The Second Principle

“MINIMIZE THE DOSE TO INCREASE ITS CURING POWER”

This brings us to the second great principle of Homoeopathy-Minima Minimus, smaller the dose, better the result.

To minimize the dose Dr. Hahnemann mixed the medicine with non-medicinal substances such as alcohol distilled water or sugar of milk. By a special procedure not only the dose was minimized but it was also dynamited that is as the molecules of the medicine were divided and subdivided, their curative power was increased. Though it was difficult to be explained in the days of Hahnemann, now it can be easily explained in accordance with the atomic theory. Hence minimized doses, though termed dilutions in early stages, were named as Potency later on.

These Potency are of two types: X Potency and C Potency.  X Potencies are prepared by mixing well one part of the original medicine with 9 parts of Vehicle, that is alcohol or distilled water or sugar of milk in cases of solid drugs. Similarly, C Potencies are prepared by mixing one part of the original medicine with 99 parts of Vehicle.

A Potency prepared in this manner is called 1x or 1c. One part of it is again mixed, according to the given method, with 9 and 99 parts of Vehicle to obtain 2x or 2c- and this process is repeated to give up to 3,4,6,15,30,200,500,1000,10000 Potencies. The higher the Potency the greater its dynamic power to cure.

Ordinarily X is always mentioned against the name of the drug such as ACONITE 1x, ACONITE 6X or 30x but C is not mentioned. ACONITE 30 means ACONITE 30c. 1000 is often mentioned as 1m, 10000 as 10M, and 100000 as CM. The original medicine is called Mother Tincture which is indicated by Greek alphabet Q (theta). As already mentioned, solid mother drugs are mixed with sugar of milk and grinded well in pestle and mortar according to prescribed procedure. This process of grinding is called triturating and the power potencies are called triturations such as ARSENIC 3x TRIT, BARYTA CARB 6x TRIT or CALCAREA PHOS 12x TRIT.

First Aid and Emergencies

There are occasions when one is suddenly injured, lightly or seriously, and has to be provided immediate aid and care. In many of such cases he is more shocked than injured, and shock itself requires treatment. There are burns, fainting, sting and bites, nose bleed, hiccups and fits, cramps in the night and various kinds of accidents.

These should be provided the usual First Aid quickly and intelligently, till proper medical aid arrives. The patient should be moved to a suitable place and kept warm. If the skin is broken, the wound should be cleaned and covered. If artificial respiration is needed, it should be given. If poison has been swallowed, it should be emitted by vomiting. Medicines should be given as follows:

Injuries

Arnica/Calendula/Hypericum/Symphytum/Rhus Tox/Ruta/Hamamellis/Natrum Sulph/Echinacea

Shocks

Sometimes when any accident occurs the injury is minor but the patient is so shocked that he become unconscious, and his hands and feet become cold. In such cases 3 to 4 drops of Comphor Q should be given with a little sugar; it  can repeated every half hour. Veratrum Album 6 or Carbo Veg 6 is also useful in shocks. For aftereffects use Arnica 200 or Arsenic 200

Insect Bites

In bites by bees, scorpion or fleas or other insects external application of Comphor Q or kerosene oil or onion juice is useful. The sting should be removed and it should be dressed with Calendula. Garlic is said to be very efficacious in such bites; its juice should be applied. In swelling and pain etc. Apis Mel 6 twice daily will do. For rat bites Ledum 6 should be given twice daily.

It is said that for scorpion bites lukewarm salt lotion should be dropped in the opposite side ear of the patient, i.e if the bite is on the left leg, salt lotion should be dropped in the right ear.

Burns

When there is an ordinary burn on any single part of the body, dress it with lime water. The burnt place should be kept covered with wheat flour or lotion of Cantharis Q ( 1 to 10 ) should be applied and the part be kept dressed with it. Cantharis 6 should be used internally twice daily. If cow dung is applied to the burnt place, it is said no blisters are formed  and burning etc. is also relieved. When the clothes catch fire, one should not run away but should lie down at once. The burning clothes should be covered with a blanket. When the burns are deep and serious, hospitalisation is necessary. In fever, restlessness, burning, etc. Aconite 3x or Arsenic 30 should be given internally according to symptoms.

Travel Sickness

Some persons have nausea, vomiting and vertigo when travelling in a ship, steamer, bus or train in hills and in air. Sipping of lemon, Orange etc. gives relief. Lying down also relieves. Sometimes these symptoms persist even after the journey. The following medicines are useful.

Antim Tart/Cocculus/Apomorphia/Nux Vom/Staphysagria

Sun or Heat Stroke

There is fever, headache and restlessness. Onion is its best remedy, its juice should be given internally and should also be applied externally on hands and feet. Apply cold water pack or ice bag on the head. Massage in the back bone with linen soaked in ice cold water is also useful.

Glonine/Belladona/Gelsemium/Natrum Carb/Natrum Mur/Veratrum vir

Some More Diseases

Cancer

These days cancer is said to be a fatal incurable diseases. Even the antibiotics have no solution for cancer. Even its causes are not yet known. Cancer can attack the tissues of any portion of the body. In the beginning it appears in the form of a small tumor without pain. If it persists for a month or so, Homoeopathic treatment should be started. If treatment is started early 75 percent of the cases are likely to be cured.

The tumor may appear on the tongue, check or any place on the outer body, inside the nose, throat, in the uterus of women, breast, in the stomach, lungs, liver, etc. If this tumor is cancerous it generally increases in size and destroys the tissues. An abcess is formed which ultimately turns into an ulcer or even gangrene. To ascertain whether the tumor is cancerous, a small piece of it is examined which is termed as Biopsy. If the result is positive no treatment is possible. If the tumor is removed by operation the cancer appears elsewhere. Sometimes the poison attacks the blood which is termed as Lukema or blood cancer.

Some scientists are of the opinion that mental tension due to disappointment in love, loss in business or any kind of grief, sorrow, mortification results in cancer. Smoking or chewing of tobacco is responsible for about 50 percent cases of cancer.

Carcinosin/Conium/Hydrastis/Carbo Animalis/Condurango/Cadmium Sulph/Phos

Anaemia

There are two kind of cells in the blood, red and white. When the percentage of red cells is reduced we call it anaemia. It is due to loss of blood in menses, piles or injuries. Sometimes, it occurs due to grief, sorrow, mental worries or malnutrition.

China/Calcarea Phos/Pulsatilla/Natrum Mur/Ferrum Met/Phos

Rheumatism/Gout

Rheumatism, Gout, Arthritis, Sciatica, Lumbago, Synovitis etc. are diseases of one group and pain is the prominent symptoms in them. Sometimes the pain is in the back, sometimes in joint or nerve or muscle.

Rheumatic pain can be either in muscles or joints, and in joints there is sometimes swelling also. Pain in joints with sub acute swelling is termed. Lumbago is the name given to pain in back-lumbar region. Pain and swelling of knee etc. is called Synovitis. Sciatica is the pain of sciatic nerve which starts from lower back and goes right up to the foot.

Here are a few medicines which cure all these different pains if symptoms tally.

Aconite/Bryonia/RhusTox/Laccaninum/Colchicum/Apis Mel/Pulsatilla/Cimicifuga/Calcarea Flour

Paralysis

When movement of any part or whole of the body is retarded, we call it Paralysis. Sometimes single parts are affected such as tongue, eyes, speech, hand, leg, etc. while at other times half of the body is involved.

Aconite/Conium/causticum/Gelsemium/Oleander/Lathyrus/Lachesis/Baryta Carb

Mental Disorders

We shall now deal with disease which attack the head which contains the most important organ of human body, the brain. It is the center from where nerves go to every part of the body. The brain controls all our bodily functions through this nervous system. A defect or any irregularity in the brain will result in mental and bodily aliments. Homoeopathy has a good reputation in the treatment of mental diseases. Here is a brief account of the mental derailments and their treatment.

Epilepsy

in this disease a patient suddenly falls down and becomes unconscious. He has violent breathing, forths from the mouth, and has convulsions and cramps in the whole body.

Ignatia/Causticum/Caprum Met/Silicia/Calcarea Carb/Lachesis/Digitalis/Argentum Nit/Sepia/China

Insanity, Mania or Madness

There are many different kinds of this disease and a mad man exhibits different symptoms at different times. Sometimes he is dump, sometime talkative, sometimes he escapse from home or is violent and bites, tears clothes, swears, weaps, laughs, sings, handle organs or has delusions of various kinds. You wil find here a few medicines. Homoeopathy gives great important to mental symptoms and many incurable cases of mental disease have been completely cured by properly selected drugs.

Stramonium/Belladona/Ignatia/Sulphur/Aconite/Anacardium/Agaricus/Ammonium Carb/Am. Mur/

Argentum Nit/Aurum Met/Calcarea Carb/Calcarea Phos/Kali Phos/Lachesis/Lyco/Natrum Mur/Nux Vom/Pulsatilla/Rhus Tox/Thuja/Alumina/Silicia/Sepia/Conium/Spigelia/Chamomilla/Zincum Met

There is such a wide variety in mental diseases that the above mentioned drugs may not be sufficient. Yet more drugs may be studied and tried. Mental symptoms of all the drugs have been carefully marked and noted in Homoeopathy.

Diseases of the Digestive Organs

Colic (Pain in Abdomen)

Pain in abdomen is very common, it occurs due to various causes, such as indigestion, gases, acidity, flatulence, constipation, worms etc. The root of all these is poor digestion and our inability to assimilate the food taken.

Therefore, as soon as pain in abdomen is felt, all food should be stopped and hot water should be taken frequently. No food should be taken during the pain. Sometimes pain occurs on account of cold. Hot fomentation of the abdomen is advisable.

Magnesia Phos/Colocynthis/Dioscorea/Chamomilla/Lyco/Pulsatilla/Iris V

Constipation

It is a common complaint. Purgatives should not be taken. Though they relieve for the time being, they do not cure the tendency. Moreover, when liquid stools are passed with their use, many vitamins also pass out and the patient becomes weak. According to the nature of constipation the following medicines may be used.

Nux Vom/Bryonia/Alumina/Opium/Plumbum/Graphites/Mag Mur/Causticum

Diarrhoea

Continous watery stools with or without pain is called diarrhoea.

NoxVom/Pulsatilla/China/Aloe/Arsenic/VeratrumAlb/Chamomilla/Aconite/AntimCrud/Calcarea Carb/Calarea Phos/Podophyllum

Chronic Diarrhoea

Sometimes ordinary diarhoea takes a chronic turn and lasts for months and years. There is little pain but the patient is unable to digest anything. He passes loose watery stools many times. In addition to the medicines already given under diarrhoea the following should be studied and tried.

Chaparro Amargoso Q/Vaccinum Myrtillus Q/Calcarea Carb/Calcarea Phos

Cholera

This is an acute infectious disease characterised by violent vomiting, purging, cramps and collapse. The exciting cause is generally considered to be the Comma Bacillus, which was discovered by the German government. In cholera the patient gets thirsty but urine is suppressed in spite of the great intake of water.

Camphor/Arsenic/Ipecac/Caprum Met/Carb Veg/Aethusa/Antim Tart/Pulsatilla/Rhus Tox

Acidity

It is a symptom of indigestion. There is abnormal acid in stomach, which results in sour eructations, burning and pain in abdomen. Acid fruits and sour things should be avoided; soda-bi-carb or soda water should be taken.

Calcarea Carb/Sulphuric Acid/Natrum Phos/Argentum Nit/Kali Carb/Carbo Veg/Lyco/Sulphur

Gastric Ulcer

Due to acidity the mucus membrane of stomach is often ulcerated. There is pain and burning. The pain is often relieved by taking some food but after some time it recurrs.

Hydrastis/ Natrum Phos/Kali Bichrom/Sulphuric Acid

Gall Colic

The liver secretes bile which is stored in the gall-bladder. Sometimes stone is formed in the bladder and when it moves and passes in blood vessels, there is severe pain.

Calcarea Carb/Berberis V/Cholestrinum/China/Carduus M

Liver

The liver is located on the right side of our abdomen and is a very important organ of our body. It produces bile, which digests our food. The main disease of the liver are its enlargement, its inflammation, its cirrhosis, i.e, hardening and jaundice. The following medicines have proved very efficacious in liver diseases.

Aconite/Bryonia/Mercurius/Chelidonium/China/Nux Vom/Lyco/Arsenicum/Leptandra

Kinds of Fever

The normal temperature of the body is 98.4 degrees F or 37 degrees C. When the thermometer after putting it for a minute or so in the mouth below the tongue shows a rise in temperature it is termed fever. The body becomes hot and the pulse rate increase in proportion of 10 to 1 degree rise in temperature. Respiration increases generally by 2 to 1 degree of temperature. Rise of temperature above 105 degree and fall below 96 are both dangerous.

In fact, fever in itself is not a disease but it occurs when there is a disease. When some derangement occurs in our body, Nature or our Vital Force tries to set right the derangement and fever is a symptom of that effort of Nature. Hence fever should not be got rid of by drastic medicines, but effort should be made to remove the cause of the fever. It often occurs when there is an inflammation or swelling in any part of the body. Fever also occurs when toxins or some foreign poisonous matter gets into the blood stream. Severe cold, heat of the sun, great weariness, etc, also result in fever. For such fevers the following medicines should be given.

Aconite30/Belladona30/Dulcamara/Pulsatilla/Camphor/Gelsemium/FerrumPhos/Bryonia/Rhus Tox/Arsenic Alb.

Malaria

This is an intermittent fever the symptoms of which are common knowledge. Generally fever begins with chill, often severe chill, which may last for minutes or even a few hours. After the chill, fever rises and sometimes it is as high as 104 or 105, after a few hours the patient perspires and fever comes down to normal. This paroxysm is repeated the same time next day or after two or three days. When the fever attacks daily, it is called Quotidian, and when it recurs after 48 hours it is called Tertian and when after 72 hours it is Quartan. Sometimes both chill and perspiration or one of these are absent. This fever is caused by a particular mosquito which injects material parasites into the blood.

Homoeopathic medicines are the best for the treatment of Malaria. Following are some medicines for this fever.

ArsenicumAlbum/China/NatrumMur/NuxVomica/Sulphur/FerrumPhos/Lachesis/Thuja/Natrum Sulph/Pulsatilla/Calcarea Carb/Baptisia/Chelidonium

Typhoid

Typhoid fever is called enteric fever, fever of the intestines. There is no remission in this fever. In typhoid the pulse rate does not increase to extent it should normally increase with temperature, i.e., about 10-12 times with 1 degree rise of temperature. In the morning the temperature falls down daily but increase about 2 degrees in the afternoon and evening. The tongue is invariably coated thick. Generally 21 days is the period of this fever but sometimes it comes down in 14 days sometimes takes about 40 to 42 days. Some remitted fevers come down in seven days only. Constipation during the fever is a good sign; diarrhoea may create complications. Nowadays in Allopathy the use of antibiotic drugs brings down the temperature in 4 or 5 days but sometimes other complications arise. Properly selected Homoeopathic medicines too often cut short the attack and prevent complications. Complete rest, a liquid diet and proper nursing is essential in this. Following are some medicines for the cure of this fever

Bryonia/Rhus Tox/Baptisia/Arsenic Alb/Gelsimium/Helleborus

Measles

This is a very contiguous disease. It generally occurs during spring. If a child in family attacked by measles, nearly all the children are attacked sooner or later. The exact nature of the poison is not known but after poison gets in to the blood in a week or two, the disease begins with cold, coryza, fever and cough. After 3 or 4 days a red rash appears on the face and all over the body. Fever sometimes rises up to 103-104. After the appearance of rash the fever subsides in a day or two. Cough often persists even after the temperature comes down to normal. Sometimes the cold sets in the lungs and bronchitis or pneumonia may occur. High fever, diarrohoea or delerium are not good symptoms. Following are the medicines for the cure of measles.

Aconite/Belladona/Pulsatilla/Bryonia/Gelsimium/Ferrum Phos/Antim Tart

Small Pox

This is also a very contagious disease and like measles generally attacks children. Its incubation period (the time between the entering of poison in the body and appearance of fever, etc, ) is 10-12 days. The fever often goes as high as 105 and 108. 5-6 days after fever there are red eruption all over the body. Within 4-5 days pus is formed and all eruptions contain pus. There eruptions often cover not only the whole body but even the tongue, inner mouth and throat, eyes, nose etc. If the eruptions are close to each other the disease is considered to be serious. Ordinarily after 10-12 days these eruptions fade, pus is dried up and fever comes down. Those children who are vaccinated do not get this disease or even if it attacks, the attack is mild.

Any of the three Homoeopathic medicines, Variolinium 30/Viccininum 30/Malandrinum 30, can be given twice a week, and if there is some fever, it should be regarded as having served the purpose of vaccination.

Urinary Problems

Calculus ( Stone )

Stone is found either in  kidneys or in bladder. When this stone moves from kidneys towards bladder through ureter there is agonising pain. After the stone passes out the pain is relieved. He fomentation on the back as well as lower abdomen is always useful.
BerberisV/MagPhos/Sarsaparilla/Lyco/UrticaUrens/Acid Phos/Lithium Carb

Inflammation in kidneys

It is pretty serious disease, pain, fever, restlessness, dyspnoea are its usual symptoms. As the kidneys being involved do not function, the toxins or poisons which  are not excreted mix with the blood resulting in uraemia, unconsciousness and even collapse. Such cases should be entrusted to experienced physicians. A few medicines are given below.

Aconite/Terebenthina/Campher/Nux Vom/Gelsimum/Pulsitilla

Inflammation of Urinary Bladder

The symptoms generally begin with retention of urine, pain on passing urine, dribbling chill and fever.

Cantharis/Dulcamara/Aconite/Chamomilla/Acid Nite/Belladona/Causticum/Pulsatilla/Sabal Ser

Diabetes

When sugar is found in urine, it is termed  diabetes. Patient becomes weaker and weaker, losses flesh, is emaciated. One Major O’ Mera, Inspector General of Hospitals, in his book on tropical diseases says that the cured many diabetic patients by keeping them on Dab (watery juice in fresh coconut) for 2-3 months. Walking is said to be the best treatment for diabetes. I have known many cases who lived ling up to the age of 80-85 though they contacted diabetes in middle age, by taking recourse to walking for 8 to 12 miles daily, preferably in early morning hours. Lemon, papaya, bel, mooli, bengan, karela and jamun are said to be efficacious in controlling diabetes.

Syzigium Jambolanum/Natrum Sulph/Natrum Phos/Lactic Acid/Plumbum Iodide/Argentum Met