Abstract:
Case taking in homoeopathy is a living fluid-like process. The homoeopath perceives what exactly to be cured in each and every patient’s disease. Perception is not just listening to patients, examining them and verifying their medical records. Perception is an insightful act through which the physician does understand something deep beyond the tangible evidence. Correct perception is the first and foremost important thing in the entire case processing method. By the way few cases have been illustrated briefly here to showcase the height of greatness of homoeopathy.
Keywords: Case taking, perception, subjective symptoms, sick, sickness.
Introduction:
Homoeopathy is such an amazing system of medicine that perceives the problem of the patient in a unique holistic way. As a result, body, mind & soul together get well being back again. To most of the patients, the point of origin or the center of gravity of the disease is located in mind. Deranged mind has to be treated in all corporeal diseases in order to fine tune the defense mechanism properly.
Man is will and intellect and the home upon which he rests in his body. Often the body speaks the language of mind. Physicians with sound sense can only find this out. When we look deeper, the superficial problems will get resolved from within. In this way, the patient approach in homoeopathy becomes animated and purposeful in today’s practice.
Cases:
- “I wish to die”
A 65 year old female complains of intolerable itching all over the body with no eruption for the past few months. She keeps on scratching. She cannot restrain herself from scratching even after the spot turns to raw and bleed. This is intense during the night. Patient became hopeless and told that she wanted to commit suicide by jumping into the well. She tried much medication but ended up with frustration.
1. Mind – despair – itching of the skin from
2. Mind – suicidal disposition – itching of skin from
3. Sleep – sleeplessness – itching, from
4. Skin – itching – eruptions – without
6. Skin – itching – night
7. Skin – itching – scratching – bleed; must scratch until it bleeds
All these rubrics pointed out dolichos pruriens. Materia medica of dolichos confirmed the selection. Dolichos 30/4d, alternate days on empty stomach relieved the patient up to 50%. Then Dolichos 200/2d once in 2 weeks relieved the patient greatly.
- Crying out of pain
A male priest aged about 64 years came with severe pain in right shoulder and upper arm. Pain was unbearable especially in the early morning during prayer hours. Pain killer gave him a little bit of temporary relief. He could not raise his arm. The condition was diagnosed as frozen shoulder and was advised to undergo physiotherapy. He was doing it for the last two weeks. He miserably mentioned, “All these days instead of prayer I begin my day with a lot of pain and crying.”
A few months ago he was attacked by an electric shock (by touching the electric wire submerged in water.) After which the pain started. Pain temporarily relieved by hot water application.
Patient was thirsty during the pain. Patient’s wife added that the painful shoulder and upper arm were too cold to touch during the pain.
- Extremities – pain – shoulder, right
- Extremities – pain – upper arm deltoid – right
- Extremities – pain, warm application, amelioration
- Stomach – thirst – pain, during the pains
- Generals – coldness of affected part – pain during
- Generals – electroshock; ailments from
Chamomilla and Agaricus muscarius are the contenders. Chamomilla patients are highly irritable. They used to shriek with pain. Painful parts of chamomilla are covered by hot sweat and will be preceded by numbness. Materia medica of agaricus says that it is well indicated for shoulder and arm pains. Painful parts of agaricus are characteristically cold to touch. Agaricus is recommended for electric shock-like pains. So, Agaricus 1m/1d was given and it relieved the pain completely on the next day to the patient’s surprise. Further two doses once in week released the frozen shoulder successfully. Patient became very happy and expressed his sincere gratitude to homoeopathy and god.
- Anxiety about health.
A 40 years old male patient suffered from bleeding per anus after normal stool. Few drops of dark red blood came out immediately after stool with no pain. Patient told me that it might be due to body heat. Body gets heated from disturbed sleep due to general tiredness and body pain. By nature he was so anxious to see blood. He becomes anxious and develops palpitation from trivial illnesses.
- Mind – anxiety – health, about-own health, one’s
- Mind – blood, cannot look at
- Mind- fear – blood, fear when looking at
- Mind – frightened easily – blood, at sight of
- Rectum – hemorrhage from anus – stool – after
Considering the rubrics alumina was selected. Alumina 1m/2d once in two weeks relieved both mental and physical problems completely.
- “oh god answer my prayer”
Female aged about 52 years came with the problem of pricking pain in abdomen, distension, indigestion for a few weeks. She seems to be very upset. On enquiry she said “my 2 year old grandson died of illness after four days of struggle in hospital. I can’t accept this. I loved him a lot. More than mother, I took all the care of him. He was a god given child and was offered to god with great gratitude. God had shown his appearance to my spiritual eyes even before his birth. I screamed out a lot in prayer for his recovery. I strongly believed that his body might suffer but his soul will be preserved for sure because it was given by god. But at last the miserable child passed away. I can’t forget all the sweet experiences I cherished with him. I simply can’t accept his demise. What’s wrong? Why did this happen? God only gave him. Why should god give him and why should he take him back shortly? Why did my prayer not get answered? I can’t eat, sleep. My soul keeps on asking this to god each and every minute.
- Mind-ailments from- death of loved one, child of a
- Mind-religious affection-too occupied with religion-melancholia
- Mind-despair-religious despair of salvation
- Mind-delusion-god, he is the object of god’s vengeance.
Based on the rubrics Kali.brom-1m/2d once in a week was prescribed and it improved the depressed mind and suffering of the body greatly.
- “I can’t stay at home”
Young girl aged about 23 years complains of chest heaviness of chest with impeded respiration and whistling breathing. All these complaints got worse by lying down, head bathing and climbing stairs. She feels better by drinking hot water.
The mother added that she can’t remain in home after 5pm due to extreme fear of wheezing and whistling breath. She walks out. This consultation was done through the phone.
Based on these symptoms, lobelia inflata/30 medicinal solution, every time with 5 successions, 15 drops in a quarter glass of water, two hourly 6 tea spoons was given. She turned normal after 4 days.
- Hell like agony
A 32 years old man presented with twitching of neck and head. Twitching occurred mostly during drowsiness. Complaints started after night watching. He consulted a neuro physician and was advised to consult a psychiatrist.
Patient was a very angry person; angry towards his workers. He had beaten one of his laborers for a small mistake recently. He says, “I can’t control my anger just like my father. My father was an arrogant man. He often brutally beaten me, slapped me and verbally abused me during my childhood. I could not defend myself. I was tortured severely by him physically and mentally for many years. I don’t have words to express the agony I had gone through in my life because of my father.”
H/o street dog bite before 2 years; got injured severely, took vaccines.
Following rubric is considered.
1. Mind -ailments from-abused after being, physically
2. Mind -delusion-abused being
3. Mind-ailments from- domination in children, long h/o excess parental control, harsh upbringing
4. Mind- delusion-hell, torments of hell without being able to explain, suffers.
5. Delusion-tormented he is
Understanding the problem of the patient and with the help of aforesaid rubrics, lyssinum/1m few doses were prescribed once in 2 weeks for 3 months. As a result the patient became emotionally calm and his neck & head twitching stopped completely.
- Cramp while thinking about it!
A 73 year old man presented with the complaint of severe painful cramp on his back of right thigh, leg (calf muscle) and foot. Cramp comes during the night on turning in bed. Sometimes cramps bothered him 2 – 3 times a night. Pain was like an electric shock. Patient hardly able to stand and limped to the wash room and showed the affected limb to the flow of running tap water. Slowly the cramp reduces and he starts to move the limb in all possible directions.
Patient mentioned with surprise that every time he remembers the cramp he uses to develop the same in bed at night!
On checking weight he said, “It is 79.4 kg. Usually I maintain my body weight between 70 – 74 kg. So, now I have refrained from eating snacks!”
Considering following two rubrics,
- Extremities – cramp – leg – calf – thinking about it
- Mind – anxiety – health; about – own health; one’s
Staphy 200/2 doses in alternate days was prescribed. After two weeks he came and told me that he rarely developed cramps and the pain was mild. One more dose of Staph 200 completely relieved him.
‘Mind – thinking – complaints – agg: thinking of his complaints’ is general rubric that can be applicable to any complaint that gets aggravated by thinking about it. But in the synthesis repertory, the specific rubric was found hence it was selected. No matter how, Staph is mentioned in both the rubrics.
Conclusion:
Human beings are an integrated totality of mind, emotion and body governed by a superior substance called vital principle. Disease occurs on the whole of man due to the integrated physiological anatomy. Initially all disease will manifest only at functional level. This is well expressed by the patient as subjective symptoms. The individuality of the patient can be clearly identified in disease at a subjective symptom phase. Hence the group of patients suffering from the same disease will be individually differentiated and get prescribed with individual similar medicine. This is called treating sickness. The secret of success in healing!
