Dr Tanvi Sharma
ABSTRACT: Prophylaxis means measures designed to preserve health. It Originate from Greek- Prophylaktikos , guarding against. Observance of rules necessary to prevent disease. Prophylactic medicines occupies a prominent place today because prevention makes cure unnecessary. Homoeopathic medicines are used as prophylaxis to prevent various epidemics. Central Council Of Research in Homoeopathy also promotes Homoeoprophylaxis in epidemics.
KEYWORDS: Homoeoprophylaxis, Homoeopathy, Genus epidemicus, Pioneer’s of Homoeopathy.
INTRODUCTION: Homoeopathy , as per WHO , is the 2nd largest system of medicine. The preventive aspect of Homoeopathy is well known, it has been used for prevention during the epidemic of scarlet fever, yellow fever, typhoid etc. Homoeoprophylaxis involves Genus Epidemicus, which means a remedy which is found to be curative on majority of population suffering from the same disease selected on the basis of symptomatology of that disease. Homoeoprophylaxis never results in secondary infection ; it simply protects surely and gently.Generally levels for prevention are – (1)Primordial prevention: Prevention of emergence of risk factors in the population groups in which they have not yet appeared. (2)Primary prevention: It is defined as action taken prior to onset of disease which removes the possibility that a disease will ever occur. (3)Secondary prevention: It is defined as, action which halt the progress of a disease at its incipient stage and prevent complications. (4)Tertiary prevention: All measures available to reduce impairments and disabilities, minimise suffering caused by existing departures from good health and to promote the patient’s adjustment to irremediable conditions. Homoeoprophylaxis is provided by two methods – (1) General Prophylaxis and (2) Specific Prophylaxis
General prophylaxis is further divided into two types – (1) Anti- Miasmatic General Prophylaxis and (2) Constitutional Prophylaxis Whereas
Specific prophylaxis is also categorized into two types – (1) By Nosodes (Medicine prepared from biological material of a disease) and (2) Genus Epidemicus . Let’s discuss Homoeoprophylaxis as well as view of different pioneer’s on it.
DISCUSSION
Dr. Hahnemann’s view: According to Dr. Hahnemann, we can provide preventive treatment in two ways-
- First Precaution-The physician should in the commencement rather see their patients more frequently, but each time stay beside them as short a time as possible, keep as far away as possible from the bed or chamber and especially that they should take care that the sick room be thoroughly aired before their visit
- Second Precaution- that we should, when visiting the patient, endeavour to maintain our mind and body in a good equilibrium. During this occupation we must not permit ourselves to be acted on by debilitating emotions; excess in venery, in anger, grief and care, as also over-exertion of the mind of all sorts, are great promoters of infection.
Dr. Hahneman on Scarlet fever wrote: “I resolved in this case of scarlet fever just in the act of breaking out, not to act as usual in reference to individual symptoms, but if possible (in accordance with my new synthetical principle) to obtain a remedy whose peculiar mode of action was calculated to produce in the healthy body most of the morbid symptoms which I observed combined in this disease. My memory and my written collection of the peculiar effects of some medicines, furnished me with no remedy so capable of producing a counterpart of the symptoms here present, as Belladonna.”
Dr. Boeninghausen’s view: The Baron von Boenninghausen was a keen practitioner of homoeo-prophylaxis. “Concerning the Curative Effects of Thuja in Small-pox from Boenninghausen’s Lesser Writings”
“The decidedly favorable results caused me not only to use the same remedy with all the following small-pox patients, but to also use the same remedy in several houses where small-pox had broken out, as a prophylactic, and lo! also here the result was favorable, and no case came to my knowledge where, after using Thuja, any other member of the family had been infected.
Dr. J.T. Kent’s view: James Tyler Kent wrote in his Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica ,that the Tuberculin nosode has the potential to prevent TB from infection in those predisposed toward the miasma. “If Tuberculinum bovinum be given in 10m, 50m..and 100m, and CM potencies, two doses of each at long intervals, all children and young people who have inherited tuberculosis many be immuned from their inheritance and their resiliency will be restored.”
It cures most cases of adenoids and tuberculous glands of the neck.
Dr. C. Hering’s view: In 1833 Dr. Hering wrote a paper in which he discussed the potential of Psorine to prevent an infection of the itch miasma.
Dr. Burrnet wrote: In 1884 Dr. Burrnet wrote, “Speaking for myself, I have for the last nine years been in the habit of using vaccine matter (Vaccininum) in the 30 homeopathic centiesimal potency, whenever small-pox was about, and I have thus far not seen any one so far treated get variola’.
Dr. William Boericke view: He wrote in the Pocket Manuel of Homoeopathic Materia Medica that the Baptisia has a prophylactic power over typhoid, clears carrier of the disease, and could be of service in a iatrogenic typhoid miasma produced by orthodox immunizations. “Baptisia in low dilutions produces a form of anitbodies to the bacteria typhosus, viz., agglutinins. Thus it raises the natural bodily resistance to the invasion of the bacilary intoxication, which produces the typhoid syndrome. Typhoid carriers. After inoculation with anti-typhoid serum”.
Dr. Oscar E Boericke : Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic MateriaMedica And Repertory
GENERALITIES CHAPTER
PROPHYLACTICS
- Cholera: Ars; Cup.ac; Ver.a
- Diphteria: Apis ; Diph
- Erysipelas: Graph
- Hay Fever : Ars; Psor
- Hydrophobia: Bell; Canth; Hyos; Stram
- Intermittant Fever: Ars; Chin. S
- Measles: Acon; Ars; Puls
- Mumps: Trifol. Rep
- Pus Infectionn: Arn
- Quinsy: Bar. C
- Scarlet Fever: Bell ; Eucal
- Variola: Ant. T; Hydr; Kali Cy; Malandr; Thuja; Vaccin, Variol
- Whooping Cough: Dros; Vaccin
Homoeoprophylaxis in Organon of Medicine Aphorisms:
- 3
If the physician clearly perceives what is to be cured in diseases, that is to say, in every individual case of disease ……if, finally, he knows the obstacles to recovery in each case and is aware how to remove them, so that the restoration may be permanent….
- 4
He is likewise a preserver of health if he knows the things that derange health and cause disease, and how to remove them from persons in health.
- 5: Accessory circumstances
Useful to the physician in assisting him to cure are the particulars …. the most significant points in the whole history of the chronic disease, to enable him to discover its fundamental cause, which is generally due to a chronic miasm. In these investigations, the ascertainable physical constitution of the patient (especially when the disease is chronic), his moral and intellectual character, his occupation, mode of living and habits, his social and domestic relations, his age, sexual function, etc., are to be taken into consideration.
- N. 1 to § 7
It is not necessary to say that every intelligent physician would first remove this where it exists; the indisposition thereupon generally ceases spontaneously. He will remove from the room strong-smelling flowers, which have a tendency to cause syncope and hysterical sufferings; extract from the cornea the foreign body that excites inflammation of the eye; loosen the over-tight band-age on a wounded limb that threatens to cause mortification, and apply a more suitable one; lay bare and put a ligature on the wounded artery that produces fainting; endeavor to promote the expulsion by vomiting of belladonna berries, etc., that may have been swallowed; extract foreign substances that may have got into the orifices of the body (the nose, gullet, ears, urethra, rectum, vagina) ; crush the vesical calculus; open the imperforate anus of the new-born infant, etc.
- 77
Those diseases are inappropriately named chronic which persons incur who expose themselves continually to:
- avoidable noxious influences
- the habit of indulging in injurious liquors or aliments.
- dissipation of many kinds which undermine the health
- undergo prolonged abstinence from things that are necessary for the support of life
- reside in unhealthy localities, especially marshy districts, who are housed in cellars or other confined dwellings
- are deprived of exercise or of open air
- ruin their health by over-exertion of body or mind.
- live in a constant state of worry etc.
- These states of ill-health, which persons bring upon themselves disappear spontaneously, provided no chronic miasm lurks in the body, under an improved mode of living, and they cannot be called chronic diseases.
CONCLUSION
Homoeopathy has established its supremacy in prophylactic measures. The main aim is to promote, preserve and restore the health. As true healers in progressive medicine it is our duty to give to the world this knowledge about epidemic disease and its protection. It is also our duty to invite physicians of all schools of healing to test fully the homoeopathic art of protection against epidemic diseases. If such tests were honestly made by sincere men of all schools of healing, Homoeopathy would reach its place in the sun.
Acknowledgement
Author wants to acknowledge Dr Rajesh K. Meena and Dr Disha Singh, for guidance and support.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(1) Homoeopathic prophylaxis. By Arthur Hill Grimmer, M. D. Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
(2) Homoeopathy as Prophylaxis in Epidemics & Endemics- A Review Dr. Devendra Kumar1, Dr. Pranesh Kumar Singh
(3) Hahnemann Samuel; Organon of Medicine; 5th and 6th edition: B.Jain Publishers. New Delhi., different Aphorism
(4) Sarkar BK. Essay on Homoeopathy. Reprint Edition. Birla Publications Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, 2004- 2005.
(5) Boericke Oscar E., Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic MateriaMedica And Repertory , B. Jain Publishers (P) LTD; New Delhi
(6) J T Kent , Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica
(7) Dr. William Boericke , Pocket Manuel of Homoeopathic Materia Medica
Dr. Tanvi Sharma BHMS
University College of Homoeopathy,
(Constituent College of Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University, Jodhpur),
Old CHC Building, Ajmeri Gate, Kekri – 305404.
Email: tanvi26sharma2003@gmail.com
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