Hippocampus Kuda

Hippocampus kuda, a Proving of Sea Horse

Conducted and written by: Susan Sonz, C.C.H., I.H.C., Robert Stewart, C.C.H., and Sonam Kushner, C.C.H.

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SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Actinopterygii
• Order: Syngnathiformes
• Family: Syngnathidae

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NATURAL HISTORY

The sea horse derives its name Hippocampus from Greek, meaning “horse monster.” It belongs to family Syngnathidea, which includes pipe fish and sea dragons. Though classification was historically uncertain, sea horses are definitively fish—vertebrates representing an evolutionary leap from mollusks like Sepia officinalis and Murex purpurea.

Over 32 sea horse species exist. Hippocampus kuda inhabits eastern Indian coasts and Indonesian waters extending to the Sea of Japan, favored by aquarium enthusiasts.

Physical Characteristics

Sea horses appear poorly adapted to aquatic environments initially. Lacking typical fish torpedo shapes, they float vertically, propelled almost imperceptibly by pectoral fins flanking the head and a small dorsal fin. This vertical posture is exceptional in the animal kingdom.

Rather than scales, sea horses wear bony armor. Their elongated, toothless tubular snout creates horse-like appearance. Possessing a prehensile tail resembling a monkey’s, sea horses wrap around sea grasses and coral for camouflage and predator evasion. They passively await prey—rotifers and brine shrimp—which they consume via suction with clicking sounds.

The sea horse presents an amusing amalgam: horse’s head, dragon’s scales, chameleon’s eyes and color-changing ability, monkey’s tail, kangaroo’s pouch, insect armor, and hummingbird wings—yet remains simply a fish.

Behavior and Reproduction

Sea horses lack social structures typical of schooling fish. Males claim small sea-bed grass patches, anchoring via tail, remaining solitary. However, unlike most sea creatures, sea horses form mate attachments.

Male sea horses lead otherwise solitary existences punctuated by morning visits from partners, who hook their tails to adjacent grass, gently swaying together. Partners appear devoted. Sexual encounters involve ballet-like courtship lasting hours. Remarkably, the female inserts eggs into an enclosed male abdominal pouch, where the male fertilizes and incubates the brood—an unusual reversal of reproductive norms.

During this period, the female visits daily for intimate moments, tenderly nuzzling her mate. Sea horses share color-changing abilities with octopuses and cuttlefish for camouflage, yet during courtship and male pregnancy, mates “brighten” upon meeting.

After approximately six weeks, males experience labor-like contractions, expelling hundreds of babies. Few survive to adulthood.

This peculiar reproductive arrangement—pregnant males—contradicts apparent natural laws, transgressing fundamental biological taboos. Consequently, sea horses inspired countless myths and legends, driving human actions. Chinese cultures have valued sea horses medicinally for millennia, treating asthma, heart disease, and impotence. The Chinese belief that sea horses mate for life and feel sexually fulfilled motivates their use as aphrodisiacs. Approximately 20 million sea horses are harvested annually.

Sea horse trade remains legal and unregulated. Continued harvesting at current rates threatens extinction. Recently established conservation projects create sanctuaries and fish farms ensuring these mysterious, fragile creatures’ survival.

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THE PROVING

“The best opportunity for exercising our sense of observation and to perfect it, is by proving medicines ourselves.” — Samuel Hahnemann

Homeopathic provings demand substantial effort. Before months or years of substance extraction and information compilation, practitioners must convince 10-20 volunteers to ingest unknown substances for research, then identify equal numbers of supervising homeopaths with available time and inclination. That any provings occur at all seems remarkable. Yet provings represent wondrous confirmation of homeopathy’s fundamental principles.

At extraction meetings, witnessing similarities among individual prover reactions thrills. Observing these similarities confirmed in notebooks proves even more exciting, realizing this new remedy will eventually cure patients. This motivates many practitioners to undertake proving work, and encourages brave volunteers to ingest unknown substances while busy homeopaths supervise. Everyone contributes to humanity’s well-being. Hahnemann would approve.

Proving Timeline and Methodology

This proving began summer 2001, planning a bi-coastal investigation. Multiple substances were considered; early 2002, Sonam Kushner suggested sea horse, partly inspired by a NOVA special reminding her of childhood fascination in India.

Master provers found sea horse intriguing for multiple reasons: sea horses captivate worldwide audiences through strangeness and beauty, suggesting universal remedy qualities; Chinese medicine historically employs sea horses; most significantly, sea horses present unusual reproductive biology—males fertilize eggs within personal pouches, gestating and birthing live sea horses. What could prove more fascinating?

One classified black male sea horse from the Indian Ocean was sent to Michael Quinn at Hahnemann Pharmacy for potentization. Michael generously produced 20 vials of 30c potency. The team followed Jeremy Sherr’s The Dynamics and Methodology of Homoeopathic Provings, distributing separate instruction pages for provers and supervisors at initial meetings May 18, 2002 (New York) and June 1 (California).

One supervisor per prover was assigned; partners communicated daily. The remedy was distributed May 28, following initial intake interviews and week-long prover journal entries establishing baseline states. Most New York provers consumed the remedy June 1 (day 00).

Provers called supervisors after each dose, instructed not to take second doses if experiencing symptoms. Most took one or two doses; three took all six possible doses (one insensitive prover reported only one symptom throughout). Master provers worried about either no significant symptoms or excessive sickness. Reality proved intermediate: two New York females experienced terrible headaches, nausea, and depression dissipating after approximately one month; two males experienced emotional healing or discovered new self-perspectives.

Importantly, as Hahnemann noted, regardless of proving-induced symptoms, everyone achieves heightened health or awareness afterward. Not only does the materia medica expand, but provers and supervisors reach healthier states. Proving introspection provides mind-expanding experiences. Prospective provers shouldn’t feel like guinea pigs but rather like Alice in Wonderland, confident that whether experiencing temporary symptoms, the experience enlightens. A proving represents an honorable journey for all involved—undertaken carefully but without fear.

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MAJOR THEMES

Sea horse proving results proved very interesting, with intense symptoms and strong signature sensations. At extraction meetings, after provers described results and the substance was revealed, almost all provers expressed willingness to participate in future provings. Both meetings discussed common symptoms and themes later confirmed in notebooks.

Fortunate to have strong provers whose symptoms served as templates, prover #1’s descriptions of isolation mirrored many others. This strong theme appeared part of a larger picture including aggravation in and aversion to company, desire for solitude, sadness, gloom, and disconnection from the world. Whether isolation causes sadness or oversensitivity in public drives isolation remains unclear, but isolation emerged as the prominent emotional symptom. In the wild, solitary male seahorses may account for this strong isolation theme coupled with solitude desires and company aversion.

Prover #1 describes a muffled, underwater sensation immediately after the first remedy dose (possibly a signature symptom), clearly associating this sensation with isolation, sadness, and dissociation.

“Feels like a blanket has covered the day. Muffled sensation, sound, light–everything far away. I felt cut off, inward, trapped, disassociated. I felt like I was under water.” — #1, day 00

Later:

“It’s like the feeling in your ears and head when you go under water, muffled and isolating.” — #1, day 09

Other provers reported:

“It’s a feeling of isolation–I want to talk to somebody. I feel like a big wall has come down in front of me” — #17, day 00

“Someone is talking to me and I feel like I am not here. Am absent even though I can understand.” — #17, day 02

“Worried that I am losing my mind, but not scared.” — #17, day 03

“The inability to feel connectedness gives rise to separation illusion from yourself and world.” — #13, day 08

Isolation and Solitude: Two Distinct Patterns

An interesting aspect emerged: provers without previous isolation experience reacted negatively, connecting to sadness and depression. However, three provers (#2, #8, #18) who experienced curative reactions had substantial isolation experience—self-imposed due to socialization oversensitivity.

Prover #8 felt overwhelmed and irritable before the proving, reporting “isolation–no friends or colleagues for interaction.” Yet immediately after taking the remedy:

“She’s giggling a lot. Is in great spirits.” — Supervisor report, day 01

The prover said:

“I’m feeling energized and in a good mood.” — #8, day 01

“Woke up at 7a.m., felt awake immediately and not tired. I feel under the influence of a stimulant.” — #8, day 02

By day 19, she may have slipped backward:

“I feel a bit down and discouraged today. I don’t seem to accomplish anything, making me more depressed.” — #8, day 19

Prover #2 had extensive isolation experience, arranging his life around solitude desires. He’d lived alone most of his life, conducting business from home where he felt comfortable and creative. Isolation wasn’t problematic—he yearned for love while limiting socializing, easily feeling overwhelmed by contact.

Post-remedy, he experienced profound change suggesting curative response, reporting almost no unpleasant symptoms. Eight months later, having repeated the remedy twice at 30c potency as needed, well-being continues.

Early observations:

“Feeling as if intoxicated—almost as if I’d had two cocktails.” — #2, day 00

“I have a sensation of well being.” — #2, during proving

He shaved his head bald on day three:

“I’m liking the bald head–I feel sort of free!” — #2, day 03

Later reflection:

“The rx is giving me freedom to go where I don’t care what others think. ‘Independence’ has come to the fore—I see myself bald and re-invented.” — #2, day 5

A profound dream on day seven marked his transformation:

“I was being given a new vision by God… I came away feeling God has given me a new way of seeing the world.” — #2, day 7

Notably, this prover continued enjoying solitude post-proving but better balanced alone-time with relaxed, comfortable company feelings. Understanding prover #2 helps distinguish Hippocampus isolation, clarifying the remedy.

What cannot be ignored: he experienced great pre-existing emotional symptom amelioration. His previous state involved oversensitivity in company—limited tolerance for others versus unhappiness when alone. He never described solitude negatively; alone, he felt creatively stimulated. This contrasts typical isolation feelings—gray, bleak, lonely, depressing.

The conclusion: although Hippocampus feels isolated, perhaps this represents desired isolation, unlike typical sea horse natural solitude. Possible spiritual insights and mystical realizations mentioned in this proving may benefit from being alone. This may distinguish Hippocampus: pro-active aloneness, positive, colorful solitude relationships. Further clinical information remains necessary confirming this and other preliminary remedy ideas.

Alternating States Theme

Another possible theme: extremes of alternating states that some provers describe. Many swing from sadness, depression, and alone sensations (with desires to be alone) to mild euphoria, calmness, and company desires. Some experienced only one sensation; numerous experienced alternating moods. This suggested Hippocampus may help mood swings or possibly bipolar disorder (remaining clinically unconfirmed). For many, swings from depression/aloneness to opposite happiness/company desires were triggered simply by open air, which ameliorated many.

“Either driven to be very isolated, or need to be out with a lot of people. It’s the two extremes.” — #1, day 09

“Feels as if in an equilibrium. My mood is very even. I feel very relaxed, almost indolent.” — #5, day 04

“Mild euphoria. A feeling of all’s right with the world.” — #5, day 07

“Feeling depressed. I don’t want to be bothered where people are concerned. It’s a chore to talk to people. I just want to be on my own.” — #5, day 15

“Irritability alternating with underlying calm.” — #9, day 02

“I feel the rx has turned me upside down. I am no longer calm. I have been angry and depressed.” — #10, day 35

“Bouncing back and forth between feeling really high and really low.” — #13, day 08

Prover #8 wrote general impressions expressing alternating symptoms:

“There were alternating and opposite symptoms. Left side, then right, energy and tiredness, sleeplessness and insomnia.” — #8, day 28

Independence and Transformation

Prover #18, a male, experienced many previously discussed feelings and mood swings. Once his mood elevated, it remained elevated while experiencing newfound independence feelings. As a recent immigrant, he’d been completely dependent on his girlfriend (a 4th year homeopathy student supervising due to language barriers).

His dependence-to-independence swing proved so strong that five months post-proving, despite her unchanged feelings, he left to live alone. His transition:

“I am feeling lost, out of it, depressed.” — #18, days 00, 02

“I feel excited, I want to do a lot, my thoughts are racing.” — #18, day 03

“I’m very impatient and very excited about life.” — #18, day 04

“I feel very different, strong, excited. I want to do a lot of stuff. I feel very sensitive and passionate. I have high self-esteem.” — #18, day 09

“I feel very rebellious, independent, I want to be alone, I want to be free.” — #18, day 12

“I feel very different from normal. I feel strong, free and excited.” — #18, day 19

Early proving phases involved erectile dysfunction (unusual and frightening), shifting mid-proving to increased potency with unusually frequent sexual desires, also unusual. Prover #18 apparently experienced remedy cure, transitioning from very dependent to strong, free, and independent feelings. This transition proved difficult for the supervisor/girlfriend/student, requiring sympathetic counseling and homeopathic treatment from master prover Susan Sonz. Happily, the student recovered, gaining relationship insights.

Seven months later, prover #18 returned missing his girlfriend, seeking homeopathic assistance. He received another Hippocampus dose and reflected:

“The experiment was very good for me. It was like a shake up but then things presented differently. My capacity increased, happiness came rightly—like basic happiness.” — #18, 7 months later

Prover #2 also discussed independence:

“‘Independence’ is a word that has come to the fore.” — #2, day 5

“I meditated—do I have the new way of seeing? No… Yes! 100%? No… What do I do to get it completely? Wait–till around July 4.” — #2, day 9

(He recognized Independence Day significance.)

Connection to Sea Remedies

Many sea horse proving themes appear common to sea remedies. Communication difficulties with others are fundamental to this group. These remedies involve isolation, company aversion, solitude desires, mood swings, independence issues, grief, sadness, and depression.

Natrum muriaticum primarily treats past grief dwelling; sea horse provers grieved for long-deceased relatives. Calcarea carbonica involves dependence/independence issues; some sea horse provers experienced newfound freedom feelings. Spongia tosta shares emotional support/security desires and suffocation sensations mentioned in sea horse prover dreams. While most sea remedies are company-aggravated or oversensitive, Sepia particularly ameliorates when alone, like many Hippocampus provers.

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DREAMS

Reported dreams reflected aforementioned themes and substance signature. Many reported transformative dreams—people transforming from one state to another: hair color changes, dress changes, elderly people becoming young, even “blonde children” becoming “glowing black-skinned boys with 3-foot-wide afros.” Many dreams progressed from dark scenes to brightly colored altered realities, one described as “like the movie Truman.”

Most pronounced dream theme: unusual colors and brightness. Dreams described vividly in color featured green grass, blue skies, colorful flowers, bright dresses, red/bright blonde/platinum hair, white sinks, white snow, creamy white desserts. “Neon” appeared repeatedly.

Notably, sea horses exist in many colors, using camouflage for protection. This possibly created bright and varied color predominance in prover dreams, plus transformation dreams.

Some provers believed dreams offered spiritual gifts, featuring music, magic, mystical moments, jewels and treasure. Floating appeared frequent, plus water, swimming, beach, and fish dreams. Inexplicably, at least eight provers dreamed of dogs, some repeatedly. Many dreamed of dead relatives and loved ones (including long-dead, beloved dogs).

All provers reported vivid dreams, even those normally finding dream recall difficult and unusual. Dream themes best demonstrate strong signature aspects through segments:

Sample Dreams

Dream #1:

“Staying in a house with my friend upstairs. Suddenly there’s a swimming pool and people swimming. I want swimming too, but somehow I’m not. Then I’m in the pool. A ‘cartoonish’ brawny man with big, bulging eyes, mouth open like a fish’s, a fine chain joining his inner cheek to the roof of his mouth. Vocalizing a drum pattern for music, but a piece is missing. I know the missing piece and provide it. My friend swims away, followed by a child, a girl, swimming like a fish. Like ducks following the mother.” — #1, day 15

Dream #2:

“Green, quiet, peaceful open space. Of old man becoming young.” — #2, day 00

Dream #2 (later):

“Being given a new vision by God. I was in a dark place like a theatre facing a large gray wall like a stage curtain. A window cut out on the upper right. Somehow I floated up sitting on the edge. Sitting on a window edge into this new world—colors, lights, movement, startling, gorgeous objects like an animated film. Almost on a ferris wheel, some carnival ride, with a childhood friend now adult. A mechanical device came with instructions to record or download our thoughts. I made a ‘crossing’ motion with hands and arms, saying ‘Deny, deny’, to protect us. I took away a feeling of a new way of seeing.” — #2, day 07

Dream #2 (continued):

“In an office, a dog peed all over carpet. Someone attempted cleaning, leaving big wet soapy circles. An actor searched for his art sampler. I could see work—swirling oils masses, photographed and printed glossy, then cut out. Colors were oddly muted, which I asked if intentional—yes. My long deceased dog Pete appeared lying on his back on the couch upper ridge. Found this amusing. Pete was approached by other dogs and cats.” — #2, day 012

Dream #5:

“Of my dead mother in a labyrinth-like building, grim and dark. Worried if she would accept and welcome me, remember who I was. I see my mother as a two-year-old, but with eighty-year-old face. She was giggling and giddy. I was very distressed at her behavior. I was deeply saddened we couldn’t make contact. I had the feeling as if my heart was breaking.” — #5, day 01

Dream #10:

“Very strange beach setting. Sky is strange. Perpetual sunset, very different colors. Feel almost on another planet. Like the Truman Story. A house-like structure with lots of windows built right into the ocean. I look in and see a large fish, dolphin-like, but head and body are all one shape. She’s partly buried in sand. I pet her and talk to her and look for signs of life. Then water and sand shift and she falls apart like a shell. I take her top off, and inside are snake-like babies. They seem happy to be birthed and swim away all around me. They are neon orange. One window is aquarium-like, all fish I can see are lighted with neon strips along various body portions. All colors–it’s beautiful.” — #10, day 00

Dream #12:

“Reaching and pulling up from deep water an old treasure. Artifacts and decorated pieces. Whole unbroken china dishes. Only one bigger bowl is damaged. I was very excited. Then I was putting a ring on my left ring finger which was part of the treasure. It was very old, made from dark, shiny material like hematite. Suddenly, I heard music coming from the wall in front of me, such a beautiful sound–beyond description, not from this world. Every time I pulled the ring off my finger, the music stopped, and would start immediately when I put the ring back on. This happened three or four times.” — #12, day 02

Dream #13:

“Of amusement park with band on stage. Lots of string instruments, mandolin, fiddle, cello. The music was melodic and ‘other-worldly’, and I was moved by it. I was cradling a blonde toddler while watching the band. The little baby became a disruptive little boy with a demon quality. My ex-husband came over to him and said in a booming voice three things which I cannot remember. Then another little blonde child, a beautiful calm child, turned to my husband and said– ‘Are you — — —?’ Then someone in the bandstand said ‘Cheeky little bastard isn’t he?’ Another said– ‘He really is a bastard, you know’. He said his name was Neil. ‘Do you have a Mom and a Pop?’, and he slapped my face. It was a gentle reprimand. ‘You know I don’t’. He turned into a glowing black skinned boy with a three foot wide afro. His eyes were lit like neon. ‘No, I really didn’t know, I said. I would not have been so cruel to ask you if I had known.’” — #13, day 04

In homeopathic provings, dreams probably best extract unadulterated, uncompensated information. Since vivid dreams fascinate most people, they typically report without judgment fear. This makes dreams particularly useful clinically, though homeopaths tend against psychological interpretation.

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SIGNATURES

Signature aspects are usually reported in the same uncompensated way as dreams. Signature represents interesting, yet controversial homeopathy issues. Setting arguments aside, provings show signature symptoms/feelings initially serving as confirmatory evidence that signature cannot be denied, while deepening similitude understanding somehow immaterially. Sea horse proving signature information proved intriguing, though not all homeopaths use this information. Interesting prover comments:

“The sound in my ears gets muffled. It’s like feeling in your ears and head when you go under water, muffled and isolating.” — #1, day 09

“I felt like I was under water.” — #1 (throughout proving)

“I realize I have been craving high-protein food–fish. Also craving the ocean and salt air.” — #1, day 08

“I think it’s goldfish, a fish in a bowl. I realize it’s my relationship to my window. When it’s cool outside and I shut the window, I hate it. The glass is separating me from … I can’t define it. I keep thinking of a feeling I had at the film festival about a movie called, Help, I’m a Fish!, about kids who have a potion to turn themselves into fish. During that film, I felt uncomfortable with my breathing. Since the remedy, I’m more aware of how shallow my breathing has been.” — #1, day 15

“When I was told the remedy, I felt of course, not surprised, explains why I have been desperately wanting to go and visit the seahorse at the project nearby.” — #1, day 21

“Liquification in ears, a wave sensation like bubbling. Fullness, feeling like underwater in r. ear.” — #9, day 05

“Bought a raffle ticket to swim with dolphins in Hawaii. I’m guessing it must be an ocean rx, a sea creature. I’m wearing blue and green today.” — #10, day 02

“With my attraction to fruit and flowers and the color red, I am beginning to feel like my dragonfly prediction was wrong and this remedy is hummingbird.” — #13, day 06

“As I turned my head, I noticed I did not have peripheral vision, seeing only what was in front of my face. Again a turning of my head in an abrupt manner, which felt as if I was taking quick ‘snapshot’ pictures of what was in front of me.” — #14, day 00

“Sensation as if water in ears.” — #17, day 00

Synchronicity

Feelings of synchronicity always emerge during provings, though little can be done except find it interesting. This proving had its share. Sonam’s Florida fishing friends said that in twenty years they’d never encountered a seahorse. The proving weekend’s weekend, they found their first seahorse ever in their net. Five months post-proving, during first long extraction work day, an email arrived from a prover about a sea horse website.

Prover #1 shared feelings on this topic six months post-proving:

“I finished the proving, went for my extraction interview and was shown a tape of seahorses swimming in the ocean. I wasn’t surprised that this was the remedy I had been proving; I felt extraordinarily happy and experienced an odd sense of affinity with those seahorses. Looking back, I believe the pleasure I felt came from seeing them swimming free. During the proving, I had been plagued by a sense of isolation, as if I were trapped behind glass, looking at the world but completely separate from it. A couple of days after the proving’s end, I flew to London. At the airport was an enormous tank of sea creatures. It was shocking. I arrived at my mother’s house to find that she had made a ceramic seahorse and hung it on her wall. The bathroom had been entirely papered in a seahorse print. My daughter arrived a few days later. I started telling her about the proving, and of my sense during this period of being underwater, in a tank, isolated from the world outside the glass, and she interrupted me: Seahorse, she said. Back at work in New York, I received a fax from the aquarium–a fact sheet on seahorses. Soon after, a page of seahorse links arrived via e-mail. Coincidence? Synchronicity? I’m a confused skeptic.” — #1

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PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

No proving could be considered complete without physical symptoms. Our provers reported many strong symptoms. The most intense: a recurring, one-sided headache that recurred alone or alternated with strong nausea waves.

These nausea waves reminded one prover of motion sickness, another of morning sickness. Some woke with headaches; nausea for most provers worsened after eating, sometimes related to stomach pit pain. There was also heartburn, accentuated by prover #8’s realization of 99% longstanding heartburn cure.

Stomach symptoms proved oddly interesting because sea horses actually lack stomachs. Another interesting gastro-intestinal symptom: urgent stool passage needs followed by involuntary stool loss (provers #8, #17).

A heavy, full head sensation alternated with light-headedness, sort of vertigo, with wave-like occurrence. Sounds were muffled and ears felt clogged, as if filled with water or head underwater. Various ear noises occurred: roaring, wumping, ringing, vibration. Outside head sounds were muted/muffled; inside head sounds intensified.

One strong prover felt light and colors were muted simultaneously, specifically feeling underwater. There was substantial back pain with heaviness in back and neck area, and heavy, aching, tired extremity feelings. Interestingly, three provers experienced major back pain improvements during proving—this may become an important back pain remedy.

Sleep became light and very restless, with considerable nighttime waking. Difficulty falling asleep (initially and after middle-night waking) occurred frequently. Many woke earlier than usual mornings, some feeling unrefreshed. These sleep disturbances and fatigue prompted daytime sleepiness with strong daytime nap desires, with short sleeps ameliorating. These sleep issues proved significant—some provers never previously experienced insomnia.

In generalities, the most intense symptom was strong outdoor desires, with marked open air amelioration. Discomfort improved almost instantly when provers went outdoors. During proving, many became oversensitive to noise, odors, and tastes, with particular salt food overreaction. There was considerable fatigue, especially daytime, driving napping needs. The general heavy sensation experienced by many added to fatigue and weakness feelings.

Regarding food cravings, the most striking: fruit desires, particularly melons.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

When provings end (though do they ever really?), master provers hope to make remedy sense for clinical effectiveness. Numerous issues were pondered, remembering expectations.

More sexual symptoms were expected, since sea horses are the only animals where males gestate and birth young, even secreting prolactin (the hormone stimulating milk production in human females). Yet few symptoms developed (apart from prover #18); perhaps sexual issues will clarify after clinical use.

Anticipated differences between New York and California provers appeared minimal, besides Californians being slightly more explicit about craved melon types. Perhaps fortunate that proving began in summer, creating little climate difference. Maybe location doesn’t matter after all. Interesting results appeared concerning non-homeopath provers.

Typically difficult securing provers, especially eager for male provers, led to seeking beyond typical student/homeopath circles from the general public. Consequently, provers #1 and #2 were longtime Susan’s friends (non-homeopathy students), and prover #18 was a student’s boyfriend—all three bravely embarked on this unknown journey.

Impossible imagining this proving without their participation: their symptoms were unusually strong and clear, fortunately free of homeopathic ideas and phrases. The homeopathic proving community might benefit from including more general public provers.

Finally, the new remedy Hippocampus is hoped to help many patients, especially those describing isolation feelings with solitude desires. Currently, this feeling of isolation is poorly represented in the repertory (offering only cross-references to other rubrics). This sensation is the proving’s strongest emotional theme and most commonly used word, while being a major cultural theme.

For this reason, repertory writers are encouraged to seriously consider listing pertinent remedies under the isolation rubric, better helping patients. Repertories, though useful tools, must continually update materials by adding new rubrics and new remedies to existing ones.

Asterisks (*) indicate proposed rubrics for repertory addition. Clinical information resulting from Hippocampus use is requested for fuller remedy understanding.

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SYMPTOM CLASSIFICATION NOTE

Following each symptom, classification shows the prover number followed by the day experienced (e.g., #1, day 18 = prover #1, day 18). Day 00 = first remedy dose day. RS = recurring symptom; OS = old symptom; NS = new symptom.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Proving impossibility without brave provers and industrious supervisors, to whom respect and gratitude are offered. Michael Quinn of Hahnemann Pharmacy receives special thanks for longtime proving support, generously making and potentizing Hippocampus remedy. Special thanks to Elizabeth McGuy for cleverly editing the NOVA special for extraction meetings, John Falencki for providing group meeting space, Michael Shepley for filming both New York meetings, and Barbara Aria for sharing experiences and helping edit this article.

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RUBRICS (PROPOSED REPERTORY ENTRIES)

GENERALITIES:

• air, open, amel.
• open desires
• crowded places, agg.
• faintness, general, crowded room
• fish desires
• fruit desires, juicy
• juicy things, desires
• melons, desires
• heat, lack of vital
• heaviness
• heaviness, external
• lassitude, general
• lie down, inclination to
• lifted up sensation
• lightness, sensation of
• pain, cramping
• pain, darting
• pain, electric-like
• pain, shooting
• sudden manifestations
• wavelike sensations
• water, desires to be near water, rivers, seashore etc.
• weakness, enervation, exhaustion, prostration, infirmity
• daytime
• morning
• forenoon
• sudden
• air, amel, open
• eating, agg after
• sleep, amel.

MIND:

• ailments from
• crowd, society, in
• grief, sorrow, care
• love, disappointed, unhappy
• air, amel. From walking or being in open, mental symptoms
• alternating states
• aversion, persons to, all
• blissful feeling
• colors, charmed by
• company, aversion
• aversion, yet to being alone
• solitude, fond of
• over-sensitivity to *
• delusions, imaginations (main rubric)
• delusions, imaginations (subrubrics):
  • beautiful, wonderful, things look
  • breathe, she cannot *
  • breathe, under water, he can *
  • colors, are muted *
  • dark, of
  • division, between himself and others
  • floating in air
  • hearing, sounds, distant, are
  • hearing, sounds, muffled are *
  • hearing, sounds, muted, are *
  • heavy, is
  • light, incorporeal, immaterial, he is
  • lost
  • love, unlovable, is *
  • paralyzed
  • seasick, that he is
  • separated, world, from the
  • time, passes too slowly
  • time, passes too quickly
  • trapped, he is
  • visions
  • water, he is under
  • world, cold, dark, stony *
• despair
• detached
• elated
• elation alternating w/ sadness
• ennui
• euphoria
• euphoria alternating w/ sadness
• euphoria, lightness, feeling of *
• excitement, general, intoxicated as if
• fear, general
• fear, crowd, in a
• fear, public places of
• freedom, remarkable, for what he had to do
• forgetful
• grief, general
• grief, loved ones, long lost * ?
• hide, desire to
• independent, general
• indifference
• irritability
• isolation, sensation of *
• joy
• joy, alt w/ sadness
• lightness, feeling of
• loneliness *
• love, unlovable *
• mental symptoms alternating with other mental/physical
• memory, loss of
• mistakes, makes in names/writing
• moods, alternating
• relaxed feeling, letting go
• sadness, depression
• sadness, alt w/ exalted states
• sadness w/ desire for:
  • air, in open, amel
  • company amel.
• sadness, gloomy
• sadness, intolerable
• sadness w/ lassitude
• sadness w/ sleepiness
• suicidal disposition *
• senses, acute
• senses, dullness of, blunted
• sensitive, oversensitive, general
• sensitive, oversensitive (subrubrics):
  • colors, to
  • light, to
  • music, to
  • noises, to
  • odors, to
  • people, to
  • public place, in *
  • sensual impressions, to
• spoken to aversion to being, alone, wants to be let
• spaced out feeling
• spirituality, feelings of *
• strength, sensation of increased
• stupefaction, intoxication, as if
• talk, talking, talks, indisposed to, desire to be silent, taciturn
• time, passes too slowly, appearing longer
• time, passes too quickly, appearing shorter
• tranquility, general
• tranquility, alt w/ irritability *
• weeping, tearful mood, general

DREAMS:

• aquariums *
• amusement parks * ?
• animals: birds, cats, ducks *, ducks mothers and babies *, dogs, fish, fish people who are fish *
• animals, dogs buttons, eyes instead of *
• beach
• beautiful buildings
• body parts, toes falling off *
• breathe, she can breathe under water
• child, children, about, babies
• colored, exaggerated colors & proportions
• colored, black and white *
• colored, white
• colored, neon colors *
• clothes, changing clothes in public *
• clothes, dresses, brightly colored *
• danger, escaping from
• dead people, of relatives ?
• dead people, of mothers
• dead pets, beloved *
• destination, not reaching hers
• disturbing *
• excrement
• gardens
• green grass *
• guns
• fantastic
• helpless feeling
• hiding from danger
• hospitals
• ice and snow
• jewelry *
• jewelry, rings *
• journeys ?
• journeys, with difficulty
• killing
• locking, and unlocking
• magic
• moons, multiple * ?
• moon orange *
• music
• mystical *
• ocean
• other worldly *
• old people being young
• paradise has a view of
• paralyzing
• paranormal phenomenon *
• paranormal phenomenon, children #13
• peaceful
• plants ?
• plants growing in water *
• police
• powerful
• robbers
• royalty
• snow
• soldiers
• spiritual *
• stone floors *
• submarine, stone, made of *
• suffocation
• treasure *
• threats
• transformation, people of *
• tunnels
• uniforms *
• youth, time of
• water
• water, swimming in
• visionary
• vivid

VERTIGO:

• General Floating, as if

HEAD:

• Constriction, band or hoop
• energy, sensation as if trapped inside *
• fullness
• fullness, as by cotton *
• fullness, as by water *
• Hair, cutting, desires, short, or bald. *
• heaviness
• lightness
• open, as if
• water, in as of
• waving sensation
• waving sensation, water, as if from

HEAD PAIN:

• general
• on waking
• alternating with, abdominal complaints
• right
• morning, agg.
• forenoon
• noon, agg.
• afternoon, agg.
• evening, agg.
• night, agg.
• midnight, after, agg.
• increasing, gradually
• decreasing, gradually
• air, open, amel.
• extending to ears, forehead, eyes (above), sides
• alternating sides
• left
• one-sided, right
• daytime
• forenoon
• afternoon
• evening, agg.
• night, agg.
• air, open, amel.
• waking, on
• walking, open air, amel
• extending to ear, eye, forehead
• boring
• dull
• intermittent
• lancinating
• pressing
• pulsating

VISION:

• accommodation, slow
• blurred

EAR:

• itching
• noises, general
• noises: crackling, popping, ringing, roaring
• stopped sensation
• stopped sensation as by cotton
• water, sensation, of ?
• water, sensation of, rushing into ears

HEARING:

• acute
• acute, noises to
• acute, voices and talking, her own, seems very loud
• impaired
• impaired alt w/ hearing acute
• impaired, cotton in ear, as if from
• impaired, human voices for
• muffled *
• muffled, while her own voice seems very loud *

NOSE:

• obstruction
• obstruction alt w/ discharge

SMELL:

• acute
• acute, sensitive to odor of: chlor, faint *, strange odors, strong, tobacco, unpleasant odors

MOUTH:

• dryness, as if cotton in the mouth

TASTE:

• acute
• acute, aftertaste of food eaten
• bad
• putrid, foul
• metallic
• salty
• strong, all food tastes too

TEETH:

• sensitive, tender

THROAT:

• choking, constricting, mucous, from *
• lump, plug, sensation of
• mucous, general
• pain, rawness

STOMACH:

• fullness, eating, agg. after
• fullness, after, ever so little
• nausea: morning, forenoon, afternoon, evening, night
• nausea, air, open, amel.
• nausea, coffee, agg., after
• nausea, eating, agg, after
• nausea, odors, from
• nausea, seasick, as if
• nausea, waves, in
• noises, rumbling
• pain, general
• pain, pit of stomach
• pain: morning, forenoon, noon ?, afternoon, evening, night
• pain, air, open, amel.
• pain, eating, after
• pain, nausea, during
• pain, pit of
• pain, cramping, griping, constricting

ABDOMEN:

• distention, general, eating, after
• flatulence
• noises: gurgling, rumbling ?
• pain, general
• pain, eating, after
• pain, cramping
• pain, lancinating
• pain, stitching

RECTUM:

• involuntary stool
• urging desire, general, sudden ?

STOOL:

• falling out

BLADDER:

• urging to urinate, morbid desire, general
• urging, general, daytime
• urging, general, night
• urging to urinate, morbid desire, general, with stool
• urging to urinate, morbid desire, frequent
• urging to urinate, morbid desire, general, sudden

MALE:

• sexual desire, diminished
• sexual desire, diminished, erections, without
• sexual desire, increased

CHEST:

• pain, general
• pain, inspiration, agg.
• pain, spots
• pain, mammae
• pain, burning, sternum, below
• pain burning, sternum, below, drinks, amel, cold

BACK:

• heaviness, weight, cervical region
• pain, general
• pain, inspiration, agg
• pain, dorsal region
• pain dorsal region, inspiration, on
• pain, aching
• pain, aching, inspiration, deep, agg
• pain, aching, dorsal region, scapulae, between
• pain, stiching, shooting
• stiffness
• stiffness, cervical region

EXTREMITIES:

• heaviness, tired limbs
• upper limbs ?
• upper limbs, hands
• lower limbs, legs
• itching, lower limbs, toes, between
• numbness, insensibility ?
• numbness, upper limbs, hands
• numbness, waking on
• restlessness ?
• restlessness lower limbs ?
• restlessness, lower limbs, legs
• trembling, general
• trembling, upper limbs, hands
• trembling, lower limbs, legs

EXTREMITIES PAIN:

• aching
• cramping
• cramping, lower limbs, thighs
• cramping, lower limbs, legs

SLEEP:

• bad
• deep
• disturbed
• heavy
• interrupted
• need of sleep, great
• restless ?
• restless, midnight after
• sleepiness ?
• sleepiness, daytime
• unrefreshing
• waking ?
• waking, midnight after, 4am, 6.30 am
• waking, headache, with
• waking, early, too
• waking, frequent
• waking, frequent, midnight after

SKIN:

• eruptions, itching
• pimples
• rash

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AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Susan Sonz, CCH, Director and principal instructor of the New York School of Homeopathy. Lives and works in New York City where she co-conducted the proving of Musca domestica, the housefly.

Robert Stewart, RSHom(NA), CCH, maintains a bi-coastal, bi-hemispheric, bi-continental practice in California, New York and Ecuador.

Sonam Kushner CCH, has studied and practiced homeopathy since 1993. Holds a diploma from Lou Klein’s Homeopathic Master Clinician Course, has trained with Sheila Ryan in clinical supervision for students from The School of Homeopathy, New York.