RECOURSE OF INTERMITTENT FEVER- W. A. ALLEN - homeopathy360

RECOURSE OF INTERMITTENT FEVER- W. A. ALLEN

ABSTRACT: “Repertory to the symptoms of intermittent fever” by W. A. Allen, old forgotten repertory can be utilised as an important tool in the treatment of intermittent fever. This is in no way inferior to commonly used repertories in clinical practice. This can be demonstrated by comparison of reportorial suggestion obtained after repertorization of a case of fever written in preface of this repertory with “Repertory of the homoeopathic materia medica” by J.T. Kent. This study is an attempt to emphasize accuracy in selection of medicine for fever totality together with its scope and constraints using Repertory to the symptoms of intermittent fever by W. A. Allen.
INTRODUCTION: In Homoeopathic literature, the term Intermittent fever has been used for fever with paroxysm composed of two opposite alternating states (cold, heat – heat, cold) or more frequently three (cold, heat, sweat) states as per § 235.
Hahnemann and his followers had been treating intermittent fever successfully using homoeopathic remedies much before discovery of malarial parasite. Intermittent fever has a wider scope as it includes all the fever including malaria as known today as defined in § 235. Malaria is a type of intermittent fever as in it elevated temperature touches the base line in between.
“Repertory to the symptoms of intermittent fever” by W. A. Allen is a great recourse in finding remedy for intermittent fever.

Though author has not mentioned the full name of Lippe’s repertory but it can be considered as C. Lippe’s, because it was very famous and authentic repertory of that time.
A CASE OF FEVER (given in preface of Repertory to the symptoms of intermittent fever)
Miss A-B-, May 12th, 1882

Repertorial Analysis

The result is similar from both repertories
Allen Repertory
Nux vomica Covers 23 symptoms
In BOLD – 10 rubric
In iItalics– 7rubric
In roman- 6 rubric
Kent Repertory
Nux vomica Covers 22 symptoms
In BOLD – 12 rubrics
In iItalics – 5 rubrics
In roman- 5 rubrics
 
W.A. Allen  
Prescribed Nux vomica  every 2 hours until the next paroxysm was expected.

  1. He considered most successful potency is 200.
  2. He has cured cases with tinctures as well as potency.

Best time to given remedy is after the height of the paroxysm has been passed (esp, for nat mur)
Kent repertory
There were many hardships, that I came across while repertorising this case, these are as follows:

  1. Heat, cheeks red and hot, symptoms are not found.
  2. Some symptoms are found in another chapter like-Head, Face, Stomach Extremities, Skin, Sleep, Generalities, except fever& chill.
  3. Some symptoms are not exactly found in rubric, but similar rubric is there, like 7, 9, 11, 21 symptoms.
  4. Repertorization is very exhaustive and time taking process in comparison to W. A. Allen’s repertory.

SCOPE OF W.A. ALLEN’S  REPERTORY

  1. Fever is divided into mainly chill, heat, sweat along with apyrexia, symptoms during and Remedies for special indication for e.g., season, weather from pages 13 to 107. Thus becoming an ideal book for bed side analysis.
  2. Rubric hunting is limited. Only 94 pages, and so repertorisation through this is very time saving & it becomes very quick to reach most similar remedy
  3. No misplaced rubric present.
  4. No repetition of rubric is present.
  5. All the minute aspects of fever have been covered in this repertory, so the accuracy is very high in the selection of the most similar remedy.
  6. It can also be used in other types of fever, if symptoms correspond.

CONSTRAINTS: This repertory could have been better, if following points get improved

  1. Less no. of medicines is given, 133 only.
  2. Roman (?) in parenthesis which need further verification.
  3. Relationship of remedies are not given in this repertory and thus, a general repertory is usually required for a second prescription
  4. When the clinical case of intermittent fever is resolved and thereafter a deep acting antipsoric remedy is needed which can only be obtained from a general repertory.
  5. Stages of life like children, women, old age are not mentioned.
  6. Temperature in modern scale is not given.
  7. In preface he said that I have cured cases with the tincture like potency, but he has nowhere mentioned the name of remedies prescribed as mother tincture & its doses.

CONCLUSION: When fever totality is made and repertorization is done using this repertory, then reportorial suggestions are similar as done with Kent repertory. So this repertory may be used in the intermittent fever as well as other fever with good results. We can attempt to remove its lacunae as mentioned above in future to make it more suitable.
REFERENCES:

  1. Allen, WA.  Repertory to the symptoms of intermittent fever. Philadelphia: F. E. Boericke, Hahnemann Publishing House. 1883
  2. Kent J.T., Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica. Reprint edition. New Delhi: B.Jain publisher (P) Ltd; 2007.
  3. Hahnemann Samuel.,Organon Of Medicine.Fifth and Sixth Edition Combined.New Delhi: B.Jain Publishers(P) LTD; 2010
  4. Alagappan R.,Manual Of Practical Medicine;Fourth edition. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD: New Delhi.2011

About the author

Dr Poonam Rani