Twelfth Chapter ACUTE REMEDIES Even though the basic aim of homeopathy is to find the similimum in to the totality of all symptoms, there may be certain exceptions to this rule. This applies in particular to acute illnesses. It is obvious that if a homeopath calls on a patient who has a sudden high temperature, there would not be enough energy, time and patience on the part of the patient to conduct the complete homeopathic examination, in accordance to totality of the symptoms. In such a situation under consideration comes the remedy that covers only a limited number of symptoms, related in fact only to this particular illness, in the allopathic terms, let's say to influenza. Thus if we want to treat only the flu, with no time to go further into the depth of this case, we would select only from a few remedies. Into consideration come: Belladonna, Bryonia, Gelsemium, Eupatorium Perfoliatum, Aconitum. We could probably make do within this range. If the flu came suddenly, after the exposure to cold wind, with an extensive sense of fear, high temperature and thirst, we would think of Aconitum. If the troubles came gradually, perhaps over two days, before reaching the full extend of illness, the patient is not thirsty, we might think of Gelsemium. And so on. Only few minor differences in the course of the actual illness would determine the remedy. These so called "recognisable indications" are suitable to the homeopathic first aid (for instance see Dr. David Gemmell: Everyday Homeopathy, Alternativa 1993). With the flu this works quite well (there is a substantial relief within hours), because flu is essentially a superficial illness. With the more deep-seated illnesses and with the chronic diseases, these "recognisable indications" do not work so reliably, or do not work at all. Essentially, from the point of view of our staircase, like an allopathic medication, they might play a suppressive role, they might eventually "open the staircase" to a move downward into pathology. A Remedy According to Totality of the Symptoms should Follow Because of this, after using the acute remedy, which enables us to go on a mountain trip or to our boss' birthday party, the constitutional treatment should follow, according to totality of the symptoms. Naturally, a correctly used constitutional remedy usually cures the current flu, which is nothing else than a part of the chronic illness, one step on the staircase. Recently the wife of a gynaecologist, the mother of a child I have treated for an eczema, had rung me and complained on the phone that she herself was having a flu with fevers and strong headaches. Because her psychological parameters indicated to me that she might be a Lycopodium (even though I had never regularly examined her), I had recommended her to take Lycopodium C 30 immediately. The headaches had stopped instantly and the flu within two days. Also a long lasting constitutional treatment was thus commenced. Similarly I gave his constitutional remedy, Lycopodium, to a seventy year old man, for an acute troublesome rash covering the body and the limbs, which a dermatologist diagnosed as psoriasis. In the Phatak's Repertory, among the indicated remedies for psoriases, Lycopodium was not even included. Despite of this, psoriasis that was constantly spreading while allopathic medication was used, after Lycopodium LMI went into remission, and soon had disappeared. In connection with acute remedies it is necessary to add that the best acute remedy is always the remedy prescribed on the total of psychological and physical symptoms. It is the only reliable remedy. Those who use recognisable indications almost exclusively, do not respect the basic rules of the method of treatment, exploiting only its now fashionable name. To prescribe the remedy on the basis of a narrow line of symptoms, is to a homeopath only a temporary solution. It is in reality allopathy, symptomatic treatment with the use of potentised remedy. This is why in this publication we are not going to explore this theme in any great detail. Even though it would be interesting to describe how to alleviate the fear of upcoming examination (Gelsemium), how to repel the acute (but never chronic) insomnia with the remedy Coffea, how to remove the muscular rigidity in endurance sports with Arnica, how to painlessly treat warts with Thuja or Sulphur, etc. Injuries A special category is formed by the remedies, which speed up the healing process after an injury and alleviate the pain. Arnica especially belongs here, also Hypericum (or St. John's wort), useful for injuries of strongly enervated parts of the body, Plantago (ribwort), helping to ease toothache, etc. I recall a personal experience of some twelve years ago. A lot of St. John's wort grew near our weekender in Southern Bohemia, and I could not resist the temptation to make the fifth potency at home. Soon after this, while doing some handyman's job, I left my finger between the hammer and the anvil. The pain was unbelievable. Immediately I ran to get the Hypericum. A few drops on my tongue - and the pain was gone, within a few seconds. A great deal about homeopathic first aid can be read in the already mentioned Everyday Homeopathy by the contemporary homeopath Dr. Gemmell, who otherwise is a classical homeopath prescribing on totality of the symptoms, and who also stresses in his book that there should follow a specialist treatment of the personality - totality of the symptoms. Naturally, a lot of information relevant to first aid can also be found in Kent's Repertory, which can be used even when prescribing on local symptoms, if only limited information is being considered. In the Repertory there is the subtitle Injuries, suggesting several dozen remedies, in the chapter General Symptoms. Sometimes the use of correctly prescribed local remedy may bring a positive result, because the removal of one symptom would convince the patient that the potentised remedy works. An acute running cold that had just begun, may be removed by the remedy Allium cepa (onion) in a low potency within one or two hours - and you have won the patient over. He may then be easily convinced that he should be treated constitutionally. However, Allium cepa prescribed on a chronic running cold would be ineffective or would only be effective for a short time. And because acute illnesses are contingent to the existence of a constitutional disease, it is most essential to treat the constitution. Then there would be no acute illnesses (with the exception of symptoms in a reverse order, and minor symptoms in the sense of the direction of the cure from inside out, which would subside without a treatment). [Next Chapter] [Table of Contents] © Jiri Cehovsky, 1994 |
poslední aktualizace: 30.08.2006 |
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