One step Forward - Two step Backward

Development of modern science has opened many ways to doctors to understand a patient/disease in a better way. There is a growing opinion among the public that allopathic doctors order their patients to undergo a lot of unnecessary but very expensive investigations.

At the same time there is a concept among a lot of homoeopaths/homoeopathic lovers that investigation is unnecessary and unwarranted.

When a homoeopath asks the patient to do some investigations they squeeze their brows and ask, “Doctor Is it very essential? Does homoeopathy also need it? Can you not go ahead without this?” the fact is investigations help us to know a lot better about the patient and the disease. They help us to know the prognosis of the case. Much more important is that they often help us to select a correct remedy too.

Analysis of urine gives an idea of what type of crystals are present and hence what medicine to give. Tuberculous cavity in lungs, revealed by X-rays, prevent us from giving Silicea or Phosphorous to that patient. A repeat investigation in the course of treatment tells us as to where we are in that case. Sometime patient may feel better but go worse really (Kent observation).

Hahnemann classified diseases into medicinal and surgical cases. He has also gone one step further to identify certain incurable diseases where palliation is needed. Homoeopaths should not feel shy to accept these facts with their patients.

To enlighten this aspect I have sited four cases of upper GI Endoscopy. I site these because as ulcers and inflammatory conditions are common in our practice there are some possibilities of considering all stomach cases as ulcers or acid peptic diseases.

Case No.1:

Mr. G., Aged 50, brought to me by his relatives on 29/5/1993 said that he had no complaints that time. He had history of malena due to the vermicide tablet prescribed to him for his stomach pain.

Third day he become unconscious and admitted to a hospital. Endoscopy didn’t reveal the site of bleeding. Hence he was treated conservatively with antacids etc.

Occasionally he had vomiting and indigestion. Given him medicine for good digestion. Endoscopy done again on 27/9 /1993 reveled as follows:

• -Incompetent lower oesophageal sphincter with grade 1 reflux oesophagitis in the lower end.
• -Large quantity of solid and fluid stasis of previous meal which was ingested 12 hours earlier. Dilated stomach. No lesion noted in the visible gastric mucosa. Samples collected for h.pylori culture.
• -Distorted pylorus.
• -Near-total, gastric outlet obstruction due to chronic duodenal ulceration. The endoscope could not negotiate the cicatrised duodenal bulb.
• -Surgical intervention indicated.

I advised him to under go surgery because the stomach is distended so much and it may end in emergency in any time. But he wanted to wait and try. I was also happy get this type of patient and tried with medicines like Thuja , Calc.fl., Thios., etc., for six months.

One day suddenly he had coffee ground vomiting in Feb. 1994 and took Cad.sul for the same. I referred him to Gastro enterologist and found there is no improvement in the condition. He was operated in May 1994 and doing well since then.