Homoeopathic practitioners especially the unpractised beginners, often meet failures in treating causes due to faulty choice of the remedy pari passu inattention to the other inviolable laws of Homoeopathy. I do not claim that I have reached beyond such default, but with a personable pride I say that my daily study and revision of Hahnemanns code of the true healing art, always help to keep me alert of the dangers of Homoeopathic prescribing. I ask my readers to adopt the same course of study, and warm them not to hazard treatment on the basis of the name of a disease, for such a course is the very acme of irrational and unconscionable routine.
I
Last winter, a girl, about 10 years old, was brought to me for treatment of multiple verucca. The warts were chiefly located over the face. Before coming to me she had been prescribed Thuja in different potencies, as also its mother tincture, but there was not improvement. They were rather gradually increasing in number. As it was a case of Hindu girl in particular, her father was greatly perturbed over her disposal in marriage with that luxuriant crop of warts.
I prescribed Causticum 2c. and 1m. and then Sepia 2c in course of a course of months but the adamant warts did not respond at all; on the contrary new crops were appearing over the arms and body. One blessed morning as the girl was standing before me and I was intently observing the warts, it suddenly struck me that they were exclusively on the right side of her body, with absolutely nothing on the left side. That is what Hahnemann means by the term peculiar, and this peculiarity gave me the clue to the choice of the remedy. I gave her a dose of Lycopodium 2c. and advised her to report after a week. But lo and behold! it was only after 3 days her father brought her to show what there was no trace of any wart or growth, the skin was found perfectly smooth and untarnished. Overwhelmed with gratitude the girls father showered his blessings on me. On my part, amazed at the result I took a vow to study ORGANON more and more.
II
Here is a case demonstrating almost fatal issue of the external application of medicine suppressing eruptions (vicarious local affections) of an internal chronic miasm. In this connection the reader will derive immense benefit by referring to paragraph 187 to 197 of Organon.
On February 25, 1946, I was called in to see a boy about a year old, at Akhil Mistri Lane, Calcutta. The child was laid up in bed with continuous temperature for about a week. On my visit I saw the following conditions: (1) Continuous temp. ranging from 103* to 105* for the last 8 days. (2) Tympanitis, abdomen bloated like a drum, causing severe distress. (3) The child lying in a semi-conscious state. (4) Tongue dry, coated white in the middle, with the tip red. (5) Thirst, when offered drinks water greedily. (6) Bowel, moves with the help of suppository, stool semi-solid, but inspite of this tympanitis not lessened. (7) Occasionally throws off the covering, seems to feel better when fanned.
A local allopath had been treating the patient for Typhoid fever with alkaline mixture and Phages. but as his condition did not look improving the father of the boy decided on changing the mode of treatment, and left the case in my care. I started with a dose of Sulphur 2c., and left plenty of Sac lac to be taken every 3 hours.
On 26. 2. 46: No definite improvement was noticed, excepting that the temperature did not go beyond 104*F. and tympanitis a bit less for which the patent looked a bit comfortable. But a new symptom was observed, and that is rolling the head and putting hands over the head, indicating some meningeal irritation. I preferred not to change the medicine and advised to continue my powders (Sac lac).
27.2.46 : At about 9 A.M. they rang the me up and informed over the phone that the child was very restless last night, a sore of wild delirium having developed. As I had another urgent case in hand, I could not call on this case before evening.
When I went there in the evening, the sight of the patient alarmed me; child was extremely restless and wild, constantly trying to bite anything and everything at hand, head rolled from side of side, all the facial muscles were twitching constantly and the child was frequently opening and shutting its mouth; automatic motion of the hands and feet. Neck stiff and rigid and he could not be laid on back, constantly trying to rise from bed. Temp. 104.8; Tympanitis much less; Urine free; Bowels moved once, normal. No sleep for the last 24 hours. Evidently the case was pointing towards Meningitis.-Prescription, Stramonium (6) 4 globules No. 20 in a cup of distilled water, one teaspoonful every three hours.
28.2.46: Delirium and wildness much reduced since the second dose, but spasm and twitching of the facial muscles-especially around the eyes-increased. Neck, more rigid, sometimes the whole body was stiff land the child became bent like an arch- “Opisthotonos”.
After several tactful questions I gathered from the mother another very important information (at least for a Homoeopath), viz. the child had crops of eruption all over the scalp about a mouth before the present illness, which were cured like a magic by an allopathic doctor with some dusting powder; about a couple of day after that magical cure, fresh eruptions appeared on the childs legs and these also disappeared in no time with the application of the same dusting powder. (For an analogous case but with tragic result see p. 77 in ESSENTIALS OF HAHNEMANNS ORGANON OF MEDICINE by Dr. N.C. Bose). Now I came to a definite conclusion that it was a case of suppressed eruption developed into Meningitis.-Prescription: Cicuta Vir (30), 3 doses, one every four hours.
1.3.46: All symptoms-spasms, twitchings, stiffness, rigidity, convulsions-greatly improved. Temp. ranging between 998* and 102* F. Bowels and urine normal. No tympanitis. Child was getting occasional sleep. Two new symptoms were noticed, viz. definite Strabismus, and two or three small pimples over the sight side of the scalp, above the right ear.- Prescription : Sac lac every 4 hours.
2.3.46: Improvement continues. Temp. 101.6* F. More eruptions over the scalp, the mother said these looked exactly like what he had a month back. Prescription : Sac lac. to continue.
3.3.46: No further increase of eruptions, but the present ones looked yellowish and discharging. Scalp seemed to be painful. Temp. 103* F., but other condition same.-Prescription: Hepar Sul. (30) I dose, SAc lac every 4 hours.
4.3.46: The entire scalp the feet covered with multiple eruptions, many of which discharging puslike matter. Temp. last night again rose to 104.2* F. Stiff neck and spasms reappeared. Taking these to be due to medicinal aggravation I continued Sac lac.
5.3.46: Besides the aforesaid condition the whole body- including face-was covered with multiple Urticaria. Penis much swollen, urine only once in 24 hours. The boy wants to scratch the body. Eruptions more prominent. Now the mother tells me or her own accord that this sort of wheals was also noticed about a couple of months back, but much less in number.- Prescription : Apis (6) 3 doses, one every 4 hours.
6.3.46: Patient improving. Urticaria disappearing at one place and reappearing in another. Urine free. No swelling of penis. Eruptions, same with thick discharge. Temp. 98.6* to 100* F.- Prescription; Sac lac.
7.3.46: Improving nicely. Continue Sac lac.
8.3.46: No Urticaria. Temp. 978* to 98.6* F. Discharge from eruptions continues.-Prescription: Calc. Sulph. 2c, one dose and Sac. lac.
Now, that hydra-headed monster of a chronic miasm became lulled down in another week the poor boy made steady improvement and required no further medicine. He is quite hale and hearty today, excepting weakness.
What legions of lives are sacrificed daily at the after of conceited ignorance of the old school practitioners whose pachydermatous sense of superiority complex would not permit them even to read casually any literature of the Hahnemannian school!.
