HOMEOPATHIC COMPUNCTION

Of all the therapeutics of the world, the followers of homeopathic therapeutic have to fight with qualms of conscience, compunction and scruples in dealing with serious cases, and, sometimes with even ordinary cases. Nuances can overrule even the well-founded prescription. A case, for example, of high fever, with loss of consciousness, but with fidgety limbs: if the fidgets are jerky, the remedy is different from the remedy if the movements are gyratory. [What a therapeutic!] A homeopath is never free from compunction. How can he be?  He is always on the tenterhooks of indecision and suspicion.

Even an ordinary case of an unruly and obstinate child with all the Chamomilla symptoms is not sometimes impressed by it. Cina settles the case, even though that child never wants to be carried and never bores fingers into his nose. In a case of Phosphorus personality, the remedy works, even though the patient is enamored of sweets and is never avers to tea drinking. And sometimes with full array of Phosphorus modalities, the patient does not react to its employment. Similarly sometimes ladies with quite normal sexual life or response, without having a sensation of bearing-down, even at the menstrual nexus, quite wonderfully respond to Sepia: the vaginal discharges ceasing, and showing better health, and gaining a shapely physique, in the course of few months.

It would be every homeopath’s daily experience that many times remedies that are inimical to each other, come closer to each other, in a well repertorized case, making a selection most difficult. When minor shades of differences make a hell of difference, who can save the poor homeopath from compunction and the pricks of conscience? A homeopath can never be cock-sure of his prescription as his Allopathic brother shows to be. A seasoned Allopath never meets such a situation that is apportioned to a homeopath by the destiny. Such trepidations never come in his way. His is the sole therapeutic of palliation, ‘antipathic’ drugging with ever newly-invented antibiotics and supplements, and resort to corticosteroids and surgical measures.

Since their aims are clear, their methods are clearer and definite as well. They have no need to feel pangs of conscience and doubt in their methodology. In this way they get the result that they had expected. This expected success stands out as simple charm to everyone. A case, for example, of advanced Obstructive Jaundice with very high serum creatinine and urea (i.e. Renal failure supervening), is treated with insertion of a stent, to bypass the stone in the bile duct, and proper medication for renal function. The patient is on his feet within six to seven days, and discharged as successfully ‘cured’. What a miracle, eh!  People all around are charmed by this success. The patient was supposed to be on the death-bed; was in fact sent to Lahore with this sad prognosis.

Now I’m going to indulge in some serious dissertation, because this case has put me in a pensive mood. I put a question to myself: “If this case had come to you, what you would have done?”  Nothing, according to the classical homeopathy, because this case had serious paucity of symptoms. As Kent has said, paucity of symptoms occurs where pathology has advanced beyond cure. This case had no symptoms except what were visible to the prying eyes, and through the clinical tests. Pale complexion, very yellow sclera, and nothing else visibly. Not even moaning and restlessness. But on the lines of Burnett I would have tackled the case, and brought him roundly to the stage where Allopathy has brought him, but after much long time, and with great efforts. I would have started first with the kidneys and tried to restore their functions with organ affinity drugs. And by choice would have selected those medicines that would have organ affinity to both kidneys and liver. The patient is already beyond 60’s. If he could live 5 to 10 years more, that would be the success of treatment.

Some other homeopath might have treated this case with multiple medicines, prescribed in combination. This is happening around me. Even online prescribing is essentially of this type. Today a patient of mine came from Islamabad: a wife of an army man. She brought a prescription to show me. Her husband consulted a homeopath online in Calcutta. She was given three medicines in combination: 5 drops each, thrice a day. Those were Ammonium Carb.200, Conium.6. Arnica30. Another medicine i.e. Sabina 6x. in drop doses, 3-4 hrs. repetition, if excessive menses occurred. Now this is the sort of prescribing that we meet usually these days.

Their efficacy?..Oh! That is a crucial question. My answer is: ‘wonderful palliation’. The throng of the patients betray their success. But it depends who has selected or made this combination. There was a colleague of mine, who was also my teacher in Forman Christian College, Lahore. He taught me Chemistry. And I always respected him as my teacher. But he would prefer to be a friend with us. Me, he would take later on as his mentor, as far as homeopathy was concerned. He was adept at this sort of prescribing. His popularity showed his success. He left us for his heavenly abode, giving us lot of unmitigated grief. He died at the pinnacle of his successful career. ‘He died young in his ripe old age’, as I’ve said it in my article: “Look Younger, Live Longer”.

As far as my way of practice is concerned, it is two pronged: Classical as well as Pathological. My best field is Classical where I fare very smoothly and effortlessly, with least repetition of doses. And the kinds of cases and diseases are innumerous. The pathological way is difficult and arduous, and has many turns and twists; might become easy and smooth if one adopts the way above mentioned. More of it later on. But, I must say, it is not according to my texture of the mettle. Baseless and unprincipled practice can never be my doing.

Next time we will talk about the Cure-Mania.