ABSTRACT:- The main aim of the article is to describe ” DRUG -MEDICINE – REMEDY AND SELECTING A PERFECT HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDY ” and its characteristics through description by various stalwarts.
KEYWORDS:- Homoeopathic Drug , medicine, Remedy
INTRODUCTION:- Drug Medicine and Remedy is the basis of Homeopathic Science. It has been well defined by Mandal as Drug is a therapeutic agent, prepared pharmaceutically from standardized drug substances according to the rules and regulations of pharmacopoeia , which is sufficiently capable of affecting the structural change and may be even cause of death if continued for a sufficient time and dose.
Hahnemann said[Sec. 19] , Organon of medicine.
Now as diseases are nothing more than alterations in the state of health of the healthy individual they express themselves by morbid signs, and cure is also only possible by a change to a healthy condition of the state of health of the diseased individual it is very evident that medicines could never cure diseases if they did not possess the power of altering man’s state of health which depends on sensations and functions, indeed, that their curative power owes solely to this power they possess of altering man’s state of health.
MEDICINE– Homoeopathic Medicines include any substance which is recorded in standard books of materia medica from Hahnemann down to the present day authorities with symptoms gathered from proving on healthy human beings or symptoms, not found during provings but observed to have been actually cured by the substances during their ad ministration to sick persons ,or symptoms observed either accidentally or by controlled experiment or observed as toxico logical effects in Human beings or animals and which are beings or animals and which are being prepared as per homoeopathic pharmacy and administered to the sick according to symptom similarity.
When a drug has been potentised homeopathically and proved on healthy human beings in sexes(male and female), all ages and in different constitutions producing abnormal signs and symptoms (both subjective), is called medicine e.g. Nux vomica 30.
REMEDY– When a particular medicine is prescribed for a particular diseased condition, according to symptom similarity and when the diseased condition is cured totally, the medicine is called a remedy of that particular case.
A “drug” becomes a ” remedy” when it satisfies the law of similarity, though loosely they are used in the same sense.
CONCEPT OF A HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDY-The concept of “remedy” exists only in homoeopathy. The allopathic friends have the concept of “medicine” i.g. Proved drug. The main difference between the both is that the remedy has a curative action the medicine has a suppressing action.
HOW TO ARRIVE AT A HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDY
Thus, the basics tell that some criteria need to be followed to reach to a point where a remedy is called homoeopathic, the guidelines of which have been mentioned in our literature.Dr. Hahnemann has laid down points along with which various stalwarts have helped us with their explanations.
Firstly, a physician should be true to his pathy, his patients and his intentions which means that as a physician he has the mission to help. Mankind is especially sick with the truest of efforts. A true homoeopath cannot afford to commit error in remedy selection because the future of our pathy is dependent on accurate selection and not false claims. Practice earnestly and not easily.
Secondly, the physician should be thorough and confident in all the knowledge required by him and should possess all qualities and should do a proper case taking and maintain a physician’s record.As it is truly said by E.H. Wright said that ” A well taken case is half cured.” (Spread across all aphorisms and serves as a blueprint;Boenninghausen lesser writings Physician’s record book. He should properly apply homoeopathic philosophy.
Thirdly, he should be able to ascertain the level of disease and scope of treatment and plan accordingly, i.g. whether the case is curable or incurable and use treatment measures as required such as curative(in curable cases). palliative( in terminal cases), etc.
Lastly, the main area of discussion is that he should follow the cardinal principles, laws and doctrines to reach ‘ The Similimum”, i.e. The ‘remedy’, which means, in other words, the most suitable method of employing medicines for the cure of natural disease. The physician should always bear in mind the concept of individualisation and so, should pay attention to uncommon, peculiar, rare, and characteristic symptoms of the patient as they are the keys to selection of correct remedy. Attend the onset and cessation of symptoms along with its direction and extension. Match a patient’s characteristic to that of remedy and not vice versa( one should not expect all symptoms of remedy in the patient as our search is for similimum and not similar.) Materialistic concept, e.g. prescription on disease ultimates will cause only the selection of medicine and not remedy and thus causing suppression.Similarly, favouritism or
prejudice in remedies deviates the physician from the path of cure. Also if a remedy didn’t act in a case only means that the selection was wrong and not that the remedy is not useful. Remedy finding is only possible by laborious investigation, great circumspection and serious deliberation on the part of the physician. One should become a homoeopath and not a ‘mongrel sect’.
To make the remedy most suitable, potency selection(on the basis of susceptibility; seat, nature intensity, stage, duration and previous treatment of disease) and repetition(only if requirement is indicated) play the most important role. The remedy chosen should be minimum w.r.t. the requirement of the case, i.e. just a little higher than the disease force to avoid unnecessary homoeopathic aggravation and thus effecting a gentle cure.
HOW TO ARRIVE AT A REMEDY
Remedy selection can be done through various paths,viz.on basis of causation (precipitating factors), modalities (which are characteristics of remedy),miasms (intercurrent in stand still cases),organopathy(when complete symptoms are not available such as one sided cases),keynotes (three or more symptoms usually for acute cases but is “dangerous”)or concomitants (boenninghausen says that these are most important and characteristics of a case; helps qualify a symptom as’ grand symptom’). Before prescribing, do take care to consider remedy relationships and changes in personality and temperament.
When remedy prescription is clubbed with modification of diet and regimen, the obstacles to cure are removed and the remedy becomes complete in all respects to be called a “specific homoeopathic remedy” for a case.
CONCLUSION
I would like to conclude by saying that the main aim of the article is to explain that for a remedy to be homoeopathic it should fulfil all the norms laid down by our master and other stalwarts and thus ultimately serve to our ailing brothers and sisters. In the end, I would like to quote from Farrington’s lesser writings, “Again we are asked to exchange Hahnemann’s scheme for sharp organopathy.Call the former, if you choose, a kaleidoscope you do but express its immensity, not its uselessness. The kaleidoscope is constructed on scientific principles, as does homeopathy.”The Kaleidoscope,’says one authority, ‘is of great use to pattern-makers, to whom it supplies an endless variety of figures,’so with Hahnemann’s homoeopathy. It supplies the student with an endless variety of similima from which he may choose that correspond to his case. As the pattern-maker thus increases his usefulness, so does the homoeopath increase his opportunities to heal the sick.”
REFFRENCES:
1. Verma P.N. Encyclopaedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacy. 2. Mathur K.N. Guide to Organon.
3. Wright E.H. A Brief Study Course in Homoeopathy. 4. Farrington, Lesser Writings.
5.Mandal and Mandal, Textbook of Homoeopathic Pharmacy.
About the Author:
Dr. ROSHNI KUMRE – MD scholar Homoeopathic Pharmacy Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital Bhopal M.P.
Under the guidance of:
Dr. Hemant Kumar Soni MD(HOM) – Dept. of Homoeopathy Pharmacy GHMC
