HOW TO TRANSLATE THE WORDS/ACTIONS OF PATIENTS INTO THE RUBRICS OF THE REPERTORY

[krishna murthy]

(This is the only biggest difficulty faced both by the begineer

as well as the experienced homoeopathic practitioners.) We are

giving below only examples of what the rubric mean in terms of

the report of the patients. The practitioner must go through all the

rubrics (more particularly in the chapters Mind and Generalities)

till he becomes familiar with them.25
1. "Doctor, I have come to you as a last resort after finding no

cure in the hands of so many doctors. I now entirely rely upon

you for the cure of my joint pains…"
2. "Doctor, please cure me somehow. It is my humble request to

you. I beg you to cure me." Praying. If a patient uses any one

of the above or similar statements go to the rubric “Praying,

begging” on (page 22 of Final Repertory of Mind Symptoms)

3. We do occasionally come across a child who would do just the

opposite of what the parents tell to do. Go to the rubric “Per-

verse, refractory…” on page 22. [This symptom we see in ac-

tual practice but all other existing repertories do not list this.]
4. Whenever the patient points out more than one spot with his

finger tip or points to an area of suffering by placing his palm on

or above along that area, go to the rubric “Gesticulating all the

time” page 14. (This you will, of course, take only if you do not

have other more valuable mind or general symptom in a given

case.)
5. A lady of forty-three tells pain in her joints for three years.

She uses both her palms and holds it above ankle, knee etc.

to show the affected joints. Then telling that the pain is quite

drawing, with both of her hands, she brings it from ankle to

her knee as if pulling something from below upwards to show

me the type of pain. (See GESTURES page ...). This is not

so much a valuable symptom but in the absence of more

valuable symptoms we may make use of this rubric.
6. A lady of thirty-two is brought by her friend and it is the

friend who is describing her complaint. The patient looked

indifferent to the treatment. The friend continues, "Doctor,

when I ask her to come to you (the doctor) she just does not

come. Even if I forcibly take her to a doctor and get

medicines for her she won't take them regularly."-Indifference.26
7. Let us now listen to a patient: "Doctor, I have so much

tiredness. My husband is a heart patient and I used to take

care of him by regularly giving the tablet etc. Yesterday he

complained of chest pain but it did not occur me to me to give

him the tablet required during the chest pain."
In another case the wife of a patient said, "Doctor, my

husband is such an indifferent person. Last week my daughter fell

down with profuse bleeding on her leg. He was simply watching

it and showed no reaction."
In both the above cases it is not indifference because in

emergencies no one would be indifferent. This is 'inactivity' of

mind.
We read all these remedies in the MATERIA OF MIND

SYMPTOMS and under the remedy Opium the following words

agree with the above two cases.
…imbecility of will, as if annihilated…
This cannot be included in the repertory. Better we have to

memorise it.
The practitioner should know the difference between

TORPOR and ABSENTMINDEDNESS. Also DULLNESS and

IMBECILITY.
8. During case taking one patient remarked about the corrupt

government officials, "Doctor, we must shoot down these

corrupt and bribe taking officials."—For this you must go to

the rubric Indignation
9. Learn the difference between the rubric "MEN, dread of" and

"FEAR of men"

[Jean Doherty]

Thanks so much for these terrific insights, Jean
(This is the only biggest difficulty faced both by the begineer
as well as the experienced homoeopathic practitioners.) We are
giving below only examples of what the rubric mean in terms of
the report of the patients. The practitioner must go through all the
rubrics (more particularly in the chapters Mind and Generalities)
till he becomes familiar with them.25