WOMEN’S WELLNESS: Speech delivered by Dr. V. Krishnamurthy

WOMEN’S WELLNESS:  Speech delivered by Dr. V. Krishnamurthy  during the Delhi Homoepathy Medical Association seminar at Delhi on 26-11-2023.

अपनी स्वयं की होम्योपथी न करें

haud facilem esse viam voluit, primusque per artem movit agros curis acuens mortalia corda– VIRGIL (Latin phrase).  [The degree of a civilization can be measured by the care given to the pregnant women.]

Pregnancy and labor are acid tests for a married woman.  Also, two of the worst emergency conditions in medical practice is abortion/labor.

Abortion can be treated successfully with homoeo medicines, only and if only a practitioner has a copy of the grand and great reference book The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual by Dr. W. A. Yingling, M.D.  So also, many otherwise caesarean surgeries can be avoided (excepting narrow pelvis) with appropriate homoeo medicine.   

A few labor cases cured with homoeopathy (where caesarean alone was suggested by the allopath) would illustrate how exact and accurate homoeopathy reference books are.  Precision and versatility are the culture of homoeopathy.

Case 1:  Mere uttering the words ‘constitution’ ‘totality-of-symptoms’ ‘miasm’ would not make any one a good practitioner.    A full-term pregnant woman was in a maternity nursing home and since all the fluid had gone, caesarean was to be performed the next morning.  When this case was referred to a senior homoeopath, he reacted: “How can we prescribe offhand? we have to see the constitution, mind symptoms, totality-of-symptoms etc.”

On page 210 of the invaluable reference book The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual by Dr. W. A. Yingling, we find the following in the chapter ‘Labor.’

Amniotic fluid gone, with, Bell.

Belladonna was given in 10M potency, one dose only and in the early hours of the next day it was natural childbirth. The attending obstetrician was astonished as to how this could happen.

Another great author is Dr. Calvin B. Knerr’s Repertory.  

Case 2: A fourth month pregnant woman comes to me with scan report showing only two months growth.  Her gynaec doctor told her that it is to be terminated.  Our golden reference book Dr. Calvin B. Knerr’s Repertory:  

PREGNANCY; foetus, arrests development: Secale.

We have so far cured a dozen cases of retarded growth with one dose of Secale Cornutum-10M, telling the patient that it is one-dose treatment in homoeopathy.

I took a survey of about one hundred homeopaths as to what they would prescribe for retarded growth of the foetus; their answers were incorrect.  One M.D. homoeo doctor said that he ‘prefers’ Pulsatilla and his wife, a BHMS, said that her ‘favourite’ for female complains is Sepia.  These doctors are practising by prescribing favourite and preferential remedies. I showed to both of them the above from Calvin B. Knerr’s Repertory:

I told them I have cured a dozen cases of retarded growth of foetus with one dose of Secale cornutum-10M. They said that they were not taught the use of Knerr’s Repertory and they were not aware of this valuable and golden reference book.  

As the Chief Guest of a homoeo college in Hyderabad, I talked about Calvin B. Knerr’s Repertory, Yingling etc.  After the speech was over the principal of that college took me around the college; while in the library, he asked the librarian whether Knerr’s and Yingling books are there.  He replied ‘No.’ 

Case 3: A pregnant woman in a village went to a town for delivery. The doctors in a nursing home after examining her, declined to admit her because instead of descending, the uterus was in the upward position. She was then taken to the Govt. hospital. Upon examining her, even they said that a major surgery had to be done and since the senior surgeon was not available, they would not admit her. She came home weeping and her husband came to me. 

I turned to Yingling. On page 229, we find the following: 

Upward, uterus seems to go: Cimic.

Just one single dose of Cimicifuga (Actaea recemosa)-10M was given. Within minutes, she felt some movements in her abdomen, the uterus coming down to its correct position and she developed labor pains: so, was rushed to the hospital. This time, upon examining her, the attending doctor found everything normal and so admitted her and it was a caesarean-free delivery! Does the reader need any further or better justification for having a copy of Yingling? 

Dr. Yingling’s Emergency Manual is for medical emergencies in abnormal conditions of parturition, those that occur directly before, during, or after labor or abortion. It does not deal with those conditions wherein the physician has plenty of time for consideration, as in many ailments during gestation and those following some days after delivery. It is strictly an emergency manual, yet containing all the symptoms of the rubrics treated of, and many indications of remedies not usually considered critical, as it is impossible to tell beforehand what symptoms may be the keynotes in the emergency hour to either save life or prevent undue suffering. Strictly speaking, only those conditions endangering life would be emergency conditions, but as any undue suffering or abnormality may be the precursor or direct cause of the emergency condition, indications of remedies covering these must, of necessity, are included in the book The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual. It contains both repertory and materia medica. 

Case 4: A pregnant woman said that the next day was delivery date and the doctors said that she was very weak and so would not be able to develop labor pain; therefore, caesarean alone was to be done. In Yingling (page 231), we find the following: 

LABOR—Weak, patient too weak to develop        normal pains: Caul., Mur-ac. 

The remedy Muriatic acid has symptoms of weakness more than the remedy Caulophyllum. A characteristic symptom in the remedy Muriatic acid is, “Mouth and anus chiefly affected.” [See Boericke’s Materia Medica.] I asked the patient if she was having sore mouth and she replied in the affirmative. I further asked for similar complaint in her anus and she confirmed this too. [You can put questions to the patient after selecting a few remedies through the Repertory, to decide one remedy—the similimum.] After taking a dose of Muriatic Acid-10M, she developed labor pains; was rushed to hospital. After half-an-hour, it was a normal and safe delivery. 

To expel dead foetus just one dose of Cantharis or Pulsatilla or Cimex in 10m potency, will do it naturally.  [See Knerr’s Repertory, Pregnancy, to expel dead foetus.]  The practitioner should keep these at his finger tips and he will soon become a world-renowned homoeopath!

Case 5: A woman of 38 years complained of bleeding from uterus every time she strained a little. Lifting weight or sudden jar or jerk during road journey caused bleeding. How would you treat this case? This is “Haemorrhagic exudations.” The remedy for this is Anthracinum (see Wilkinson’s Mat. Medica by the author of this article.) 

Last but not the least, is the reference book for diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

Section 153 tells us that we should prescribe on uncommon symptoms of a disease.  For this we should know what are common symptoms.  That takes us to Diagnosis and Differential Diagnosis. Homoeopathy is an offshoot of allopathy.  The best reference books (Yingling, Knerr, Kent, Lilienthal, Wilkinson) were compiled around the year 1936.  So also, The British Encyclopaedia of Medicine (13 volumes) was published around the same period.  This 13-volume Encyclopaedia is a must for any aspiring homoeopath to get success in practice.  Otherwise it will be a ship in mid sea without a compass.  [Copies available with the author at Rs.16,500=00]

70-90% of caesarean section is performed due to malpresentations.  Dr. W. A. Yingling guides us: (in his Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual):

 “Abnormal presentations may be righted if the remedy Pulsatilla-10M is given before the membranes are ruptured or the presenting parts are firmly engaged.”  

Some points to be noted, while treating female patients:

1. When a woman around 18 years of age come for consultation and if all her complaints started around puberty, we must write the word chlorosis in the case sheet.  

1. On the other hand, a woman of about 40-50 years–if her complaints started around 42 years of age, while her menses was continuing, we must write the words Climacteric, Menopause, Critical period.  

1. If the complaint started a few months after complete cessation of menses, the rubric to be taken is “Checked discharges, abandoning habitual secretions.’” [See page 1005-1006 of Lilienthal’s Homoeo Therapeutics]

SUPPRESSION OF SECRETIONS–Suppression of haemorrhage or abandoning habitual depletions: 25 remedies are given.  This list should be taken first for the above case.

The homoeo software will not analyse and take you to the above rubrics.  Those who have developed homoeo software have little or no knowledge about the various terms used exclusively in homoeopathy.  For example, if a person complains of headache, dandruff, hair fall etc. the neophyte types all these words in the software; no! Not at all! When two or more complaints are found together in a patient above neck, we must press into service the rubric Congestion.  So also, if there is swelling, ulcer, itching—all in one leg, again we must not take these separately.  “Two or more complaints in one part—take the rubric ‘congestion.’  [See Kent/s Repertory—Generalities—Congestion.]

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Postscript.  Dr. Yingling’s observations and instructions to the readers of his book Emergency Manual (in the Preface and Introduction) should be eye-opener for any homoeopath.  He is the only practitioner who has understood and mastered the subject of homoeopathic practice in its entirety.  The homoeopathy fraternity should thank him for the inspiration we get from his writings.  Even today, after forty-eight years of rigorous and vigorous practice, observation and teaching, I am reading, once in three months, Dr. W. A. Yingling’s Introduction and Preface in The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual. It may not be out of place to quote some of them hereinbelow:

“Having relieved suffering, and hastened to natural labor, cases that would otherwise have been of necessity instrumental, by the aid of the manuscript of my book (The Accoucheur’s Emergency manual), and knowing from experience that the indicated remedy is the parturient woman’s best friend, restoring the parts to a normal condition, and giving as nearly a painless labor as the circumstances and formation of the parts permit, my sympathy for those who bring into the world human life and the immortal soul has induced me to offer this aid to the profession.  The experience of the many is that of uncertainty at the bedside with the necessity of guessing or of returning to the office to “look up the case” thus losing valuable time, or recourse to that worse practice of “regular” means and meddlesome midwifery. This manual will remedy this difficulty, and give the prescriber the power to relieve suffering, and bring glory to the cause of homoeopathy.  . . . in no sphere do the remedies act more promptly and efficiently, like magic transferring real pain into the expulsive force of labor without undue suffering. In no class of cases will the prescriber get better or quicker results than in those of labor.  . . . I want to call attention to inspire confidence in those who are wavering in their faith and practice.  Will homoeopathy produce natural labor?  We answer, it is the only means whereby abnormal labor may be made as natural as the condition and circumstance will permit. Homoeopathy is the woman’s best friend.  It is the only means whereby she may procreate with the minimum of suffering.  In no class of cases will the homoeopathic remedy be found to act more efficiently and speedily than in post-partum haemorrhage. It is really astonishing how rapidly a profuse haemorrhage will cease after the administration of the properly selected similimum. . . In emergency cases nature speaks plainly.  The more danger to life the more plainly symptoms speak. And in like manner, the more danger to life, the more speedily will the homoeopathic remedy act.. . .  In emergency cases the action of the similimum is so speedy that there is seldom need for a repetition of the dose, if of a high potency. 

What is the remedy (in one single dose) that would have saved the life of rape victim Nirbhaya of Delhi?

In the grand reference work Homoeopathic Therapeutics by Dr. Samuel Llilienthal we find symptoms of Nirbhaya.

Pyaemia, septicaemia: Acon., Arn., Ars., Calend., Canth., Carbol. ac., Chin. arom., Chinin. mur. or sulph., Crotal., Lach., Nit. ac., Rhus, Veratr. vir.,
—for the haemorrhages: Crotal., Ergot., Kreos., Nitr. ac., Mur. ac., Fer-mur., Tarent-c., Tereb.
—for the adynamia: Mosch., Camph., Carb. v., Crotal., Lach., Phos., Sil.,    Veratr. alb.,Veratr. vir.,