Sumi was calm and sweet when she was an infant. She had suffered from ear infections, debilitating diarrhea, profuse perspiration, and lethargy. Sumi's speech was delayed. Her mother sought out homeopathic treatment for her now because of her restlessness. Sumi kissed, poked, prodded, and pulled. She was very affectionate. She blurted things out loudly. School was a struggle because of her difficulty concentrating, following directions, and staying at her desk. She wandered around and was always busy. Her verbal skills lagged far behind the other children at her grade level. It was particularly hard for her to remember words.

This sweet child seemed to lack any awareness of how her behavior affected others. She often came on too strongly, but did not realize it. She bit her nails down to the quick and even nibbled her toenails. Sumi loved cucumbers and liked to chew on ice.

Sumi may sound very similar to Sherrie and Jill, because of her relentless motion. They all needed the same medicine, Veratrum album. We first treated Sumi two and a half years ago. She is literally a different child now. Just weeks after starting homeopathy, Sumi began

making excellent progress with her speech. She spent less time searching for words and her focus was greatly improved. She did not stumble or rush so much. Before she could only color one page at a time in a coloring book; within three weeks of taking the Veratrum, she was completing eight pages.

Over time, Sumi's progress continued. Her nailbiting diminished. She no longer kissed all the time. Her actions became more purposeful and centered and she became more aware of her impact on others. Sumi's teachers no longer complained about her disruptive behavior. Rather than the word-salad she used to communicate previously, now she could connect phrases and her vocabulary was growing. She remembered the names of her classmates whereas before she had been oblivious to such details. Sumi's parents were pleasantly surprised that she could handle kindergarten so well. During the next year, she grew five inches. Growth spurts often occur soon after a child takes a homeopathic medicine.

One curious aspect of homeopathic treatment is what is called a return of old symptoms. This means that a particular symptom that an individual had in the past may briefly reappear in the process of healing. This occurred with Sumi. She briefly developed a small swelling in her breast just as she did at two months of age when she developed a breast bud. Her mother reported that it was at this time that her health problems originally began. During the course of homeopathic treatment, Sumi also broke out once in large blisters on her right ribs and back. They looked a lot like shingles. Sumi's mother had had herpes during her pregnancy. Both of these skin eruptions might seem like coincidence to the average person, but to the homeopath they are recognizable as a return of old symptoms, which is often necessary for deep and lasting healing.