He was very sensitive to bug bites and spider bites (3). He would develop big, open sores from the bites (3). So did his mother. She recently put Neosporin on some of his bug bites.

Danny was more talkative (2) lately. "His overall state is more sensitive."(2) He had been argumentative (2) and contrary (2). He desired soup (2) and had jags of being a pickle fan (2). Sometimes Danny complained of his legs being tired (2). He became lethargic (2) and just flopped down wherever he was (2). He was wet only three or four nights this month, which was a vast improvement. We gave Danny Theridion 1M.

He returned three months later. He had been dry half the time or more until two weeks before when he started wetting bed again. The Kindergarten teacher said he was doing fine. Sometimes he said, "Nobody likes me." Thesleep problems hadn't returned. There were no noise or ear problems and no facial gestures He was still pretty sensitive to pain (2.) His head was not as sensitive. He no longer complained when hair was brushed. He still desired soup (3) and was averse to cheese (3) and milk (3). Danny complained of being tired at times (2). His legs tended to fall asleep and he stomped to wake them up (2). "I don't like a wet bed." He had some episodes of feigned laughter (2) at least once a day. No particular fears. he Slept on his back and abdomen. We thought he was doing well and did not give him another remedy.

Three months later Danny's mother reported that he was having wet nights again lately. The previous month he was dry over 70% of the time. The previous two weeks he had been a lot more compulsively chatty (3) and was whispering to himself again (3). He was more angry (2). He still was not waking and was not sensitive to noise. He had a habit of plopping himself down like he was really tired (2), even in the grocery store. He would just fall into a heap (2). He was a little more sensitive to pain again lately. He had more of a need for order (2). Danny became agitated when things weren't a certain way (2). He was whiny (2). "His general demeanor was funky the past two weeks." He was not pretending to laugh anymore. We repeated the Theridion 1M. He has done well since.

In reviewing Danny's case, we were reminded that he was very talkative, even though he was shy. Talkativeness is mentioned in a number of materia medicas as characteristic of Theridion. Another quirk about this boy was his forced laugh. Farrington, in The Comparative Materia Medica, refers to the "hilarity" of Theridion. Agrawa, in his Materia Medica of the Human Mind, lists in Theridion rubrics: "Cheerful, gay, happy", and "mirth, hilarity, liveliness" as well as "excitement in the evening", "frightened easily", "hysteria", "loquacity", and "restlessness driving him out of bed". It is interesting to look at this chart, from MacRepertory, of the 25 rubrics in the "Mind" section of the Complete Repertory in whichTheridion is listed in either bold or italics.

The information which came out later in the case that seemed so strikingly characteristic of this remedy was the sensitivity to even a quiet bell ringing, his screaming on having his scalp touched, the almost hysterical quality to his laugh, and the fascinating description by his mother of his finding the plantain leaf to be almost spiky.

In retrospect, we feel that we were too concerned about the enuresis. Danny was improving considerably mentally and emotionally but the mother kept emphasizing the enuresis, which was the only persistent symptom remaining in the case. Clarke (Dictionary of Materia Medica), Hering (Guiding Symptoms), and Phatak's Materia Medica mention that Theridion has "urine increased" and "has to rise four or five times in night to micturate, does not pass much during day." It is interesting that the regularity of the enuresis has waxed and waned with the remedy. It is nowhere near as often as it used to be.