The Timid Mechanic
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 Jul / Aug Vol III No 4.
Parinaz Humranwala.
Cases.
` Ambr.

Mr. M S 31 years of age, a mechanic by profession, came to my OPD for the following complaints -

CHIEF COMPLAINTS:

LOCATION

1. Respiratory System since 2 years
2. Throat
3. Vertigo since 1 year.

SENSATION

Cough - Wheezing with expectoration which is white and sticky
Burning sensation
Sensation of failing on rising from bed.
Must wait for a while.

MODALITY

·         Night

·         Lying down

·         During sleep

·         Rising from bed.

PERSONAL HISTORY:

Lean and tall, weighing 42 Kgs.
Appetite - poor. Milk causes diarrhoea.
Aversion - sweets.
Thirst - Normal
Stools - Normal
Urine - Normal
Habits - smoker. 4-6 cigarettes a day since last 10 years.
Sleep - sleeplessness from various thought - related to work. Sleepy before going to bed but disappears on lying.
Thermally - Hot patient

LIFE SPACE:

The patient stays with his mother, wife, two sisters, a younger brother and his two children. The case taking primarily was done by an intern outside the OPD where the following was elicited -

He studied upto the Eighth standard and start working as a helper in a garage as his family had financial troubles. He is very calm, hard working and is preoccupied all the time with work. Prefers to be alone and dislikes talking and being talked to. His anxiety pertaining to work, is never shared with the family. Likes to be punctual, hates quarrels and is anxious about his health, being the only earning member of the family. He hated music and would switch off the radio as soon as he entered his home.

When I called him, he gave a quick glance at the crowded room and sat looking at the floor. He sat on the examination stool very carefully not allowing his clothes to touch the girls standing around. As I began asking about his day to day activity, his shyness increased. Later he said that "if I had known that there were so many people in the room I would not have entered inside, so please give me the medicine so that I can leave." (His timidity made me wonder whether he would ever return to us again.)

REPERTORIAL TOTALITY:

1. SR 962 - Strangers presence of aggravates
2. SR 136 - Conversation aggravates
3. SR 144 - Company aversion to
4. SR 901 - Sensitive music to
5. SR 1026 - Timidity, bashful
6. SR 256 - Milk aggravates
7. SR 274 - Sweets aggravate
8. KR 1412 - warmth in general aggravates
9. KR 1254 - Sleeplessness, returning after but sleepy before (only one remedy in 2 marks)
10. KR 1254 - Sleepless thoughts activity of mind from
11. KR 796 - Cough lying down ameliorates

The group of remedies emerging after repertorization -

1. Pulsatilla - 9/17
2. Ambra-grisea - 8/21
3. Natrum-mur - 8/15

Remedy Selected : Ambra-grisea

Every remedy has its own shade of symptoms. In this case the timidity, the preoccupied mind, anxiety about work and his sleeplessness led me to the remedy.

FOLLOW-UP:

27/2/92 Ambra-grisea 200 three doses
5/3/92 Cough worse. Appetite better SL for 7 days.
12/3/93 Cough better. No giddiness. SL for 7 days.
Appetite improved.
26/3/93 Better. No cough or giddiness SL for one month
Thereafter the patient kept well with no recurrence of cough.