Seminar on Medical Emergencies conducted by the HMA Karnataka

Report on seminar on Medical Emergencies conducted by the Homoeopathy Association at Davangere, Karnataka on 19 November 2017 

Mr. S. B. Sridher, (Part-time journalist and  Reporter)…Govindan Road, West Mambalam, Chennai – 33

“Theory is good so far as it goes; but he, who can infuse  theory in practice lives in, with and for the student.—R. Del Mas.

First, it was interesting to note that none of the speakers (all M.D. in homoeopathy) was familiar with those reference books, which are essential in emergencies.

Pregnancy/childbirth, post-partum haemorrhage, threatened and habitual abortion are emergency conditions is during and the No. 1 reference book for this is The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual by one of the No.1 authors, the great Dr. W. A. Yingling, M.D. of U.S.A. It is no exaggeration to say that to be fit to practise, a practitioner must have cured at least three cases of childbirth emergencies by using Yingling.

However, none of the speakers (excepting Dr. V. Krishnamurthy of Chennai) made a reference of this book in their speech.  Most of them revealed their ignorance of Yingling.  Shame on M.D.s!

All the speakers, more or less, spoke vaguely, ‘study materia medica’ ‘totality-of-symptoms’ ‘you have to be careful’ etc. and to lengthen the duration of their talk, they repeated these in an hour-long speech and only scant number of cases were quoted most of them not emergencies!  Shame on Karnataka homoeopaths.

Dr. Krishnaamurthy was given a scant twenty minutes was given to speak.  Some of the points made and cases given by him alone are worth reporting herein below for the use of readers:

Case:  Boiling tea was splashed on the face of a women and eyesight lost.  Allopathy doctors told that nothing could be done.  Single dose of Carbolic acid-10M restored her eyesight in thirty minutes time.  [See See Calvin B. Knerr’s Repertory—GENERALITIES–Injuries, burns, extensive: carbol. ac.]

What is the remedy (in one single dose) that would have cured the rape victim Nirbhaya of Delhi?

Symptoms in Nirbhaya’s case:

Pyaemia, septicaemia: Acon., Arn., Ars., Calend., Canth., Carbol. ac., Chin-arom., Chinin-mur. or sulph., Crotal., Lach., Nit. ac., Rhus, Veratr. vir., Zinc.

—for the haemorrhages: Crotal., Ergot., Kreos., Nitr. ac., Mur. ac., Fer-mur., Tarent-c., Tereb.

—for the adynamia: Mosch., Camph., Carb. v., Crotal., Lach., Phos., Sil., Veratr. alb.,Veratr. vir., Sulph.  Crotalus horridus alone is common and one dose in 10M potency would have saved Nirbhaya.

We find the above in HOMOEOPATHIC THERAPEUTICS by Dr. Samuel Lilienthal.

In emergencies, nature speaks plainly. The more danger to life, the  clearer the symptoms speak and quicker our remedy acts.

In homoeopathy practice, everything is practical and practical only. There are no theories.  For learning swimming, you first get into the water.  So also, for learning car driving you are made to sit on the wheel and drive in the busy traffic.  Unless and until a teacher points out actual cases, you may not understand what is in the materia medica. 

Aethusa cynapium:  “Before this remedy was known, a certain class of cases of cholera of infants, and vomiting and diarrhea in children, all resulted fatally, and because there was no remedy that looked like such serious cases. Death is stamped on the face from the beginning, and if there are any remedies in the book that save life, this is one of them.”  [See Kent’s Lectures on Mat. Medica.]  You are called in to see a child of five months.  Early morning 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.  Convulsion, moaning, thumbs drawn towards palm, eyes drawn downward. Without a dose of Aethusa, that child would die by 6 a.m.

What is the remedy for last stage of cholera?  It is Hydrocyanic acid.

Cases that end fatally:  In encephalitis of children, single sharp, shrill screams while sleeping.  Raises hand to back of ears while it screams—Apis 

%%Sudden crying of the child, with clutching of hair or nurse’s face): Digitalis. (Cerebro-spinal meningitis)

Case:  A child was in i. c. unit for treatment of basilar meningitis.  I called aside the mother and asked what happened before hospitalisation.  She said that the child during sleep, started crying and it jumped and fell on floor.

In Lilienthal (page 709) in the chapter Basilar Meningitis, among other things, we find the following in the remedy Zincum met.:

. . . cries out, starts suddenly cries out, starts and during sleep.

Zinc-met. cured the child and next day got discharged.

Preventive for Epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis:  Zinc.  (See Knerr’s.]

You must keep these remedies at your fingertip.

A chronic renal failure patient with fever and ascites or, for that matter, any bedridden patient goes into coma at 2-30 p.m.  He is hospitalised and in a few days dies.  What is the remedy?

Answer:  Helleborus.  See Kent’s Repertory: GENERALITIES—Afternoon:  2-30 p.m.

“Homoeopathy has not become popular because of defective books as well as because of defective use of books. “  Thus, Dr. Kent writes in his book Lesser Writings

What are the most useful books in day-to-day practice? The one book that tops the list Lilienthal.  Dr. Samuel Lilienthal is our senior.  Do not call any other homoeopath in India as your senior.   Next in the list is The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual By Dr. W. A. Yingling.

Case: A pregnant women was shedding tears. Upon inquiry, her mother told me that the next day was delivery date and the doctors said that she was very weak and so would not be able to develop any labor pain; therefore, caesarean alone was to be done.

In Yingling (page 231), we find the following: Weak, patient too weak to develop normal pains: Caul., Mur-ac.

Since Muriatic acid has more weakness, I questioned along the symptoms of this remedy. A characteristic symptom in the remedy Muriatic acid is “Mouth and anus chiefly affected.” [See Boericke’s Materia Medica.]

I asked her whether she was having soreness or any complaint in mouth and to this, she replied in the affirmative. I further asked if she had similar complaint in her anus and she confirmed this too. Within minutes of taking a dose of Muriatic Acid-10M, she developed labor pains; was rushed to hospital.  After half-an- hour, it was a normal and safe delivery. Precision and versatility is the culture of Homoeopathy.

Case: A pregnant woman in a village went to a town for delivery. The doctors in a nursing home after examining her, declined to admit her because instead of descending, the uterus was in the upward position. She was then taken to the Govt. hospital. Upon examining her, even they said that a major surgery had to be done and since the senior surgeon was not available, they would not admit her. She came home weeping. When I heard this, I wanted to find out if homoeopathy could help her and so turned to Yingling. On page 229, we find the following:

Upward, uterus seems to go Cimic.

I gave her Cimicifuga (Actaea recemosa)-10M, one single dose. Within minutes, she felt the uterus coming down to its normal position; and developed labor pains: so, was rushed to the hospital. This time, upon examining her, the attending doctor said that everything was normal and so admitted her and it was a safe and normal delivery! Does the reader need any further or better justification for having a copy of Yingling? Let him not practise homoeopathy who has not read several times the Preface and Introduction in the book The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual by Yingling. [Copy of this book can be had from the author by sending Rs.380=00 by money order only.]

Next in the list of useful book is Hering’s Guiding Symptoms (10 volumes).  The entire 10-volumes are not useful.  Only the following chapters under each Remedy have significance for confirming the selection:
1. MIND AND DISPOSITION
2.  TISSUES
3.  STAGES OF LIFE AND DISPOSITION

Dr. Krishnaamurthy had taken out the three paras and made a compilation with the title WILKINSON’S MAT. MEDICA.  Apart from Lilienthal and Yingling, the next in order of importance are

BOERICKE’S MAT. MEDICA 

Calvin B. Knerr’s REPERTORY

Cases treated by the use of WILKINSON’S MATERIA MEDICA:

Case:  A case of spondylitis.  A woman of thirty-two pointing to both shoulder tips with her index fingers, said, “Doctor, I have pain here and doctors said that it is due to spondylitis.  (The suffix ‘-itis’ means inflammation) 

In Wilkinson’s Mat. Medica, in the remedy Belladonna we find the following:  The inflammation . . . runs in radii as it extends to adjacent parts. Belladonna-10M single dose cured her.

Case:  A woman of 38 years complained of bleeding from uterus every time she strained a little.  While travelling or lifting weight, or sudden jar caused bleeding.  How would you treat this case? This is haemorrhagic exudations. Under one remedy only viz., Anthracinum in Wilkinson’s we find this symptom.

Fracture of tibia does not readily heal.  Though the fracture might have healed, the victim would be having its chronic effects of oozing fluid from the injured place etc.  All homoepaths give Symphytum etc. and it does not work.

Knerr’s Repertory is useful for this.  There we find in the chapter GENERALITIES – injuries, FRACTURE of TIBIA:  Anthracin.

Salient features of KNERR’S REPERTORY:  In the case of intermittent fevers, he alone gives symptoms during apyrexia.

Case:  A patient with malaria for more than six months was treated in vain by allopaths and homoeopaths.  During consultation with me, he ended up saying, “Doctor, I get the chill-heat-fever syndrome in the evening.  However, ever since the onset of this malaria I get pain in my chest in the morning, what is due to it doctor?”

Symptoms occurring during the evening chill-fever-sweat syndrome (such as headache, etc.) belongs to the pathology of malaria; hence common.  However, symptoms occurring during apyrexia does not belong to malaria but belong to the patient; hence more valuable.

KNERR’S REPERTORY—FEVER, intermittent apyrexia: pain in chest, sabad.
Sabadilla cured the above 6-month old case of malaria.

Which other Repertory gives symptoms in malaria during apyrexia?

Dr. Constantine Hering proved Lachesis and he died with the symptoms of Lachesis because he took it in low potency for proving.  What is the remedy that would have saved him?

“When Lachesis has been given in too low potency, and the patient has been poisoned with the crude medicine, this remedy (Ammonium carb.) then becomes an antidote, used in a high potency, because of the similarity in its action.  [See Kent’s Lectures on Hom. Mat. Medica– Amm-carb.]

Almost all homoepaths have a copy of Boericke’s Mat. Medica.  Has anyone used it wisely is a question mark.  [In some cases, we have to make combined use of two Repertories.]

A woman of 32 years was treated for terminal cancer; after repeated chemotherapy, she got frequent and profuse leucorrhoeal discharge and consequent dehydration.  Doctors told her that she would live for another few months only.

When she was in my clinic, she told, “Doctor, all people in my village do not show me any regard because they say that after all, I am going to die in a few months.  Cure me and I want to live for more years and tell my villagers, “Look I got cured.”

I read all the remedies in the chapter Leucorrhoea in Lilienthal and I could confirm Hamamelis because of the following symptoms therein:  “. . . Profuse fluor albus, constituting a drain on the system as severe as a bleeding…” 

I read Hamamelis in both Wilkinson’s and Boericke.  The following in the para “Head” in Boericke caught my attention:

“Wants the respect due to me shown.”

Hamamelis-10M, single dose, cured her and she lived a healthy life for many years.

A victim of burns from feet to hip was admitted in government hospital and Cantharis etc. was given with no relief.  Since it was superficial burn and since there is no immediately treatment, the house surgeon did not call the senior doctor who would come in the evening rounds only.

The patient was heard saying, “No senior doctor or specialist has come to see and treat me.”  He asked to be taken to a private nursing home and there too the duty doctor only admitted him.  There too the patient was repeating the same thing that no senior doctor was attending on him immediately.

As far as the patient is concerned, he thought that immediate attention of a senior doctor is necessary and he does not know that for superficial burns there is no treatment.

In Boericke’s Repertory, under the symptom INJURIES—Burns, scalds—21 remedies are listed.  I read all these remedies in Boericke’s Mat. Medica (the first para, mind and skin) and the words “Wants the respect due to me shown” in Hamamelis caught my attention.

What a serious patient needs is immediate attention by a senior doctor and according to the patient, he did not have that.  I gave him Hamamelis-1000, single dose and asked him to get voluntary discharge and return home.

After three days patient was cured almost completely and when he went to the govt. hospital and nursing home, doctors who had seen him earlier refused to believe that he was the one whom they say a few days ago.  Wounds heal without leaving a scar only in homoeopathy.

For learning swimming, you first get into the water.  So also, for learning car driving you are made to sit on the wheel and drive in the busy traffic.  So also, unless and until a teacher points out actual cases you may not understand what is in the materia medica.

The short cut to selection of the remedy is Lilienthal and the short cut to Lilienthal is the chapter MELANCHOLIA therein.

There are no theories in homoeopathy.  It is practical and practical only.

Dr. Krishnaamurthy asked the audience of about seventy-five, most of them BHMS or M.D. to raise the hands of those who have a copy of Yingling and/or Samuel Lilienthal; only a handful of practitioners responded.

What difference does it make be it an unqualified practitioner or BHMS/MD, if they do not have Lilienthal and Yingling?

Let no one talk on medical emergencies if he has not cured a minimum of fifty emergency cases with the use of Yingling/Lilienthal/Calvin B. Knerr.

For malignant jaundice, haemorrhage jaundice or jaundice of infants, a practitioner should keep the following in his fingertips.  For terminal cancer, or, for that matter, any terminal illness, Lilienthal is our guru.

Neither repertories nor materia medicas may not be useful in finding the remedy quickly;   therefore, lateral thinking is needed.  And the outcome is Lilienthal.  Practitioners repeatedly talk of ‘totality-of-symptoms’.  However, they forget to remember Section 153 of the Organon, which says that we have to take uncommon symptoms only.  Therefore, let us always say “totality-of-uncommon symptoms”.  Such uncommon symptoms (on which alone we have to make our prescription) may be one or, in rare cases, or two symptoms only.  In addition, Lilienthal contains only uncommon symptoms only, and therefore, it is only a few lines under each remedy in various diseases.  The reader should remember that Yingling, Lilienthal, Knerr etc. worked in hospitals during a time when there

We must have the reference books by authors who have worked in hundred-bedded hospitals where homoeopathy medicines alone are used and where even acute emergencies are treated.

Before the First World War, there were in the United States 56 purely homoeopathic general hospitals with 35 to 1,400 beds each, nine hospitals for women (inclusive of midwifery) with 30 to 100 beds each, besides nine children’s hospitals with purely homoeopathic treatment. 

The Hahnemann College in Philadelphia with hospitals attached and its extensive polyclinic was, in the year 1922, the most important homoeopathic educational institution in the world. Even in those days, its buildings were valued at several million dollars. For practical training, the Hahnemann College offered advantages, which were scarcely to be equalled at that time in any European University. The large number of cases in the hospitals and polyclinics (more than 50,000 patients and 6,000 accident cases were treated every year) afforded the professors abundant material for their clinical instruction. The college possessed a special institution for midwifery, directly attached to it, and allowing the students many opportunities for observing obstetrical cases. In addition, numerous confinements were attended to amongst the poor people in the town and these also served for instruction.” [See Richard Haehl, SAMUEL HAHNEMANN; HIS LIFE AND WORK].

Are the Indian homoeopaths at the top [whether it is govt. recognized homoeo college or the Central Council of Homoeopathy] prepared to make efforts for constructing at least a single hospital where homoeopathic medicines alone will be given?

Before concluding, we would also like to mention that in his paper Medical Literature (published in the TRANSACTIONS; OF THE 43rd SESSION OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF HOMOEOPATHY) (Wisconsin, 17.6.1890) Lilienthal very aptly concludes thus: “If you cannot find the remedy by studying the various books, drop a nickel in the slot and you will find the desired symptom in Lilienthal.” To illustrate the superiority of Lilienthal’s work let us quote a few cases where other reference works did not help.

Case: A middle-aged man of 37, suffering from loss of voice for a few years also had another complaint. Whenever he touched any metallic object he would feel electric shock and so was always wearing gloves; would avoid steel cot or metallic bucket etc. In Lilienthal under the chapter Aphonia, twelve remedies are described. Under the remedy Sulphur, we find the words “excite animal electricity”. Sulphur 1M, single dose cured both aphonia and electric current sensations.

Case: A boy of eleven was brought by his mother for worm affections. He was having frequent spasmodic movement of arms and his features were violent. In allopathy, they gave double the adult dose of santonine, all in vain. A homoeopath gave Cina-30 (to be given daily morning) and Graphites-30 (daily evening) as the boy was having skin complaint on his left forearm with gluey discharge. The woman said that even after giving these two medicines continuously for one month there had been no relief. I was noting down on the case sheet without interrupting her. After a pause, she concluded, “Doctor, ever since the onset of this worm complaint six months ago, he is often complaining of vertigo and headache. What is it due to doctor?”

I read all the thirty-four remedies in the chapter WORM AFFECTIONS in Lilienthal. Both ‘vertigo’ and ‘headache’ were found under one remedy only viz., Cicuta Virosa. I gave one dose in the 1M Potency. He was completely cured (both skin and spasmodic violent movement of limbs.) Thanks to Lilienthal!  The two giant authors who have worked in these hospitals, each of them, have written a book: The names of such authors and their books are: (1) THE ACCOUCHEUR’S EMERGENCY MANNUAL by Dr. W. A. Yingling. (2) HOMOEOPATHIC THERAPEUTICS by Dr. Samuel Lilienthal Yingling is for medical emergencies in abnormal conditions of parturition, those which occur directly before, during, or after labor or abortion. It does not deal with those conditions wherein the physician has plenty of time for consideration, as in many ailments during gestation, and those following some days after delivery. It is strictly an emergency manual, yet containing all the symptoms of the rubrics treated of, and many indication of remedies not usually considered critical, as it is impossible to tell beforehand what symptoms may be the keynotes in the emergency hour to either save life or prevent undue suffering. Strictly speaking, only those conditions endangering life would be emergency conditions, but as any undue suffering or abnormality may be the precursor or direct cause of the emergency condition, indications of remedies covering these must, of necessity, are included in the book The Accoucheur’s Emergency Manual. This work contains both repertory and materia medica. Coming to emergencies other than labor, Lilienthal is by far the best work to be made use of. He is the only author who has not only treated large number of diseases, but also used several remedies for each disease. HE IS OUR SENIOR. HE IS OUR GUIDE. HE IS OUR TEACHER. So also Knerr, Yingling and Hering!