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:

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

Prophylactic Remedy against acute disease: