Introduction
Dr Samual Hahnemann provides detailed guidance on case taking for acute & chronic disease & role of ideal physician & keen observer described clearly in organon of medicine aphorism (83-104) case taking is an unique art that involves conversation, observation & collecting peculiar information from patient and their disease condition & key aspects of case taking include not leading the patient, understanding lifestyle factors and the way of thinking, anger, emotions, joy everything assessing specific symptoms & accurately collect report of the patient’s description of their own words .
The importance of the homeopath’s observations in case taking is a powerful tool that guides case analysis as an individual each and every case and remedy selection. It improves the depth and accuracy of the case history, ensures the individuality of the prescription, and eventually contributes to the positive result of the treatment. Observation transforms the art of case taking into a deep therapeutic come across rooted in compassion, awareness and clinical perceptiveness. In homeopathy indvidualisation of case taking observation is more than collection of symptoms physically, mental generals and social symptoms we treat as a whole patient for effective treatment. While patients give a complete verbal case history of their ailments the homeopaths silently observed often reveals what word cannot be like facial expressions, body poster, walking, tone of voice, body language behavior changes during case taking to find individualization of the patient’s physical, mental & emotional state of the patient.
These non-communication expressions always reflect the inner disharmony that the patient may be not aware of or unable to express. The power of keen observation becomes an important tool for the homeopath, helping to individualize each case & select the most appropriate remedy. Homeopathy follows nature law, no other Pathy follows laws and fundamentals like homoeopathy that helps physician observation in case taking. And the belief system is important for healing and holistic approach of homoeopathy. In homeopathy observation in case taking is not a passive condition; it is an active and dynamic process engagement that demands presence, sensitivity & medical skills.
While medical history and patient case history form one part of the case, it is the physician’s silent yet sharp awareness that fills in the missing gaps, the individual person is not always able to fully expressive suffering, especially when it comes to mental and emotional disturbances. Many patients do not express their emotions and lack self-awareness’ fail to report symptoms that are important for remedy selection during illness. In such cases, the physician trained observation becomes an important tool for identifying keynotes symptoms, and peculiarities of the case taking for individualization.
The Philosophical Concept Behind Observation in Homoeopathy Case Taking
The concept of Case taking observation is deep as ocean & there are many ways of observation taught by Dr. Samual Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy. In the homeopathic book organon of medicine, especially in Aphorism 6 & 83, Hahnemann described that the totality of symptoms helps to find out the exact remedy selection & that careful observation is essential to understand the complete picture of disease condition of the patient.
We find out the peculiar symptoms and signs of physical, and intellectual behavior, his occupation, way of living and habits & his social behavior & family relations, his age & sexual functions, comfort zone, and discomfort zone. All records of investigations are necessary for dealing with patient indisposition. Observation is the reflections of disease in the sensation, location, duration, aggravation and amelioration and functions of that side of the living being sensitive to the senses of the homeopaths as an observer. Dr Hahnemann says ‘’ the physician observes, understands, hears, and remarks by his other senses what is triggered in the patient.
The physician is unprejudiced observer each case taking is based on individual not confirmation from previous experiences. Homeopath can be perceived externally by means of the senses that is to say physician notices only the diversion from the former healthy state of the now diseased individual which are felt by the patient himself, remarked by those around patient & observed by the physician all sign and symptoms represent the disease in its whole extent they form the complete picture of the disease.
Physicians write down all important information about patients during case taking for records & especially during first prescription & subsequent prescription help to recall the case. The physician himself should be calm and not prejudiced &peculiar signs and symptoms given by the patient and his friends told him the physician is keeping silent himself & not interrupting the patient unless they deviate to other matters. The physician does not interrupt the patient during describing the symptoms; every interruption breaks the train of thought of the patient, & all they would have said at first does not again occur to them in the exact manner after that.
Physician firstly note down the patient’s:
- Name
- Age
- Sex
- Occupation
- History of Patient
- His family history is also recorded like: parents age their general health and cause of chronic disease if they deceased and if death.
- His sibling’s history like sister and brother also not neglect to get a portrait of the ailments from which they have suffered.
Physicians avoid all leading questions or direct questions to the patient. And never forget from one sign and symptom to another at random, as it confuses the patient and scatters the physician ‘s ideas. Complete every symptom that has been presented and careful questioning is necessary. Each and every symptom must be rounded out as to time and place, the sensations, the kind of distress, the type of pain all the modalities must ensure the aggravations and ameliorations of each individual symptom is important to the patient. Physicians work out the recording of the case in such a way that we cover all the parts of the individual and can see the clear image as a whole. Totality of symptoms is the basis for every homoeopathic prescription, the diagnostic symptoms are of very little use to the homoeopathic prescriber in selecting the remedy .
Simillinum is used in homeopathy practically never found in diagnostic symptoms not in every case .The patient , even though the remedy selected on the basis of the symptom totality may never have been used under like diagnostic conditions before ,the homoeopathic physician consists in ascertaining the remedy that mostcompletely & fully covers each individual case.
Homeopathic physicians may be linked totality of the symptoms to an artist painting a portrait , all those symptoms which may be found on all faces , eyes , ears, nose , mouth , lips. All individuals are similar but each individual has peculiarities of his own & in order to make the image complete the artist must present the individualities in the portrait & other features are normal position , shape & size as it appears in the individual himself . We must gain knowledge of the concomitant symptoms & rare ,striking the peculiar symptoms & characteristic symptoms must be presented as determining the individuality , the personality of the patient for whom we are prescribing.
First of all we remove all the symptoms that are found in all diseases unless they manifest themselves in a striking manner . The ailments and symptoms that usually appear in the disease under consideration , by some rare peculiarity & particularly characteristic symptoms like thirstless , fever or chill with desire ,time & duration should be carefully noted by the physician himself. Physicians clearly know about cause and miasm of the disease based on totality of symptoms, law of simillia, unusual signs and symptoms which considered almost choosing the single remedy.
Physician follow fundamental law of cure similia similibus curentur it is a universal law adapted to human sickness , this is the general law for the cure of the physical & mental ills of human being & it is the method of healing that has continued to withstand the pressure of time and changing circumstances . The physician prescribed quality of the action of the homoeopathic remedy is determined by its dose quantity, its potency and knowledge of homoeopathy pharmacy.
The physician knows how to deal with acute cases and chronic cases and effective doses of medicine . Physicians know the action & reaction of medicine and the antidote of medicine. The physician’s knowledge of the basic principles of this law explains why often a very high potency will cure intractable disease states where the low potencies do not even give relief ,the knowledge of the necessitates a thorough knowledge of materia medica and clear understanding of the homoeopathic art . The physician observed how the aggravation and amelioration occurs & the duration analysis of the symptoms you will find.
Physician Observed Case Taking in Layers
physical observation is a visual sign and symptoms seen by physician himself patient height, weight, skin color , his expression , restlessness , trembling , body posture & voice tone, breath patterns his habits ect this sign and symptoms help to find out single remedy and follow simillia similus curanture law of nature.
Previous history also important his treatment history, timing , duration ,medication currently taking medicine or not his family history for any genetic disease he suffered or not all the physical observation important for individuality , totality of sign and symptoms and selection of remedy.
Mental general observation become more valuable patient thought, sleep, way of talking, friend circle, anger, joy, the way of thinking, violence and introvert or extrovert, talkative or less talkative suppressed their emotions or expressed himself, his grief, sadness, guilt, fear, self confidence, how to handle mental pressure, how to react when someone say anything, short tempered calmness, his modalities all these subjective symptoms important and the physician observed between the case taking help to find single remedy.
Homeopathic Techniques which is used by Homoeopath
Homeopathic techniques are both art & skill which help in years of practice observation. Physicians most of the time just listen to the patient carefully & note all important information to find an accurate remedy . Homoeopaths follow some strategies like sitting silently before consultation, taking a few moments of inner silence helps to find out subtle cues during the session.
Unprejudiced observation physicians should not treat from past experiences as if they were a new case as a new way not to be judgemental. A calm non- judgemental presence helps the physician to observe the patient in their real nature without defence.
Homeopaths should note down all verbal, symptomatic and observative symptoms & changes of odd behaviors non – verbal sign & symptoms is the key to understanding the case.
Video recording with consent in modern clinics helps to revise sessions & noticed error details.
Homeopathic observation in case taking is aim to select single, simple, remedy in different ways like confirmatory symptoms, elimination of similar remedy with similar rubrics, miasmatic understanding with every pattern of the patient, assessing vital force reveals the immunity, susceptability & reactivity of the patient for choosing exact remedy with its potency and repetition of doses.
Homeopathic Medicines For Example Observation of Case Taking For Homeopath
Children-suffering from weak concentration with respiratory problems, cough during consultation his parents give his behavior history he was quiet & obedient, homeopath observed child avoid eye contact, trembling hands, clenched hands & flinched spoken, this observation of case taking indicated suppressed fear and suppressed emotional trauma, lack of subjective symptoms we prescribed stramonium remedy after observation of his symptoms and child much better after few days next followup. Through observational other remedies like, Nuxvomica, Ignitia amara, lycopodium, zincum met, & other groups of medicines are the examples of observational case taking for Homeopath’s.
CONCLUSION
Homoeopathic observation is not a subjective but clinical or philosophical responsibility to see the patient in their full complication . Its modalities with the holistic approach of homeopathy, confirmed that nothing important is missed in the pursuing of true healing . In a modern era where technical & rushed consultations frequently slow patient interaction , returning to simple but intense effort of observation of case taking can revive the core of homeopathy practice for homeopaths. For every homeopath either a beginner or practitioners with the knowledge of observational case taking art & skills , the fundamental principle of treating the patient as an individual is not optional but essential. Gives training themselves to complete the gap between symptom collection and remedy understanding with observation deeply , every homeopath’s honor the individualisation of the patient with similia similibus curentur is the timeless wisdom of true classical homeopathy.
