Constitutional treatment in infants and very young children presents some problems in case-taking. Hints may be obtained from (1) The family history and consideration of “hereditary nosodes”, Tuberculinum, Carcinosin, Medorrhinum, Lueticum and Psorinum. Sometimes the infant bears a striking resemblance to one or other of the parents and a reliable hint can be obtained by studying the constitutional make-up of the parent. (2) Occasionally an emotional upset or acute illness in pregnancy is significant. Influenzinum or Aconite or other remedy may be suggested in this way just occasionally. A boy of four suffering from cerebral diplegia resulting from a birth injury improved after receiving homoeopathic treatment, then appeared to come to a standstill. He could walk with some difficulty, but the chief trouble was that he was terribly frightened of falling, and this prevented further progress. On re-taking the history it was discovered that the mother had had a severe fright during pregnancy. She said that she felt as if worms were wriggling all over her after the episode (a dog had jumped out on her suddenly and unexpectedly). The boy was given Lac caninum 200, and the following day he began to walk without fear. (3) Birth injury suggested by the history, especially by slowness in initiating feeding, calls to mind the head injury remedies (Nat. sulph., Nat mur, Cicuta and Helleborus), Among the symptoms useful for prescribing purposes which may be obtained from a normally observant mother or nurse are: (4) Craving for affection Pulsatilla, Phosphorus, Calcarea, (5) Position in sleeping preferred or adopted. Knee-elbow position is found in Medorrhinum, Carcinosin, Tuberculinum, Phosphorus Calcarea phos., Lycopodium and Sepia, and no doubt other remedies. (6) Wrinkling of forehead is of practical value if found, in narrowing down the choice of remedies. (7) Desire for relatively warm or cold feeds if bottle fed. Some infants refuse the feed if it is the least bit cool. Others wait till it is cool. If there is a definite preference of this sort, it is a reliable symptom. (8) Modalities: The time of day or night at which the infant is most “grizzly” e.g. 4 to 8 p.m.(Lycopodium, etc.) allowing for hunger and tiredness, may be useful. Less often there may be obvious aggravation from downward movement, sensitivity to noise or other aspects of the environment. In babies the tendency to start at noise is, of course, normally well-marked, and to be outside the average pattern must be very marked. The infant must almost “jump out of its skin” at sudden noises if this symptom is to be taken for prescribing purposes. (9) Excessive flatulence or flatus, after consideration of diet and feeding technique. (10) Perspiration if excessive, its distribution, nature and modalities, e.g. coming on during sleep and any other skin conditions. Such a scheme can be expanded.
He was the Dean of Faculty of Homeopathy London. D. M. Foubister was Assistant Physician, Diseases of Children, to the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital. Circa 1950’s. He authored the following works:
The Carcinosin Drug Pictures.
Constitutional Effects of Anaesthesia.
Homeopathy and Pediatrics.
Lac caninum.
Paediatrics
Significance of Past History in Homoeopathy.
Therapeutic Hints For Students.
Tutorials On Homeopathy.