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Introduction:
Fever is a very general term; it is not a disease, only a symptom. It ranges
from mild to severe. It may be an expression of acute disease or a chronic one. It
is very interesting for us that majority of time core quality of disposition is
reflected at time of fever.
Homoeopathic Physiology:
As thermoregulation represents a delicate balance at level of PNER
(Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Reticuloendothelial system) axis for the purpose of
homeostasis in human being, any disturbance in it expresses sign and symptoms
at multiple plane, not only just a variation of temperature of body. This highly
supports that fever is not just a symptom, but also a general response to a
disease, having expression through over all the human systems. Every sick person
responds differently in fever – expression of fever and reaction to fever differs in
all; even normal body temperature is highly individualistic.
Its demand is that we must understand disease and the disease in each
sick individual (§ 3). Underlying disease responsible for fever must be diagnosed,
not just nosologically but also define it in terms of its pace and depth in respect to
vital parameters. This helps to understand underlying process, depth of
pathology, scope of a homoeopath and Homoeopathy, speed at which one need to
act in terms of posology, ancillary mode of supportive treatment, hygiene and
preventive measures etc.
Characteristics in Common:
Hence, rather than neglecting ‘common symptoms’ i.e. diagnostic
symptoms of a case, such symptoms should be taken advantage of by tracing
them to explore their evolution, presentations, and associations etc. i.e. to find
out their individualistic features in the particular patient. These symptoms are the
first feelers in tracing characteristics and even immediate associated general
symptoms, this is found very useful in cases having fever.
Every patient having same disease with similar set of symptoms will rarely
have same evolution as all persons have different inner resources, reactivity,
immunity and adaptive capacity. Hence evolution/ anamnesis must be very
carefully understood in each case. Like wise all Homoeopathic drugs have
different evolution or progress of symptoms. e.g.: Brom, Arum triph, Sep., Lac. can
have ascending cold (Boger’s Synoptic Key), where as Phos, Lyc etc are known for
descending cold; Gels, Bry (Bry - slowly advancing, forcible process, localising in
unyielding tissues, very painful effects - BSK) symptoms are known to evolve
slowly unlike Belladona, Aconite, Stramonium etc.; Ars alb shows sudden, intense
effects and Phos shows insidious onset, gradually increasing debility, ending in
sever or rapid disease; etc are some of the examples, which can be evolved
through studying Hom. Mat. Med like Boger’s Synoptic Key, Phatak’s Mat. Med,
Kent’s Lectures…etc.
In the process of exploring evolution in a case, we reach to the point of
apparent origin. This point of origin is most important as it is very much related to
exciting factor/s, the apparent state of health and early state of disturbance.
Different exciting factors may produce similar effects; same exciting factor
stimulates different effects! The key to individualisation lies here as this is one,
which is most related to underlying disposition. The target point for every
homoeopath to annihilate the disease…(§ 2)
On the other side of the point of origin lies the other side of the story i.e.
H/o comfortable state, state of well-being. The purpose of treatment is to achieve
it i.e. restoration of earlier state of health (§ 1).
The early state of disturbance at time of deviation from an apparently
healthy state (§ 6) is so much valuable that spotting characteristics in it helps to
target the bull (disease) before even identifying it! The symptoms of prodrome
have individualistic presentation, which reflects nothing but individual reaction to
disease process.
Characterising Fever:
Homoeopathic therapy is on a far superior pedestal as it ‘can catch the
disease young’ through the characteristics symptoms of prodrome. We very well
know that symptoms of phases of prodrome and apyrexia present individualistic
symptoms. Before the actual disease is known/ establishes, thus, it is possible to
abort it. Hence, all the symptoms of both these phases must be well qualified. So
many times it needs untiring observation at bedside to get correct picture, mainly
of characteristics. Thanks to Dr. Allen, the best reference of this kind is available
in his excellent work ‘Therapeutic of Fever’. Its repertory part has exclusively
included symptoms of prodrome, apyrexia and changes in general symptoms e.g.
desire aversion, etc.
A patient’s way of looking to illness, his meaning to his suffering helps a lot
in individualisation. ‘Next episode of fever would again give breaking pains’ – Fear
of pain; suffering during sickness is feared – Fear of suffering; to be down with
fever means loss of business/ money/ commitment etc can be referred in
business, money, duty related rubrics in Mind chapter.
One of my regular patients reported in the evening that she had fever
since previous night, feeling very weak, no desire to eat, taste was changed, thirst
was increased. I was about to prescribe Ars. alb. I insisted that she must take oral
intake, she replied that nothing tastes good, except on the previous night she got
up for plums. “For plums?” She answered that usually she never likes plums but
on that night when husband asked if she wanted him to get any fruit, she desired
for plums! She was also surprised. This was something unexpected. Referring
repertory only Sul. acid was found having this desire. Hering’s guiding symptoms
helped to understand the picture of fever of Sul acid. On further inquiry Chilliness
< indoors, > outdoors, headache > quiet, < draft confirmed Sul acid. This case
demonstrates change in general, need to overcome ‘routine’ prescriptions, use of
repertory and usefulness of source books.
Conclusion:
Bibliography:
Acknowledgment: