Significance of Etiology in Homoeopathic Practice

patientsDr. Sushil Dubey M.D (Hom)

A cause is a factor that gives rise to some effect. This is a relationship between events or things, where one is the product of other or others. This is an amalgamation of action and reaction. A cause is why things take place, and an effect is what that occurs. The cause gives rise to succession of sequential events in a series that has some or other end product as its consequence. The causative factor is the starting place of the earliest inaugural ceremony of alteration in the harmonious co-operative functions of the body.

The etiology that has initiated the progression of disease is the most vital element in the history of patient. It is so significant that it can safely rule out many other symptoms if the cause is clearly perceived and verified. At plentiful of occasions this will be the sole guide to remedy in demand by the altered state of disposition that has followed after the exposure to etiology.

Any unfair incident that has acted as starting of the disease process is an important clue. It should never be ignored. In fact it should be respected of its qualification. It should be taken care of with due regards. The etiology if discovered precisely, and is verified, is the key to mystery of the case. Basically there can be four major broad classifications of etiological factors that contribute to frame out diseased states. Those are, Chemical factors (for example Vaccination, Bad effects of some drugs, Food Poisoning, etc) Physical factors (for example Trauma, Radiations, exposure to sun, etc) Environmental factors (for example Change of Weather, etc), and Psychogenic factors (emotional trauma, grief, shock, etc.). However, the fascinated students of this era focus more on psychogenic factors and tend to overlook any other factors. One must remember that any agent amongst any of the above discussed factors, if appears as to be the cause of the disease it holds equal valuation as that of any mental cause.

It is quite necessary to comprehend the nature of etiology. Any acute case will always relate etiological factors of recent origin. Whereas the chronic suffering patients will communicate of a cause that was present long back, months or years ago. The patient habitually remembers with reference to recent one but may tend to not recall the cause that had occurred long years ago and produced disease. But if the patient emphasizes some incident which sourced his illness, then consider the case is half solved.

I remember a case of 1 month baby boy diagnosed as of Hypocalcemic, whose uncle contacted me on my cellphone after he was disappointed with the deteriorating condition of the baby after spending 15 day at NICU and meticulously detailed the suffering of the baby. He informed that baby has tetany spasms all over and is continually on calcium gluconate infusion. Even after infusion and oral calcium syrups the prognosis was getting worse with still low calcium levels in serum. Once attempted to free him from infusion pump but that was denied by the baby’s body by showing signs of spasms and convulsion. Baby was fine until he got vaccinated and day after vaccinations he developed pyrexia, treated with paracetamol syrups. The same night baby showed signs of intermittent muscular spasms and was shifted to higher centre for further management. Taking into consideration the etiology of disease presented the boy received a dose of Silicea 30 and afterwards Silicea 200 in half cup of water, from local pharmacy on my advice, at regular intervals as and when the case demanded, and the boy recovered from state of hypocalcaemia to normocalcemia. (PHATAK’S REPERTORY, C – CONVULSIONS, SPASMS, VACCINATION AFTER).

Yet another case I can recall that consulted me on phone for Pain in her breast since morning. A night before she slept after feeding the baby and woke up this morning with tremendous pain and congestion, swelling of right breast. She cried in pain that she cannot feed her child since the milk is not flowing out. She tried to press it and remove the milk but nothing is helping out. Without slaughtering and killing single minute I consulted the repertory in my computer device and discovered the syndrome of rubric those were in correspondence with the above portrayed state of affair. Of which the causative factor that is coagulation of milk in the breast made a clear pathway to the remedy. The lady in pain received Bryonia 30 dissolved in water at regular interval of 15 minutes, the patient was relieved instantly of his pain and milk got ejected of its own within 30 minutes. (COMPLETE REPERTORY, CHEST- INFLAMMATION MAMMAE CONSOLIDATION OF MILK WITH)

I retain information that I learned during my assistantship at Dr. Rajan Dubey Sir’s clinic, Mumbai. One of our colleague’s younger sister of approximately 3 years age suffered head injury in a massive road traffic accident. She survived but went comatose due to colossal haemorrhage causing subdural hematoma. The attending physician at Hospital ICCU claimed the case to be Hopeless and bad prognosis. The girl received Arnica 30 in repeated dosage and it was no less than a magic to see the same girl coming to see in clinic, with her parents and on her own legs.

I would like to share one more case where injury played the role of etiology. While I was in 2nd year of my medical schooling, I was posted in college peripheral OPD, in a remote village where this case happened to visit. She was a girl student of 8th standard who presented with a hyper pigmented bluish black patch on her left side of face covering the entire left of face from forehead to cheek. On enquiry it was revealed by the mother that when the girl was 1.5 years of age she had fallen from mother’s lap and injury was received on the said left side of face. Since then there has been this spot which was initially pin point and gradually went on increasing in diameter. This girl too received Arnica 200 and I was left wonderstruck to see the patch disappearing just in a span of 15 days.

Numerous examples can be stated from the literature as well as from the personal experiences. Etiology is the most vital element in the case. In repertory on can find Causative factors under AILMENTS FROM scattered all over in the repertory sections. Many others are listed as aggravating factors or under rubric NEVER WELL SINCE.

Etiology if found is the can unlock the whole case and proceed to cure when correct similimum is administered.

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