Birth is the most important point in the history of any human being. It is the mother's experiences during and before birth that help us unravel the history of the young patient, as little else has yet had the chance to leave its impression. (A tidbit: if there was anesthesia involved in the delivery, e.g., a C-section, or epidural, and the child does not thrive, consider Opium.) Much can be learned from observing how the child takes the breast. Is it comfortable? What position does it assume? which side does it prefer? How is it afterwards? How frequently does s/he ask for the breast? The vocal expressions of the young provide us with the next set of clues. Is it a cry from pain? Is it a mourning? What is the facial expression while crying? Which emotions does the cry evoke in the mother? The typical demanding cry of Cina and Chamomilla is well known, as is the more whimpering and whiny cry of Pulsatilla and Calcarea phosphorica. Much of a child's behavior is directed toward seeking attention. In a pathological situation this can assume the form of nail biting, nose picking, playing with genitals, abusive language, twitching and spasms of muscles, and more. In these cases the homeopath needs to find the root cause of the behavior. Are there marital problems behind it? Is there a domineering parent or teacher? Is there jealousy or abuse? How does the child react to the environment? Children who wriggle their way out of any clothing and kick off blankets may be constitutionally hot types (e.g., Medorrhinum, Sulphur, Iodum, Lachesis, etc.). The sleeping position, separation anxiety, games, toys, etc., are other fruitful areas in which deeper investigation will reveal the child's character.

The cases we saw — a total of four video cases and three slide presentations — were well selected. Among others, they illustrated the application of two important under-represented remedies in pediatric care: Hyoscyamus and Veratrum. It was interesting to differentiate them from similar, more frequently prescribed children's remedies like Belladonna, Stramonium, and Tarentula. To illustrate, let me relate one of the cases.

A 5 year-old boy presented with the chief complaints of frequent upper respiratory tract infections, atonic constipation, and hyperactivity. Throughout the interview the child was touching everything on the table, making faces into the camera, talking into the mother's ear, etc. The most striking feature was the unusual fascination of the child with watching TV. He would watch cartoons all the time and be impossible to get to move away from the TV set at home. He would dress, eat, wash, and sleep in front of the running TV. When forcibly removed, he would shriek, kick, and throw a tantrum. He was completely oblivious to his surroundings. Other than that, he was sensitive and could not stand loud noises. When angry, he would bite and kick the maid, not the mother. His mother described him as untidy. He put everything into his mouth, even dirty things. He desired salt and ice cream. There is a strong sibling rivalry between him and his younger brother.

Stramonium and Tuberculinum had been prescribed unsuccessfully before. Then the following rubrics led to the simillimum:

• Hard to inferiors and kind to superiors
• Indifference, notices nothing
• Interruption aggravates mental symptoms
• Desire for ice
• Desire for cold drinks

Veratrum 1M, repeated monthly on the average, helped the boy very much; he continues to improve (after a three year follow-up period).

The situation of the mother shed some light on the state of the child. She comes from a very rich family and had an arranged marriage. Her new situation after the marriage was financially much more limited. Her mother-in-law, a very strict orthodox Hindu, made her life difficult. From this we understand that the situation of Veratrum, which sees herself as an outcast, an important person fallen from grace, had been present already in the mother and was transmitted to her son. This observation is representative of many cases in Master's practice; therefore he directs much attention also to the mother during the interview.

In differentiating Stramonium from Veratrum, Master pointed out that the former has fright as the strongest element. Veratrum, on the other hand, is much more motivated by egotism. The strong food cravings of ice (frozen water, not necessarily the sweet variety), sour, and salty, present in Veratrum, are absent in Stramonium. Usually Veratrums are very precocious children. The violence of both Veratrum and Stramonium is directed towards others; in contrast to Belladonna, who pulls her own hair.

A 7 year-old girl with complaints from amebic dysentery, bed-wetting, and behavioral problems, showed similar elements as the previous case. She was affectionate but short-tempered. Her behavior was very disruptive during the interview, she would make faces into the camera and threaten to "pooh into the microphone". When her achievements were discussed, she immediately said: "I am better than my sister!" In analyzing the case, the element of jealousy was clearly apparent. Her disruptive behavior was designed to attract attention. She emphatically said: "My sister gets ice cream, why not I? That's not fair!"

This suggested the rubrics:

• Delusion she has suffered wrong
• Faces, makes
• Restless
• Meddlesome
• Delusion of being sold

(The selection of the last rubric was motivated by her getting angry at the mother after the interview for discussing her symptoms with the doctor. A feeling of having been betrayed was clearly perceptible.) Hyoscyamus 1M cured the case (one year follow-up period).

The elements of Hyoscyamus are frequently jealousy paired with suspiciousness. It can be differentiated from Lachesis by the latter's ulterior motive, which is always present. Lachesis usually refers to religion, politics, morals, etc., to justify its behavior. The striking, often obscene, gestures of Hyoscyamus and its restlessness are absent in Lachesis. Also, the open violence in Hyoscyamus appears behind a mask in Lachesis. Hyoscyamus and Stramonium both are worse from water. However, Hyoscyamus is worse hearing water, whereas Stramonium is worse seeing it. Exhibitionism in young people frequently points to Hyoscyamus, but in older people it is more often Fluoric acid.