Cure in homoeopathic parlance

Dr Anju Chaudhary

Cure (definition) –  Master Hahnemann speaks of CURE in HIS writings at many places as : The dynamic affection, and annihilated it and it produces Homoeopathically, they would thereby effect a rational cure. (Introduction-ORGANON OF MEDICINE- footnote)

Master Hahnemann sets the Mission of physician in $1 as “THE physician’s high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure as it is termed.”

Principles 

• Rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the, health
• Removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent
• BUT, the condition is – “in the shortest, most reliable and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles. 

AND according to S.Close – The only principles that are easily comprehensible are principles that are true. The only principles that are true are principles logically deduced from facts-all the facts that belong to the field of research involved. Simplicity-comprehensibility- the highest criterion of Truth. The greatest truths are always simple.

Recovery
Recovery is the spontaneous return of the patient to health after the removal, disappearance or cessation of the exciting causes and occasion of disease, or as a result of treatment which is not directly and specifically curative in its nature.

Recovery takes place by virtue of the existence of sufficient integrity of organs and inherent power of reaction in the patient to overcome the disease-producing agency without the aid of the healing art.

Recovery is favored by the application of sound principles of mental and physical hygiene, judicious mechanical or surgical treatment when required, avoidance of drugs used for their “physiological” (really pathogenic) effects, and by enlightened sanitation.

Distinction between cure and recovery

Relation of cure to disease
The Standard Dictionary defines disease as “any departure from, failure in, or perversion of normal physiological action in the material constitution of functional integrity of the living organism”

This definition rightly focuses attention upon the dynamical aspect of the subject, for disease is essentially and primarily a morbid dynamical disturbance of the vital powers and functions, resulting in a loss of functional and organic balance.

Disease is manifested perceptibly by signs and symptoms. Cure, is manifested by the removal of the symptoms. Strictly speaking the removal of all the symptoms of the case is equivalent to a cure, but if symptoms disappear and the patient is not restored health and strength it means either that some of the most important symptoms of the case have been overlooked, or that the case has passed beyond the curable stage. All curable cases present perceptible symptoms, but their discernment often depends upon the acuteness of the observer.

Concept of DISEASE
 $ 5 – “…the changes in the health of the body and of the mind (morbid phenomena, accidents, symptoms) which can be perceived externally by means of the senses; that is to say, he notices only the deviations from the former healthy state of the now diseased individual, which are felt by the patient himself, remarked by those around him and observed by the physician. All these perceptible signs represent the disease in its whole extent, that is, together they form the true and only conceivable portrait of the disease.”

• $ 7 – “…outwardly reflected picture of the internal essence of the disease, that is, of the affection of the vital force,…”

• $ 11 – “When a person falls ill, it is only this spiritual , self acting (automatic) vital force, everywhere present in his organism, that I primarily deranged by the dynamic influence upon it of a morbific agent inimical to life; it is only the vital force, deranged to such an abnormal state, that can furnish the organism with its disagreeable sensations, and incline it to the irregular processes which we call disease; for, as a power invisible in itself, and only makes itself known by the manifestation of disease in the sensations and functions of those parts of the organism exposed to the senses of the observer  and physician, that is, by morbid symptoms, and in no other way can it make itself known.”

• $ 12 – “…the disappearance under treatment of all the morbid phenomena and of all the morbid alteration that differ from the healthy vital operations, certainly affects and necessarily implies the restoration of the integrity of the vital force and, therefore, the recovered health of the whole organism.”

Difference Between  Portrait of Disease and Totality of Symptoms.

Portrait of Disease	Totality of Symptoms
• The deviations from the former healthy state of the now diseased individual, which are felt by the patient himself, remarked by those around him and observed by the physician.• All perceptible signs represent the disease in its whole extent, that is, together they form the true and only conceivable portrait of the disease.	• Outwardly reflected picture of the internal essence of the disease, that is, of the affection of the vital force.• The symptoms by which the disease demands and points to the remedy suited to relieve it.

Cure

• Natural recoveries following treatment consisting of mere palliation should not be mistaken for cures.
• The disease is manifested perceptibly by signs and symptoms. And Cure is manifested by the REMOVAL of these signs and symptoms.

Cure relates to the case as a whole. Cure refers to the patient, not to some symptoms of his disease, nor to what may be called “one of his diseases.“ Means complete restoration of Health !

Cure is not affected by the removal surgically nor by any local means, of the external, secondary, pathological “end-products” of disease, such as tumors, effusions, collections of pus, useless organs or dead tissues; for the morbid functioning which produced those effects often remains unchanged, after such removal.

Cure is effected only by dynamical treatment according to fixed principles, directed to the primary, functional disorder as revealed by the complete symptom-picture preceding and accompanying the formation of the tangible products of the disease.

Cure is not merely the removal of the, primary causes of disease for even if all the causes of the disease are known and removable, the effects, having been begun, may continue as secondary causes after the removal of the primary causes. Spontaneous disappearance of the disease does not always occur in such cases, and dynamical treatment is required to restore the patient to health.

Requirements of CURE

1. The result of the direct application of a definite general principle of therapeutic medication
   The result may be accidental or intentional on the part of the prescriber in a given case, but its relation to the means employed must be capable of rational explanation and demonstration by reference to the governing principle. A general principle is capable of systematic demonstration, not only once but repeatedly and invariably, under stated conditions. Given the principle, it is always possible to formulate a method or technic , by means of which the principle may be successfully applied to every case within its scope.

2.  It must be individual
   A general principle according to which any action takes place is always capable of being individualized. The ability to meet the varying requirements of individual cases proves the existence and truth of the principle involved. Remedy to the needs of each individual case. There are no cures for “diseases,” no remedy for all cases of the same disease. Cure relates to the individual patient, not to the disease. No two cases of the same disease are exactly alike. Differences of manifestation in symptoms and modalities always exist in individuals. It is these differences which give each case its individuality, and create the need for an individual remedy.

3.  A complete and impartial collection and record of the facts which constitute the natural and medical history of the individual
   This should include not only physical and constitutional signs,. the heredity and family history of the patient; how he was born, raised and educated; his occupation, habits, social and domestic relations; but a chronological symptomatic history of all his diseases, indispositions, idiosyncrasies, accidents and vicissitudes, as. far as they can be recalled.

In considering the recorded results of each examination, the homœopathic therapeutist pays particular attention to the unusual, peculiar, exceptional features or symptoms which give the case its individuality; for, by these, under the guidance of the principle of symptom-similarity, he is led to the remedy needed for the cure of the individual case.

Symptoms, general and particular, “behave themselves in a particular way,” take on peculiar forms, combinations and modalities, according to the morphological type, environment, personality and predisposition of the individual.

It is necessary thus to study the individual in order to understand how a general or particular predisposition to disease becomes concrete and the object of treatment and cure, as well as to elicit the symptoms which are to guide in the selection of the remedy.

Manner and Direction Of CURE
Cures take place in a definite, orderly manner and direction.

• Normal vital processes, cellular, organic and systemic, begin at the centre and proceed outwardly. Figuratively, if not literally, ‘life is a centrifugal force, radiating, externalizing, concentrating and organizing spirit into matter – “from above, downward.” In the same sense disease is a centripetal force, opposing, obstructing, penetrating toward the center and tending to disorganization.
• The progression of all chronic diseases is from the surface toward the center; from less important to more important organs “from below upward.”
• Curative medicines reinforce the life force, reverse the morbid process and annihilate the disease. Symptoms, disappear from above downward, from within outward and in the reverse order of their appearance.
• When a patient with an obscure rheumatic endocarditis, for example, begins to have signs and symptoms of acute arthritis soon after faking the homœopathic remedy and is relieved of his chest sufferings, we know that cure has commenced.
• Cure takes place in much less time than natural recovery, without pain, physiological disturbance or danger from the use of the remedy employed and without sequelae. The restoration of health is complete and lasting.

Hering’s Law of CURE

• The order of disappearance of Symptoms
• From above downward
• From within outward
• In reverse order of the appearance of symptoms 

Dr Anju Chaudhary.  BHMS (Delhi University)
Palwal,Haryana
E-mail : dr.anju44@yahoo.com