A Homeopath’s Guide to Covid 19 by Dr. Amarsinha Nikam – reviewed by Dr. Rahul Jadhav

• Title: A Homeopaths Guide to Covid 19
• Author: Dr. Amarsinha Nikam
• Published by: Happy Publication (9923294959)
• Year: First Edition: 2021
• Pages: 244
• Reviewer: Dr. Rahul Jadhav

Availability:  Until the book is available online it can be purchased by msg/whatsapp on Aditya Hospital number through courier service.
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Legendary Homoeopath Dr. Amarsinha Nikam (Pune, India) who is well known worldwide for successfully running an exclusively ‘Homeopathic Hospital’ has recently published a book titled ‘A Homoeopaths Guide to Covid-19’. The news of this book’s mega inauguration by Padmashree Ujjwal Nikam raised the curiosity of every homeopath, so I decided to make a detailed review of it.

The strength of this book lies in the authenticity and vast clinical experience of the author. Dr. Amarsinha Nikam developed a unique working method of practicing classical homeopathy in 1995, which has remained unchanged and is providing consistent results in various critical cases at his 100 bed Aditya Homeopathic Hospital. (www.drnikam.com)

When the spread of the pandemic started, Dr. Nikam and his team came forward to lead the way. They not only distributed preventive medicines but also tackled thousands of Covid-19 cases of differing severity. The book is a summary of his campaign against Covid-19. During the entire pandemic, the hospital was fully functional, providing aid to critically ill patients.

Dr. Amarsinha Nikam has done extensive work in previous epidemics also, such as Dengue, Chikungunya, Swine-flu, etc. The same epidemic protocol is followed for preventive and curative treatment of Covid-19 cases.

The book has 224 pages of which 66 belong to theoretical/ philosophical aspects of treating acute cases, whereas 158 pages consist of well-documented covid cases with their explanation.

The theoretical part offers practical solutions by Dr. Nikam for long-standing dilemmas in homeopathy, e.g. the role of preventive medicine, potency selection, use of thermals, the concepts of miasm, and of vital force. Every solution is an outcome of deep analytical thinking and years of clinical experience.

Theoretical part:

The topics covered are:

• Introduction to SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• Genetic mutation of the virus.
• Concept of Acute miasm. (how Covid progresses from acute, subacute to sycosis, tubercular & syphilitic stages).
• Why use homeopathy in covid?
• Lack of standard protocol in conventional medicine and the power of the correct simillimum.
• Immunity:

Here the author has given a scientific explanation of miasms with the view of ‘Vital force as Oxygen’. This analogy made by Dr. Nikam is probably the most pathbreaking research in homeopathy in recent times. Dr. Nikam has published a book titled ‘Vital Force is Oxygen’, where this innovative concept is explained in detail.

• Insight into Case taking:

Detailed guidelines are given for case taking which are very useful not only for Covid-19 but for every acute disease. The same case protocol has been followed at Dr. Nikam’s exclusively homeopathic IPD for the last 25 years.

Guidelines are also given for taking a history of patients on ventilator/NIV support, and the importance of clinical examination, and investigations.

• Role of preventive medicine:

Preventive medicine is probably the most widely discussed topic with a lot of differences in opinion. Dr. Amarsinha Nikam advises the use of a single remedy selected after short interrogation of thermal, desires, thirst, activity from a group of 20/25 remedies. The group is arrived at after studying the pathology and manifestation of an epidemic.

For the quick selection of preventive medicine a handy tool is provided in the form of a ‘flow chart’.  As mentioned earlier, Dr. Nikam has successfully used the same protocol in previous epidemics.

The other vital topics discussed in theory sections are auxiliary mode of treatment, adverse effect of conventional medicine, advantages of online consultation, rehabilitation, and efficacy of 30c potency. Altogether it makes the journey to the simillimum simpler and faster, not in just for Covid but in any acute disease.

Practical Part (Case Presentation)

In this section the author has given a detailed case record as well as investigation, totality, remedy differentiation, follow up, and additional end notes. Thirty-two covid cases of different intensity and stages are selected: mild, moderate, severe, and post covid. The standard protocol is followed as given in the theory section. It includes Covid infection complicated with coronary artery diseases, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, surgical emergency, post covid cases and mucormycosis, and pregnancy.

Every case gives a different learning experience to the reader. For example, in the first case, Belladonna 30 was given as a first prescription but the high degree of fever (104F) persisted. The case was re-taken and the next remedy chosen, Helleborus 30, was based on the peculiar symptoms, ‘chill begins from arm’, ‘electric shock-like pain’  and the totality, and it cured the patient. No antipyretics were used.

The book also offers a perfect practical solution to homeopaths for the problem of repertory choice. Dr. Amarsinha Nikam suggests the use of Kent’s repertory, the Synthetic repertory (by Dr. Barthel & Dr. Klunker) and the Complete Repertory (Mind), and that too in the printed version!

In another Covid case, a young doctor was appointed on Covid hospital duty and felt very anxious about that. Along with the other totality, Dr. Nikam found the doctor’s peculiar mental state in the Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica of Dr. J.H. Clarke. Antimonium Tart 30 was given which worked beautifully. This teaches us the need of updating our materia medica skills and in-depth study of resource books.

The concluding case notes gives us an experience of bedside learning with Dr. Nikam. The reader gets treasures of practical knowledge about remedy differentiation, second prescription, potency, and repertory use.

In the first case of severe Covid, differentiating points between Spongia and Aconite are mentioned in endnotes as: ‘Both have the pathology of pneumonia and both are predicting their death. Aconite is more restless than Spongia, and Spongia is thermally hot while Aconite is chilly.

I believe this book can be perfectly used as a ‘practical workbook’. Every homeopath should try to analyze the cases on his own and check the answer thereafter for the best learning experience. What comes as a pleasant surprise are the beautiful pictures of the Aditya Homeopathic Hospital IPD, a place of pride and inspiration for every homeopath. The only issue about the book is its availability. We request the publisher to provide an online purchase platform so that it will reach the maximum number of homeopaths.

The homeopathic community is indebted to Dr. Nikam for his unparalleled contributions, from successfully running the homeopathic hospital, his research book on miasm, Thermal Materia Medica, ‘Vital Force as Oxygen’, Universal Use of the 30 Potency, to this Covid-19 guide book. Each is dedicated to progress and upliftment of homeopathy science.

This book is an invaluable addition to his legacy and to homeopathic literature. More than just a Covid book, it is the comprehensive guide for any acute disease. I recommend it highly to every student and practitioner of homoeopathy.