Gentian
Botanical: Gentiana Amarella
Family: Gentianaceae
Homeopathic remedy: Not used, but homeopathy uses the Yellow Gentian − Gentiana Lutea (Gent−l.), Cross−leaved Gentian − Gentiana Crucinata (Gent−c.) and Five-flowered Gentian − Gentiana quinqueflora (Gent−q.)
Description: The Autumn Gentian has an annual root, twisted and yellowish, somewhat thready. The stem is square, erect, bearing several pairs of stalkless, dark green leaves, each with three prominent veins, and clothed from top to bottom with flowers on short stalks in the axils of the leaves, one flower terminating the stem. In sunshine, the lobes of the corolla are spread wide horizontally, forming conspicuous blue stars. Fresh Gentian root is used in Germany and Switzerland for the production of an alcoholic beverage.
Medicinal uses: Tonic in the debility states, Weakness, Digestive organs, Antiseptic.
Keywords: Easily discouraged, Doubtful, Pessimistic, Hesitant.
Compare: Gorse
Dr Bach's description: Those who are easily discouraged. They may be progressing well in illness, or in the affairs of their daily life, but any small delay or hindrance to progress causes doubt and soon disheartens them.
Essence: The typical Gentian person is very easily discouraged. Even a small hindrance causes doubts and the person becomes more and more discouraged and pessimistic. Gentian person lacks faith in the success and even the smallest and unimportant hindrances can cause despondency and doubts. It is however important, that the discouragement of the Gentian is temporary. The Gentian people will soon pick up and the faith in the success is restored. Gentian is only used to accelerate the improvement, but even without the Gentian remedy, the Gentian person will soon be back on the track.
The best example for the lack of faith of a Gentian person is the state of illness. Ill person needing the Gentian remedy may be progressing towards the cure and may be improving rapidly, but as soon as first unimportant obstacles turn out, the hope of cure is suddenly lost. This makes the cure even more complicated, since it is clear, that the person who has faith in the curing process will improve more rapidly, than the person that does not believe that the cure will take place. It is however fortunate, that the persons needing Gentian remedy are able to pick up again and even without the Gentian remedy, they will progress and the faith in the cure is restored.
The Gentian remedy is similar to the Gorse remedy. While the person needing Gentian is temporarily discouraged, but even without a remedy he will soon pick up and start anew, the Gorse needing person is completely without hope. Gorse person has abandoned all hope and even if others persuade him to make an effort to solve his situation, he feels that it will have no effect and that he will fail.