Dr Shiv Dua
Great Hahnemann left his legacy of homoeopathy in the form of ‘law of similars’. We all accepted it and comprehended the genius of this healing art but majority of people do not know or want to understand law of similars. It is equally applicable to allopathic system. Nobody knows the working principle of allopathy and still they follow it in majority. This is due to total faith in the allopathic system. This has not come overnight.
Before partition of India, Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicines were very popular and people avoided ‘Angrezi Dawa’. What happened after independence of India is a success story of ‘Angrezi Dawa’. It was naturally the ruling party that boosted this system. The rulers of new India got in legacy of well furnished clean hospitals, elegantly dressed doctors/ nurses, with lot of medicines in the open market. They encouraged and funded the hospitals instead of funding other systems of medicines. Homoeopathy at the time was not popular as were Ayurveda or Unani systems and surviving in most of charitable hospitals. So, homoeopathy was not a competitor. The competitors were Ayurveda and Unani systems that had roots in pre-partition India. The patients were attracted by the clean, lighted, and furnished hospitals. The doctors spoke in very convincing manner and the cure was felt very soon. The new young generation of after-partition era felt ‘modern’ when they visited such hospitals. They believed in these well-dressed doctors than the ‘Vaids’ and ‘Hakims’ where their fathers used to take them during childhood. The ‘Vaids’ and ‘Hakims’ had shabby appearance and made the patients sit on the mat. They themselves sat on the elevated mats and wore ‘Desi’ dress. The medicines of Ayurveda and Unani system were paper-wrapped and bitter to taste. The allopathic medicines were in syrups that had tolerable taste. Its tablets could be swallowed easily without feeling of bitterness. The injections were slightly painful but the results were joyful and ‘quick cure’ was the second name of injections.
After sixty years of independence, ‘Angrezi Dawa’ has become a most modern system with advance surgery and adequate research avenues. This all has happened because of faith or belief in the system. Homoeopathy has not been able to earn ‘belief’ so far. It is a difficult task but not impossible. We cannot make people have belief in homoeopathy overnight. It is a long process. If we start some efforts now, the results could be achieved after five to ten years. Is anyone thinking on this line? No one is looking into the aspect of installation of belief in homoeopathy.
Philosophy of belief
Before such a belief is instilled in the masses, let us ponder over views of Great philosopher and saint ‘Osho’. He has said that Allopathic, Ayurveda, and Homoeopathy succeed only in 70 % of cases. Similarly, Greek and Chinese medicines-system, acupressure, and acupuncture systems also succeed in 70 % of cases. This appears to be very strange coincidence that all systems of medicines have a success rate of only 70 % cases. Looked at from outside, it is a mystery. Look at homoeopathy; it has apparently nothing medicinal in it. The medicine is just small sugar pill but it succeeds. The difference between allopathy and homoeopathy is that you need not believe in allopathy and still it succeeds. On the other hand, you need to believe in homoeopathy and then it succeeds. (Courtesy: Osho world, March 2006). I should not say that Osho was authority to make such statement of belief but I see a clear strategy over which he must have pondered. He himself might have experienced all the systems of medicines. Without this he could not have reached above conclusion. Presuming that all the therapies are having the same cure -percentage and matter rests with ‘faith’ of the people, there is a scope to work upon. How can we achieve this?
First action- Mass communications
The first action from us should be to reach the masses through a thoughtful strategy. I have the example of Yoga-guru Swami Ramdev of Patanjali, Haridwar. He followed the policy of ‘Ekla Chalo’ (walk alone) and proved that ideas can be put into actions if there is will to do so. He held meetings with public, spoke of religion and medicines, and then demonstrated Yoga. Everything was done step by step. He did not hesitate to take help of allopathic doctors and laboratory tests to prove that Yoga works. Gradually he won the confidence of people. People could see the results, which their doctors confirmed. This was an avenue where Swami Ramdev worked hard day and night. Now there are crores of people throughout world holding faith in Yoga.
Homoeopathy needs a personality or a set of dedicated persons who could profess, monitor, and preach homoeopathy among masses. We have gifted scholars and practitioners in homoeopathy and someone has to take the initiative. The government bodies, research institutes, and colleges should think over this method of dialogue with masses to promote homoeopathy. It is not a rapid process but would have brilliant results.
Second action- Restrict laboratory tests Homoeopathy was never designed to take help of laboratories. It is now that in competition with other systems of medicines, the laboratory tests have been widely inducted in study of homoeopathy. There is no harm in having the knowledge of a subject but there is harm if the subject is not applicable in the system. In pursuit of modernity, our new generation doctors are advising the tests for the patients.
The irony is that we have no literature that could define medicines against the abnormal values of tests. Homoeopathy is not designed to do so. If blood cholesterol is found high in the tests, we have no specific medicine to lower it. This is one example. We are deceiving ourselves? In tent questions to solve in an examination, if the student is told to attempt any seven, it is option of the student which one to attempt and which one not to. When we do not have remedy for abnormal values of tests, why should we suggest the same? Some tests are essential and those can be advised as in the case of renal calculi, or cysts/tumors etc. We have to change the tactics of laboratory tests. Any person having UTI may have more of pus or blood cells. Any person suffering from debility or looking pale may have low Hb. How urine test or blood test would help to select a medicine in homoeopathy? If the pus cells in urine are numerous, what is the medicine you would suggest? If Hb is low, what is the medicine, you can quote. Even if you suggest canthris, or Ferrum, I am not going to accept it. Such medicines are never applicable to all the patients. We go by symptoms. What is the use of robbing the patients on no account? Clinical laboratory reports should be restricted to certain level and we should not penalize the patient through costly tests, if faith in homoeopathy has to be installed among masses.
Third action- Physical examination-make it a must If you have visited OPD of Government allopathic hospital, you know how the doctors examine the patients. Before you say fever, the prescription is ready and doctor tells you to leave. People always condemn this in verbal statements and desire that other systems of medicines should not do this. They get a shock when they find homoeopaths also following the suit. This discourages them and they lose faith in homoeopathy.
I have seen many Homoeopaths not abiding to our principle of physical examination. Such practitioners are those who are popular, well known and have a long queue of waiting patients. They listen to patients impatiently without touching the patients and prescribe. This does not satisfy the patient who has come to homoeopathy with some belief of cure. If a patient of hemorrhoids comes, he should be examined physically. Let there be separate cabin for this. If this is not possible the patient should be told to get the piles diagnosed from a surgeon and then return to you. This would make the things clear. Examination of parts of the body like throat, ears, tongue, pulse, temperature, chest, blood pressure etc. should be done without fail to instill confidence in the patients that they are in the right hands. To promote the cause of homoeopathy, it should be made compulsory to have all instruments of examination in the clinic. You will see even RMP’s hang a stethoscope around their necks but qualified homoeopaths rarely do it. The looks also matter. Let the patient talk more, let the doctor listen more and let the physical examination be more. These are three golden rules to instill faith in homoeopathy.
Fourth action- Start the campaign from villages and schools.
The people of cities and towns know something about homoeopathy but villagers in remote areas do not know about it. I have been to almost all the states of India and worked in remote villages and forests. Homoeopathy is not known well in villages. In each state, a master program should be inducted and some villages earmarked for starting homoeopathic clinics. This is the best way to click. The medical facilities in villages are insufficient and avenue of homoeopathy would fetch good results.
Secondly, we know that child is a father of family in many respects. It is a child who commands and demands to which parents have to abide by. If they do not oblige, they have to explain the reasons to the child. It is the brains of child where we can be imbibed with ideas of homoeopathy. Let us organize simple lectures in primary and secondary schools on uses of homoeopathy. Our doctor’s associations can do this job locally. If they can hold free homoeopathic camps, they can arrange lectures in schools also. Associations can also distribute leaflets in schools of their areas. At government level, initiative has to come from AYUSH or regional homoeopathic councils for organizing such lectures and distributing leaflets in government schools. This method would instill faith in homoeopathy.
Conclusion
Faith is not a thing that can be implanted forcibly. We have different religions in India and every religion has its followers. If I am Hindu, I do not go to a mosque or church for my prayers. It is the same with other religions. Everybody is not doing Yoga or everyone is not following naturopathy. Why should everyone follow Homoeopathy? At present there are few takers in homoeopathy due to lack of knowledge. If knowledge about the system were inducted in masses, the belief in it would flow automatically. It is time to act for government bodies and various associations.
Conducting seminars on old known topics in absence of new research papers, spending a lot on organizing free camps, honoring doctors in the symposiums and inviting foreign doctors is helpful to promote homoeopathy but this is limited to the advantage of professionals or at the most students. All this activities should be either abandoned or restricted forthwith. Full attention should be diverted to the above jobs to instill faith in homoeopathy.
I have written hundreds of articles and nine books on homoeopathy. My motivation has been to promote homoeopathy. My writings failed to effect any change but I still go on writing with the hope that someone from the masses, students or doctors would read this article and think over making way to the top as did Swami Ramdev alone.
Dr. Shiv Dua
2617, Sector-16, Faridabad 121002 9871408050 (m)
E-mail: shiv_duadr@yahoo.co.in
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