Prescribing on the basis of Prophylactics and Genus Epidemicus

The principle of prescribing on the basis of Prophylactics or prevention of disease was known to ayurvedic, unanni and allopathic system of medicines. Hahnemann too noted that homoeopathic medicines can act as prophylactic medicines when the remedy in its proving brings out symptoms similar to a particular disease.

Genus Epidemicus is the word coined by Hahnemann which denotes the homoeopathic remedy that is similar to the totality of symptoms found in majority of patients suffering in an epidemic disease and which if given to the patient before the onset of the disease prevents the epidemic disease or when given during the disease cures the patient.

Totality of symptoms in the epidemic disease consists of common symptoms of disease as well as uncommon or peculiar symptoms found in majority of patients suffering from the epidemic disease. Epidemic disease may be confined to a town or a district or a state where a large number of people are attacked by the same disease. It is well accepted fact that viral diseases form the bulk of epidemic diseases.

The knowledge of Prophylactics and Genus Epidemicus remedies is very useful for a homoeopath as prevention is always better than cure. The first Prophylaxy consists in giving in early childhood the constitutional remedy corresponding to the totality of symptoms observed thus making the child more enduring and enabling him to resist the numerous complaints to which children are exposed. Later on, at the time of epidemics they should be given remedies to protect them if they are sound or to make a speedy cure in case they have just caught the disease.

Incase of epidemics the best prophylactics will be the remedy obtained after examining the typical symptoms from accurate examination of first 10 cases taken.

Following is the list of medicines provided by Dr. Pierre Schmidt for prophylactic against common diseases:

Disease	Medicine
Scarlet Fever	Belladonna, Scarlatinum
Measles	Morbillinum
Whooping Cough	Pertussin
Mumps	Parotidinum
Diphtheria	Diphtherinum or Diphthereotoxin
Croup	Phosphorous
Smallpox	Variolinum
Influenza	Influenzinum
Cholera	Choleratoxin, Camphor, Lachesis, Sulphur, Cuprum Met
Yellow Fever	Cimcifuga
Malaria	Eupatorium P, Natrum Mur, Malaria Off, China Pure
Tetanus	Ledum Pal, Arnica, Tetanotoxin, Thuja
Herpes	Heper Sulph
Erysitelas	Graphitis
Sunstroke	Glonine
Emotional Diarrhea	Gelsemum, Arg Nit
Recurring sore throat	Baryta Carb, Psorinum
Recurrent Styes	Sulphur
Tendency to abortion	Second Month- Kali Carb, Third Month- Sabina, Seventh Month- Sepia
Polimyelitis	Lathyrus S, Acid Carbolic, Plumbum Met, Physostigma

The following is a list of common prophylactic remedies noticed by their clinical experience by various pioneers of homoeopathy:

Medicine	Female Diseases
Arnica	Prevents soreness of parts after labor
Aurum Mur Nat	Prevents habitual abortion and premature labor due to indurated cervix or sterility due to antiversion of uterus
Cimicifuga	Prevents death of children after birth; still born children, ensures living babies in women who have previously born only dead children from no known cause.
Erigeron	Prevents formation of placenta previa
Viscum Album	Primary inertia during labor, promotes labor pains (Puls, KP, Secal Cor) promotes expulsion of placenta

Prophylactic Remedy against acute disease:

Disease	Medicine
Hay Fever	Ars Alb, Psorinum
Hydrophobia	Belladonna, Hydrophobinum
Boils	Gunpowder
Whitlow	Silicea
Intermittent Fever	Chinum Sulph, Ars Alb, Sulphur
Pus Infection	Gunpowder, Arnica
Quinsy	Baryta Carb, Psorinum
Appendicitis	Psorinum
Tuberculosis	Drosera, Bacilinum, Tuberculinum
Puerperal Fever	Pyrogenum

Updated on: 01 Feb 2010