HOM(EOPATHY IN GENERAL PRACTICE 181

malignant conditions at once: carcinoma of the rectum, lymphogranulo- matosis and seminoma. The lymphogranulomatosis, at a fairly advanced stage (III) , was treated with X-rays in moderate dosage, recurred three times, and was irradiated again each time. No further symptoms now for 5�89 years, nor are there any signs of secondaries developing from the other malignancies. Period of observation since starting on Iscador therapy: fifteen years.

A woman of 31 who came for treatment when in Stage IV and was kept stationary and able to work for four years, taking our treatment only. Then increasing enlargement of the spleen, regressing after radiotherapy. Period of observation to date: 4�89 years.

(Unless otherwise stated, the drugs mentioned in this paper are available from the Weleda Companies, and they will also supply copies of the new edition of Directions for the use of Iscador, on request. The German D potencies given in this paper are equivalent to the English x potencies.)

REFERENCES

Bole, D. (1968). Das erste Auge. Stuttgart: Verlag Freies Geistesleben. Brunner, K., and Barandun, S. (1966). Die Therapie des malignant Lymphoms. Sehweizer Medizinische Woehenschrift, 96~ 263-7. Lehmarm, F. M. (1968). Kritische Betrachtung zur Krebsbehandlung. Tberapie der Gegenwart, 1173-83.

4 Leiber, B. (1961). Der menschliche Ly.mphknoten. Munich and Berlin. Leroi, R. (1969). Malignom-Behandlung nach geisteswissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen. Die Lymphogranulornatose. Beitrffge zu einer Erwei~erung der Heilkunde, 22, 69-85 and 107-110. Smithers, D. W. (1967). Hodgkin's disease. British Medical Journal, 2, 263-8 and 337-41.

Homoeopathy in general practice K A T H L E E N G. P R I E S T M A N , M . R . c . S . , L . ~ . c . p . , M . F . r ~ O M .

When I was considering the title of this lecture, I wondered how I could present the difference between predominantly homceopathic prescribing in general practice, and ordinary orthodox prescribing, so that it could be most clearly understood - - after all, we all see the same kind of patients, to the third and occasionally the fourth generation when we have been in practice long enough - -we all treat patients with acute illness, chronic disease, psychosomatic

A paper read as part of the Post-Graduate Intensive Course of the Faculty of Homoeopathy on 23 February 1971

] 8 2 T H E B R I T I S H H O M ( E O P A T t I I C J O U R N A L

difficulties and minor accidents, from the very young to the very old--so what's the difference?

Basically, t reatment in orthodox medicine is based on the diagnosis of the complaint, t reatment in tIomceopathy is based on the symptom picture pre- sented by the patient regardless of the diagnosis of the complaint. To illustrate this I have chosen to describe three patients, each with a different diagnosis, but who presented symptoms of the same homceopathic remedy and therefore all had the same treatment; three patients who all presented with the same complaint and diagnosis, but each presented different individual symptoms, and therefore each required a different remedy; and two minor accidents.

First then, three patients with different diagnoses requiring the same homceo- pathic remedy.

CASE 1, S .M. , a g e 8

Complaint, a sore throat, which started after having his hair washed, quick rise of temperature to 102--and on examination the child was very flushed, with a hot dry skin, bright eyes, dilated pupils, circumoral pallar, a bright scarlet throat and white coated tongue with the red papillae showing through.

Diagnosis, acute tonsillitis. Remedy Belladonna 10M, six doses at two-hourly intervals. Next day, all

symptoms gone, and the child seemed quite well.

CASE 2 , D . P . , age 40

Complaint, large superficiM varicose veins for many years, but an attack of shivering, which had come on suddenly, followed by dry heat, throbbing head- ache, with a patch of redness and acute tenderness over the veins just above the left knee. On examination, temperature 101, flushed, with bright eyes, dilated pupils, circumoral pallor and a white tongue with red papillae showing through.

Diagnosis, acute thrombophlebitis. Remedy Belladonna 10M, six doses at two-hourly intervals. Next day, very

much bet ter- - remedy continued at four-hourly intervals and all symptoms disappeared very quickly.

CASE 3, C., age 36

Complaint, menstrual flow heavy and clotted with soreness of the abdomen, worse for walking, with palpitation on exertion, a hot face and a throbbing headache. At these time she had a notably flushed face with circumoral pallor, a white tongue with the red papillae showing through.

Diagnosis, menorrhagia. Remedy, Belladonna 200, four hourly for the first two days of the menstrual

period or longer if required. This controls the flow, the clotting, the headache and the palpitation, and is not necessarily repeated every month; she may be perfectly controlled and comfortable for two to four months after a course of Belladonna.

Three patients, therefore, with very different organs of the body affected, and yet because they showed the characteristic symptoms of Belladonna, they each responded very well. Belladonna is more frequently required for acute than

H O M ( E O P A T H Y I N G E N E R A L 1 ) I % A C T I C E 183

chronic conditions, but can be expected to give good results with the symptoms mentioned, i.e. the extreme dry heat, scarlet redness of the affected parts, the face with bright red cheeks, circumoral pallor, a white tongue with the red papillae showing through. In cases where there is fever, the eyes are bright, with dilated pupils, there may be delirium, where they are particularly afraid of black shadows, or objects, or see black things on the bed or in the corner of the room, and children may develop convulsions.

Belladonna patients are sensitive to noise and light and have severe throbbing headaches which are much worse from lying down.

The second group of three patients each have the same diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and asthma, but because they presented entirely individual symptom pictures, each responded to a different remedy.

CASE 1, D.L., age 50

Complaint, chronic bronchitis and asthma. Her chest trouble had star ted a t the age of 20 years when she was found to have tuberculosis of both lungs. She had had double artificial pneumothorax and responded well for about eight years. Then she had bronchitis and asthma every winter, with increasing disability. When she was first seen she had spent up to five or six months each winter, for the preceeding three or four years, confined to her first-floor flat, unable to work, hardly able to go ou t - - so breathless tha t it took her hours to dress, and she did not dare to go downstairs, because it took so long and caused her so much distress to get up again. She was depressed, and had a very marked aggravation from damp weather.

~or her t rea tment she required frequent courses of antibiotics, ephedrine, and an inhaler. Because of her long history of chest infections, depression, and the very marked aggravation in damp weather, she was given Natrum sulph. 6 b.d. for a long course.

In the first four weeks there was a marked improvement, which continued throughout the winter, and she was able to s tar t work earlier than usual.

Over the next few years, and using long courses of Natrum sulph. 6, she improved so much tha t she was able to stay at work right through the winter apar t from occasional at tacks of influenza or acute bronchitis for which she did need a course of antibiotic t reatment .

CASE 2, Miss M., age 61

Influenza when first seen a t the end of October 1966. This pat ient had a history of repeated at tacks of bronchitis since childhood and pneumonia at the age of 19 years.

She presented with symptoms of persistent cough, with irritation in pit of throat. The cough was ~ at night, ~ lying, ~ entering cold air. Tendency to wake her in the early hours of the morning.

Always has to sleep well propped up, and in at tacks gets relief from leaning forward. Yellow sputum, difficult to bring up. In general this patient is a big, heavy woman, extremely chilly, generally slack and lacking in energy, and worried about her health. She is pale, and has a tendency to puffy swelling round the eyes.

This presents a symptom picture well covered by the homceopathic remedy Kali carb., which she has received in varying potencies, with a real improve- ment in her general health, and almost no bronchitis.

184 T H E B I ~ I T I S I ~ H O N I ( E O P A T H I C J O U R N A L

CAS~ 3, M.G., age 4

Spanish and lives in Salamanca, but has a history of winter cough and bron- chitis for the past three winters, with many courses of antibiotics. The attacks of coughing and wheezing follow a head cold. History of allergic eczema from the age of a few months, and his maternal grandfather and an uncle suffer from eczema. He has had all immunizations, including vaccination against smallpox, to which he had a severe reaction.

He is sensitive and forward for his age, laughs and cries easily, is sensitive to heat and perspires easily. Appetite good, with an aversion to fat and an allergy to pork.

The constitutional symptoms of this child point very strongly to Pulsatilla, but because of the history of a bad reaction to vaccination against smallpox he was given Thuja 200, three doses, followed by Pulsatilla 6 b.d. for four weeks.

The results have been excellent--with no further colds, coughs or bronchitis. I t is not my normal practice to give two remedies at the same time, though

I do so occasionally. In this instance the reasdn for the double prescription was the fact that the child was being taken hack to Spain within a few days of the consultation, otherwise I would have given the Thuja first, to antidote the affect of the reaction to vaccination, and then seen him again before prescribing the Pulsatilla.

Next two cases which I classify as minor accidents--the sort of things that occur quite frequently in general practice.

Mrs. H. went into her kitchen to attend to something she had left boiling on the gas stove. She noticed the oven gas tap was turned on, but could not remember that she had put anything in the oven, so she opened the door and stooped down to look in. A wave of gas came out, was ignited by the burner on top and exploded in her face. I arrived shortly after this to find her very shocked and frightened, with no eyebrows or eyelashes, all the front hair singed and a first degree erythematous burn over the whole of her face. Using Urtica urens mother tincture, a mask was applied to her face, and her husband instruc- ted to remoisten it with the Urtica urens tincture at four-hourly intervals, but without removing the mask, and she was given a dose of Urtica urens 200 internally. Next morning there was no sign of any burn except slight blistering at the inner eanthi, nostrils and lips, where it had been impossible to keep the mask in close contact.

D.G. age 14

Trapped his right thumb in a train door on his way from school to the gaines field. I t was some minutes before he could make anyone understand that he needed help, and to open the door. He was taken to a local hospital, and the thumb X-rayed no fracture but very severe crushing and bruising. He is- allergic to plaster so a splint was made by spraying a gauze dressing and he was given paracetamol.

The pain was very severe and he had very little sleep, arriving at the surgery next day almost fainting, as the jolting of the car journey had caused so much pain. The thumb was extremely swollen, a deep purple, and he could not bear it to be touched, so the existing gauze dressing was soaked in Arnica tincture, and he was given Hypericum 200, two hourly. This gave almost immediate relief. He had a much better night and was able to return to school, and write notes, etc., in a surprisingly short time.