Ordinarily selection of
the Simillimum depends upon guiding symptoms,
causations, suppressions, miasms etc., but in recent
years clinical investigations had played a very
important role in treating the cases where there
was paucity of symptoms. Clinical investigations helps
in determining the:
Etiological Factors
of the Disease
Various Biochemical
and Biophysical changes in the Body
Etiological
Factors of the Disease
Etiology
is the science of causes. The homoeopathy etiology in
its true sense should be studied from the angle of
cure but not simply for explanation arrived by
clinical investigations. Homoeopathic etiology may be
categorized into:
Related
to patient
Related
to disease
Patient
Etiology
Patient
etiology is very important as it will investigate
everything regarding causative factors of the disease.
Homeopathically it can be studies in the following
manner:
Maintaining
causes: These are causes which maintains as
well as operate whole disease process from behind.
Unless these causes are removed cure cant be
achieved permanently. Dr. Boenninghausen paid high
importance to maintaining causes of the disease
and was the first homoeopath to realize its
importance. He has given these symptoms under
heading "Concomitant Symptoms".
Fundamental
Cause: These are
the causes which derange the fundamental qualities
of life thereby derange the human organs from the
very interior i.e. from the central or dynamic
surface to the physical surface through the mental
surface. It fundamentally declines the decorum of
the human body by disturbing the harmonious flow
of life maintaining mechanisms. In homeopathy it
is known as "Miasmatic Causes" ( Psora,
Syphilis, Sycosis). Though modern
clinical investigation methods has nothing to do
with miasmatic causes but in homeopathic treatment
for chronic diseases understanding miasmatic
causes is very essential.
Exciting
Cause: These causes explode the underlining
disease conditions, manifesting an acute series of
signs and symptoms. In fact a little excitement in
these, causes the latent disease conditions to
come on the surface. Clinical investigations provide
us a clear understanding about the disease and its
stimulus.
Family
Background: Sometimes properly selected
homoeopathic remedies fails to provide cure. In
such cases family background of the patient plays
a vital role in identifying the inherited disease
miasms.
Diet:
Clinical investigations always provide clues to
the homoeopath about the diet of the patient
according to the disease and medicine. For
example, patient of albuminuria and diabetes will
never improve unless they are advised to stop
taking salt and sugar, respectively in their
meals.
Disease
Etiology
When
primary or the predisposing factors make favorable
circumstances for the foothold of the disease
producing specific, secondary microorganisms, then
these enter in the body and starts their action.
Homoeopathy no where opposes the truth regarding the
existence of secondary microorganisms but it strictly
defies and object the ideas that microorganisms are
the sole causes of the diseases. Homoeopathy
teaches us to understand diseases from treatment and
cure point of view but not from analysis by
sophisticated clinical equipments. Clinical
investigations always plays a supportive role to the
dynamic theory of homoeopathy.
Biochemical
and Biophysical changes in the Body
These
changes are not the beginning of a disease but are the
products of the disease. Clinical investigations helps
us in detecting these changes to enable homoeopath to
make differential diagnosis, prognosis of the disease
and its management.
As
a general principle the more advance the disease - the
presence of more marked pathological changes. Less
advance the disease - the less pathological picture is
available and hence, presence of more
characteristic symptoms homeopathically.
By
clinical investigations one can detect the exact
biochemical and biophysical changes of the disease,
its exact location, its stage and its intensity.
Therefore, these sort of clinical investigations are
essential for carrying out the proceeding of normal
homoeopathic treatment.
Conclusion
In
many cases, it has been seen that only symptomatic
treatment is not sufficient to provide a complete
cure. For example, in a case of falling hairs with
chronic constipation and weight gain most of the times
homeopaths not even think that this may be a
case of hypo or hyperthyroidism. The same way tingling
& numbness sensation in upper & lower
extremities may be a case of Vitamin B12 deficiency;
non responding loose motions to homoeopathic medicines
may be a case of Folic Acid deficiency, presence of
large renal stones produce sciatica like symptoms,
cervical spondylitis produce pain like angina etc...In
such cases unless and until a clinical investigation
is being done proper cure can not be achieved.
All
the case reports presented in Case Report Section are
mostly based on the clinical investigations.
Labeled with ICRA