Homoeopathy : A Weapon To Children Enemy Ascaris Lumbricoides

ABSTRACT : TO STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CALCAREA CARB, CINA & SULPHUR IN CASES OF ASCARIS LUMBRICOID WORM IN CHILDREN.

KEY WORDS : A WEAPON TO CHILDREN ENEMY ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDS.

INTRODUCTION :

The round worm ascaris is found world wide.
Many of children will come into contact with this ascaris lumbricoid worm, but all will not suffer from it, because they are healthy & have good immunity to Fight against infection.
In Modern medicine, If the child gets infection with worms,

World Health Organization recommends medicines for the treatment are albendazole, mebendazole, levamisole, or pyrantel pamoate, etc.
Complicated cases includes surgery also.
But, To those children, homoeopathy has a very good scope of treatment of worms.
Homoeopathy is very safe, having no side effects & reliable mode of  treatment in children worms cases, therefore most suitable for children.
Homoeopathic medicines will strengthen the infection fighting mechanism of  the body to eradicate disease, our homoeopathic medicines will not only eradicate worm but also helps to improve overall Health condition of the individual.

Dr Kent writes in his book, Lectures on materia under Calcarea carb,

“The idea of homoeopathy physician is not to give vermifuges but so to correct the digestion that worms will not thrive & it is true that worms will not thrive in Healthy stomach & intestine.”

So, With appropriate homoeopathic medicines, we can improve the overall health, so ultimately “YOUR HEALTHY BABY.”
Common Age groups : Children between 3 to 8 years of age.
Prevalence : According to WHO, More than 1.5 billion of world’s population are affected.
Climate : Hot or Wet climate with Poor hygiene favors the prevalence rate.
Stages :

Eggs in faeces
Development in soil
Infection by ingestion & libration of larvae
Migration through lungs
Re-entry into the Stomach & Small intestine
Sexual maturity & Egg liberation   

Metamorphosis :
One : In soil within the egg-shell.
Two : In the lungs.
One : In the intestine.
Pre-Disposing Factors :
Improper Hygiene & Open defecation
Consume Infected Food & drink                                     
Walking bare foot on Night soil

Mode of infection : Faeco oral & Cutaneous.

Normal Defense mechanism :

Normally, Any of foreign bodies will digest in the process of Digestion process by various digestive Enzymes like, Amylase, Lipase, Protease, Nuclease, etc.

This all digestion process is maintained by A site in the pancreas Known as MCPs (Metallocarboxypeptidase) site.

But, Ascaris have a special Hormone known as Ascaris Carboxypeptidase Inhibitor ( ACI), which further binds with MCPs site & Just Blocks the secretion of digestive enzymes.

So, Now as there is No enzymes, The stomach is now favorable for their Growth, & as also the enzymes secreted before the action of ACI, will also neutralize by the two enzymes of ascaris i.e. Antitryptic & Antipeptic.

Signs & Symptoms :

Due to the migrating larvae :
Larvae in the lungs : Ascaris pneumonia (Loeffler’s Syndrome), In heavy infection typical symptoms of pneumonia such as fever, cough, dyspnoea may appear, Sputum is often blood tinged may contain ascaris larvae, Urticarial rash & Eosinophilia (20%).

Due to the Adult worms :
Three Cardinal signs :
-Anal itching.
-Teeth Grinding.
-Abdominal colic.

Salivation : Dribbling from mouth.

Spoliative action : By robbing the host of its nutrition (Protein & vitamin content of the worm is high), this effect readily observed in Hyperinfected children & may contribute to  protein-energy malnutrition, may cause Vitamin A deficiency (Night blindness)

Antienzymes (Antitryptic & Antipeptic) liberated by ascaris protect the worm from digestion by the host’s intestinal ferments, they also help the development of malnutrition.

Investigation :
Direct :
-Finding of eggs in stool.
-X-ray.
Indirect :
-CBC : IgE Increase & Eosinophilia (20%).
-Tape test.

Role Of  Homoeopathy :
The pre–disposing cause of worms is unhealthy condition of stomach & intestines.

So, Role of homoeopathic medicines is to remove it & make  it healthy.

According to Materia Medica, Following medicines are found more effective in treatment of Helminthiasis in children :
-Calc-carb, Sulphur, Cina.
Therapeutics : Natrum Muriaticum, Santonine, Spigelia, Sabadilla, Teucrium, etc.

Calcarea carb : Calcarea carb is proved by Dr Hahnemann, Source is middle layer of oyster shell.
Calcarea has a kind of Indigestion, A fermentation that favours the formation of worms, so that Calcarea babies are sometimes wormy.
Stomach of calcarea is very slow in action, Food taken into the stomach remains, it doesn’t digest, it turns sour.
Indicated in baby for worm trouble of fair, fatty, flabby look, obese, very slow & chalky look.
The main characteristic indication are there is child have a desire for indigestible things like, chalk, coal, pencil, soil which causes the infection.
Round worms passes with stool causes anal itch.   
Abdomen is like inverted saucer, the stool & other discharges are sour, baby with large head & distended abdomen.
Thermally baby is Very chilly, takes cold easily, & perspiration especially on back of head.

Bones are weak, soft, A LATE LEARNER CHILD.
Red face, pale, weak, easily tired.
< Wet weather, cold air, morning, wash, full moon.
Lying on painful side.

Hahnemann mentioned some indication in his book chronic disease,
Ascaris crawls out from rectum, with itch & formication.
Before stool nausea & After stool vomit.
Pain in rectum as if torn open even stool is not hard.
Grumbling & rumbling in abdomen.
After stool anxious depression with Sensation of tiredness after stool.  

Baby has a fear of darkness, ghost, Very obstinate baby.
Shy & very timid, doesn’t wants to speak.

Cina: Cina is proved by Dr. Hahnemann, it is prepared from Worm seed.

Clarke says, Cina is pre – eminently a worm medicine as it causes all symptoms which characterise Helminthiasis both Mental & Physical.

All nutrition taken up by WORMS which causes emaciation.

Cina is famous for the most powerful remedy in elimination of round worms in children.
A scrofulous child.
Perfect picture of Cina children is dark hair, pale face, sickly look, white or blue look around mouth, big, fat, rosy look.
Indicated in children with complaint of rubbing & picking of nose, child constantly bores into nose, stool is white & watery, anal itching, pain in abdomen around navel which relieved by pressure on abdomen.
Child has a very characteristic desire for sweet, soon hungry even after meal, canine hunger, But Refuses mother’s milk.
There is Grinding of teeth.
Violent convulsion, jerking of feet & hands.
One cheek red & other pale.

The child is very irritable, cross & peevish, also there is TOUCHINESS present, He can’t bear to be touched or looked at.
Wants so many things, capricious, Even caring doesn’t give relief to the child.
< After taking sweet, over eating.
> By lying on abdomen.

Sulphur: Sulphur is proved by Dr. Hahnemann, prepared from flowers of Sulphur.
The characteristic Burning like fire favours the indication of Sulphur.
It is situated in periodic table at Raw no 3^rd & column no 16.
An Unclean, dirty, ugly, & lazy child, There is strong aversion for BATHING OR WASHING.
Baby is emaciated, lean, pot belly, & with stoop shoulder.

Complaints of worms with Morning diarrhoea which is painless, acrid, involuntary, with severe itching.

Acridity leads to BURNING, REDNESS of anal orifice.
Cries before stool in account of pain.
< Standing, rest, warmth of bed, wash, bath, change of weather.
> Dry warm weather, lying on right side.

Hahnemann mentioned some indication in his book chronic disease,
Frequently pass single ascaris, cause anus itch.
Lumbrici pass off after violent pain in abdomen with hard stool.
Colic before every stool.
Before stool pinching in abdomen, much discharge of flatus.
Pain as if it would tear anus, with urge to stool, or tenesmus after stool.
During stool palpitation which disappears  afterwards.

CONCLUSION : Homoeopathy is very safe, having no side effects & reliable mode of  treatment in children worms cases, therefore most suitable for children.

REFERENCES:
1) A Dictionary of pratical materia medica by John Henry Clarke, Publisher: B jain publishers Pvt. Ltd.

2) FORFAR & ARNEIL’S Textbook of pediatrics (5th edition) Edited by A.G.M. CAMPBELL NEIL McINTOSH, Chapter 23 infection. Publisher: Churchill Livingstone.

3) Homoeopathy for mother & child health care (Training manual – Volume 2) Chapter Gastrointestinal disorder in children – 33, Worm infestation. Publisher: Central council for research in homoeopathy.

4) Kent’s repertory of homoeopathic materia medica (6th Indian edition, 1961). Publisher: B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

5) Lectures on Homoeopathic materia medica by Dr. J. T. Kent. Publisher: B Jain publishers Pvt. Ltd.

6) The chronic disease: Their peculiar nature & their homoeopathic cure ( Volume – 1 & Volume – 2) By Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. Publisher: Indian books & Periodical publishers.

7) https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4113-2

8) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascariasis

9) https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections

Acknowledgement:  I would like to thank my guide Dr. Parth Mankad Md (Hom.) and my pg co- coordinator Dr Gauri Sharma Md (Hom.) for the inspiration of this work.

Special thanks to my friend Dr. Jayati Buch (Hom.) For all support.

ABOUT AN AUTHOR :

Dr Raxit Ramavat
PG Scholar : MD Part – 1
Subject : Homoeopathic Materia Medica
Ahmedabad homoeopathic medical college, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Dr GAURI SHARMA
Associate Professor and PG coordinator
Dept of Organon of medicine
Ahmedabad homoeopathic medical college, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.