Clinical Cases

Proving of Tatu bola-3 – Banded Brazillian Armadillo and a case of Post Leprosy Trophic ulcer to illustrate

Written by Dr Chetna N shukla

Dr. Chetna Shukla shares a case of post leprosy trophic ulcer and provides some of the proving of Tatu Bola (Tolypeutes tricinctus) Armadillo.

Key words: Tatu bola – Tolypeutes tricinctus (Armadillo), Trophic ulcer, Leprosy, Gangrene, Secale cor.

Summary:  
The Tatu bola -Armadillo hide / armor was brought to me by my homoeopath friend and publisher Edson Sampaio of Irati , Parana, Brazil. I started its proving in April 2010 with 7 provers (all homoeopaths). It was a single blind method with no placebos.

After the proving I realized that one of my patients required this remedy.  I changed the prescription of the patient receiving Secale cor since 2008 to Tatu bola for a Trophic ulcer post leprosy of 40 years standing and witnessed cure as it is termed!

Proving is vital and clinical information on that substance is equally important. We cannot exclude one over the other. Any proving I feel is valid only if it can treat sick people. Therefore, I am presenting a treated case to validate the proving that I conducted of the Tatu bola.

Any sick person is like a native into the life of that substance used as the remedy. Provers are like immigrants with a visa that expires after a specific time. Any proving that is thorough has an internal consistency and clearly exhibits the disposition/quintessence of that substance within the vividness of the symptoms. This consistency can be established after drawing parallels from the information available in Nature.

It becomes a portrait only when a qualitative synthesis is prepared after collating all the information available in Nature about that substance including that which is exhibited in a proving. In this article on the Tolypeutes tricinctus (Tatu bola ) we can make a connection with the information available on it –  the zoological relationship within Nature ( related to crocodiles, lizards, dinosaurs), the human projection of its essential nature (The sensation of  a lightness, a spin as if a ball) and put that together with the individualizing aspects that surfaced in the proving.

There is a lot of information available about all the multitude of components in Nature. The beauty of the synthesis is about bringing it all together as a portrait after finding the coherence.

START HERE

The Case:
May 2008- A 74-year-old lady sought treatment for trophic ulcer under left her great toe. She looked frail and anaemic.  On examination the ulcer exposed the bone and the great toe and the first and second toes are deformed. Her husband was under my treatment receiving Cuprum -met for his disposition. She is accompanied by her daughter of 40 who also adds to the narration. Showing her ulcer after removing her socks, the patient says…

“I had to walk in the sun and long distance to the temple so I have got this. The road had stones too.”

Daughter: This is there since I am born. I am 40 now. She was suffering from leprosy. She was in the hospital for 2 or 3 years and treated for it. Her toes are deformed and this ulceration is developed after she walked for pilgrimage some months ago.

She hurt and she could not do anything over there. Doctor says she  developed gangrene and toes should be cut. They say her capillaries are dead and there is no blood supply and so she has this ulcer. The only treatment is amputation.

Patient: “I love walking. I walk a lot. I go walking to temples. I walk 2 to 3 hours at a stretch. I feel happy walking, I love to walk without chappals. But it troubles me. I have knee pains, back pains.

Q: Tell me her nature?

Daughter: She married at the age of 16. There is a 17 years difference between my father and her. He is very dominating and controlling. He is good to us but he always treated her badly.  He is short tempered and obstinate.

He never considered her feelings and her opinion never counted. Even at this age. He is almost 91 but she is still treated in the same way. So she never comes in his way. There is a caretaker for him and we have exempted her from caring for him or else he is very rude and demeaning to her.

She stays with me and my father stays with my 2nd sister. This is how we try to keep her away from being hurt by him on a daily basis. She was treated badly emotionally as well as physically. But he has been a good father to us three sisters.

She is short tempered but she has to keep it to herself. She never expresses anything. If at all she only murmurs. We have hardly seen her express, speak or discuss. She got leprosy when she was 23 and after 9 years she delivered me.

She had no sensation at all.  I remember she was bit by a rat and she did not feel it. She was bleeding and I noticed her footsteps. She always wears socks and soft floaters to protect her feet. But she says she feels pain but no sensation to touch.

Patient: they said it is treated completely. It will not infect anybody else. I was around 5 years in and out of the hospital.

Daughter: She is quiet and reclusive. She would keep doing her work. She is not expressive. She does loose temper if she is displeased with something. She can go on and on. She nags. But otherwise, most of the time she is not bothered. When 2nd sister was born on the 13th day she was admitted to hospital for 2 years for leprosy.

Patient: I did not feed my daughter as I was always in hospital. She was brought up on bottle milk. I had to work at home, wash, clean, and work in water I was ill-treated by him and his sister. No help at home and one daughter to look after, so I got sick.

Daughter: She has a lot of tolerance. My father used to beat her and treat her badly.  Still he shouts at her and treats her badly but with words. She is very religious, loves to go to temples. She gets angry at small things and it is rare. She would just push us away in anger.  My father never allowed us and her to have a relationship with her side of family. We have never met them.

( Daughter sent out. Talking alone to patient)

Q: You had leprosy. How did this happen.

I had a daughter and I got pregnant again in 1.5 years. Before they could take me to the hospital I delivered. But that child died. My house was small. His sister made me slog and ill-treated me. I had to do a lot of work. No rest too.

First daughter was born at moms place so I got rest. She was very nice. I was attached to her.  I conceived again in 6 months and again I did not have rest. After 2nd daughter I had leprosy. 9 years after my 2nd daughter I had my 3rd daughter.

Q: Why did this deep ulcer happen?

Chappals. I never wore chappals so I got this. I would walk on stones and all this caused it. Now I wear soft chappals. I love walking. I walk a lot.

Q: You stay with daughter…

Yes, I stay with third daughter and husband stays with the second. It is better that way.  My first daughter is in Dubai. Physically I have burning and only pain while walking.

Q: Dream?

I dream of water. I am going in boat somewhere. My mother died and I dreamt of it.

Q: You like anything in food?

I eat everything. I love kheer ( milk+ rice + sugar dish)

PRESCRIPTION: Secale- cor 30 C daily one dose for 1 month and Placebo for 2 months. Secale- cor 200C daily one dose for 1 month and placebo for 3 months. Later Secale cor 1000C daily one dose for 1 month and placebo for 3 months.

Why Secale Cor?
Secale-cor was decided on the following criteria

  1. I could not come to the Simillimum
  2. Burning
  3. Gangrene, senile

Her pain in the wound stopped in the first month itself. She was happy with whatever my prescription had to offer at that time.  Gradually over time the wound started to heal. It looked like in the photo by December 2009. But she could not walk bare feet.  The sole was very sensitive and with callosities.

In April 2010 I started the Tatu (Tolypeutes tricinctus[1]) proving. The 1st prover was working for an NGO working for leprosy patients. He was as a volunteer working with allopathy doctors in the prevention and treatment of leprosy.

She had her follow up with me in the same time. I went through her case again and could see the similarity between the proving and her case. The dead nail of her great toe had fallen off and left a sensitive nail bed. The callosities were unchanged.  She still had to wear socks and soft shoes and the soles were sensitive and it pains her while walking.  It looked like photo of 2010.

PRESCRIPTION: Tatu Bola ( Tolypeutes tricinctus) in 1CK C daily for 1st month with placebo for 2nd and 3rd months was dispensed to her after the proving. Repeat Tatu in 30 CK daily for 4th  month with placebo for 5th and 6th  month.

This cycle was repeated for 1 year. The lesions started to heal rapidly.  The last photo is of 2013 when she could walk in bare feet, that which she loved doing the most.  The 2016 photos are sent by her daughter on WhatsApp on my request.

Why Tatu bola (Tolypeutes tricinctus)?

  1. The 1st prover talked at length about his work with leprosy patients ( § 138 ‘accidents’) – our patient had leprosy and Armadillo has leprosy.
  2. Theme of mother during the proving
  3. Theme of water during the proving
  4. Walking, desire for
  5. Theme of chappals (footwear)- prover- will not walk without footwear, patient- has to wear soft footwear, loves to walk bare feet.

Medicine available: Ainsworth pharmacy UK  

ABOUT PROVING

Conductor: Dr Chetna N Shukla
Year of Proving: 2010
Substance: Armadillo-3 banded armor/ hide
Potency for proving:  1CK
Number of Provers:  7 ( All homoeopaths)
Method: Single Blind, Following Organon of  Medicine 6th edition directions on proving  in the aphorisms
Placebo: Not given

THEMES OF THE TATU BOLA PROVING

CO-INCIDENCES – § 138
Prover 1 works as Leprologist for an NGO that works exclusively for Leprosy patients.  Prover 1- loves fast cars- prosche, Jaguars [2]Prover 4- Pain lower angle of left lung- as if effusion- Tuberculosis[3]  Prover 6- crocodiles, lizards, dinosaurs mentioned and discussion of dreams of rescuing sister from crocodiles  Prover 2- a light spin as if a ball[4]

OUTCAST
Feel like an outcast ( in the provers situation because she is a Muslim- most terrorists acts are done in name of Islam )  (P6) Repulsive (P2) Rejected as a doctor because of religious bias prevailing due to terrorism (P6)

MONEY 
Anxiety money/ finances, pay fathers loan (P1) Anxiety family, survive will how (P3) Generous, money with (P4) Anxiety money is not there during the proving- never thought from where money will come (P4)

MOTHER
I was upset about the dress that the tailor didn’t stitch properly for my mother (P2) In sleep, was muttering ‘Maa’, ‘Maa’- mother, which comforted me ( P3)  Dream of going to native  place to meet mother, family (P3)

FAMILY
Dreams family of (P1) Dream family members (P2) Family issues (P6) Dreams family picnic (P6) Dream of going to native place to meet mother, family (P3)

 IMBALANCE
Some kind of sensation in the entire body- phase between the releasing of tension and the feeling of the body what you feel- a tremble, a wavering an instability, an imbalance, a light spin as if a ball (P2) Travel sickness- I felt loss of control, lack of balance. Felt losing control on myself (P5)

SWEAT
Offensive sweat soles (P1) Urine like smelling sweat in general (P1) Sweat is profuse and drenching and repulsive, people will not come close to me (P2)

BOWELS
Gastro- intestinal clock changed (P1) Bowels movement disturbed (P2)

PARALLEL
Sensation- feel like a ball that is being spinned (P2), Desire Fruits (P2) Pain interscapular region (P3) Pain scapula (P4)

SKIN
Hands, fingers rough (P2), Skin left clavicle, behind knees and thighs – hardened with numbness (P5)

REPERTORY OF TATU BOLA –MIND and DREAMS

Our individualizing examinations over the last decade has become very mind-centric. Therefore, I have given the rubrics of the mind- emotions, delusions and dreams.

Co-incidence: Prover (1) works for a leprosy NGO
Mind; anger ( P2,6,7)
Mind; anger crying with (P2)
Mind; anger; cool down easily © (P2)
Mind; anger; things when not done the way instructed (P2)
Mind; anger; uncontrolled © (P6)
Mind; anger; insensitivity other of to (P7)
Mind; animals; crocodiles dislike (P6)
Mind; animals; lizards dislike (P6
Mind; animals; crocodiles fear of; cannot survive its jaws (P6
Mind; animals; crocodiles; skin thick ; hurt cannot it (P6)
Mind; animals crocodiles hatred for(P6)
Mind; animals; crocodile worst than dinosaurs (P6)
Mind; animals; rats dislike (P6)
Mind; argument authority with (P7)
Mind; aspirations; rich become (P7)
Mind; aspirations; physician good become (P7)
Mind; aspirations; needy help (P7)
Mind; aspirations; family happiness give (P7)
Mind; anxious (P1, P3)
Mind; anxiety (stress), financial (P1)
Mind; anxiety, finance, loans pay father’s (P1)
Mind; anxiety family for (P3)
Mind; anxiety, free © (P1)
Mind; anxiety, financial © (P1)
Mind; anxiety; future about (P3)
Mind; business success in (P4)
Mind; busy; time all the (P2)
Mind; busy; time: eat none, to (P2)
Mind; busy; multi tasking, switch mind off and on by (P2)
Mind: busy; prioritize what to and how, state of (P2)
Mind; career questions (P6)
Mind; clarity (P6)
Mind; concentrate cannot; sleepy feels when try to (P4)
Mind; confidence; profession in (P4)
Mind; conscience work in (P4)
Mind; cozy feel want to (P4)
Mind; cry desire to, release grief to (P5)
Mind; delirium; sings; religious songs; fever during; fear with (P3)
Mind; delirium; moaning, fever during; mother asking for (P3)
Mind; delirium; muttering, ‘MAA’ (mother), comforts him, which, fever during (P3)
Mind; Delusion; back- stabbed as if (P7)
Mind; Delusion; caste differences affects (P7)
Mind; Delusion; ball, spinned as if like a being (P2)
Mind; Delusion; body; light as if (P2)
Mind; Delusion; body, parts, pain throat in, acidity because of (P2)
Mind; Delusion; body; sensation; tension, releasing of and the body the feeling of, phase between feel, as if (P2)
Mind; Delusion; body; sensation; tremble (P2)
Mind; Delusion; body; sensation; instability (P2)
Mind; Delusion; body; sensation; wavering (P2)
Mind; Delusion; body; tremble, movement, which is not rapid, nor visible (P2)
Mind; Delusion; disease, tuberculosis- effusion as if (P4)
Mind; Delusion; discipline powerful makes him (P4)
Mind; Delusion, fat feel (P6)
Mind; Delusion; rush in a, emotionally, registers nothing (P2)
Mind; Delusion; stomach; body clock altered as if (P2)
Mind; Delusion; ‘This is the last day of your life’ as if (P4)
Mind; Delusion; outcast she is, Muslim as she is (P7)
Mind; disciplined life conducting in (P4)
Mind; disease; hide desire to; disease his (P1)
Mind: disease; leprosy; disease poor of ( P1)
Mind: disease; leprosy; disease prosperity not of ( P1)
Mind; disease; social stigma, leprosy is (P1)
Mind; dissatisfied life with; achieved nothing (P3)
Mind; dullness (P4)
Mind; embarrassed, vomiting public in (P5)
Mind; emotionally unstable © (P6)
Mind; family members; nephew, energy take care, how his, without disturbing him (P2)
Mind; family members; nephew; energy; violent that is; take care; how his, without disturbing him (P2)
Mind; fear poverty of, family sustain will how, die early if (P3)
Mind; fear; fever with; coma fall into, will (P3)
Mind; fear; fever during, dying of (P3)
Mind; fear; fever with; happen what would to him (P3)
Mind; grateful (P4)
Mind; giving money needy to (P4)
Mind; giving, insecurity without (P4)
Mind; giving; assured god will give (P4)
Mind; God belief in, strengthened (P4)
Mind; heaviness in, sleepy feel (P4)
Mind; inattentive to the happening inside of her (P2)
Mind; jump desire (P4)
Mind; jump desire; bungee jumping desire (P4)
Mind; life, casually taking © (P4)
Mind; life, pace fast (P2)
Mind; lonely fever during; missing mother (P3
Mind; pray discipline in (P4)
Mind; procrastination © (P4)
Mind; questions; achieved, not what he has (P3)
Mind; sadness; future about (P3)
Mind; sadness; successful not he is (P3)
Mind; serious (P4)
Mind; serious; praying 5 times (P4)
Mind; terrorist meet a, desire to (P7)
Mind; terrorist; transform wish to (P7)
Mind; time, busy all the (P2)
Mind; time, fast passing, spinning as if (P2)
Mind; time, limited has (P4)
Mind; time; right things to doself for, find (P4)
Mind; time, urgency sense of (P4)
Mind; time; urgency, things do today (P4)
Mind; travel desire to (P7)
Mind; will, working against (P4)

DREAMS
Dream; animals; crocodiles (P6)
Dream; animals; crocodiles; chappal sister of, mouth held in (P6)
Dream; animals; crocodiles; rescuing sister from (P6)
Dream; animals, snake, cobra (P7)
Dream; animals, snake; cobra; caressing a (P7)
Dreams; episodes in (P2)
Dreams; episodes in; week during the (P2)
Dream: family of (P1, P2, P3, P6)
Dream: family members; nephew of (P2)
Dream; family member; nephew, scolded father by, listening not for (P2)
Dream; family member; nephew, scolded father by, listening not for, starts kicking (P2)
Dream; family member; nephew, scolded father by, listening not for, teach we had to ‘that this is not allowed’ (P2)
Dream; family member; nephew, hit himself and it hurt his eye (P2)
Dream; family member; nephew; eye, injured, opacity (P2)
Dream: family member; nephew, eye injury hit himself, violence due to (P2)
Dream; floods, stuck in, die all will (P6)
Dream; issues, friends and family with (P6)
Dreams: many (P1)
Dream; marriage (P7)
Dream: native place, going to; family/mother meeting  (P3)
Dream; patient dying (P4)
Dream; patient dying; comes to life, biodisc using after (P4)
Dream; picnic, family with (P6)
Dream; positive (P6)
Dream: recollect cannot (P1)
Dream; sister; chappal will not walk without (P6)
Dream; talking consider friend with a (P6) (reality not talking to that friend)
Dream; terrorist attack (P7)
Dream; terrorist attack; college in; fear, gunned down being  (P7)
Dream; water; floods (P6)
Dream; water park (P6)
Dream; water (P6)
Dream; worry; assurance found (P6)
Dreams: unremembered (P4)

[1] Armadillos are the only natural host of leprosy, aside from humans.
[2] Jagaurs are natural predators for the armadillo
[3] Tuberculosis and Leprosy mycobacteria are related to each other.
[4] The three-banded armadillo ( Tolypeutes) has another trick up its armor, however. It is the only type of armadillo that can roll itself into a ball when endangered. Folding its body in half, the three-banded armadillo tucks its head and legs into its shell. It then curls its tail beside the head and pulls in tight. Since the top of the head and the tail are armored as well, the end result leaves virtually no exposed flesh for a predator to hurt.

About the author

Dr Chetna N shukla

Chetna N Shukla is a homeopath with over 30 years of experience. Evidence based homeopathy has been her path. ‘Provings’ as a tool to recognize and experience the quintessence and also the individualizing qualities of the source has been her forte. She has conducted 30 provings, Lac assinum, Pavo Cristatus (Peacock), Python, Oxygen, Cedrus odorata, Corvus Splendens (Indian Crow), Rose, Snow-flakes, Sea-horse, Python, Indian gray Mongoose, Mangifera Indica, Ayahuasca, Armadillo hide, Sacrs-Cov 2 Nososde (SCN) are but some of them. Most of her provings are included in the RadarOpus. She has been collating Global provings- Himalayan Salt, Natural Silver, and Terra Indiana, already published in Homeolinks and Hpathy.com. She has been working on the book on her concept of ‘Curability Quotient’ in homeopathy. She has published her book on Food Similia: Individualized Diet that is about advising an individualized diet to a patient in alignment with their disposition to ensure rapid restoration to health along with the Simillimum.

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