Study of rare remedies in relation to polychrests of Homoeopathic Materia Medica
One of the best ways the study Materia Medica especially rare remedies – To study the polychrests and commonly indicated remedies properly ,then one can easily co-relate and remember the rare remedies in relation to polychrests of our Homoeopathic Materia Medica.
Some rare remedies to be studied in relation to polychrests
Squilla, Upas – Bryonia
Cistus Canadensis – Calc Carb
Carlsbad aqua – Graphites
Chrysarobinum – Mezereum
Menyanthes – Sanguinaria
Pinus sylvestris – Silicea
And so on………….
JATROPHA vs VERATRUM ALB in diarrhoea
Jatropha (Purging Nut) has a profuse watery discharge, evacuated with great force, and the patient is often cold as under Veratrum; but with Jatropha a great quantity of wind escapes. (Dr.Dewey)
It is indicated in watery Diarrhoea associated with colic, tenesmus, flatulence, burning, nausea and vomiting. Great prostration. (Dr.EA Farrington)
The diarrhoea of Jatropha is very often associated with coldness with mottled blue surface with cold sweat. At times the purging is accompanied by copious (and easy) vomiting of watery aluminous ropy liquid. Sudden desire for stool is marked. Water is almost immediately vomited.
Kent describes the sphere of Jatropha in cholera thus: The characteristic is rice water discharge, it has vomiting and purging, more or less sweat, more or less cramps, suppression of urine, the great prostration, syncope and rapid onset peculiar to cholera and it has this to differentiate it from all other remedies. The vomiting and purging and evacuations are thick, albuminous, lumpy instead of thin and watery.
Jatropha is one of the most active of the Euphorbians and strongly resembles Croton in its action, especially in the urgent gushing stools and the irritation and pimples of the skin. (J H Clarke)
Dr. Adolph Lippe illustrated his method in this way: “In many cases,” he says, “the characteristic symptoms will consist in the result obtained by deducting all the symptoms generally pertaining to the disease with which the patient suffers, from those elicited by a thorough examination of the case.” In other words the characteristic symptoms are the symptoms peculiar to the individual patient, rather than the symptoms common to the disease.
He illustrated this by a case, as follows: “The patient was attacked by cholera. All the characteristic symptoms of cholera were present; but in this individual case there was (1) an unusual noise in the intestines, as if a fluid were being emptied out of a bottle. (2) The discharge came away with a gush. Of what pathological value these symptoms were we know not. Still they formed part of the totality which we must cover. Deducting from the (numerical) totality of the symptoms those common to the disease, we were in possession of the characteristic symptoms of the patient.
“We found that those two symptoms are also characteristic of Jatropha curcas, and that this remedy, at the same time, has caused symptoms corresponding with the general pathological condition.” Jatropha promptly cured the case.
(Here the author of the article would also state what Dr.Garth Boericke writes
A knowledge of pathology & pathogenesis of disease is necessary to interpret the symptomatology obtained, and prescribe the true Homoeopathic remedy not merely the seemingly Homoeopathic one.)
(Here the author would also like to add his interpretation that – a remedy producing cholera like picture + PQRS symptoms of the case was the indicated remedy and we can apply the same analogy in other cases ;pathology + PQRS symptoms = indicated remedy in a given case)
The selection of a curative remedy in this case, therefore, was governed by two symptoms of no known pathological value, and of seemingly trifling character. Yet these two symptoms were what gave the case its individuality, and unerringly pointed out the curative remedy.
This case is a beautiful example of the kind of work for which Dr. Lippe was famous. It illustrates the necessity of being familiar with the natural history, symptomatology and diagnosis of disease. Dr. Lippe could not have decided that these two symptoms were peculiar and characteristic if he had been unfamiliar with the symptoms of cholera. Neither could he have selected these two symptoms as peculiar if he had not had the rest of the symptoms before him for comparison. The mistake of arbitrarily picking out some “freak” symptom, and giving a remedy which has a corresponding symptom, should be avoided.
References
1) The genius of Homoeopathy by Dr.Stuart Close
2) Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica – Dr.James Tyler Kent
3) Pocket manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica – Dr.William Boericke
4) Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica – Dr.J H Clarke
5) Practical Homoeopathic therapeutics – Dr.W A Dewey
6) Compendium on the principles of Homoeopathy – Dr.Garth Boericke)
