Minutus

Dear Doctors,
If you go through the old homoeopathic magazines, you may find discussions among the doctors regarding their method of prescription. If one said that he has cured a case with particular remedy and potency, the others didn’t say that the prescription was wrong or you should not have given that or you should have given some other remedy. Instead, they explained their experience. How they have prescribed for similar case some other remedy and in different potency and their basis of their prescription. This educated the audience and the readers of the journal when the discussion was published. That is how our materia medica grew.
The aim of a sincere homoeopath (you give him any name “as you like it”) is to select the remedy, which is similar to the patient’s symptom. To find this remedy there are many methods. Each master PRESCRIBER has his own method. Ultimate aim is to get the correct remedy.
In this connection, I append a few lines extracted from Dr. r.p. patel’S EXCELLENT BOOK ON CASE TAKING AND ANALYSIS OF SYMPTOMS. He may forgive me for this unauthorised quoting.
“There are several books and articles, may be thousand and more from Dr. hahnemann’s time to the present time on the selection of symptoms and their utility, out of many symptoms of the patient for the final selection of the remedy. Almost all of us follow in the order; drs. Hahnemann, kent, boenninghausen, Boger, Hering, Tyler, allens.
1. Dr. Kent has stressed or given more importance to mental symptoms.
2. Dr. Boenninghausen has given more importance to totality of symptoms with location, sensation, modalities, and concomitant. He proceeded on the hypothesis that this totality was not only the sum-total of the symptoms but was in itself one grand symptom, the symptom of the patient. Dr. Boger, C.M. has stressed more on modalities, and among modalities, time modality is considered first.
3. Dr. Tyler followed Kent’s views. She gave lecture on Kent’s Repertory to American Homoeopaths in the very presence of Dr. kent. Dr. kent commented; “I am really surprised that Dr. Tyler has gone over the work so completely and that it appears she knows so much of what there is in it. I was surprised that anyone aside from the author had attempted to put together all there is in the book.” Dr. Tyler learnt to use kent’s repertory from Sir. Dr. john Weir who was direct student of Dr. Kent. I
(Dr. R.P. PATEL) also learnt it from Sir. Dr. john Weir as a student in 1951-52 at london.
4. Dr. BURNETT based his prescriptions on local organ and tissue affinities.
5. Dr. S. R. Pathak gave first importance to cause.
6. Dr. Hughes used to teach and prescribe on pathological or diagnostic symptoms.”
I have read and assimilated most of their (above listed) articles and books. I always keep an open mind and follow the best method to my case presented by the patient.
My order of preference is as under:
1) RUPS symptoms. (Rare uncommon, peculiar, striking symptoms.) old man aged 60, running high temperature. Body is very hot, but he is covered with three woollen blankets. (Uncommon symptom). Inspite of the covering he is shivering. Allopathic antipyretic didn’t help. NUX-V-30 dose. Within five minutes started sweating and slept peacefully. Everybody thought I gave him some strong sleeping pills. Basis of prescription – external heat and internal chill, uncovering aggravate.
2) Aetiology, cause, ailments from. In a case of psoriasis, I tried few medicines without benefit. Lastly, when I came to know that the ailment started from her puberty, I prescribed PULS 1M, which cured the patient. Two cases of chronic constipation. One case has haemorrhoid when constipated. Both cases got permanent cure with SULPH-200 one dose only. Basis for prescription ABUSE OF PURGATIVES, as both of them were taking regularly purgatives (ayurvedic preparation), which didn’t benefit them. Boy of 12 years, suffering from convulsions, was given rhus-t-200 and cured. Basis for prescription: the problem started when he was drenched in the canal for long times some time back.
3) Characteristic symptoms of the remedy, if the symptom is characteristic of the patient also.
4) Keynote symptoms (Allen, PULFORD). In one case two weeks old female infant was suffering from swelling and suppuration on the left top border of the naval. The delivery was in the allopathic hospital and their treatment failed to cure the case. I gave one pill (size 20) lycopodium 200, which cured the case completely in three days. The basis for prescription “baby cries all day, sleeps all night”. ALLEN KEY. In another, case a gentleman aged 28 suffering from cracks (bleeding) on both palms. Gave him gelsemium-200 one dose, which cleared his symptoms within a week and after 6 months he had slight relapse for which he took one more dose. Now 10 years over no relapse. Basis for prescription: “the anticipation of any unusual ordeal, preparing for church, theatre, or to meet an engagement, brings on diarrhoea. –GELS AND ARG.NIT. ALLEN KEY. As the patient has no desire for sweets, I eliminated arg.nit.
5) Sensation as if. (H. A. ROBERT): Go Through the following case.
I am a lover of homeopathy living in Canada my email is mmkaizer@hotmail.com.
Since 2 months I have a problem on my lt. hand from elbow to fingers sensation of tingling and
feeling as aunts walking and just like getting electrical shocks I consulted allopathy Dr he
suspect carpal tunnel syndrome and refer me to a nerve specialist on 21 of this month, if it is CTS
In addition, they will operate my wrist for sure and I don’t want this pls. help me by giving me
prescription.
Peace and blessings from god upon you doctor,
Carpal tunnel syndrome = Pain, numbness and tingling in the area of distribution of the median nerve in the hand. Due to compression as the nerve passes through the FASCIAL band. Most common in middle-aged woman. Nocturnal. (Medical dictionary.)
SENSATION AS IF- H. A. ROBERT- UPPER EXTREMITIES- ELECTRIC SHOCK TINGLING IN LEFT LOWER ARM.
Tingling as from an electric current from left elbow to fingers. Weakness of left hand. Pain in joint of left thumb < pressure. PIPER METHYSTICUM. -“A DICTIONARY OF PRACTICAL MATERIA MEDICA”- J. H. CLARKE.
Piper methysticum 6 or q 2 or 3 drops mixed in one glass of water, one TEASPOON Every two-hour. Should stir well before taking.
6) Modality. For this I find “aggravation and amelioration” by Dr. NEATBY very useful. I give preference to position modality. Two other books indispensable for me is 1. A repertory of the most characteristic symptoms of the materia medica by Dr. george W. M. winterburn. 2. Bell’s diarrhoea.
7) As a last resort, I follow the pathological symptoms. For repertorisation, mostly I follow Kent, and in some cases Boenninghausan. Even in pathological I go by individualisation, and look for any variation from the common symptoms.
In metropolitan CITIES, respiratory problems are from air POLLUTION, especially from carbon monoxide thrown out of numerous cars. remedy suggested by dr. s. r. wadia in his book “tips by masters of HOMOEOPATHY” IS sulphurous acid (boericke- p.625). you may find many valuable hints from our master in this book.
1. Let me give you two valuable prescriptions of Dr. s. p. koppikar on pathology.
t.b. of lungs. CALC- 30, morning, FERR-MET- 30 midday, arnica- 30 night for six
months. many patients benefited by this as per his article in the HOMOEOPATHIC HERITAGE.
2. PRIMARY COMPLEX, ALLERGIC BRONCHITIS OR REPEATED UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION IN
CHILDREN. Drosera 1M (2 DOSES IN WATER ON THE SAME DAY WITH 4 HOURS GAP.) THUJA 1M,
PERTUSSIN 1.M, BACILLINUM 1M, ONCE IN 10 DAYS ONE BY ONE (NOT ALL) AND SULPH; CAL.C; LYCO;
PUL; SIL; NAT.MUR INDICATED BY CONSTITUTION.
PRIMARY COMPLEX FOR ACUTE CONDITIONS, AS PER SYMPTOMS- IPEC, ANT-.T, ANT-.ARS, ARS, COCC,
CAUSTIC, ARALIA IN 6 OR 30
My weak point is that I cannot prescribe on the name of the disease. (on therapeutic index)
My humble suggestions to the classical homoeopath.
A. The ratio of homoeopaths world over to allopaths is trivial.
B. Annual growth rate of homoeopaths when compared with population growth rate is insignificant.
C. Classical homoeopaths all over the world are minority compared to total homoeopaths. (rather negligible)
D. In modern world number is strength. Our aim must be to increase the homoeopathic population. We cannot expect any support from any government. No government gives as much importance for homoeopathy as they give for allopathy. We don’t have the lobby.
E. Hence, the responsibility of every homoeopath to train other to increase the population of homoeopaths. If possible convert allopaths.
F. Classical homoeopaths must understand the difficulties of other homoeopaths. Criticising, abusing, treating them outcast will reduce our existing population. Please guide them, remove their ignorance, and prove the efficacy of classical homoeopathy and by that change their mind. Convert them to classical homoeopathy. Due to the defect in the educational (homoeopathy), mostly institutionally qualified homoeopaths are not able to practice classical homoeopathy. Nearby classical homoeopaths may guide them and covert them. If each classical homoeopath converts 10 non-classical homoeopaths per year, within few years classical homoeopaths will become majority.
This is my ambition, rather my dream.
WITH BEST WISHES,
H.B.
With best wishes,
H.B.
from India

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Dear Dr Balasubramanian

I hope that as a (hopefully classical) Homoeopath and not a doctor you
permit me to comment.

I must thank you for your work in relaying Dr R P Patel's investigations of
case analysis.

As a classical homoeopath, I have not abused nor ever treating a
non-classical homoeopath as on 'outcast'. If they are willing to learn,
they are certainly welcomed by me. However, I must be allowed to criticise
because there are a vast number of people who call themselves a homoeopath
who have never even once read the Organon from cover to cover. In every
profession we have a hierarchy of performance and experience and healed
cases (not suppressed cases) are the best way of making an analysis. The
question is, if you had to send your nearest and dearest to see a
homoeopath, to which would you direct them?

As Kent says, he would rather go into a pit full of vipers than be treated
by an inexperienced homoeopath! I would regard any one who has not read and
understood the Organon as inexperienced.

I agree with you 100% that the object of the exercise is to restore the
patient to health - or as Hn so beautifully puts it in Aph 1 of the
Organon - the Physician's high and only mission is to restore the sick to
health - to cure as it is termed.
In this process we must avoid suppression. Unfortunately it is so easy to
suppress both allopathically and homoeopathically.

Homoeopathy as far as I am concerned is both a Science and an Art. As far
as the science part of is concerned, it must make logical sense. So I am
rather concerned it is difficult (at least for me) to see the logical sense
of prescriptions such as you have forwarded e.g. prescriptions of Dr. S.P.
Koppikar on pathology - TB of lungs. CALC- 30, morning, FERR-MET- 30
midday, arnica- 30 night for six months!

What is the basis of such set of remedies being prescribed one after the
other?
Where is the analysis of the action and reaction of a remedy before it is
repeated or followed by another?
How was it discovered?
What happened to the ones that were not helped by this prescription?
(It reminds of a sad case of a woman who had been given Sepia 30 daily for
almost year - well she was a walking Sepia!!)

Lastly I am of course concerned and sad that the Classical Homoeopaths are a
fraction of the total Homoeopaths (who themselves are a small fraction of
physicians). However, I am pleased that the number of homoeopaths is
mushrooming and I would encourage anyone to study the tenets of classical
homoeopathy - Organon, Chronic diseases etc etc.

Above all we must stop homoeopathic remedies being used in an allopathic
manner as this leads straight to suppression in most cases.

It has been very rare for a homoeopath to be prosecuted for mal-practise.
But with the number of homoeopaths growing, I can imagine we will see such a
case sooner or later. However, imagine you are being prosecuted and you
have to defend your course of action in treating a particular patient.
Classical homoeopathy gives a set of relatively easily understood ground
rules which are defendable. A whim is difficult to defend in any court.

I wish us all GOOD HEALING.

Soroush Ebrahimi

In a message dated 1/6/02 8:24:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
finrod@webstar.co.uk writes:
That's why nowadays homeopathy will never prosper and become well known and
respected if left only in the hands of physicians alone, homeopathy should be
encouraged by all, specially by physicians to become public. The public are
to be encouraged to lean how to use it at home for the acutes[ Constantine
Hering's book: The Homeopathic Domestic Physician was an intelligent and
foresighted project within a movement that has kept homeopathy alive ], and
the growth of number of professional homeopaths who must meet a level of
learning and training and clinical practice in classical homeopathy, and a
reasonable education in medical sciences (anatomy, physiology, pathology
etc.) despite sectarian laws in many countries, that necessitate change, as
it has in a couple of states in the USA. .
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The concerns raised bear merit. It is, however, a forseeable consequence of the expansion of the population served and the numbers of physicians serving it. I am a doctor of oriental medicine and I observe the same folly in my primary field of study and practice. The prevailing circumstance allows for md's, do's, dc's to apply procedures from my area of practice. That is a response to the market and is affected politically.

The response to the increased demand is to create academic programs which certify their results which by inference protects the public. Our remedies are as well available to the public as a retail offering. I submit that the problem is that academic certificates are an offering of knowledge and don't make good physicians.

When the academics are completed, the book is figuratively closed, and we begin the process of writing our individual books. If the fundamentals were not cemented early on then diagnostics take a backseat to keynote treatment. The public bears a co-equal responsibility, a civics responsibility, to define the terrain of healthcare.

I suggest that we can not legislate good physicians; however, we can form nurturing Associations, formally and informally, of like minded physicians. That is the basis from which appropriate political response may tender lasting results and inferentially spiritually link the generations. And that is the basis from which we may share with one another our findings. Ultimately we align ourselves with those who practice 'do no harm'.
Finrod wrote:
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