This law emphasizes that the similarity in the manifestations of the decease and drug is essential for the cure of the patient and the drug must be more powerful than the disease. Every dynamic manifests itself by the order of succession of symptoms. So similarity in manifestation means similarity in the order of succession of symptoms.
Dr. Hahnemann and his disciples accepted the interpretation of the law of similars as the similarity in the totality of the symptoms and afterwards similarity in more striking, singular, uncommon and peculiar signs and symptoms. ( 147 and 151 Organon.).
While reading the provings of drugs, I found the pictures of artificial disease. Dr. Hahnemanns remark in his proving on cinchona bark: “In short, all the symptoms which I had seen in ague appeared one, after another,” gave me the impression that the real interpretation of the similars may be the similarity in the order of succession of symptoms.
To examine the validity of my interpretation of the law of similars in many cases which I failed to cure, I have begun to record the cases again by taking the order of succession of symptoms and have applied a drug which had shown a similar order of succession of symptoms in the proving. Some of these cases have been cured by applying medicine n this interpretation. I have been administering medicine on this method since 1939, the previous method having failed. A case is quoted for illustration:
M.L.D., aged 63 years, was first seen on 5 May 1951. About 3 months ago he had been treated for asthma with injections. The asthma was cured but a skin disease developed all over the body and there was much itching. He was again treated according to orthodox methods with medicine and injections. The skin eruption was cured but he was attacked with dilation of heart, much difficulty in breathing was and suppression of urine. His condition appeared hopeless. However, he was saved by orthodox treatment. Again, when he had improved much, he was attacked with fever.
The fever generally begins from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. and rises to 103F. Generally, the fever continues for 3 to 4 hours and sometimes for 8 to 9 hours. Her feels hungry and thirsty before and during the fever. During the rise of fever he keeps clothes over his body. During fever he talks too much, abuses his family and becomes very ill-tempered. When the temperature rises to 102F-103F. he keeps quiet and does not like to move. During the falling temperatures. he passes urine frequently. He is constipated and passes stools very 2 to 3 day. The stools is hard and offensive. Orthodox treatment was continued for a month without improvement.
I was called on 5 May 1951, recorded the case and administered a dose of Nux vomica 30. to antidote the action of the previous treatment. For 15 days, Arsenicum 30., 200.; Natrum muriaticum 30., 200.; Phosphorus 30.; Sulphur 200.; Psorinum 200. were given by me but with no improvement. Then I consulted a senior prominent homoeopath. He treated the case with Lachesis 200. and Tuberculinum bovinum 200, for a week but with no improvement. So the family of the patient became very anxious and I was in much difficulty.
Then I wished to try my interpretation of the law and so recorded the case again according to the order of succession of symptoms. The patient and his family said. “He feels very hungry and thirsty at 7 to 8 A.M. and takes his food at 8:30 A.M. About fifteen minutes after taking the meal, he feels warm all over his body and he cover his body with clothes and gradually the temperature rises from 97F. and during this time he becomes restless and tosses in the bed and talks much when he temperature becomes very high.
Generally, after 3 to 4 hours, temperature rise to 102F and then the he remains quiet and does not like to move or to do any physical movement. High temperature remains about 2 hours and then it begins to fall. During this time he passes urine frequently in small quantities. In the evening his temperature becomes normal and he has a sound sleep during the night. He has thirst and hunger during the whole period of fever.
The development of the fever shows that the nutritive function (thirst and hunger); the skin sensory function (chill and feeling warm); the circulating function (fever); the motor function (tossing in the bed and restlessness); the mental function (hot temper and talkativeness) and the excretory function (frequent urination) were deranged one after another in a definite order.
From the proving and poisoning of Baptisia, we observe that Baptisia deranges the nutritive function, the skin and sensory function; the circulatory function; the motor function; the mental function and the excretory function one after another in a definite order.
In this case the order of succession of symptoms of the fever is similar to the order of succession of symptoms of Baptisia.
May 24, 1951-Baptisia 30., 1 dose; Phytum, 3 doses to be taken every 4 hours.
May 25, 1951-Talkativeness and urination are less and other symptoms same as before. Phytum, 4 doses to be taken every 4 hours.
May 27, 1951-Temperature is normal and no urination during the falling of temperature. Temperature dose not rise more than 101F. Phytum, 4 doses to be taken every 4 hours.
May 28, 1951- Temperature rises to 100F. Hunger and thirst are less, other conditions better. Phytum, 4 doses to be taken every 4 hours.
May 29, 1951-No rise of temperature; other conditions are normal. Phytum, 4 doses to be taken every 4 hours.
May 30, 1951-Patient is quite well, no medicine.
The patient has been keeping good health up to this time except for a few attacks of asthma.
For the last fourteen years I have been treating my patients by this method and have cured many. Now I wish to reach homoeopaths all over the world through your well-circulated and highly esteemed paper. My request my fellow homoeopaths is think over the matter and to give their considered opinion about it.
I have many other cases to report, both of my successes and of my failures. These may provoke the serious thoughts of wellwishers of Homoeopathy, if my present venture receives encouragement.
I hope to write more on this subject. Recently, it came to my knowledge that Dr. A. W. Woodward, M.D., in his Constitutional Therapeutics has also worked along this line. But it could not draw due attention from the homoeopathic world. In my mind it is high time to pay attention to this subject for the progress of Homoeopathy.
3 Sambhu Chatterjee St.
Calcutta 12, India.
