Translated by Katja Schütt and Alan Schmukler
6:45 p.m.
Oh, doctor, don’t tell me about homeopathy, I don’t believe in such things! Once my daughter had a sore throat and went to the pharmacy and said: “Please let me try a homeopathic remedy, I don’t want to go to the physician and ask for a recipe”. The pharmacist gave her three medicines: spray for the throat, a tube with marbles and some tablets. It cost about 50 Euros… and, Doctor, do you know? If I had not brought her to the physician two days later and if he had not prescribed antibiotics she would still have her sore throat!”
This was the reaction of my client when I proposed homeopathic treatment for her cat which had an infection of the upper respiratory tract. According to the owner, the disease appeared suddenly and produced a symptom picture which can be seen frequently in cats: sneezing with profuse and tenacious discharge, with crusts in the nose, conjunctivitis, anorexia, a certain degree dehydration, and noisy respiration.
Obviously, this symptom picture alarmed the owner who brought the cat for an urgent consultation.
– Can I see the health certificate of the cat?
– Doctor, I don’t have one because it is the first time that we consulted a veterinarian. She has not been ill during the last two years and has always been well.
That this cat was not vaccinated, reinforced my certainty that she was suffering from a viral respiratory disease typical for cats, like Herpes or Calicivirus. I examined the patient in detail in order to see whether there was anything unusual, and, disregarding the paws which had incrustations like gray colored dry mud (to which I didn’t pay much attention, as this is quite usual for cats wandering hereabout) I confirmed my diagnosis.
– I said to the owner that the cat suffered from rhinotracheitis, a contagious disease which can be transmitted by cats.
– I asked her: Do you know your cat well ?
– Of course, doctor!
– Well, then tell me something about her, about her habits, behavior etc.
– Oh! I don’t know anything about these things, doctor! I’m out of the office all day, and she too. My daughter and I see her when she comes eating and not every day either, but she was always well!
This is what it means to know her own cat well! Considering the observed symptoms and it being a self-limited disease, it was just necessary to guarantee that there were no complications during the course of the disease, which would represent a true misfortune. I already had satisfactory results with Kalium bichromicum (that’s not a novelty for us homeopathic veterinarians) which had diminished the time of recovery and gave protection from relapses and chronifications.
This is a disease which has an epidemic character in cats, and according to the nosological indications given by Hahnemann, the application of the remedy which covers the acute symptoms is coherent and indicated in a situation where we don’t have any further information about the patient.
At this point of my reflections I made the proposal to smooth the resolute reaction my client showed at the beginning of this day.
Be that as it may, let’s leave homeopathy. It would be useful if the cat could stay here for some days for the therapy: to clean the crusts from the nose, hydration, to apply ophthalmic ointment and give antibiotics.
– Is this really necessary, doctor ?
– The other alternative I can suggest to you is to use eye ointment semi-daily, and antibiotic tablets semi-daily.
– No, no, I understand. I could never do these things, its better I leave her here.
– 
Well! Could you give me the data to fill out the hospital record. What’s the name of the cat ?
– Well, to say the truth, she has never had a name. We should call her the famous name “Puss in boots” as in the story.
– Ah yes ? And why ?
– It happened when we saw her coming home the last time, after the last adventure, with the boots on her feet.
– Yes, with boots ! Obviously she was at a place which was cemented freshly and where she walked through. That’s why she came home with the boots of cement. The paws were painted until somewhat above the feet and from a distance it looked as if she were wearing boots.
– The incrustations which I had noticed on her paws, they were not mud but dry cement !
– Exactly. We tried to clean the paws as good as possible and she licked them to clean them, but there is still something to see.
I could not forget this word, CEMENT, which resounded in my head and wanted to tell me something, but I did not recognize what at this moment. I completed the record and hospitalized the cat.
– Well, if there is any news, we will call you. I think that she will be here for about 5 to 7 days, but please tell me one thing further. How many days have passed since this happened with boots ?
– It was 4 days ago that she came at home with boots.
– And since when did you say does she has the cold ?
– I noticed it this morning, but now it appears to me much more severe.
I still let her wait a moment because I wanted to make a rapid search in the computer in the “Encyclopedia Homeopathica” to clarify my tormenting thought. I entered the key word “cement” and rapidly found what I was searching for, the “Homeopathic Remedy” written by Didier Grandgeorge: “We live in a world of concrete. Kali bichromicum is an important ingredient in cement, which explains why this remedy is prescribed so frequently these days. In addition, a person who is sensitive to this substance and does a little masonry will quickly discover some of the symptoms of Kali bichromicum: a head cold with thick, viscous mucus, headaches located in the forehead (the beginning of sinusitis), stomachaches that can develop into ulcers, and above all, intense fatigue. Locally, there can be an eruption of eczema from exposure to cement on the hands (Kali bichromicum has a dramatic effect under these circumstances).”
I had already been convinced to prescribe this remedy if I could get permission of the owner, and now I had a further reason to do so. Moreover, this offered me for the first time the possibility of verifying in practice the usefullness of Grandgeorge’s reference. I couldn’t miss out on this difficult to repeat occasion.
– Now I’m almost sure that I can cure your cat in much less time, but I have to do it my way.
– With homeopathy, right?
– Yes.
– Well. You are always right! But, in principle, I’m interested that the cat will be cured and I’m sure you are too. Ok, if it is better this way!
7:15 p.m.
I administered the first dose of Kali bichromicum XMK to the cat, some globules dissolved in water, put in the mouth with a syringe, with the intention to re dose some hours later and the next morning. Subsequently I cleaned the nose and eyes with a cleaning solution and injected serum subcutaneously.
Four hours later I found the cat sleeping in the small box which we always leavet inside the hospital cage. She seemed to be calm and sleeping well. Her respiration seemed to be ameliorated, even if there was still a whistling at times. I repeated the dynamized remedy and decided that the working day was finished.
7:30 a.m.
On the following morning the cat was awaiting me intolerantly and screamed forcefully. She ate with great appetite and showed all signs of a rapid recovery. Her eyes were almost cured. There was only some discharge from the nose, and the skin had regained its elasticity. I did not administer any further doses, and in the evening she was practically cured and distinctly tired of being caged up.
6:30 p.m.
I phoned the lady:
– You can already come to pick up your cat.
– But doctor, only one day has passed!
– Come and judge for yourself.
She came before 8 p.m.
– Doctor, I don’t think that it was the disease which you said…. If homeopathy functions this way all physicians should use it, don’t you think ?
Appendices: Repertorization
NOSE; CATARRH; posterior nares (83)
NOSE; DISCHARGE; crusts, scabs, inside; detach, hard to, and leave raw and sore (10)
LARYNX & TRACHEA; CATARRH; Trachea (51)
NOSE; SNEEZING; frequent (108)
EYE; INFLAMMATION; conjunctivae; croupous (7)
RESPIRATION; SNORING (82)
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This article was originally published in “Il Medico Omeopata” (FIAMO, Italy) and the homeopathic newspaper “Revista Homeopatica” (AMHB, Spain)
The article was translated by Katja Schütt and Alan Schmukler.
