Clinical Utility of Concise Repertory of Homoeopathic Medicines Dr SR Phatak

Book review by  Dr VASANTH C KURUP MD (Hom)

A Concise Repertory Of Homoeopathic Medicines by Dr.S.R.Phatak is an alphabetized re-working of Boger&Boenninghausen. It is a useful reference book which lessen the difficulties of the prescriber. Remedies for a particular rubric are reduced to minimum possible by a careful selection. The author has garnered all useful modalities from different standard repertories & has included those in this book.

All the physiological or pathological, mental symptoms, generals, particulars are arranged alphabetically.

RUBRIC CONSTRUCTION

• Location/sensation, affections in general
• Side-right
• Left
• Alternating sides
• Extension
• Sublocation / subsensation, depending on rubric along with  Aggravation, Amelioration and Concomittants intermingled alphabetically.

Eg.:  Chest , lungs affection in general
Right
Left
Alternating sides
Arms in to
Backward, extending
Abscess lungs

• Difference between 2nd and 3rd editions:
  No of pages increased
  New additions are marked with + mar

Story of the book:
Though the idea of preparing a repertory was there , his fragile health has prevented him from doing so . Mr.S.L. Kapadi, a friend of Dr. S.R. Phatak, who knew about the idea , took the author’s rough draft and notes of his Marathy repertory and came out with a skeletal copy of his repertory. The author arranged the work properly and made many additions.

Then Dr. Homai Merchant typed this hand written copy. This copy was lying on authors table for nearly ten years. During this time many useful additions were made with the assistance of Mr. Kapadi, author’s son Dr. D.S. Phatak, went through all the sections, did the preliminary spade work and with the help of Mr. Datay first edition was printed in September 1963 at Mouj Printing press.

After first edition he compiled a Materia medica for which he referred different Materia medica literatures mainly Boger, Boericke, Clark, Hering and Kent. By doing so he found many clinical and pathological symptoms which were added in his second edition (1977- October – with the help of  Dr. P. Sankaran-Jakap Printers). Due to demand this book went for reprint edition. 23 years after second edition, additions were made to it by Dr. D.S. Phatak and published as the third edition in  june 2000 through B Jain Publishers. In this edition, the additions made by Dr. D.S. Phatak were marked with + sign. The fourth edition revised & corrected by Dr. C. Jeevanandam published through B Jain Publishers in the year 2005.   Eg. Abdomen pain + coffee amel.

 BACKGROUND

• Reduce the burden of prescribers by bringing the required information at one place in a different form.
• No drug is used in this book unless the author has verified it in his own practice or unless there is strong justification provided for it by authorities like Dr.Boger, Dr.Kent, Dr.Clarke etc..
• Repertory begins with Abdomen affections in general and ends with Zygomae.( Alphabetical arrangement )
• Concise repertory. Easy to handle & is used in a limited way. Reduce the burden of the prescriber.
• The repertory is primarily based on the BOGER’S SYNOPTIC KEY, and functions on the same philosophy.
• The most important feature of the repertory is its alphabetical arrangement of the rubrics, thus making it the easiest way to find our desired destination.
• Another unique feature is the inclusion of Indian food items, thus one can identify with the picture presented by the patient in a more refined manner.
• The number of main rubrics is 1971 & the number of medicines is 393.
• The repertory is based on grand generalization & it has medicines which are not found in other repertory.
• Remedies for a particular rubric are reduced to minimum possible by a careful selection.
• Every remedy high grade or low grade becomes equally important when it is connected with peculiar concomitant or with an unusual condition or circumstance.

Different repertories are in use like the Kent, Synthesis etc. even though different arrangement than these repertories, the Phatak’s repertory is having its own value & importance.

• Dr Phatak stressed on giving importance first to the modalities – in that too the causative modalities, followed by the time modalities and later the postural ones. Further, his repertory has followed the concept of ‘generalization’ and thus if you can’t find a symptom at the ‘particular’ level, you can generalize it to find a suitable remedy.
• Dr Phatak has confirmed, tested and clinically proven each and every rubric and remedy before including it to his repertory. Thus the inclusion has either come from his own case experiences and clinical observation or if it has been strongly justified by masters like Kent, Boger or Clark. Thus it is a time-tested repertory.
• Dr. (Miss) Homai Merchant friend of Dr.S.R.Phatak typed the manuscript twice.
• Dr. D.S. Phatak, son of Dr.S.R.Phatak  corrected first to final proofs several times and for making arrangement to print the book with Mouj Printing Bureau.
• Mr. Datay who got the composing done and Mr. M.R. Sane who composed the book single handed
• This book was promised at the end of 1963. Not a single line of the book was written at that time. The author was reluctant to write. It took more than three years to have the book in skeletal form. Revisions and additions were continued. By 1970 the book was ready for the press. – “Concise Homeopathic Repertory” by the author was received well. The book went to press in August 1974. After three long years it is being presented to the lovers of homeopathy.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• General modality represented in capitals AGG. or AMEL. And modality related to a particular part is represented by small letters Agg. or Amel.
• Desires and Cravings are two separate rubrics in this repertory.
• Under Desires, we find all mental rubrics.
• Under Craving- rubrics related to food and drinks
• Aversion- both mental and food aversions are given
• Under Food and drinks- Agg. And Amel. of food items given
• Cross references ar given wherever necessary inorder to find the appropriate rubric. This is given after the word “see’’ in brackets immediately after the remedy.
• Causations are given under aggravations

Eg : OPERATIONS, surgical After AGG,
ABDOMEN Laparotomy after,
FORCEPS DELIVERY after

• Mental attitudes will be seen under each mental condition

Eg : DESPAIR, hopelessness – Anger wit, Trifles over

• For all general modalities & all particular modalities AGG & AMEL are given.
• In each rubric, all important symptoms, their concomitants & modalities are given.

Grading according to their importance :

•     1^ST   CAPITALS
•     2^ND   italics
•     3^RD   ordinary roman

Pathological & diagnostic terms are used as Bronchitis, Malaria, Measles, Pneumonia.

• Aversion rubric consist of MENTAL & PHYSICAL aversions.

Eg : AVERSION – approached or being touched

– loathing

– fruits

– covers to

– butter  etc..

• Malpositions of foetus are given under the rubric FOETUS.

Eg : FOETUS – Expels dead

– Lying crosswise, as if

– Movement, as if

• Milestones like walking, talking, fontanelles delayed are given under the rubric CHILDREN, INFANTS.
• Child related problems are given under the rubric CHILDREN, INFANTS.

Eg : CHILDREN  – Clumsy

– Fat, chubby

– Suckling

• According to Phatak, the prescriber should depend on the totality of symptoms consisting of general conditions & general modalities for finding out the correct remedy. Totality of symptoms means of the qualitative totality.
• One peculiar concomitant or an unusual condition may determine the totality of the case.
• Modalities regarding the position or posture whether mental/ physical ie, strange or unusual is given under the rubric GENERALITIES – Attitudes bizzare
• Medicines which antidote or remove the bad effects of narcotics are given under DRUGS, abuse of. The specific drug or corresponding antidote is given.

Eg ; NARCOTICS   – Lach
OPIUM             – Puls

• Under generalities the profile picture of the remedy is given along with the regions on which it acts and how it acts, diseases which it is liable to cure and causations.
• Then general modalities of the remedy are given, after that regional symptoms with particular follow.
• Semi colon; is used in this book with care.

– For instance in Calcera Carb under mind you will find, Fears; disease, misery, disaster, insanity; of being poisoned.

– It means Fears (1) disease (2) misery, (3) disaster, (4) insanity and fear of being observed.

• Appetite given as a separate rubric under which many subrubrics like Capricious, Easy satiety, Increased hunger etc..
• AGG & AMEL by change of position is given as general rubric.
• Character of discharges are given in rubric DISCHARGES.
• Sterility is found in FEMALES Affections in general.

The appearance of symptoms on one side or going upwards or downwards, all these conditions given under DIRECTIONS of symptoms

RUBRICS that are special to Phatak :

• AEROPLANE, flying in AGG.
• BAROMETER
• BERI BERI
• BILE DUCTS
• BIRTHMARK, naevi
• BLOOD PRESSURE High
• CEREBRO-SPINAL Axis
• COTTONY feeling
• HESITATES
• PHILOSOPHER
• PROPHYLACTICS
• ULNAR NERVE along

RUBRICS Eg :

B – Bronchitis

• Ant-t. ars. Bry. calc. dros. Ferr-p. hep. hydr. Ip. Lyc. nat-s. Phos. puls. sang. senec. sil. spong. stann. stict. sulph.

B – Bronchitis – capillary

• Ant-t. bell. carb-v. Ferr-p. Ip. seneg. ter.

B – Bronchitis – children, drowsiness, with

• tub.

B – Bronchitis – cold, from every

• mang.

B – Bronchitis – senile

• all-c. am-c. ant-c. ant-t. ars. kreos. seneg.