The Devil Turned Angel
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1997 Mar / Apr VOL VI NO 2.
Dr Nina Doshi
'Mag-c / Mag-m

I had been treating a 9 yr old boy for the last few months. One morning his mother came in gleefully and announced, 'You know doctor, my little one has changed so dramatically, that it really amazes me. His mood variations under control; no fussiness about eating - eats everything that is put on his plate, also this incident about 2 days back, really touched me; When he realized I was not keeping well, he got up in the morning, did his own bed, drew the curtains of my room and asked my servant not to make any noise, so as to allow me to rest in peace. He also made his own breakfast of bread and jam and ate it without any fuss! " 
Earlier on, the same mother had no kind word for her rebellious and naughty kid. At the least reproach or reprimand, he would sulk and threaten to run away from home. He once left a black paper for his exams just because his teacher had scolded him. Total lack of concentration in studies and when asked to study would busy himself with craft or cut pictures from books. He fibs a lot, especially regarding his incomplete homework. He would go down and come back saying that the teacher has not come. Often he would feign stomach pains when not wanting to go to school. Desires to be constantly hugged, loved and demanded affection. 
He is stylish and very particular about his clothes, especially the uniform. Likes fast music. Desires cleanliness and is careful with his things. Health conscious and describes his about the physical symptoms in detail.
Headstrong and dominating. Likes being a leader. Naughty - always fights with brother.
Respectful towards elders like grandmother etc, but also likes to have due respect shown to him. Does not tolerate insults or give in to anyone. 

Sensitive and hurt by reprimands from father to whom he is very close.
When angry, clenches teeth, or escapes from home.
Likes languages and maths. Loves animals and his favourite colour is blue.
Fear of making mistakes and being reprimanded. Likes playing with swords and young kids. Fear of bearded strangers on the way to school - with aversion to going to school.
Whenever his mother, tried of his innumerable pranks and especially of the lies he tells, complaints to his father, he immediately accuses his mother of creating tension and emotionally blackmails her.
During this pregnancy, mother was under emotional as well as financial stress. Felt neglected and unwanted, felt she and her elder son were not looked properly. 

Physical Generals
He came with the complaint of recurrent abdominal pain since 1 ½ yrs. Twisting pain with urge to stools and passing of mucous in stools. Not one to lie down with pain, but restless during pain.
Recurrent croupy, bronchitic cough since having pneumonia 5 yrs back. For last one week has recurrent episodes of giddiness with darkness before eyes, supraorbital pains and vomiting 2-3 times during this period.
Recurrent nose block and snuffles with frequent episodes of epistaxis.
Sometimes also has itching of ears. Constipation since birth and has been given a lot of laxatives and suppositories. Pain in knee joints especially the popliteal fossa. His lips turn red and has muttering delirium, whenever he has fever.
Increased white staining salivation. 

Past History
Recurrent Malaria
Pneumonia - at the age of 3 yrs.
Skin - boils over the thighs and buttock A/F rains; 6 months
Dysentery
Tendency to pinworms 

Family History
Father: Recurrent cold, cough and toothaches
Elder brother: Scabies, fever with convulsions.
Grandmother: Diabetes, Hypertension and Heart disease. 

Treatment
2^nd Sept 1996 - He was given Merc-sol 200 [3] for his rebellious nature, his aversion to being reproached, salivation - white staining, mucus in stools etc.
But subsequent follow ups showed that his abdominal pain, his giddiness and his anger were not responding as expected.
28^th Oct 1996 - On-revaluation, Mag-carb 200 III was given on the totality followed by SL. 

Rubrics from Kent's Repertory:
(KR52) Hysteria [stamping out of his house; so that people will give him due importance and call him back]
(KR52)
The follow up on 31^st Oct 1996 revealed that he had cough < sleep < running with greenish expectoration and increased sweating. But the pain in abdomen and episodes of giddiness and stools was better. Sniffles were still present and nose block was better by pinching the nose.
SL continued and gradually the cough too subsided within a few days.

Physical symptoms - Abdomen pain, Bronchitis, Cough, Recurrent nose problems, Irritability in children 

On 16^th Dec 1996, he came with symptoms of grinding and slight pain in abdomen with frequent motions. Mag-carb 200 I was repeated.
10th April 1997 - had an episode of Parotid enlargement after fever - Bell 1M [3]
6th May 1997 - has improved in all ways as joyfully described by the happy mother.

Case 2: The Anxious Housewife
The husband of a lady patient first came and enquired if I would be able to help cure his wife's longstanding cough, for which they had knocked on many doors, including Homoeopaths. Next day, this short statured, obese lady came alone for her treatment. She appeared quite composed and frequent shifting of the edge of the pallu of her sari was the only giveaway of her anxiety. She appeared withdrawn, yet frank while giving her symptoms and she left with an impression that she would not return, and had visited me just to pacify her husband, who must have pushed her to my clinic.
But how wrong our judgement can be! She not only came back for her follow up, but religiously came till such time that I told her she needed no more medicine. 

Chief Complaints
Cough since almost 6-7 years. Cough starts after, cold drinks, sweets, ice-cream, curds etc.
< during morning, < on waking up, < before going to sleep, < walking, < open air. Cough with dribbling of urine. No cough during sleep. Lately she had avoided cold things but was still having a constant cough.
Breathlessness on exertion [pt Overweight]
Likes closed spaces, doors and windows locked, curtains drawn and darkness in the house. Can even carry on her normal work of cooking, feeding, cleaning without light in the house. 
Aversion to sunlight and heat in any form. 
Sneezing < open air > dust
No h/o allergy
Nose block < winters < night
Colds after emotional outbursts, after working in cold water < cold air < open air
< cap on head [ covering head]. Sometimes with hoarseness
headache on and off < light > darkness > closed room
Constipation; flatulence and eructations. 

Mentals
Anxiety about work. Cannot rest in peace till work is finished. Wants to finish her work fast, without delay. Has to do her work perfectly and efficiently. Anxiety about husband's temper as he is the bickering type, who wants things according to his wishes. She stays awake till late at the night for her husband to return, so that she can serve hot chappatis to him.

Fastidious - has to clean up everything and cannot rest till things are put in their proper place. Cannot see water flowing from a fridge.

She is a Marwari married to a Gujarati. They had eloped and got married. They are self made people. Initially no one from either side accepted their alliance and they had to fend for themselves.

She is 5th child in her family. She stayed in constant fear of her father who was very strict. Husband is known for violent outbursts of temper but is also very jovial. But she is averse to being teased or ridiculed, Weeps if offended, insulted or when children say things to her. 

Concerned about the health of people at home.
Generally does not show her anger but tolerates and tries to please others. [Husband does not like anybody falling sick, and she feels it is just a human nature to have sickness] Feels relieved when husband is away on tour.
Aversion to sunlight or heat in any form. Keeps curtains drawn. 

Past History
Urticaria at age of 14-15 yrs
Traveler's diarrhoea
Obstetric History: 5 FTND 2 sons, 3 daughters
FAMILY HISTORY: Father - Cardiac asthma. Elder brother - Cardiac asthma. Sister - Asthma Younger sister - died of kidney failure.

Physical Generals
Desires : Sweets +++, spicy, mango, custard apple
Aversion : Sour
Urine : h/o UTI
Sweat : Scanty
Sleep : Normal but catnap sleep
Dreams : Falling, water, of unknown places, temples, mountains, of being saved. Of going over water, up the mountains and then falling downhill. Clairvoyant dreams of death.
Menses : Regular, no dysmenorrhoea
Thermals : HOT PATIENT: Cannot tolerate sun, feels better in open air but it aggravates local symptoms. Winter aggravates cracks on soles. 

Treatment