Case 17: Trio of Sleepless nights
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2006
Compiled by
T K Kasiviswanathan
'Calc-c / Staph

The following cases 17-22; were taken from our heritage contained in articles published in the past homoeopathic journals. I find that Dr V Muthukumar is a very fine and astute prescriber and he has a thorough knowledge of our science and very conversant with fine points of our various repertories. He had published some very good articles on the value and use of some leading repertories in a Chennai Journal of Homoeopathy. The following cases have been extracted from the above doctor’s brilliant article "Putting mentals in their right place" in the souvenir brought out in connection with Dr Rajan Sankaran's seminar held in Chennai in April 1993. I am sure the readers of NJH will benefit from studying these cases and imbibe the above doctor's approach to find the similimum-

Dr Muthukumar says "When the main complaint is physical, it is in this group of cases that mental symptoms become most important. Here also the mental symptoms can be any of the following:-

1. Causation- Aetiological factor
2. Concomitant
3. Aggravating or ameliorating factor

A male, aged 45 years, working in a Government office consulted Dr Muthukumar with a complaint of sleeplessness. He said that he would go without sleep for 3 days and then out of sheer tiredness would fall asleep. Once again from the next day sleeplessness will start and the cycle repeats. Also complained of osteo-arthritis of knee with typical features, mild gastric derangement and vague pains here and there.

On enquiry of the etiology of this complaint, he said that sleeplessness started about 4 years back when he was transferred from Chennai to Vellore. He felt that his transfer was not justified. He said "When I have worked hard for 20 years I should have been given proper credit. Just like that they transferred me. Even when asked to reconsider my case, they did not listen. I used to lie awake, thinking about this and my separation from my family without going to sleep. Even though I was transferred back to Chennai after one year, this sleeplessness persists."

Dr Muthukumar analyses the case saying that sleeplessness as the physical complaint with mental symptom as its etiology.
He consulted Dr Knerr's Repertory (p 26) and selected the following rubric "Chagrin causes sleeplessness- Calc "

He gave a dose of Calcarea-carb 1M and it put an end to this 4 year old sleeplessness. He adds that "in many such cases we know that Staphysagria works wonders."

Comments: He does not comment as to why he selected Calc-carb instead of Staph, which is generally called for when mortification is involved.

Herring's Guiding Symptoms on Calcarea reads as follows:- "Excited by chagrin or fear". "Great anxiety and worriment of mind." "Cannot get rid of one and the same thought at night even during light slumbers." "Rush of thoughts prevents sleep." "Sleeplessness; from many thoughts crowding his mind; from mind turning on the same thought; from mortification at trifles; until 2 or 3 AM". "On this basis the selection of this remedy appears appropriate".

When we read on Staph from the same source we find that, "Suffering from pride, envy or chagrin. Very sensitive to least impression; least word that seems wrong, hurts her very much." "Ailments from indignation and vexation or reserved displeasure; sleeplessness." Great indignation about things done by others or by himself; grieves about consequences. "Goes to sleep late from crowding of ideas"

It is a moot point whether Staph would also have cured the complaint. It is worth pondering as Dr Muthukumar also says that the above remedy will be very useful in similar cases. Food for thought.