Single Dose is Still the Best .
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1995 Jul / Aug Vol IV No 4.
Sharma S C.
Cases.
` Merc / Carc / Nat-m / Ign.
Case 1:

A boy 11-2 years old, second son of a maid servant, came on 10-8-93 complaining of constant diarrhoea since birth. It started with 5 to 6 motions, gradually increasing to 10 to 15 motions a day, then stools became dysenteric. Tried allopathic treatment which gave temporary relief but later worsened.

Symptoms: The patient was very weak, had a wrinkled and pale face and cried pathetically when touched. 15 to 20 dysenteric motions a day, with little blood. Tongue moist. More stools at night. Diarrhoea since birth. No sooner he took something, even mothers milk or water, he passed watery greyish stools, with crampy abdominal pain.

Treatment: Three remedies namely Silicea, Calcarea-carb and Merc-sol were thought of. Silicea was thought of since diarrhoea occurred just after the birth of the baby indicating that the mothers milk did not suit him but Merc-sol 30 was selected on the symptom of chronic blood dysentery since birth, which indicated that Syphilitic miasm in its acute manifestation was inherited. Merc-cor was ruled out as stools were not very offensive and blood in the stools was prominent.

Follow up: Merc-sol 30, 4 pills dissolved in a small cup of water. 1-2 teaspoon was given in the morning. The mother was told to gradually reduce breast feeding. Same evening, the mother reported that motions were reduced from 6 to 3 per day.

11-8-93 - Against 8-9 motions per night, only two motions were passed. No medicine.
12-8-93 - 2 motions-day and 1 motion at night. No medicine.
This situation continued for a week. No medicine for second and third weeks. Breast feeding was stopped completely.

Case 2:

The 30 year old wife of a successful and very busy professional came for treatment of insomnia. She herself is an amateur dancer, with only one child of 7 years. She did not conceive thereafter. She gets no sleep till 1.00 a.m.; thereafter it is disturbed sleep. Problem has worsened after the birth of the child.

Prominent mental symptoms were -

1. Very worried about husbands well being.
2. Very sensitive.
3. Very sincere and committed to her family.
4. Very anxious and apprehensive before the dance show - as to her capacity to perform well. She even had to go to toilet once due to anxiety. But once she started dancing, she came out with flying colours.
5. She was passionate about dancing. It gave her solace.
6. Did not like to be left alone.
7. Fastidious and perfectionist - if she arranges a party, gets anxious from early morning and involves more than 100 percent till the party is over.
8. Dreams of thieves, robbers and mishaps,
9. Fear of diseases - specially cancer,
10. Cannot attribute any reason for sleeplessness - except may be her apprehension.
11. Very accommodative and yielding disposition towards the family members, yet very sensitive about her ego and being hurt. Very affectionate likes to feed people.
12. Liked outings with her husband especially in the open, sea-shore or forests.
13. Keeps unmerited insults to herself.
14. Likes sweets.

Discussion:

Two remedies ran close: Lycopodium on the basis of modalities and characteristics of craving for sweets, unpleasant feeling in the evening, stage fear and anxiety before stage performance and dislike to be alone. The other remedy was Carcinosin - which was preferred for love of dancing, fastidiousness towards perfection with an artistic trend, yielding disposition, lover for outings, artistic sensitivity and anxiety towards completion of a given job. Above all there was a fear of cancer.

Treatment: - Carcinosin 200, 1 dose given. Next day reported as having had sound sleep. No medicine. Had sound sleep for a month. Again there were some quarrels in the family, so sleepless.

Repeated Carcinosin 200 single dose. Slept soundly. This continued for two months. Then due to a tragic mishap in the family did not report about her condition.

Case 3:

Patient aged 40, a Government servant, was under the treatment of a psychiatrist for 7-8 years for sleeplessness and depression. Once a month he gets hallucination of a black circle that keeps expanding and he falls unconscious for a while, followed by severe weakness. Often he had a sensation as if there was a split in the head and it would break vertically along the body; as if the brain were loose in the skull; as if the flesh would fall from the bones, brain was dissolving, as if the eyes were cut-off from the head, as if fumes were rising in the head and the head was becoming soft, as if bells were ringing in the ears. While sitting he felt as if the back-bone was touching the ground; as if the shoulder would be pulled out of joint; as if the left-half above the ribs would be pulled. He was worse full moon and new moon.

He was anxious about everything. Anxiety about children. What would happen to them if he died? Does yoga and dhyan for an hour daily.

After a number of sittings, the patient narrated an incident when he was falsely implicated in an affair with a girl and a police case was lodged against him. This happened 7-8 years back. On the day of complaint the Police came to enquire and were satisfied with his explanation. But he himself was so traumatised that he could not sleep till late night, and later, suddenly, woke up shouting that he had done nothing and why was he like this? This happened every night for 1-2 months. Then, these episodes decreased but other symptoms appeared. He kept brooding over this even daily. This history and cause suggested remedy Natrum-mur. The suppression of malaria also supported this selection. The relevant symptoms were melancholy, sadness due to brooding over unpleasant events, anxiety about future, fear that something unpleasant will happen, remembered insults for long time. Black spots and streaks of light, sudden darkness, every thing turns black, humming and ringing in ears awakens often from sleep with fright, - and had the sensation as if something was going to happen, as if eye-balls were too large and would come out.

Natrum-mur 1M 4 pills. Advised also to continue allopathic medicines as stopping the same could result in withdrawal symptoms. For first few days there was slight aggravation. But thereafter the symptoms started disappearing. After a week he had sound sleep, and his appetite increased, felt more peaceful and balanced; no black-circles before eyes for 2-3 months. After a month totally healthy and composed! No other medicine nor any sac-lac given during the month. The psychiatrist reduced the sedatives and sleeping pills altogether after 1 1-2 months. Only one symptom persisted, i.e., as if the left side was being dragged. No medicine.

After three months had an attack of unconsciousness after the black circle appeared before the vision. Natrum-mur 1M - given only once, relieved. It was repeated after 6 months. The patient was better. After this, administered a dose of Tuberculinum 1 M due to F-H of Tuberculosis and also considering that the symptoms were incoherent, contradictory and changing and also the fact that on a small police enquiry and a false allegation the patient reacted in a quite disproportionate way and was hurt very deeply.

Patient was observed for 10 months. No problems. Allopathic treatment discontinued by the psychiatrist.

Case 4:

A 23 years old maid servant, gets asthma whenever she sweeps the floor. She has strained relations with husband, as he is drunkard, unemployed and the mother-in-law mistreats her. She stays with her parents at present but parents also not as affectionate to her as earlier.

Breathlessness and asthma - worse dust and while standing. Asthma traced to the incident of leaving husband and coming to the parents. But at both places she met with disappointment. Patient is quite emotional with dark hair and skin and of mild disposition.

The causes were:- grief, shock due to the severing of relations with the husband and the changed behaviour of the parents. Ignatia 30 I dose was given.

Breathlessness stopped altogether. After 3 months again the problem arose. Ignatia 30 1 dose repeated. No complaint thereafter.

After 6 months the symptoms of Sepia appeared: marked yellow saddle across the nose, anaemia, and yellowness of the eyes, which was there since birth, but increased to such an extent as if the patient was suffering from jaundice. Pain in lower extremities washing clothes. Sepia 200 1 dose given once in a month for 3 months. Much better. No breathlessness. Bio Comb 1 was also prescribed during this period for anemia. No other problem for 1 1-2 years since then.