Calcutta Homoeopathic physicians celebrated Hahnemanns Birth-day anniversary on April 10, 1948, at the lecture court of All India Exhibition, Eden gardens, Calcutta. Sri Tushar Kanti Ghose, editor, Amrita Bazar Patrika presided over the meeting, and Lady Pratima Mitter was the Guest of Honour. The spacious court was filled to capacity. Sri K.N. Majumdar, Registrar, State Faculty of Homoeopathic Medicine, Bengal, declared that arrangements are now in progress for the election of the new constitution of the General Council of the State Faculty of Homoeopathic Medicine, but owing to pre-occupations of the Ministry no definite date could yet be fixed.
Dr. N.M. Choudhuri, President of the Anniversary Committee, thanked Sri Tushar Kanti Ghose and Lady Pratima Mitter for their august presence and requested the eminent editor to promote the cause of Homoeopathy through his foremost and powerful journal. Light refreshments were served by the Homoeopathic Publicity Centre at the end of the function.
The U.P.I. learns that the West Bengal Government have decided to open hospitals and dispensaries every two or three miles throughout the province, with a view to rendering medical help and advice to all and sundry, the poor people in the province being in an alarming condition for want of proper medical treatment and advice.
This scheme of medical relief to all and sundry inhabiting the urban and rural area of even this newly abridged West Bengal is indeed a stupendous task. To establish an allopathic dispensary or hospital every two or three miles in a deficit province is very much like a day dream.
It may come within an orbit of possibility if an unprejudiced and sincerely well- wishing ministry explores the cheapest and at the same time efficacious system of medicines that has already become known and popular, and adopts same in implementing their scheme; And that is HOMOEOPATHY. Else, the scheme is destined to stay amongst utopian politics. After 50 years Plague has appeared in Calcutta, spreading over a wide area. Regarding dissemination of the disease our Physician-Premier Dr. B.C.Roy observes: The bacillus was carried by fleas found on the body of a rat, the animal to be first infected by it.
Fleas suck the blood of a rat and then bite an individual, thus injecting bacilli into the human body. In addition to this, in very rare cases the excreta of fleas or rats might contain a large number of bacilli and if any one lived in dirty surroundings there was every chance of the bacilli entering into human host through any abrasion of the skin. Bacilli might also spread from one person to another through breath. Usually plague affected the glandular system and the progress in the human body was slow. In case of infection through inhalation the progress was more rapid but this type was comparatively uncommon.
During the first visitation of plague 50 years ago wearing of Ignatia beans on arms was found to be useful as a prophylactic. Why not give it a chance in this epidemic.
Homoeopathic physicians will do well to study the materia medica of the following drugs which cover a good deal of the symptoms of plague of the bubonic type: Arsenic alb., Bapt.; Bell.; Carbo an.; Carbo veg.; Crotalus.; Ign.; Iod.; Lach.; Naja; Operculina Turpethum.; Phos.; Pyrogen.; Rhus t.; Tarentula c.; Make particular study of the Ophidia group.
The respiratory type of plague usually requires Ant.t.; Bell.; Bry.; Carbo veg.; Lyc.; Phos.; Rhus t.; Iod.; Ipec.; Sanguin.; Sulph. Hepar Sulph will often be found a very useful intercurrent and also an effective close-up.
Calcutta
Chief Editor, Homeopathic Herald