Symposium Opening Avenues.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 Jan / Feb Vol III No 1.
Rashmi Nagar.

Seminar Reports.

A Symposium Opening Avenues was organized by the Foundation for Homoeopathic Research and Charities on the 22nd of January 1994 at the Birla Matushree, Marine lines Bombay. Dr. Rajesh Shah, Dr. Kumar Dhawle, Dr. Kokila Matani and Dr. Kasim Chimthanawala were the speakers . They enlightened the audience with their approach of selecting the similimum.

1. Dr. Matani talked on the Repertorial Approach in selecting the remedy especially in emergency cases, in coma and in infants, where only objective symptoms are present. For example, in a case of paralytic ileus in an infant, the rubrics selected were-

1. Abdomen distended
2. Abdomen paralysis
3. Face looking old

In this case Opium helped.

In the case of an accident with a severe head injury, Arnica and Nat-sul were the drugs of first choice. Later, on observation, the rubrics selected were-

1. Head continuous movement
2. Head, Concussion
3. Extremities, movement involuntary.

This led to Helleborous which brought the patient out of coma without any sequelae. Similarly, in a case of Salmonella encephalitis Opium and Zincum brought the patient back from the jaws of death without residual brain damage.

2. Dr. Kasim Chimthanawala talked on the Calcutta school approach and Dr. S. K. Dubey and presented a number of cured cases. The drug pictures were taught in such a way that they were permanently impressed in ones memory. The approach is useful in cases of villagers who are not very communicative and do not present mental symptoms properly. To assess the action of the similimum, one should look for the following:-

1. 1. Relief of symptoms
2. 2. Herrings law of cure
3. 3. Eliminations

Those who are interested in this approach can go through the booklets of the same by Dr. Kasim.

3. Dr. Rajesh Shah talked on the phenomenological approach in a philosophical way with the help of a scene from a Hindi movie. Empty speculation of the cause which cannot be explained is useless, but only the effects of the cause should be studied and remedy selected.

He defined an event or response as a phenomenon. When subjected to fear or sadness, the response is different in different individuals. We select the medicine carefully according to the response generated. Remove the effect and cure the disease. He narrated two short cases of Fissure in ano and a case of Asthma. In the first case, the striking symptoms was sadness better by telling to somebody. The fissure was cured by Alumina-silicata. In the asthmatic case there was indolence, content with. Indifference with irritability and despondency, weeping with discontent. The medicine was Zingiba. The patient did not have any attack for five months.

He also narrated a case of a child with cough and violent temper where Cup-m and Tarentula-h were coming close. Cup-m was the remedy selected and it helped the patient.

4. Dr. Kumar Dhawle, the director of the Institute of Clinical Research (ICR) talked on the ICR approach where a detailed history and an interview of the patient is taken in a proper clinical setting with two observers. The history is recorded in a very systematic manner in the standardized case record form which makes the analysis easy. The treatment is planned in advance with the selection of an intercurrent and a constitutional remedy. The physician must understand the How and Why of the disease, what are the complaints and what is the suffering. This he explained in the case of a 26 years old lady where the complaints were noises in the ears and spasm. She felt lethargic, exhausted, contemptuous and cut off. Do we get all these in a case of tinnitus? This was the expression of the suffering patient. The physician familiar with this method perceived Natrum-m. This method helps in evolving the portrait of the case with the help of the totality. The persona of the physician is also an important factor. The ICR teaching aims at training physicians to become unprejudiced observers as Homoeopathic practice is a way to realize what the self is. In conclusion the common factor in all approaches was observation. All paths lead to the same goal. One must find ones own way because the Guru can only show you the path. He cannot walk for you.

Back