Homeopathy :: The Ground Reality – Experiences in a Rural Area

The Fundamental Principles of Homoeopathy are well known to all Homoeopathic Physicians. But, as they say, it becomes a difficult task to stick to them when you are posted in a rural backdrop or when posted in a dispensary and lots of patients have to be seen- and you can’t devote more than 3-4 minutes on every patient. So, many people told me, but when I also got posted in this rural dispensary some of my friends said let us see how you can follow the path of mono and mini medicines.

After a year’s experience I can say with confidence that yes, you can still work better with Hahnemannian principles and give wonderful results. The path shown to me by my wonderful teachers Dr. U. T. Advani and Prof. Dr. Diwan Harish Chand and later enlightened by Prof. L. M. Khan, the one followed by all their teachers, is the one I have tried to tread upon. Though many a times I have failed to prescribe the indicated similimum and hence faced failure but it has not deterred my faith in the principles of Simili, Mono and Mini.

I give below a few cases that I have been able to help in the Ali Village Homoeopathic Dispensary.

Case No. 1 (Regn. No. 7720)

A 1-year-old boy was brought, suffering with chronic diarrhea, since he was 2-3 months old. He had been prescribed many medicines (allopathic) without any relief. When first seen he was constantly whining, and very cranky. Mother said that he passed offensive changeable yellow-green stool. He would not sleep the whole night and had to be carried. He was first prescribed a dose of Chamomilla 200 followed by placebo. After about a week there was still no change. I repeated another dose of Chamomilla 200 and decided to wait with placebo again. In her next visit the mother said that there was no change in the child’s condition but did we have anything for wounds? When asked whose wounds, she said that she had wounds about the nipple because of the bites of the child. She said that he would constantly clench his teeth together. This gave me the clue to prescribe Podophyllum 200 unit dose, and it stopped his diarrhea. His mother said that from the very next day of the powder his diarrhea had cleared and he had passed normal stool.
He continued to be fine for a few days when his mother brought him back with a greenish yellow ear discharge. I started wondering that as there was no history of any trauma or any other reason (like vaccination) why had this appeared? The child was not clenching his teeth anymore, but her continued to whine all the time and had to be carried most of the time- both day and night. I analyzed that Podophyllum was just a superficial prescription and had rather suppressed the diarrhea and now he was having an otorrhoea- in other words it was a more serious condition as his diarrhea had metastasized to an area closer to brain! Thus there was no improvement in his general condition.

I retook the whole case and especially asked her intra- uterine time of life. The child’s mother said everything was fine- as is usual in the Indian women. I told her mother to take me as her brother and tell me truthfully if she wanted her child to be all right. Hearing this she broke down and confessed that it had been a very sad time throughout then pregnancy due to family tensions. After crying she took a long and deep sigh. I prescribed Ignatia 200 unit dose to the child with placebo. 3 days later the ear discharge stopped and on the 5th day a diarrhea of the same color appeared (Hering’s Law). 2 days later i.e. on the 7th day the diarrhea also cleared. The whining of the child also vanished, his appetite also improved and till date he continues to be a happy and healthy child.

Case no. 2 (Regn. No. 6851)

A short statured, heavy built, dark complexioned lady, in her late twenties, having pouting lower lip and marked gap in teeth came for treatment of 4 warts on her dorsum of right middle finger. They had been present since 6 years. Her past history revealed nothing significant except the fact that she had lost one of her 3 children soon after birth. She was not too much affected by that. She had a strong craving for Sour things- like lemon and pickles.
She was prescribed a dose of Hepar sulph 200 along with placebo on 26-11-02. By 6-1-03 all had fallen off.

Case No. 3 (Regn. No. 4707)

A 26-years old short statured male, dark eyes and hair, having numerous brown warts (about25-30) on jaw and neck < Left. The warts had been present for about 6 months. His past history revealed reccurent attacks of pneumonia till the age of 15 years. After that he had suffered with 2 attacks of malaria. He had a strong craving for sweets. He was prescribed a dose of Pneumococcin 200 on 15-7-03 followed by placebo and told not to shave or clip his beard. On his second visit, on 29-7-03, more than half of them had fallen off. In his 3rd visit he had only 2 warts left. He never returned thereafter.
Case No. 4 (Regn. No. N.A.)

A middle-aged lady of average height with a well-marked Linea nasalis came to consult for her vaginal discharge. She simply and plainly said that the discharge was like ‘curd’. Seeing the combination of the linea nasalis and the curd like discharge, she was prescribed three doses of Aethusa cynapium 30 followed by placebo. Gradually her discharge stopped and she recovered fully without any repetition of the medicine.

Case No. 5 (Regn. No. 1235)

A lady in her late forties, having sharp features, dark eyes and hair, discoloration around eyes came to consult for arthritis. She had pain and swelling with limitation of movement in left shoulder and right ankle. This problem had been there just in these two joints and for many years on and off. She also suffered with cough and breathlessness in every winter for many years (?Chronic Bronchitis). She used to expectorate a lot of phlegm, which would come out with a lot of difficulty. She also was unable to sleep easily for many years- she could just manage to catch a sleep of about 4 hours in the whole day. She had a strong craving for spicy food and things. She used to take painkillers for her arthritis trouble and inhalers for her breathing trouble and cough. She had menopause about 4 years back and had delivered 5 children at home, normally. Seeing the diagonal complaints (left upper and right lower) and tendency for rattling cough every winters, on 15-2-03 she was prescribed 3doses of Antim tart 30 along with placebo. She gradually felt better in her shoulder joint pain first. She was able to lift it above 90 degrees, which she could not do earlier. Her sleep also improved. Later she also improved in her ankle joint pain. She is still being followed as the winters are approaching..

Case No. 6 (Regn. No. 6005)

A 4-years-old girl was brought by her mother for recurrent attacks of asthmatic bronchitis. She had a hairy body, thin built and dark eyes and hair. Her mother told that soon after birth at home she had developed pus at the umbilical cord region and there after suffered with high fever for 15 days. She was also prone to getting numerous boils very often. She likes salty food more. Three doses of Pyrogen 30 with placebo, prescribed on 23-10-03, were enough to keep her away from all the attacks after that. She has not suffered with any boils either. She continues to be well though she catches cold sometimes which also usually resolves with steam inhalation and Placebo.

Case No. 7 (Regn. No. 7398)

A middle-aged lady having chloasma, of average height and having teeth, which appeared to be too closely set, came to consult for her Migraine attacks. The attack would occur on either side of the head since many years. Along with the headaches there was vomiting as well. She had taken much vasocrin and other tablets (painkillers) with temporary relief. Her appetite had decreased considerably over the years. Her past history revealed recurrent attacks of Typhoid fevers. She was prescribed a single dose of Typhoidinum 200 with great relief. The attacks decreased and gradually she stopped having them totally!

Dr. Gyandas G. Wadhwani
Medical Officer (Homoeopathy), Ali Village Homoeopathic Dispensary, Dte Of Indian Systems of Medicine & & Homoeopathy, Govt. of NCT of Delhi.


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