Comments on fever chapter of 3 basic repertories

Dr Harshitha Neyyalga

Fever is the commonest ailment from which patients will suffer. In this article an attempt is made to understand the application of basic 3 repertories of homoeopathy that is Boenninghausen’s therapeutic pocket book, Kent’s repertory of homeopathic materia medica and Boger  Boenninghausen’s Characteristics and Repertory by brief elaboration about the plan and construction of them with respect to  Fever conditions

BOENNINGHAUSEN’S THERAPEUTIC POCKET BOOK
There were 7 sections in the old edition in the fever section of BTPB. In Allen’s edition, sub-headings have been removed, but the same general outline is followed:

1. Circulation of the blood
2. Cold stage
3. Coldness
4. Heat
5. Perspiration
6. Compound Fever
7. Concomitant complaints

The rubrics are not arranged in Alphabetical order. The section starts with the top heading “CIRCULATION”  and then it changes to “FEVER”.

Details of each section of Allen’s edition:

1. Circulation of the blood

This first division of the fever section deals with various conditions of blood such as – Anaemia, congestion, etc. Objective and subjective symptoms of the blood vessel and pulse are included.

2. Chilliness :

This division deals with Chilliness in general, its character, its appearance and accompanying symptoms. The rubrics are arranged as follows  with their sub rubrics:

– Chilliness in general

– in certain parts

– internally

– One-sided

– Becomes chilled easily

– Chilliness with

3. Heat :

This division deals with heat in general, its character, its appearance and accompanying symptoms.

4. Coldness in general:

The coldness and its appearance are given followed by rubrics for shivering.

5. Sweat :

This part starts with the general rubric for sweat, that is followed by the locations of perspiration, followed by the accompanying symptoms of perspiration and the character of sweat.

The different odours of sweat are included under the rubric ‘Odorous’. The rubric for associated symptoms is mentioned as a single rubric ‘Sweat with associated symptoms’. Rubrics are arranged as ,

Sweat in general – Followed by sub rubrics

Sweat with associated symptoms

6. Compound fever :

The rubric ‘Compound fever in general’ is followed by  different modes of onset and various modifications / alternations in the order of chill, heat, sweat and shivering. The arrangement of rubrics are as follows :

• Compound fever in general
• Chill then heat – followed by alternation of different stages of fever
• Heat then chill – followed by different stages of fever
• Shivering then chill

-with sweat

• Sweat then chill

– then chill, then sweat

– then heat.

7. Concomitants :

General rubric for the concomitants of fever is given separately with the indicated group of medicines. This section ends with the rubric for side affinities of febrile symptoms.

Concomitant symptoms of each stage of fever are scattered throughout the chapter. For example :

• Fever – Chilliness – with thirst (Pg. 255)
• Heat with associated symptoms ( Pg. 259)
• Sweat with associated symptoms (Pg, 265)

KENT’S REPERTORY OF HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA

It has 3 chapters related to Fever, they are

1. Chill
2. Fever
3. Perspiration

CHILL :

• First rubric of the chapter is ‘Coldness’ and last one is ‘Writing, while’
• Rubrics for the onset and mode of appearance of chill, character of chill, the circumstances at which chill occurs, modalities, chill in relation with stages of fever, different variants in the order of appearance of stages of fever ( Chill, Heat, Sweat), symptoms during chill,etc are included in this chapter
• External and internal chills are given as separate rubrics.
• ‘Chilliness’ is given as a separate rubric with its sub-rubrics.
• Time is given as a separate rubric within the alphabetical order of arrangement of rubrics. The specific hours of time modality are mentioned under this rubric starting from 1 a.m to 12 p.m
• Chill on 7^th,14^th, 21^st, 28^th day is given under rubric ‘DAY’

FEVER

• First rubric of the chapter is ‘HEAT in general’ followed by time modalities (Morning to Midnight) and then other rubrics in alphabetical order. The chapter ends with the rubric ‘ZYMOTIC fevers’
• Types of fever, nature of heat, onset and mode of appearance of heat, circumstances that initiate heat, heat in relation with stages of fever, symptoms during heat, modalities, etc are included in this chapter.
• Various alteration in the order of appearance of heat stage among the stages of fever are given under the rubric ‘SUCCESSION’
• The rubric ‘CHILL’ is repeated twice.

PERSPIRATION

• This chapter starts with the rubric ‘PERSPIRATION in general’ followed by time modalities, followed by other rubrics in alphabetical order.
• This chapter ends with the rubric ‘WRITING,while’
• ‘SIDE’ is given as a separate rubric within the alphabetical arrangement of rubrics.
• The onset and mode of appearance of perspiration, character of perspiration, circumstances that initiate perspiration, perspiration in relation with stages of fever, various alterations in the order of stages of fever, symptoms during perspiration, modalities, odor of perspiration, stain,etc are provided in this chapter
• Remedies for perspiration over any area of the body are given under the single rubric ‘SINGLE parts’. For example : Perspiration over the upper part of the body.
• Perspiration of any particular part of the body should be searched under those chapters meant for the respective part and under the rubric ‘PERSPIRATION’, For example : CHEST PERSPIRATION – Axilla.

BOGER BOENNINGHAUSEN’S CHARACTERISTICS AND REPERTORY

There are 2 chapters in relation to fever, they are :

1. FEVER
2. COMPOUND FEVER

The general outline of these 2 chapters are given below in the table.

1. FEVER : Subsections in brief

• PATHOLOGICAL TYPES : The various pathological types are mentioned as rubrics in alphabetical order. Ex : Adynamic, bilious, measles, septic, typhus fever, worm fever, etc
• BLOOD : This chapter includes a single main rubric ‘Blood’, under which the sub rubrics concerned with the character of blood are included. The sub rubrics ‘arteries’ and ‘veins’ are also provided under this rubric,
• CIRCULATION : This subsection contains only 2 rubrics : Circulation affected and Blood vessels.
• CONGESTIONS: The following rubrics are given under this part :
  • Accumulation of blood in internal organs; blood stasis
  • Congestion in general
  • Anaemia
  • Ebullitions,surging or rushes of blood, flashings, orgasms, etc
  • Plethora
  • Stagnated feeling, obstructed as if

Congestion in various parts of the body is mentioned as sub-rubrics under the main rubric ‘Congestion in general’

• PALPITATION : Some important rubrics ; Anxiety, without ; Audible ; Condiments from; emotion from; Paroxysmal; Vision,lost,etc
• HEART BEAT : The only rubric given is ‘Heart-beat’ with numerous sub-rubrics for character of heart beat along with their indicated remedies.

Ex : Double, Fluttering, Heavy, Imperceptible, Shaking, Undulating,wavy , Visible

• PULSE : Under this rubric numerous sub- rubrics and sub-sub- rubrics indicating the types and various characters of pulse are given.

Ex: Changeable, Double, Empty, Full, Imperceptible, Intermittent, Large, Jumping

• CHILL

The rubrics in relation with the mode of onset, character and relation of ‘chill stage’ with other stages of fever are included under this part.

The rubrics given are as follows :

• Chill, predominant, in general
• Chilliness, in general, lack of vital heat
• Cold, sensitiveness to (chilled easily, lack of vital heat )

Followed by subsections of Chill, like Partial chill, coldness, partial coldness, shivering, concomitants.

• HEAT AND FEVER IN GENERAL
• The rubrics in relation with the mode of onset, character and relation of ‘heat stage’ with other stages of fever are included under this part.
• PARTIAL HEAT : Heat appearing localised on various parts of body are mentioned in this part under the main rubric ‘Partial heat of single parts’

SWEAT

• This section consists of only a single rubric ‘Sweat, sweatiness in general’ under which the sub rubrics for different character,staining, odor of sweat, etc are listed.
• Followed by PARTIAL HEAT , the only rubric under this section is ‘Partial sweat of single parts, spotted’. It includes remedies indicated for sweat appearing confined to different parts of the body that are grouped under the sub-rubrics.

There are common sub-chapters ‘Time, Aggravation,Amelioration and Concomitants’ that are given following all the main sections of fever.  These common sub- chapters help to find out the remedies that are indicated for particular modalities and concomitants respectively, in each stage of fever. This makes the ‘Fever’ chapter of this repertory more valuable.

2. COMPOUND FEVER

This chapter stands distinct from others by dealing with the rubrics for varying modes of onset of fever, starting with chill, with shivering, with heat and with sweat. The accompaniment symptoms in connection with each of these variants are also provided.
Remedies indicated for the variations in the order of stages of fever are also grouped under different rubrics included under this chapter.

BTPB (Allen’s edition)	KENT’S REPERTORY	BBCR
7 Sub sections of Fever	3 chapters related to fever	2 chapters related to fever
There is no particular differentiation of time , modalities after each subsections	Separate time modality rubrics are given under each chapter	Each stages of fever is followed by Time,Aggravation, Amelioration and concomitants
Concomitants are present under each section wherever available, but no separate section as concomitants is present.	Concomitants are scattered throughout the chapters	Concomitants are well expressed after each stages of fever
Since modalities are not expressed under each section and the method of construction difficult to refer and repertorise	Each chapter contains modalities and concomitants related to that particular stage of fever, hence comparatively easy to refer.	Easy for reference
Too much of generalisation	Generalisation is not given importance	Minimised the overgeneralization
Subsection are as follows : 1.     Circulation of the blood 2.     Cold stage 3.     Coldness 4.     Heat 5.     Perspiration 6.     Compound Fever 7.     concomitant complaints	Name of the chapters as follows: Chill Fever Perspiration	Name of the chapter including their subsections : FEVER Pathological types Blood Circulation Congestions Palpitation Time Heart beat Pulse Time Aggravation   ·     Chill Partial chill Coldness Partial coldness Shivering Time Aggravation Amelioration Concomitants Mind to sleep   ·     Heat and Fever in General Partial heat Time Aggravation Amelioration Concomitants Mind  to Sleep   ·     Sweat Partial sweat Time Aggravation Amelioration Concomitants Mind to Sleep   2. COMPOUND FEVERS Beginning with chill Beginning with shivering Beginning with heat Beginning with sweat

REFERENCES :

• Allen, T.F. et al. (2000) The principles and practicability of Boenninghausen’s therapeutic pocket book for homeopathic physicians, to use at the bedside and in the study of the Materia Medica. New Delhi: Jain.
• Kent, J.T., Kent, C.L. and Kent, J.T. (2016) Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica. Noida: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.
• Boger, C.M., Bradford, T.L. and von, B.C.M.F. (2002) Boenninghausen’s characteristics Materia Medica & Repertory with word index. New Delhi: Indian Books & Periodicals Publishers.
• Tiwari, D.S.K. (2017) Essentials of Repertorization. New Delhi: B Jain publishers.
• Dr Shanu Salim (2020) Repertory Expert. Kozhikode, Kerala: Dr Salim’s.

Dr Harshitha Neyyalga
MD Scholar, Part -1
Department of Repertory
Father Muller HomoeopathicMedical College and Hospital, Deralakatte – Mangalore- 575018
Email ID : hneyyalga@gmail.com
Dr Rita Chakraborthy, MD, Professor
HOD, Department of Repertory