Proper Case Taking

[David Little]

Dear Students and Colleagues,

To treat the stomach or a headache as if it is disease separate from
the vital force of the patient is a major reason for administering
incorrect remedies and causing suppressions which can hard a patient. To
prevent this homoeopaths use the locations, sensations, modifications and
concomitant symptoms with their attendant locations, sensations and
modifications. As Hahnemann said in the Chronic Diseases (Sycosis, page
150) one must give the remedy by the main complaints as well as "according
to the different constitutions and the other ailments attendant to it".

This is the origin of the doctrine of concomitants that Baron von
Boenninghausen made famous. One must always focus on the essential nature
of the totality of the characteristic symptoms of the disease case at hand
according to time and circumstances. Many times the logical and non logical
concomitant symptoms in other spheres of the case carry the characteristic
symptoms that tips the scales of balance toward a particular remedy. Jahr
wrote that the accompanying symptoms of the constitution often contained
the characteristic symptoms. These are the statements of two of Hahnemann
original disciples, both of whom are mentioned in the Organon. They got
these ideas directly from Samuel Hahnemann.

This is true no matter if one is treating an acute disease or a chronic
disease. During a true acute crisis the chronic symptoms are repressed
while the acute disorder runs it course. This is how one knows it is a true
acute crisis. At this time, one uses the exciting cause and active acute
symptoms and their concomitants. This includes the mental, general and
particular symptoms as expressed at that time. In chronic diseases the case
is focused on the fundamental causes and chronic complaints and their
concomitant symptoms. Again one must observe the essential nature of the
totality of the characteristic symptoms of the disease case at hand. One
must always assess the locations, sensations, modalities and concomitants
on all three levels if possible, i.e the mental, general and particular.

Boenninghausen wrote in Judgement of the Characteristic Value of
Symptoms that the first question to ask when taking a case is "Who is sick"
(assessing the individual). Then comes the questions what? (disease state,
sensations and complaints), where? (locations), why? (causations), with
what? (concomitants, in what mode? (modalities), and when? (time and
progression). These are the seven universal question used in assessing a
complete symptom as well as a complete case.

How the individual responds to a illness is part of the total picture
because disease is a mistuning of the vital force (aphorism 11). Two
individuals may be suffering from the same disease like an acute miasm like
cholera or a chronic miasms like gonorrheal sycosis. The characteristic
symptoms produced during their illness depends on their personal
predispositions (nature) and their environment (nurture). That is why one
needs to individualize each and every case by the essential nature of the
totality of the characteristic symptoms. This is the foundation of
homoeopathic case taking.

Sincerely, David Little
---------------
"It is the life-force which cures diseases because a dead man needs no more
medicines."

Samuel Hahnemann

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David Little © 2000