Case Of Washing Mania
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2000 Mar / Apr VOL II NO 2.
Dr Adil Chimtanwala
'Syph
A female of 32 y having 3 children, was brought on 23-1-98 by her husband with an unusual complaint of repeatedly cleaning everything she suspected of getting dirty. Her obsession had developed to such an extent that she compelled even her husband to wash his hands and feet before he entered his house after returning from Court (a Civil Judge). No sooner did any guest or an outsider leave the house, she immediately wiped the sofa, chairs and pieces of furniture they seemed to have touched. This problem had made everyone miserable. She also suffered from recurrent pharyngitis and FUH.
The intermenstrual bleeding remained for days > CVP capsules.
She was oversensitive, introvert and haughty. Of course she has been fastidious since childhood, took bath twice a day even in winters and never wore clothes more than once.
Pt As A Person:
Appetite - good
Desired - hot drinks.
Past History of Recurrent Stools. Loose motions till 10-11 years. Acne ++.
F/H Father Asthmatic, Mother Recurrent Colds.
O/E Old Looking face, looking exhausted
Cooperative, answered well.
P84/min, BP 112/78 mm of Hg, No Pallor/ Icterus/ Cyanosis/ Clubbing
Throat - Congested, Tonsils enlarged, tongue-clean, Submandibular Lymphadenopathy +
RS & CVS - NAD
P/A - Soft, NT, Liver/Spleen - Not Palpable
CNS- NAD.
| 23-1-98 | Ars-alb 1M stat | |
| 13-2-98 | Severe attack of Throat Congestion after ice-cream, burning+ Constriction +, Febrile, stools burning ++ | Caps 200/3 d |
| 14-2-98 | Patient feeling much better, sleep >> throat >> | SL 1 TDSx7 |
| 22-2-98 | No much change in the delusion. stool > appetite >. | Syphillinum 1M1 dose stat |
| 1-4-98 | Patient herself reported: able to refrain, although the compulsion remains. Throat complaints + LMP 26th March, Flow +++ 3 days only, Now Leucorrhoea +++, acrid Burning | SL 1BD x 1 mth |
| 3-5-98 | No major complaint.LMP 24th April. Flow ++ for 6 daysLeucorrhoea +++++ for 5 days after Throat >>> | SL 1 BD x 1mth |
| 28-5-98 | Patient's mother expired 2 days back. Depressed Syphill 1/ month Washing obsession +++. irritable, weepy | Syphill 1M |
| 1-7-98 | No complaints, Mentals >> Menses >>>, Leucorrhoea ++ | SL 1BDx 1mth |
In Kent's rep, Syph is the only drug for washing mania. Ars-alb and Capsicum helped to manage the symptoms totality. Syphillinum corrected the obsession of Washing and Cleanliness.
