Ten Plus Two.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 May / Jun Vol III No 3.
Sarla Sonawala.
Cases.
` Nit-ac / Calc / Lyc.
Therapeutics of Renal Calculi
Man is made of a soft, pliable matter susceptible to disintegration within few hours. Man who aspires to conquer the world, in contrast, lasts longer than the hardest rock. Such endurance to survive against all odds is due to the mode of activity of his cells and organs.
Despite our joys and sorrows, our organs do not disrupt their inner rhythm. The physiological processes the basis of inner time ensure the longest survival of man. Few organs of the body are as competent to carry out as many complex and diverse functions as the kidney. Evolved as an intricate structure, the bean shaped kidneys not one but generously two are involved in filtration, concentration and excretion, of waste material of our body thereby cleansing it of impurities with amazing ease and viability.
Under long and persistent duress, the kidneys may fall victim to disease and disorder. Though responsible for a great deal of morbidity, the disorders of kidney cannot be accused of high mortality. Renal calculus is one such disorder that drives a good number of persons, to the operation table to be cut open every year. Here is where Homoeopathy steps in, holds back the surgeons knife, and ensures that the stone is shown the way out with sweet pills alone. The cases speak volumes for the claim one stakes. Here are given three cases cured, with no recurrence.
CASE 1
A good number of years ago, I was introduced to a gentleman who was an officer in charge of Sindhi programme at All India Radio Bombay, I being the President of AIIH- Bombay, needed his help in staging a play on Hahnemanns life, at Homoeopathic congress to be held at Ahmedabad. Our friend obliged by enacting a shadow play with the help of his co-workers. Once he casually told me about his kidney-stone, adding that he was advised surgery even by a prominent, senior homoeopath as the stone was too big. In my reckless zest of younger years I insisted on treating him with Homoeopathy.
The patient in his thirties, had bouts of renal colic since a year or so. His other complaint was anal fissure with pain after stool. He loved spices, salt and fried things. Nitric-acid, in gradually rising potency, for unusual combination of stone and fissure to be interrupted by Colocynth for acute episodes of colic was the remedy schedule.
After four months or so, one fine morning, the patient rang me up, to convey his congratulations. To fill the details: The patient started having severe colic a night before. Medicines plus plenty of water to drink brought a big piece of stone out at the end of urination, with relief after. After an hour or so of short-lived relief, he again had spasmodic colic. Again the same schedule of medicines and plenty of water. Again, with a jet of urine, another piece of stone was expelled.
With passing years, I lost sight of the patient. One day, I heard the news of his sad demise. Some years back, the city of Bombay was plunged in darkness due to electricity failure. Our good friend, driving his scooter on his way home dashed against a pole to meet with tragic death. May his soul rest in peace!
CASE 2
The same patient introduced me to his colleague of AIR with same complaint. The symptom-syndrome was: Left renal calculus with recurrent episodes of pain along the urinary tract. He was treated before by a Homoeopath with the remedy Berberis-vulgaris Q- in drop doses.
The same remedy being still indicated, I preferred to give it is potency 200 daily one dose, the same remedy to be repeated every 15-30 minutes during acute colic. His constitutional remedy turned out to be Calc-phos 200- given after every acute episode on these indications. Patient fair and thin, sweet tempered yet sentimental, fond of spicy dishes dry and fried with childhood relish of chalk and pencil to chew upon.
Few months of medication brought the stone out. I have found with experience that Berberis-vulg gives better results in potencies than in tincture Q.
CASE 3
The chauffeur of my close friend was given three months, to try other measures, before surgery. This was the verdict of a surgeon who happened to be the nephew of my friend.
Right-sided renal calculus, constipation with plenty of flatus passing at odd hours, anxiety with fear of surgeons knife and fondness for sweets; all pointed to Lycopodium 200 daily one dose.
Hardly a fortnight had gone by, before the patient broke the happy news of the stone being out. He regretted that he could not retrieve the expelled stone, in a public urinal.
That brings us rightfully to the therapeutics of the prominent remedies:
BERBERIS VULGARIS:
Almost a synonym for "calculus" renal as well as of gall-bladder Kidney any or both, mostly left Berberis is the first remedy to think of. Sharp stitches from kidney to ureter, to bladder, to end in tip of urethra, or may extend to thigh and leg. The pain may further radiate all over the body. Dysuria with urgency to urinate, urine yellow, inflamed red, green or grey, with sticky sediment at the bottom.
CANTHARIS:
Another name with fame when urinary tract is set on fire. Tenesmus intolerable before, during, after. Urine passes drop-by-drop with raw, scalding burning paroxysms. Fury of mind, frenzy of sexual excitement match with turmoil of "water of life."
What will a novice Homoeopath do without "Spanish fly" when confronted with urinary ailments under guise of innumerable learned names? The remedy is a bonanza to him as well as to me as I have just now prescribed it to a patient on phone, while writing this.
SARSAPARILLA:
Emancipated from its routine use of blood purifier tonic, the remedy potentised is restored to its rightful place in homoeopathic Materia Medica.
Out and out a rightist, the remedy favours right kidney and calculus within. Kidney to urethra this tract of pain being routine, the characteristics lie in its waywardness. The child cries while passing urine, but madly howls after urination. Often the patient turns back and forth, presses abdomen, but no urine passes. No sooner does he stand erect, the urine flows profusely.
Often urine may escape while at rest.
Also the remedy may wipe off the wrinkles of marasmic children as much as restore the suppleness of shrinking nipples and their erotic pleasure, in women.
OCIMUM CANUM:
An auspicious plant found in every Hindu household, it is renowned for its virtue of exhaling ozone to purify air. Its leaves in drinking tea remove colds and fever. Nonetheless, its use for urinary disorders gave it a place in our Materia Medica as an emergency remedy when the stone gets impacted in the right ureter.
Tossing agony of pain, vomiting of coffee ground substance, red sand in urine, emitting odour of musk: these foursome characteristics prove pointers to this remedy which may bring the impacted stone down and out.
Hot swelling of left testicle in male, tender nipples with prolapse of vagina in female, and gouty diathesis in both; make bonus symptoms of this large little remedy.
LITHIUM CARB:
Its very name has a sound of lithiasis. Urinary symptoms make the essence as well as concomitants in disorders other than the renal ones.
Pain pinches right kidney and / or ureter, flashes of pain in region of bladder towards right before urination. But after urination, pains crosses over to left spermatic cord, even to testicle. Likewise no sooner does the patient rises to urinate than the precordial region feels pressure until after urination. Urine-scanty despite good thirst, turbid, dark with red brown sediment but at night, frequent and copious urination, followed by erection of penis.
BENZOIC ACID:
High and changeable colour flaming red like French wine of urine, with pungent aromatic odour are the tell-tale symptoms around which the rest of renal pathology revolves be it nephritis, cystitis, prostatitis, urethritis gonorrheal or otherwise, or syphilis and lithiasis. Pray, why not menstrual anomalies with prolapsus uteri in females? And beyond urogenital pathology, sore throat hypochondriasis diarrhoea rheumatism hold onto red, pungent urine as their accompaniment.
PAREIRA:
A remedy that surpasses Cantharis in urinary tenesmus as well as pains, has its centre of selection in the funny, bovine posture the patient takes up in desperate attempts to force out urine. Paroxysms of violent pains with strangury, the patient cries out in agony, stands on all four of his limbs and waits for eternity until sweat pours out all over. Finally, urine dribbles out drop-by-drop with frequent interruptions accompanied by shearing, burning pains in glans penis with left testicle being drawn up. The pains frequently travel down the thighs, toes and soles of feet. The spasms of pains wake him up from 3 to 6 am, then the rest of the day is free from pain.
Urine deep red, bloody-black, foaming, with large quantity of thick, viscid, white mucus and brick-red sediment.
Even though lithiasis is listed in black letters, yet prostatitis, urethritis, and gonorrhoea not barred.
STAPHYSAGRIA:
A remedy that comes in when urinary strangury still plagues the patient even after surgical removal of kidney stone. The redmark pointer is the sensation as if a drop of urine still rolls along the length of urethra. And please, do not forget lice, libido, and lingering wrath of this remedy!
SEPIA:
The eligible candidate of this remedy is more often than not the one belonging to fair sex, though her fair face is spoiled by brown butterfly patches which tell the tragic tale of marital discord. Prolapse of uterus with dragging backache, indifference to husband and a growing brood of children with a harsh, lashing tongue; are the ominous symptoms of this frigid female. Do search for the red sand in urine that adheres to the vessel to complete the picture.
CALCAREA:
To cure as well as prevent the recurrence of lithiasis, this remedy that contains the very constituent of calculus calcium oxalate or phosphate deserves a prestigious place.
Do not search the indications amidst urinary symptoms, but keep an eye on the expanding girth, flabby muscles, complacent lethargy of a good corpulent soul with a moonlike face and a twinkle in the eyes. Push him up, and he will pant for breath, and break in sweat, pouring all over his limp body.
LYCOPODIUM:
Renal calculus with pain in right kidney, red sand in urine and uric acid diathesis; make the three-legged stool to rest upon, of this rightist remedy. Nonetheless, vertical furrows, flapping alae nasi, receding hairline prematurely grey along with flatus rushing down loudly of a self-made professional in his decline, with impotence mental and physician make the essential totality, to reap the full harvest.
SULPHUR:
Nowhere to be found in the long list of specific lithiasis, the remedy is replete with plethora of urinary symptoms common and characteristic. Out of this heap, dig up burning urination and pruritus, add to it burning soles and / or vertex, 11 a.m. hunger, and skin-itch; you have a recipe of this primordial remedy of our Materia Medica.
If Lycopodium proves a similimum, let it be followed by Sulphur before putting a full-stop to the treatment to cleanse the body of its impurities and morbidities-overt or covert-under the banner of Psora.
