Three Cured Cases

Like every homeopath, I have many records of cured cases from my last 24 years of practice (failures also). Most of the writers of this magazine seem to be classical homeopaths. I do not belong to this class, but am a very ordinary practitioner. Please don’t expect ‘wonder rubrics ‘and ‘inspirational thoughts’. I usually like to give the single medicine if I am sure. Many of the cases were determined on uncommon symptoms, mental symptoms, physical generals and mere particulars. In case analysis I believe in totality, but a single symptom may lead to totality in many cases.

CASE #1

Case cured by as per Aphorisms 153, 209

About twenty years ago I had an opportunity to treat a patient with paralysis. The case was diagnosed as quadriparesis (compression neuropathy). During my visit to the patient a lot of people had gathered around the house inside and outside with a note of sympathy as the patient was only 22 years of age. They were peeping from every corner and window while I was examining. After the usual questionnaire, I started examining him. A curious thing happened during palpation of his bare abdomen. To my astonishment he came to opisthotonus position with consciousness.

At that time I only knew two remedies for the symptom- ‘Convulsions with consciousness’ – Nux Vom and Strychninum (alkaloid of NV – This drug causes opisthotonus or tetanic convulsions from least touch). Anyway, I gave him Nux Vom 1M (contrary to his disposition), every night for seven days. Readers may wonder why seven doses? The answer is, at that time I was very young and not much experienced, or maybe a lack of confidence? I also gave him placebo 4 times daily. The improvement occurred at a very fast rate. Within 3 months he could sit and walk with the help of others. After 6 months his condition was much improved and he was able to walk properly during the day time, but not during darkness or night. For the above symptom ‘Gait unsteady, tottering, worse in the dark’ I gave Carbon Sulph 200 every week. The above symptom was cleared and the last symptom was ‘heaviness in the occiput’ with BP 130/100. For this condition Cocculus Ind 30 was prescribed and many doses were given for at least 6 months.

About the patient: He was very mild, yielding and moderately built and a mason by profession. According to his mother he had intense sympathy for others’ suffering. After he was totally free of complaints he asked me whether he could go to Sabarimala. I agreed as there was strong evidence for his physical caliber. He went to Sabarimala for three consecutive years and resumed his duty as mason. He married and had three children (including twins) and has been in very good in health for the last two decades.

Behind the case

It is very interesting to know what was behind the case. Two weeks before the paralysis, an injury occurred with a rusted nail and he had taken tetanus vaccine. Pain in the neck occurred after this. He didn’t care about it. After a short period, paralysis of the right arm and leg was followed by the left side. The lower limbs were partially emaciated.

My impression

His case showed many similarities with Tetanus (eg. Opisthotonus). So either the Tetanus was partly prevented by TT (Tetanus toxoid vaccine) or the state is produced by TT itself. Nux Vomica can antidote ill effects of allopathic drugs, so it antidoted the ill effects of TT. Or, Nux Vom is a perfect similimum for that peculiar symptom which represented the patient as a whole.

Uncommon peculiar, characteristic symptoms

This Dr. Hahnemann placed in 153, (209) Aphorisms, not with the related aphorism like case taking etc. Probably he wanted to show the importance if its occurrence. In the above case the mental state of the patient was like that of Pulsatilla , but the characteristic symptoms were those of Nux Vom. Even though it contradicts Aphorism 211, Nux Vomica was prescribed with success.

My conclusion

I will depend on uncommon, peculiar, characteristic symptoms when they are prominent, even if it disagrees with the disposition and mental state.

CASE # 2

Depending upon a particular symptom or disease name

A middle aged man consulted me for cataract following eye injury. He was then working in a steel complex. Some iron particles stuck into his right eye causing tearing of the capsule of the lens. Cataracts developed and I saw the right lens was just like a globule -milky coloured and opaque. The doctors advised removal of his lens, but he declined and consulted me. Surgery is the faster and easier method no doubt, and most people prefer it, so the opportunity to treat cataract is very rare for us.

I decided to give Anagallis because it has got solvent properties. Hard corns, flat hard warts usually yielded to it. Anagallis 30 thrice daily was given. He took it for 3 months, completely clearing the opacity. Now it is five or six years later and he is still normal.

In normal cases a cataract is of slow occurrence and progress. In this case the cataract formed rapidly due to injury and the cure was also rapid and permanent.

Case # 3

Pneumonia-pneumococcal – Homeopathy in Influenza, Listeria, Klebisella, or Chlamydia-Why do we bother?

The heading seems curious, but this case taught me not to go behind names but only behind signs and symptoms. Before going to the case, I would like to share some frequently used remedies for the common condition vaguely called croup.

Acute laryngeal tracheal bronchitis or croup is very common among infants. Audible stridor and rattling of mucous are common features. The group of remedies often indicated are Acon, Cham, Spong, Ipec, Ant t, Ant iod, Ant s, Aur, Lyc, Ammoniacum gummi (Dorema), Ammon caust, Ammon iod, Chlorinum, Chlorallum,Verat Vir, Phos, etc .

In Ant tart there will be sleepiness or drowsiness and the mood is also very bad. He will not bear slightest touch or even being looked at. Rattling from the chest is audible at a distance.

In Lycopocium – rattling in chest. Very headstrong during illness. Drowsiness is not prominent. Fan like motion of alae nasi.

Ammoniacum gummi – Mood not so bad as Ant tart or Lycopodium Rattling of mucus in the chest. I used to repeat it three or four times a day and fast relief is found when it is indicated.

Ammon-causticum– Same as Ammoniacum but loss of voice or hoarseness is the added feature. If hoarseness is present along with croup, infrequent doses of this seem beneficial.

Ant iod– said to be an old man’s remedy because of inability to raise mucus from chest, with rattling cough. It is also applicable in infants.

Ant s, and Aur– Same as above but < in winter

Verat vir -Rattling with continuous high fever (pneumonia)

Chlorinum, Chlorallum-(Almost identical symptoms) High fever with croup. Loss of voice, restlessness, wants to be carried constantly. Dose rarely repeated.

Returning to our case

A girl of 6 years was brought to me for continuous fever and rattling in chest. For the previous eight days the condition remained the same with no abating of fever. She was treated by a pediatrician. I insisted on them admitting her to a nearby hospital so that I could visit her frequently. At the time of my first visit, the little patient was in a drowsy state with rattling in the chest. She was picking her clothes and bed sheets constantly. Routine blood examination and X- rays were taken. The X- rays showed consolidation of the right lung. The physician in that hospital told me that they would not wait long, as it is a dangerous condition. For the present symptoms at that time I gave Helleborus 30 four doses, to be repeated half hourly and followed by Verat Vir 30 one hourly. I returned to the hospital after closure of my clinic and went straight away to my little patient’s room. I found her in a pleasant mood, playing. I thought that they had started allopathic treatment, but on enquiry I learned that after the first dose of Helleborus 30 the drowsiness and fever had gone. After three days, X-rays were taken again and there was no sign of the consolidation.

The next day the main doctor in that hospital called me. At that time there were some other doctors also present with the child’s X-ray. They asked me how I cured pneumonia without killing bacteria? I replied, “Curing occurs not only in one way, but many ways. You treat by killing, we treat without killing. In the same way we treat Typhoid without killing germs, by treating the patient”.

After the case I carefully read Helleborus in various MM, but there was no sign of pneumonia in them. Then I read Constantine Hering in detail. Under “Respiratory” there was no reference to pneumonia- like symptoms. However, towards the end of the chapter, I found “maltreated pneumonia“!