid manner.

Many people have had the experience of working with a homeopath for years, but the goal of optimal health eludes them. Or, they can go from one highly acclaimed homeopath to the next, who often is brilliant and prescribes good remedies, but again the results are less than what is hoped — what may be missing is knowledge of the bowel nosodes and how to using them.

I am happy to say that I have seen beautiful healing in some of my patients/clients with the bowel nosodes. The main source of my information is from Bowel Nosodes in Homeopathic Practice Third Edition by Dr Saxton. Dr Richard Pitt also talks about the bowel nosodes in his book, Comparative Materia Medica. Dr Frans Vermeulen includes the bowel nosodes in his Materia Medica, and so does Dr Robin Murphy in Nature’s Materia Medica. I recommend Dr Saxton’s book highly, because he gives wonderful case examples, and also talks about the history of the development of the bowel nosodes. Dr Saxton is a homeopathic veterinarian. When you read the case presentations in his book, you will be impressed by the quality of his work as a classical homeopath. May all homeopaths practice to his level of diligence and astuteness. We owe him and all the pioneers in this field a debt of gratitude.

Themes Of The Bowel Nosodes From Dr Saxton’s Book [page 42].

I am going to quote exactly what he says below:

“The key themes of the bowel nosodes are as follows:

Morgan Bach
Congestion

Dysentery Co
Anticipatory anxiety, nervous tension

Proteus
Suddenness, nervous system involvement

Sycotic Co
Irritability

Gaertner Bach
Malnutrition, emaciation

Bacillus No 7
Mental and physical fatigue

Bacillus No 10
Lack of restraint, destructive pushing of boundaries

Mutabile
Changeability

Faecalis
Mental dichotomy

Coccal Co
Infection and septic states.”

Miasmatic Association Of The Bowel Nosodes From Dr Saxton’s Book [page 22].

Psora
Bacillus No 7; Dysentery Co; Gaertner Bach; Morgan Gaertner; Morgan Pure; Mutabile, Proteus.

Sycosis
Bacillus No 7; Bacillus No 10; Coccal Co; Dysentery Co; Faecalis; Morgan Gaertner; Morgan Pure; Mutabile; Proteus; Sycotic Co.

Syphilis
Bacillus No 7; Bacillus No 10; Dysentery Co; Coccal Co; Gaertner Bach; Proteus.

Tubercular
Bacillus No 7; Gaertner Bach; Morgan Pure; Mutabile; Sycotic Co.

Cancer
Bacillus No 10; Dysentery Co; Faecalis; Gaertner Bach.

The Expanded Associated Remedy List

In the appendix of the book [page 175 to 178], Dr Saxton presents the expanded associated remedy list. This is a list expanded from the original list put together by Drs Elizabeth and John Patterson in 1949. I refer to the expanded list all the time when I am searching for bowel nosodes associated with a particular constitutional remedy that I am considering for my client.

Another good way to try to determine which bowel nosode may be needed is to limit your search in your software to Bacteria, and see what comes up. If you have an unusual symptom appearing under one of the bowel nosodes that you have not been able to address with what looked like a good constitutional remedy take this hint to examine the bowel nosode.

A Note To My Homeopathic Colleagues

Please don’t neglect the study of the bowel nosodes as part of your homeopathic tool chest, and familiarise yourself with their remedy pictures in the same way as you familiarise yourself with the remedy pictures of all your remedy friends.

For example, I helped a family where the wife was subject to extreme rages with Proteus. I helped another woman with severe diabetes and emaciation regain her health with Morgan Gaertner. She was also taking insulin. These are accomplishments that would not have occurred had I not known the bowel nosodes.

God bless all homeopaths and healers. This is joyous divine work.

Dr DEBORAH OLENEV, CCH, RSHom [NA], is a Classical Homeopath based in Mountain View, California, US. She treats people from all over the world via phone and video conferencing. Dr Olenev has had a passion for homeopathy for nearly forty years and has been in private practice since 1991. She has a vast knowledge of homeopathic Materia Medica, and integrates homeopathy with herbal medicine too. She is the owner of First Aid Cream, where she teaches about and sells homeopathic first-aid creams. She has several years of experience treating autistic children and people of all ages for all manner of health conditions.