It is imerative to match the symptoms of the individual with that of the remedy. The most important criteria for selecting the right remedy is to establish what makes the patient feel better or worse.

For example a cold may start with a sore throat and sudden fever, but then progress to a congestive, yellow nasal passage or settle on the chest. The symptoms have changed, so the remedy will also need to be changed.

Below are a few pointers to common remedies:

Arnica - Injuries, trauma, post-operative recovery & jet-lag. Early doses will alleviate pain & prevent bruising. Any pain, bruising or shock, especially where the patient has fear of approach or being touched.

Belladonna - Sudden, violent inflammations or fever. Patient is hot & flushed in the face & may have dilated pupils. They may feel dizzy, have great sensitivity to being touched, particularily to sudden or jarring motion.

 Calendula - Excellent for open wounds and cuts that will not heal. Use locally as a cream. Can also be used as a tincture combined with Hypericum. Very useful after a tooth extraction.

Chamomilla - Teething infant, fractious child. Anger associated with pain. Characterized by heat, irritability, thirst & pain. Inconsolable anger and capriciousness. Child demands to be carried (compare with Pulsatilla), has facial flushing, often one sided and can have diarrheoa, which is sometimes green.

Drosera - Violent, spasmodic cough with breathlessness & ending in retching. Spasms follow each othe quite rapidly & lead to choking and noise associated with whooping cough. Worse during the night or when patient gets warm. May also experience giddiness when walking in the open air, hot stinging pains on the right cheek and coldness of the left. 

Gelsemium - Classical Flu picture. The eyes are heavy & drooping, fuzzy vision & a flushed face. The patient is chilly & complains of chills running down their back. Headaches described as zombie-like. Symptoms come on gradually, maybe over a day or so. Despite the fever, the patient is thirstless. Patient just wants to rest & is very lethargic - worse for physical activity.

Kali bich - Sinusitis with thick discharges & severe pain at localized spots over the facial sinuses. Pressure at the root of the nose & small spots of pain around the eye. The catarrh is ropy and like strings of egg-white. It varies in colour as the condition progresses from white to green. Can cause ulceration inside the nose. Early stages of congestion may be accompanied by violent sneezing, later stuffiness & loss of smell. Barking coughs with lots of stringy or sticky mucus. Symptoms are worse for undressing & in the morning. Local heat can help, but hot weather makes symptoms worse.