Pathologic Simillimum II
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1996 Jul / Aug Vol V No 4.
Gunavante S M.

In the chapter "Symptomatology" (Genius of Homoeopathy, P147), Dr Stuart Close in his illuminating discussion observes -.

"The drug symptoms recorded in the homoeopathic Materia Medica are seen to be exact counterparts of the symptoms of disease (148). In the materia medica no relevant fact is too insignificant to be overlooked. There is a place and use for every fact. Hahnemann, (Organon, Aphorism 7) calls the totality "The image (or picture) reflecting outwardly the internal essence of the disease, the suffering life force." The same idea underlies the phrase "Genius of the Remedy"; genius in this sense being the dominant influence, or the central principle of the remedy, which gives it, its individuality. Totality means the sum of the aggregate but the sum total of their organic whole as an individuality. Each disease, each individual case of disease and each symptom disease has its totality or individual form".

The above observation is given to draw attention to the fact that while the internal essence of the disease, of the suffering life force, has to be seen not as a mere numerical totality, or the sum total of symptoms. It should be perceived as an organic whole, as an individuality on the one hand, and on the other hand, the counterpart of this totality should be sought in a remedy which embodies the dominant influence, or the essential principle of the disease picture as a Unit.

It should be obvious from the foregoing observation of H A Roberts, Crompton Burnett, Richard Hughes and Stuart Close, including Hahnemanns directive in Aphorisms 7 and 192, that in order to cure, the Simillimum must be arrived at after taking into account the PATHOLOGIC- or pathogenetic-symptoms which reveal the nature of that MORBID PROCESS which causes the Most Suffering.

Dr E A Farrington also draws attention to this peculiar Genius of remedies, reflecting their pathologic (pathogenetic) effects. In his LEsser Writings (Page 64-67) (B Jain Publishers_ he observes-.Physicians have, at times when unable to fit "the totality," have chosen the remedy that suits those characteristics upon which the entire disease seems to depend. In this manner we have learnt to employ Chelidonium for many diseases when a congestion of the lower bowels with piles is obtained. Employing such characteristics as piles bleeding....sticks in the rectum, uterine, affections, varices, irritable heart etc have yielded to the drug just as though they depended for their existence upon pelvic stasis. Similarly, we have seen palpitation, vertigo and dyspepsia vanish under the influence of Pareira-brava selected for its grand characteristic, "Must get down on all fours and strain to pass water; pains go down the thighs.".

So, too, Berberis relieves a host of ailments when selected by its radiating renal pains, "Pains go into the hips; urine with yellow foamy sediment.".

Anisum-stellatum has cured haemoptysis when selected by its key-note, "Pain at the junction of the third right rib with its cartilage." Myrtus-communis has retarded phthisis when presented with sharp pain through the upper part of the left lung.

Ceanothus has removed leucorrhoea when in addition there was a sharp pain in the splenic region and so on. Now in all such cases there is, of course, a connection between symptoms treated as central manifestation and the others that disappear along with them, through often we are not able to detect it... In some instances the symptom or group of symptoms employed, plainly exhibit universal quality of the drug, as in Bryonia worse from motion; Thuja for nervous phenomena depending upon affection of skin and mucous membranes, or for warts; Rhus-t for complaints of fibrous tissues, better from continued motion; Causticum for paretic aphonia, even if of catarrhal origin, and so on. In such cases we are not prescribing for a single symptom; we are making use of the universal, characteristic property and wherever in the human body tissue like that under treatment exists, there the medicine can have an effect." (p 65-66)..... When we use proper discrimination, then only will we have creditable reports. Dr Farrington continues (p 321): "A fully proved drug acts somewhat on nearly all parts of the body; hence, completeness requires that all parts should be represented in the anamnesis".

For example, guided by the splenic pains of Ceanothus, leucorrhoea has been cured by that remedy; Influenced by the sour stomach of Robinia, one physician learned to value that drug in ulcers on the legs. Hepar as a remedy in suppuration has no foundation in proving other than in certain subjective sensations, which led to its trials, and yet no one today will deny its efficacy. Just as metastasis are apt to take place in tissues of similar function, so are analogous parts prone to be affected by a drug. On this reasoning, Arum-triphyllum, which causes rawness of the corners of the mouth, was successfully employed by Dr B F Betts for a similar condition of the Os Uteri; and upon the same principle, drug which were used for the diseases of the testicles have been used when the Ovaries are affected. (p 320-1).

Some more cases from the masters would be useful, but space forbids. Few more cases are just referred to here and for details the readers are referred to that sources.

1. Chronic Splenitis (worse in cold damp weather) cured with Ceanothus (Best of Burnett P 322).
2. Pain in Breast after trauma cured with Bellis perennis (BB 373).
3. Severe inter-costal neuralgia of seven years standing cured with Urtica-urens MT, 10 drops tds (Bb 438)
4. Tumour the size of a tangerine orange at the root of the left ovary, with new growths affecting the sacral bone. The surgeon who opened her, stitched it up, and advised a long course of X-ray treatment. Dr J H Clarke treated her with Hydrastis Q. Patient improved and started attending to her large business. (Therapeutics of Cancer--J H Clerk page 6).
5. Male, 75 suffering from Epithelioma involving the right side of the face; recurrence at the site of the original tumour removed earlier surgically; now growing rapidly, infiltrating surroundings tissue; given up by the London specialist as hopeless. Under the action of unit doses of Lobeliaerinus he responded to the first dose. Absorption very soon followed and the whole tumour disappeared within three months. (ibid p 12-13).
6. A girl, 25, health broken down by overwork; total prostration, trembling, even short conversation aggravates. Sleepless; rheumatic pains; sciatica ---cured by Lecithin 1M and 10M. (Kents Minor Writings, page 596).
7. A case "Resembling Acute Brights Disease" cured with Nitric-acid 1000 on the basis of "Urine smells strong, like that of a horse." (K Minor Writings page 110)
8. Kent once referred a patients letter to two of his students well versed in repertorisation. After repertorising it for a whole day they came up with Calc- carb. When they showed the working to Kent, he said that the remedy was Thuja. Why? Because Thuja had the essence of the case, with the nature of the urethral discharge. (See Herings condensed M M).
9. A Lippe and other experts were in charge of a boy suffering from typhoid (over 100 years ago) and they all felt it was a case of Stramonium. But the boy had severe suffering from sore raw feeling in the mouth, as if ulcerated. It is only after confirming from the Materia Medica that Stram had this condition that they were satisfied it was Stram which cured the body. It is obvious that the remedies in all these cases were selected based on a knowledge of the Genius of the remedies, viz, their central pathognomonic symptoms, the range of their pathogenetic power and the nature of the morbid process they cover .

When and Why do we fail? It is worth recalling in this stage that functional changes precede pathological structural tissue changes in the human organism. If we do not tackle the problem when it is still in the stage of functional disorder (when the requisite characteristic symptoms are available), we will one day be faced with the structural (pathological) disorders, when individualizing, characteristic symptoms would not be recollected by the patient or prominently noticed by the physician. For many such complaints eg ulcer, gangrene, nephrotic syndrome, uterine fibroids, hernia, Heart disease, Cancer, etc. the patients will go to an allopath or a surgeon, without knowing that even at this stage Homoeopathy can offer them help. Even if not cure at least marked relief from suffering and painless prolongation of the life span, free from suffering is possible. It is at this stage, at least, that the pathological, or pathogenetic approach (combined with some peculiar or concomitant symptom which may still be elicited) could be successfully used.

Witness Clarkes case at page 119-120 of the book "Perceiving Crucial Symptoms" and Dr Mankanis case referred to earlier (details available in July 1996 issue of Hom Heritage). Unfortunately, the number of practitioners who take time and trouble to study the original provings in Materia Medica Pura, or Allens Encyclopaedia or at least Clarkes Dictionary and to master the pathogenetic effects of medicines, even in difficult cases, appears to be very small. Hence it is that Homoeopathy has not been able to establish beyond doubt in the eyes of the Homoeopathic expert, its supreme ability to cure, if not remarkably relieve "incurable" cases.

In conclusion I should like to make it clear that I am not advocating "pathological prescribing". Far from it. The main aim of this Section is to stress that the peculiar, characteristic individualizing symptoms must go hand in hand with the Chief complaint as described by H A Roberts. In other words, we must, on the one hand, elicit the totality and on the other hand, we must be conversant with the Genius, the Essence or the central core of remedies so that we can find a remedy which fits like a glove with speedy curative action.

Summarizing what we have learnt in this article:--We should now endeavor to identify the nature of the morbid processes of each remedy by studying the materia medica in depth, as many remedies as possible and see how the morbid processes which pervade the whole organism lead to or manifest themselves in various disorders which cause much suffering. In doing so, let us be guided by the examples given above. In this effort let us not neglect to identify the Causative or Aggravating factors wherever possible, as well as the characteristic peculiarities which govern the disorders. This effort will hopefully enable us to identify the Pathologic simillimum for each individual ailment.

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