Case of a Rare Remedy
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1993 May / Jun Vol II No 3. 
Dr Khan L M.
` Ptel

This is a very controversial topic and puts homoeopathic philosophy in a crisis. Dr. Kents approach was by uncommon, peculiar and particular mental symptoms and Boenninghausen through generals and modalities. Both the approaches are different, yet valid and may reach to similar conclusions. Under no circumstance did they give importance to the organ approach.

Some cases of stalwarts, give examples of prescribing on organ with Polygonum, sagitatum (appreciated by Boger for kidney stone), Aspidospermia, the Digitalis of the lungs called by Hale and so on. We have these examples given in Boerickes Materia Medica (1982).

The value of intensity of symptoms is ignored many times in our society as we give more stress to uncommon, singular, peculiar and characteristics of the patient. The case below shows

Case:
A gentleman of keen intellect and an executive in a large company, was suffering from liver abscess. He did not respond to the organ remedies given by me. The patient felt a sensation of dragging on turning to the left side and which was greatly aggravated by lying on the left side. Note that this is very similar to Bryonia, but Bryonia has relief by lying on the painful side. This dragging sensation which specially comes while turning to the left side, thus acquires significance. This symptom is useful not only in liver complaints, but in many others also where it may be present as a concomitant. In Boerickes Materia Medica, the symptom Stomach and liver symptoms associated with pain in the limbs is given in italics, which indicates the prominent feature of the remedy. The remedy is Ptelea. So Ptelea 30, single dose followed by placebo was prescribed to the patient and he was asked to report in a month. When he came the next month, his appetite had improved and the dragging pain was absent. Ptelea thus successfully resolved the abscess.

This lesser known remedy Ptelea is a popular perfect but partial polycrest remedy and is helpful if prescribed on the basis of the homoeopathic philosophy.

Bibliography :

1. S Hahnemann Organon of Medicine. Aphor 153.
2. E B Nash - Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics
3. William Boericke - Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica.