Case of Depression
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2004 Jul / Aug VOL VI NO 4.
Dr Shiv Dua
'Arg-nit / Bar-c / Colo / Dios / Bry

Mr BK, 65, a retired professor, came to me for treatment of a peculiar depression. His wife accompanied him to ensure that the case is narrated in a clear manner to the doctor.

The only physical complaint he had was burning during urination. No other complaints like constipation, coughs, hypertension, diabetes or anorexia.

He had insomnia for which he took a tranquilizer regularly. He is surrounded by his retired colleagues as neighbors. His problem was that whenever his neighbors talked he thought that they were talking ill of him and whenever he joined them, they would stop discussing about him and switch over to other topics. This depressed him and as a consequence he would get angry. He was always sad. All day he would be guessing what were they talking about him. When his friends came to meet him he would avoid their company and sit in another room. If his son or daughter-in-law talked something against him he would think that his neighbors have instigated them for a trifle. He would then blame his wife and other members of his family for exposing domestic affairs to them. He had consulted the doctor and was on antidepressants. He would not giving any tuition although he had many offers.

Other Complaints
Rt sided sciatica 1 yr back cured in three months by allopathic treatment.

Physical General
Craving: Sweets³
Thirst: Profuse

Treatment
28-06-03 Arg-nit 200 one dose. SL for a week. This prescription was not in accordance with totality of symptoms but based but on craving for sweets and polyuria. In most of such cases I prefer giving Nux-vom to erase effects of allopathic medicines and get clear-cut symptoms.

05-07-03 Sleep little better. No other changes.

12-07-03 Constipation and burning micturition. Offensive sweat on soles. Baryta-carb 30 TDS. In Kent's repertory Baryta-carb is listed as having fear of strangers and aversion to company. Baryta-carb child or old man is docile and does not know what the other person wants from him. Ed: thinks laughing at him people are. This symptom did not match with the condition of the patient but checking with constipation, burning in urine and offensive sweating of soles Baryta-carb was preferred.

18-07-03 Constipation better. Burning urination same. Baryta-carb 1M one dose.

25-07-03 No constipation or burning urination. Baryta- carb 200 one dose.

02-08-03 Baryta-carb 200 one dose. Sweating on soles +.

09-08-03 Baryta-carb 200 one dose. Sweating on soles +.

16-08-03 No sweating. Depression continues. Baryta-carb 1M one dose.

The patient did not come for two months since he had developed Rt-sided sciatica and was unable to walk due to severe pains. He left homoeopathic treatment and reverted to Allopathy. Taking analgesics and physiotherapy daily. After two mths, he thought again for homoeopathic treatment. Entering the clinic limping and walking with the help of a stick. Now that he was disappointed after two mths of allopathy he was back to homoeopathy. A pity or a compliment people remember homoeopathy only when other systems of medicines fail!

18-10-03 Rt-sided sciatica with numbness of feet. The pain radiated from thigh downwards. Better bending forward. One dose of Colocynth 200. He did not talk about his depression and when enquired about he stated that the pains had made him forget about that.

04-11-03 Pain in thigh changed the modality. < Night and doubling up (opposite Colocynth) but intensity of pain was less. Still used a walking stick. Dioscorea 30 TDS.

12-11-03 Pain was a little better. One dose of Dioscorea 200.

19-11-03 Developed stiffness and pain in the back accompanied with constipation and hard stools. Dryness of mouth. Intake of water increased. Pain in legs and thigh even when walking with a stick. One dose of Bryonia 200.

26-11-03 Constipation still existed with excess of thirst. One dose of Bryonia 1M.

03-12-03 No sciatica pains, no constipation and no depression of the kind he was suffering from. SL was given. He had thrown walking stick in his storeroom after two days of taking Bryonia 1M.

10-12-03 No depression. SL given for 15 days.

The patient lives in our locality and meets me often. He has no problems in talking with his friends and does not think that they talk ill of him in his absence.

Discussion
In this case, one must consider that homoeopathy is a superior method of treatment. The cure took place by removal of external, secondary (new) symptoms not relating of mental problems for which the patient had consulted. The removal of symptoms of the case from time to time is equivalent to cure. Spontaneous disappearance of the mental problems and the primary manifestation and appearance of changed physical symptoms revealed that it was a dynamic cure restoring patient's health.

We know that symptoms shift from above downward, from within outwards and to a less important organ. Besides symptoms in this came in reverse order of appearance. The appearance of physical symptoms made the patient forget his mental depression and he never mentioned them. I do not know whether it was Baryta-carb 1 M that removed his mental depression and put forth consequent physical symptoms over which ultimately Bryonia 1M brought the cure. By the time his physical symptoms disappeared he could recall that his mental depression was over.

This is the supremacy of homoeopathy. I have not been able to find out how I would have proceeded had the patient reported to me after Baryta-carb intake and not gone to allopathy. Most probably I would have continued SL and cure would have been difficult because Baryta has no sciatica pains except numbness. On the other hand the patient's going away to Allopathic treatment was a boon for Baryta. Baryta must have been acting deeply within, being very slow in action and requiring repetition in low potency.

Baryta completed its action by 40 to 50 days and removed the mental symptoms. Bryonia made a complete cure in physical symptoms. This is all my judgment of the action of remedies and I leave it to the intelligent readers to find out whether the theory of cure acted in the right direction and whether there is any chance of recurrence of the symptoms and returning of disease.

Editor comments

1. If the clinician realized that remedy is acting deep, he should have cautioned the patient that cure will take 40-50 days and maybe patient would not have gone for allopathy. Then again, he may have thought that the physical omplaint had no relation to the depression and may still have taken Allopathy. In acute pain people, unfortunately, still think first of Allopathy.
2. Bar-c was indicated by 'Laughing at me people are' which is the key of the mental stte of the patient.
3. Bar-c brought out the old complaint which he had of the pain 1 yr ago. And just SL may have sufficed to remove it. Later if required, Bryo could have been given. But this is hindsight which is easy for everyone, even a novice to have!
4. Yet giving of the Bryo, as far as we can see till date, has not done any harm, or disturbed the action of the Bar-c. This is probably because the Bryo was selected on the acute pain and acted at that level only, not disturbing the deeper layer action of the Baryta.
5. In the final analysis after going through the follow again, I think this latter is the correct explanation. If we could analyze all our follow-ups in this way, then in a short time ,we could improve ourselves greatly.