Book review of a lesser-known book: Hemorrhoids and Habitual Constipation- J.H. Clarke
Review by Dr Prachi Shah
Full name of the book : Hemorrhoids and Habitual Constipation; their Constitutional Cure With Chapters nn Fissure And Fistula
- Name of the author : J.H. CLARKE
- First edition in 1897
- Second edition now (Revised and Enlarged) in 1906
- Reprint edition in 1992
- Published by B Jain publishers
- Printed in J.J. Offset Printers
- Total Pages : 177
Dedicated to those excellent patients of mine who by insisting on being cured without operation, compelled me to better understand my art.
This book was originally published in 1897 by J H Clarke in which he discusses the cause of constipation and hemorrhoids and gives a materia medica of commonly indicated remedies and dozens of cases of hemorrhoids, fissures, constipation treated successfully with homeopathy remedies.
ABOUT AUTHOR:
JOHN HENRY CLARKE was a prominent English classical Homoeopath
- He was the most important anti Semite in Britain He was born in1853 in England and died on 24th nov 1931
- He was a consultant at London Homoeopathic Hospital.
- He took his degree at Edinburgh University in 1875 as a gold medalist
- He was a keen follower of Dr.Burnett, after Burnett Dr. Clarke became the editor of The Homoeopathic World for 29 yrs
- He introduced medicines like pertussin, carcinosin, epihysterinum, morbillinum, scarlatinum, parotidinum, testicum, scirrhinum into Materia Medica.
HIS WORKS :
- Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica
- Clinical repertory to the dictionary of materia medica
- A Dictionary of Domestic medicine
- The Prescriber
- The principles of cure
- Constitutional medicine
- Diseases of Heart and arteries, their causes, nature and theirtreatment
- Rheumatism and Sciatica
- Indigestion- its causes and cure
- Cholera, Diarrhea and dysentery
- Catarrh, colds and Grippe
- Hemorrhoids and habitual constipation
- Whooping cough
- The cure of tumors
- A Bird’s eye view of Hahnemann’s Organon
- Therapeutics of cancer
- Gunpowder as a war remedy
- Radium as an intercurrent remedy
- Therapeutic of serpent poison
CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOOK:
1) DEDICATION
2) PREFACE
3) PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
4) CONTENTS:-
CHAPTER I – HEMORRHOIDS AND THEIR NATURE
John.H.Clarke shared his experience about the efficacy of constitutional remedy over surgery in the cases of Hemorrhoids. He was so convinced that he wrote that if medical men realised that haemorrhoids are based on a constitutional state that is remediable, they would not so readily condemn patients to the surgeon’s knife. Surgery never cures a constitutional state. He also gives various examples of different doctors like Dr. F.H Lutze and presented his own cases of cured piles without any assistance from surgery.
He also discussed the adverse effects of surgery.
CHAPTER II – CASES OF HEMORRHOIDS
John.H.Clarke was so convinced that Piles are not by any means difficult to cure by constitutional means, and when cured thus the patient is cured, and no dangerous after-effects are to be feared. In this chapter, he presented many cases of piles treated with Homeopathy. For example : cases of bleeding haemorrhoids, constipation and bleeding piles, piles following influenza, acute piles, Piles in an infant, painful piles, recurrent piles, chronic piles etc are shown along with their prescribed medicines.
CHAPTER III – FISSURE
Fissure of the anus is often found associated with piles, though it quite as often occurs singly. It is generally found in patients of a sycotic temperament, who are liable to similar ulcerations near other orifices. This, again, is considered by the old school as a purely surgical affair and the treatment recommended is free incision through the centre of the ulcer.
H Clarke showed that this is an unnecessary proceeding: Fissure is a constitutional affection that is curable by constitutional treatment, he also showed cured cases with follow ups regarding the same without assistance of surgery.
CHAPTER IV – FISTULA
It is not an uncommon occurrence to meet with inflammation of the tissues at one or other side of the anal orifice. If this is not checked it may go on to the formation of pus which finds an outlet either into the bowel, or externally through the skin. In either case the tendency is to the formation of fistula – that is, an ulcerating tract leading from the original abscess to the surface, which continues to secrete a purulent fluid indefinitely. Fistula has often been cured by homoeopathic means, but it is much more easily dealt with if it can be taken in the abscess stage. J.H.Clarke shared his cured cases and adverse effects of it’s surgery in his book Haemorrhoids and habitual constipation.
CHAPTER V – IRRITABLE ANUS
Irritability of the skin accompanied with piles or may also occur independently of piles and approach of homeopathy in such cases have been presented by J.H.Clarke in his book.
CHAPTER VI – CONSTIPATION: ITS NATURE AND KINDS
J.H.Clarke clearly mentioned that, Constipation is the habitual retention of the feces beyond the time proper to the individual; or, difficulty or pain in the passage of motions, whether unduly retained or not. Constipation may be due to a great variety of causes, and due regard must be had to these if it is to be successfully treated.
CHAPTER VII – CASES OF CONSTIPATION
Constipation cases have been narrated for illustrating the power of homoeopathy to cure constipation by J.H.Clarke and various types of constipation have been discussed like lifelong constipation, chronic constipation, constipation with enlarged abdominal glands, habitual constipation, obstinate constipation, constipation with excessive menstrual loss, with dysmenorrhea etc. in his book Haemorrhoides and habitual constipation are shown along with their prescribed medicines in this book.
CHAPTER VII – CONSTIPATION IN CHILDREN
J.H.Clarke presented some difficult cases of Constipation in Children and suggested a few homeopathic medicines in his book.
CHAPTER IX- HINTS ON GENERAL MANAGEMENT
Management like diet, exercise, massage, hydrotherapy etc that are needed along with homeopathic treatment are mentioned.
CHAPTER X- MEDICINES
Indications of Medicines specific for haemorrhoids and constipation had been narrated by J.H.Clarke.
5) INDEX
Dr Prachi P. Shah
MD Repertory (part 2)
Anand Homeopathic Medical College and Research Institute, Anand
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