Terms to be learnt by aspiring homoeopaths

[krishna murthy]

THE UNMANAGEABLE PATIENT

WHO CROSSES HIS DOCTOR
A patient is supposed to follow the instruction of his doctor:

but suppose he challenges or argues with the doctor. He is

crossing! Here two top-ranking remedies that should at once come

to your mind are Chamomilla and Nux-vomica.

Rarely do we come across patients who are unmanageable.*

(*Under the remedy Lycopodium in Boericke Mat. Med. we find the symptom 'haughty and arrogant when sick' which is a botheration for those around the patient, the family members and

not for the doctor. This is altogether a different matter.)

In respect of the so-called unmanageable patients you should

not quarrel or argue with him, nor argue to say that his attitude is

not justified.
The word cross should come to your mind while dealing with

such harsh and unmanageable patients. Without keeping this word

in mind mere repertorisation has led to failures. Actual cured cases

alone can illustrate this to avoid failures in these cases. An

allopath, in such cases, may simply write on the case sheet 'patient

unmanageable and not co-operating.' But in homoeopathy “the

high and only mission of the physician is to cure always…”

(Section 1 of the Organon.)2
Case 1: A boy of twelve was having unbearable muscular

pain in abdomen/hip extending to knee and it was intermittent. A

few months prior to this complaint, after diving in a swimming

pool this pain started in a few hours. Later it went off. Now for

the last few months the pain had been occurring intermittently but

almost daily.
The mother pointed out to me one thing. Seeing no

improvement with various doctors of several systems of medicine,

whenever a new doctor was proposed, the boy would tell that he

would give only thirty days (one month) time. If not cured within

this time, he would stop that doctor.
This patient is ‘crossing’ the doctor. No sane person would

enter into argument or put conditions on the doctor. Before

learning the remedy for this case let us see next case.
Case 2: Lady, forty-five, around menopause. For a year she
had been under my treatment for burnt hands. I had been giving

her herbal remedies. Once I was asked to visit this patient. She

was in bed and her daughter told me that her mother was having

excess bleeding from uterus. When I entered the house, the patient

asked the daughter (in this case the attendant of the patient) to get

out of the room; after she left, the patient asked me in an irritable

tone, "I have profuse and excess bleeding (menses.) Is it because

of the heavy herbal remedies (that you have given me) that caused

this bleeding?"
I recalled that she never talked before in such a harsh tone.

A note on on the treatment of acute diseases.
In respect of repertorising in acute diseases you need not pay

much attention as to whether a symptom is 'valuable' or not. You

take only those symptoms which are changes from his otherwise

formerly healthy state… Organon)
I read all the listed under

"HAEMORRHAGE FROM UTERUS" (Lilienthal.)

In the remedy Chamomilla I found among other symptoms the word ‘irascibility.’
Again in the chapter "MENSTRUATION AND ITS AILMENTS"

under the remedy Chamomilla I found the following:

“… great irritability and crossness all the time,

though unnatural to her when well.”

Chamomilla-10M single dose arrested the excess bleeding

and also she calmed down. When I saw her a month later, lot of

improvement in the burnt areas in her body.

When patient is irritable, cross and unmanageable, and there

is not much of other valueable (uncommon, rare-strange-peculiar)

symptom the two remedies which should come to our mind are

Chamomilla and Nux-vom.
For case No.1 on page 1, we read both Chamomilla and Nux-

v. in Lilienthal under colic and backache. In the chapter ‘Colic’

under Chamomilla the words “Colic returns from time to time”

agreed with the case under ‘Neuralgia’ under Chamomilla we find

the word ‘crossiness’ (One important note: In Nux-vomica the

picture is slightly different. Chamomilla patient shows crossness

in words; Nux-v. patient in action.)
Long ago a patient went abroad to consult a popular

homoeopath. That doctor was about to leave his clinic after a day's

hectic practice. When this patient entered and started telling his

symptom, the doctor asked his assistant to give the patient Nux-

vomica. The patient, having come from abroad, took the doctor by

his collar and said, "I have come such a long way not to get snap-

shot prescribing. I learnt that you take down the symptoms of

patient, then work out the case. Do it in my case also."4

The doctor sat down, took his symptoms, worked out the case

and Nux-vomica came out.
In the practice of the author, a certain patient consulted for

impotency. I noted down on the Case Sheet (case sheet means

plain white sheet on which you write the name of the patient his

age, and date on the top.)
After he finished talking, I told him that I would give him

herbal remedies for one month. At that point he got up and said

in a snappish manner, "I read in your books that you cure patients

completely with one dose. I want you to do that." To this I replied

that it is possible in some cases, but his case requires herbal

remedies too. He took away the case sheet from my table and went

away saying "In that case I don't want your treatment."

Sometimes you get the symptom after you have prescribed! I

phoned up the doctor who referred that patient to me to give him

Nux-vom.
The attitude of the abovesaid two Nux-vom. patients is aptly

described by Boericke in his Mat. Medica in the preamble. "Fiery,

zealous temperament."

—————

‘Crossness’ (more often found in children and sometimes in

adults) along with the symptoms and remedies are given below:
Aesculus hip - feels miserably cross.

Ars-sul-rub. crosser, and also acts with more energy..

Benzoic acid - child cross, wants to be nursed in arms.

Chamomilla. - insulting, cross and uncivil in temper.5

Chamomilla. - she is sleepless and cross.

China-off. - ill humor; cheerful persons become cross and irritable.

Cina - the Cina patient is hungry, cross, ugly and wants to be rocked.

Cina. - child exceedingly cross, cries and strikes at all around him.

Coffea-cruda - child frets and worries in an innocent manner; is not

cross, but sleepless; it laughs one moment and cries the next.

Crotalus hor. - snappish temper; irritable, cross, infuriated by least

annoyance.

Cuprum-met. - changeable mood; children cross and irritable, or

indifferent and dull, in brain affections.

Dioscorea. - irritable; feels cross and troubled.

Hepar sul - strumous, outrageously cross children.

Hepar sul - temper obstinate and cross, a ferocious spleen which would

lead to cold blooded murder even among those habitually gay

and benevolent.

Ictodes - cross; impetuous; inclined to contradict.

Iodum. - cross, with excessive nervous excitability.

Kalmia - toward evening and next forenoon very cross.

Lac can. - very cross and irritable only while headache lasts.

Lycopodium. - sensitive, irritable disposition; peevish and cross on

getting awake; easily excited to anger; cannot endure slightest

opposition, and is speedily beside herself.

Lycopodium. - suitable for: old women and children; persons of keen

intellect, but feeble muscular development; upper part of body

wasted, lower part semi-dropsical; lean and predisposed to lung

and hepatic affections; herpetic and scrofulous constitutions;

hypochondriacs subject to skin diseases; lithic acid diathesis,6

much red sediment in urine, urine itself transparent; sallow

people with cold extremities, haughty disposition, when sick,

mistrustful, slow of comprehension, weak memory; weak

children with well developed heads but puny, sickly bodies,

irritable, nervous and unmanageable when sick, after sleep cross,

pushing every one away angrily.

Lyssin. - very cross, so much so that his children expressed great

surprise; he took offense at veriest trifles, scolded his wife and

children, felt wretched, could not concentrate his attention on

anything; sullen, does not wish to see or speak to any one.

Medorrhin. - cross through day, exhilarated at night, wants to play.

Menyanthes - ill humored, cross.

Natrum-mur. - great irritability; child irritable and cross when spoken

to; crying from slightest cause.

Sinapis nigra. - cross, dissatisfied without cause; must guard himself

constantly or be uncivil and pettish.

Stramonium. - child is very cross, and strikes or bites.

Tarentula hisp - cross, tendency to get angry and to speak abruptly; is

obliged to move limbs.

Uran-nit. - great despondency; ill-temper; cross; disagreeable.

Zincum met - child cross toward evening; brain affected.

—————

Diseases in which crossness were found, their symptoms and the

respective remedies are given below: [The disease names are

arranged in alphabetical order.]

(Addison’s disease) - Natrum-mur. - prevailing depression of mind,

with spells of irritableness and crossness

(Arthritis, gout) Bryonia - patient unbearably cross.7

(Asthma of children) Ignatia - a cross word or correcting the child

may bring on the attack.

(Atrophy of children) Abrotanum - child is cross and depressed, <

from mental exertion.

(Atrophy of children) Calc-carb - child obstinate, self-willed, cross

before stool and faint after

(Atrophy of children) Cina - child picks nose, is restless, cross and

unamiable

(Atrophy of children) Lycopodium - child weak, with well-developed

head, but puny, sickly body, is irritable, nervous and

unmanageable when sick, after sleep cross and pushes every

one away angrily.

(Atrophy of children) Sulphur - child cross, obstinate, cannot bear to

be washed or bathed

(Bedwetting in children) Chamomilla - child cross, has to be carried

(Blepharophthalmia, blepharitis) Ant-crud. - especially in cross

children

(Blepharophthalmia, blepharitis) Sulphur - blepharitis after the

suppression of an eruption or when the patient is covered by

eczema, especially in strumous children, who are cross and

irritable by day and feverish and restless at night.

(Bronchitis) - Cina. - child, though weak, was cross and obstinate,

and cried when his will was not humored.

(Chorea) Cina - child outrageously cross and peevish, does not wish

to play

(Chorea) Lycopodium - cross, kicks, scolds, or awakens terrified, as

if dreaming

(chronic intestinal catarrh) - Arsenic alb - very cross and despondent..8

(Constipation) Aethusa - morose and cross.

(Convulsions in children) Cina - child cross, will not be pleased,

strikes around him.

(Convulsions in children) Zincum met - child has been cross and

irritable for days previous, with hurried motions, distended

abdomen and more frequent urination than usual

(Cough,) Lycopodium - children are cross and naughty when awaking

from their nap

(crying of children) Chamomilla - cries pitifully when refused the

least thing, wants to be carried rapidly, is cross and fretful

(crying of children) Cina - exceedingly cross, cries and strikes at all

around him

(Dentition, morbid) Coffea cruda - frets and worries in an innocent

manner, is not cross but sleepless

(Dentition, morbid) Zincum met - child excessively cross and irritable,

especially at night, while the eruption of several teeth at once

undermines his strength.

(Diarrhoea of infants) Chamomilla - child wants to be carried, is cross,

feverish and very thirsty

(Diarrhoea of infants) Gnaphalium - cross and irritable children

(Diarrhoea of infants) Natrum mur - child cross and irritable

(Diseases of cornea) Chamomilla - ulceration in cross, peevish

children during dentition.

(Diseases of cornea) Hepar sulph - marked sensitiveness of the eye

to touch. lids red, swollen, spasmodically closed and bleed easily

upon opening them. general chilliness. strumous, very cross

children.9

(Dropsy) Lycopodium - very cross after getting awake. ascites from

liver affections, abuse of alcoholic drinks

(Drunkards, diseases of) Cimicifuga - no disposition to talk, cross

and dissatisfied, very restless, cannot sit long in one place, as it

makes him frantic

(Drunkards, diseases of) Sulphuric acid - cross and irritable.

(Eczema) Staphisagria - skin peels off with itching, hair falls out.

sunken face, nose pointed, blue rings around eyes. cross words

injure feelings

(Eyes, chronic spasms) - Agaricus. - cross, self-willed, stubborn.

(Febris intermittens) Silicea - bloated abdomen with constant

diarrhoea. during apyrexia children very cross, cry on being

touched or spoken to.

(Fever, remittent, after) Usually good-natured child was cross, fretful,

irritable and dissatisfied with everything, and passed urine

involuntarily, with prostration.

(Gastric catarrh, febris mucosa, biliosa) Ant-crud. - gastric catarrh

from pastry, from overloading stomach, after fat food, from

excessive heat of summer. children cross and peevish

(Head, periodical neuralgia, in) - Syphilinum - cross, irritable, peevish

(Headache) Lac can. - has the "blues," is cross and irritable.

(Headache) Lyssin(Hydrophinum) - is cross and annoyed by trifles

(Hernia in infants) Cina - when awake it always cries and is very

cross, refusing everything offered

(Hysteria) Iodum - patient irritable, cross and sulky, hates to be touched

anywhere.

(Infantile remittent fever) Nux vomica - child cross and irritable10

(Influenza) Iodum - cross and sulky, hates to be touched.

(Irritation of brain,due to dentition) - Cuprum acet. - restless, cross

and full of fear; respiration, sobbing, short and anxious; face

pale and bloated; when drinking, child bites into glass or spoon;

strength gradually sinking.

(Keratitis) - Calc-carb. - child restless and cross during day

(Marasmus) - Abrotanum - the child is cross and depressed.

(Mastitis, inflammation of breast) Chamomilla - mammae hard and

tender to touch, with drawing pains, is fretful, sleepless and cross.

(Meningitis, encephalitis) Cina - child cross and peevish.

(Metritis) Chamomilla - irritable and cross, can hardly restrain herself

to treat people decently

(Morbus addisonii) Natrum mur - cross and irritable.

(Morbus brightii, albinuria) Uranium nit - ill-tempered, cross and

irritable

(mortification, insults:) Chamomilla - cross against others

(Nursing, lactation) Chamomilla - is fretful, cross and irritable

(Nursing, lactation) Cina - constant gnawing sensation in stomach,

does not sleep well, feels cross and is not easily satisfied.

(Ophthalmia) Ant-crud. - pustules on cornea or conjunctiva, especially

in cross children afflicted with pustules on face and moist

eruptions behind ears

(Ophthalmia) Sulphur - chronic blepharitis in strumous children who

are irritable and cross by day and feverish and restless at night

(Rachitis, rickets) Calc-carb - child is cross before stool and faint

afterwards11

(Respiratory affections in children) Chamomilla - cough awakens it

from a sound sleep and makes it cross and fretful, or child may

sleep through the cough without awaking

(Scarlatina) - Calc-carb. - child cross, fretful and restless.

(Scarlatina) Lycopodium - they are very cross and irritable after a

nap, kicking and fighting

(Scrofulosis) (cane sugar.) - cross and whining

(simple continued fever) Chamomilla - child is cross and irritable

when feverish

(Sleeplessness.) Cuprum met - child awakes cross and irritable,

kicking the clothes off and striking every one about it (bell.) .

(Sleeplessness.) Stramonium - child awakes cross and irritable, as if

frightened, knows no one, shrinks away or jumps out of bed

(Spasm of glottis or larynx) Ignatia - caused in children by a cross

word or necessary correction

(Toothache) China off - toothache of nursing mothers, of persons

who, otherwise cheerful, become cross and irritable

(Typhoid fever) Lycopodium - when aroused cross, irritable or awakes

terrified as from a heavy dream

(Urinary difficulties) Helleborus - retention of urine in children

without any particular cause, child cross and fretful, will not

allow anyone to touch it.

(Worms) Filix mas - irritable and cross.