Palliation and suppression
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2002 3:00 pm
Palliation and suppression
Palliation
True cures in the Hahnemannian sense are too few now-a-days compared to
cases handled. The reasons are not far to seek. Antibiotics and other
suppressive drugs have made diseases intractable on the one hand and
patients' pressure for immediate results on the other have forced the
physician's hands to give ad hoc remedies for bringing immediate relief
to the patients. Palliation instead of attempts to cure rules the day.
Palliation means temporary relief from a disease. The disease is not
cured. There is no harm in palliating a disease and, in fact, it forms a
part of the treatment in acute exacerbation of a chronic disease. The
time so gained should be utilised in further study of the symptoms to
select a remedy on symptom-totality basis and immediately followed up
with the similimum. Even in an acute case, if for any special reason the
curative remedy cannot be prescribed immediately, there is no harm in
prescribing a palliative remedy, provided it is soon followed with the
curative remedy. But such an attempt in acute cases should he an
exception rather than the rule and should not form a habit. The only
drawback in such a method appears to be the time factor. The process
might take a little more time than if the diseases were treated on the
symptom-totality basis from the very beginning. But the method, where it
permits, is far better than mere continued palliation which might
ultimately make the disease incurable or might lead to some other
disease difficult to cure. Repeated palliation of fistula-in-ano may
lead to pulmonary tuberculosis. Similarly, if bronchitis is repeatedly
palliated, it may lead to bronchial asthma and even tuberculosis.
Palliation cannot remove the fundamental cause of the disease or its
maintaining and exciting causes. It is, always dangerous to take
recourse to repeated palliation in a curable case. This should be
avoided. In incurable cases or where the patient lacks one of the vital
organs of the body like a kidney or a lung or where it is necessary to
relieve the pangs of pain in death bed, repeated palliation is the only
tool available in the hands of a physician and should be taken recourse
to without a prick of conscience.
Suppression
Suppression, on the other hand, is forcible removal or sudden
disappearance of a complaint followed by the disease going "inward",
resulting in deterioration of health or metastasis of illness to some
other organ or tissue of the body. It may be natural or drug-induced.
When some external factors such as fear, anger, irritation, mental shock
from accident are responsible, the suppression is natural. When the
suppression is brought about by the intake of any drug, it is drug-
induced. Ailments resulting from both these types of suppression are
amenable to homoeopathic treatment.
Diseases arising from natural suppression can be effectively handled by
taking into account the causation factor and the symptom-totality of the
patient. Any miasmatic effect can be removed by the administration of
the relevant anti-miasmatic drug as inter-current.
But the diseases arising from drug-induced suppression are more
troublesome and take longer time to cure. Authorities are divided over
the question of homoeopathic suppression and, indeed, under the
homoeopathic treatment based on Symptom-totality and Law of Similars,
suppression as such is a remote possibility. The cases we came across
are mere results of palliation and not suppression. So, only under the
modern system the drug-induced diseases appear to be the results of
suppression.
Cases of suppression/side-effects due to indiscriminate use of modern
drugs such as antibiotics and other scheduled drugs are now very
frequent. They have given rise to a special category of disease known as
Iatrogenic Diseases for high incidence of which the physician alone is
responsible. It will be illuminating and, indeed, revealing to know the
consequences of such drugs, particularly since iatrogenic diseases are
now coming up in greater numbers for treatment under the homoeopathic
system. Aspirin, for example, commonly used as pain- reliever can
produce gastro-intestinal haemorrhage.
Similarly, drugs used for reducing blood-pressure give rise to
constipation and impotence. Peptic ulcer and hypo-thyroidism may result
from phenylbutazone. Streptomycin leads to dizziness, tinnitus and
deafness. Tetracycline causes side-effects like frequent sore throat,
difficult swallowing and, when frequently given in pregnancy, affects
bones and teeth of foetus, dental enamel of the infant and makes the
teeth susceptible to caries. As for corticosteroids, the most dreaded
drugs for their side-effects, any disease may come depending upon the
constitution and susceptibility of the patient starting from slow fever,
peptic ulcer, bone-disorder, diabetes etc. to mental disorders including
suicidal tendency by its long-continued use.
Besides the serious side-effects mentioned above, the disease recurs
unless the patient's vital force helps him to get rid of the disease in
the natural way. Then there is super-infection by the proliferation of
non-affected organisms with the possibility of the bacterium itself
becoming resistant to the drug. The diseases such as asthma, peptic
ulcer, metabolic disorders and functional disturbances, for which no
causative organism has so far been discovered, tend to become incurable
by the continued use of these drugs.
But, though the drugs may be poisonous in their long-term effects, they
have their importance in dealing with dreadful diseases and, under
careful watch, they have saved millions of lives and ameliorated painful
existence the world over. No body can deny their unchallangeable
position and precious application in a limited way.
Suppression, under modern drugs, may lead to recurrence of the disease
or some other disease in lieu commonly called side-effects or make the
disease incurable. Cases of recurrence of the disease and side-effects
of the drugs when antibiotics and sulpha-drugs have been used can be
treated successfully by the 200th potency of the same drug, generally on
weekly basis. If this is riot possible, the cases have to be treated
after clearing the field first with the help of such medicines as
Carbo-veg., Sulphur, Nux vomica, Thuja. Then the symptoms of the disease
before the administration of the modern drug have to he collected. This
along with the past history and family history would provide the basis
for starting the treatment. Any present symptom having a bearing on the
initial disease should also be taken into account and proceeded in the
set manner for the determination of the remedy. If this remedy is okeyed
by the psycho-biographical history of the patient and covers his miasm
it may be administered.
If the miasm is not covered, a separate anti-miasmatic remedy may be
used as intercurrent. The miasm and the constitution of the patient have
always to he considered in seeking a remedy in such cases. If the case
proves incurable, only palliation need be attempted.
Regards,
dr . binoy vallabhassery
INDIA
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Palliation
True cures in the Hahnemannian sense are too few now-a-days compared to
cases handled. The reasons are not far to seek. Antibiotics and other
suppressive drugs have made diseases intractable on the one hand and
patients' pressure for immediate results on the other have forced the
physician's hands to give ad hoc remedies for bringing immediate relief
to the patients. Palliation instead of attempts to cure rules the day.
Palliation means temporary relief from a disease. The disease is not
cured. There is no harm in palliating a disease and, in fact, it forms a
part of the treatment in acute exacerbation of a chronic disease. The
time so gained should be utilised in further study of the symptoms to
select a remedy on symptom-totality basis and immediately followed up
with the similimum. Even in an acute case, if for any special reason the
curative remedy cannot be prescribed immediately, there is no harm in
prescribing a palliative remedy, provided it is soon followed with the
curative remedy. But such an attempt in acute cases should he an
exception rather than the rule and should not form a habit. The only
drawback in such a method appears to be the time factor. The process
might take a little more time than if the diseases were treated on the
symptom-totality basis from the very beginning. But the method, where it
permits, is far better than mere continued palliation which might
ultimately make the disease incurable or might lead to some other
disease difficult to cure. Repeated palliation of fistula-in-ano may
lead to pulmonary tuberculosis. Similarly, if bronchitis is repeatedly
palliated, it may lead to bronchial asthma and even tuberculosis.
Palliation cannot remove the fundamental cause of the disease or its
maintaining and exciting causes. It is, always dangerous to take
recourse to repeated palliation in a curable case. This should be
avoided. In incurable cases or where the patient lacks one of the vital
organs of the body like a kidney or a lung or where it is necessary to
relieve the pangs of pain in death bed, repeated palliation is the only
tool available in the hands of a physician and should be taken recourse
to without a prick of conscience.
Suppression
Suppression, on the other hand, is forcible removal or sudden
disappearance of a complaint followed by the disease going "inward",
resulting in deterioration of health or metastasis of illness to some
other organ or tissue of the body. It may be natural or drug-induced.
When some external factors such as fear, anger, irritation, mental shock
from accident are responsible, the suppression is natural. When the
suppression is brought about by the intake of any drug, it is drug-
induced. Ailments resulting from both these types of suppression are
amenable to homoeopathic treatment.
Diseases arising from natural suppression can be effectively handled by
taking into account the causation factor and the symptom-totality of the
patient. Any miasmatic effect can be removed by the administration of
the relevant anti-miasmatic drug as inter-current.
But the diseases arising from drug-induced suppression are more
troublesome and take longer time to cure. Authorities are divided over
the question of homoeopathic suppression and, indeed, under the
homoeopathic treatment based on Symptom-totality and Law of Similars,
suppression as such is a remote possibility. The cases we came across
are mere results of palliation and not suppression. So, only under the
modern system the drug-induced diseases appear to be the results of
suppression.
Cases of suppression/side-effects due to indiscriminate use of modern
drugs such as antibiotics and other scheduled drugs are now very
frequent. They have given rise to a special category of disease known as
Iatrogenic Diseases for high incidence of which the physician alone is
responsible. It will be illuminating and, indeed, revealing to know the
consequences of such drugs, particularly since iatrogenic diseases are
now coming up in greater numbers for treatment under the homoeopathic
system. Aspirin, for example, commonly used as pain- reliever can
produce gastro-intestinal haemorrhage.
Similarly, drugs used for reducing blood-pressure give rise to
constipation and impotence. Peptic ulcer and hypo-thyroidism may result
from phenylbutazone. Streptomycin leads to dizziness, tinnitus and
deafness. Tetracycline causes side-effects like frequent sore throat,
difficult swallowing and, when frequently given in pregnancy, affects
bones and teeth of foetus, dental enamel of the infant and makes the
teeth susceptible to caries. As for corticosteroids, the most dreaded
drugs for their side-effects, any disease may come depending upon the
constitution and susceptibility of the patient starting from slow fever,
peptic ulcer, bone-disorder, diabetes etc. to mental disorders including
suicidal tendency by its long-continued use.
Besides the serious side-effects mentioned above, the disease recurs
unless the patient's vital force helps him to get rid of the disease in
the natural way. Then there is super-infection by the proliferation of
non-affected organisms with the possibility of the bacterium itself
becoming resistant to the drug. The diseases such as asthma, peptic
ulcer, metabolic disorders and functional disturbances, for which no
causative organism has so far been discovered, tend to become incurable
by the continued use of these drugs.
But, though the drugs may be poisonous in their long-term effects, they
have their importance in dealing with dreadful diseases and, under
careful watch, they have saved millions of lives and ameliorated painful
existence the world over. No body can deny their unchallangeable
position and precious application in a limited way.
Suppression, under modern drugs, may lead to recurrence of the disease
or some other disease in lieu commonly called side-effects or make the
disease incurable. Cases of recurrence of the disease and side-effects
of the drugs when antibiotics and sulpha-drugs have been used can be
treated successfully by the 200th potency of the same drug, generally on
weekly basis. If this is riot possible, the cases have to be treated
after clearing the field first with the help of such medicines as
Carbo-veg., Sulphur, Nux vomica, Thuja. Then the symptoms of the disease
before the administration of the modern drug have to he collected. This
along with the past history and family history would provide the basis
for starting the treatment. Any present symptom having a bearing on the
initial disease should also be taken into account and proceeded in the
set manner for the determination of the remedy. If this remedy is okeyed
by the psycho-biographical history of the patient and covers his miasm
it may be administered.
If the miasm is not covered, a separate anti-miasmatic remedy may be
used as intercurrent. The miasm and the constitution of the patient have
always to he considered in seeking a remedy in such cases. If the case
proves incurable, only palliation need be attempted.
Regards,
dr . binoy vallabhassery
INDIA
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]