“The Torch Of Homoeopathy” a legend quarterly magazine on health, homoeopathy and allied subjects, was published by The Rajasthan Homeoeopathy Association for a long duration and edited by Dr. Chandra Prakash and Krishna Charan.
In April 1960, Vol. II , No. 2 the following editorial article was published about role of homeopathy in surgery and Dr Hahnemann’s relevancy in this context.
Although there is already an article published about Homeopathy and surgery in this blog Indicated Homeopathic Medicines during and after Surgery but following is an article with its Historical importance.
Hahnemann- Homoeopathy And Surgery
Every year on the 10th of April we celebrate the birthday of Hahnemann. This year also all the Homoeopaths all over the world will celebrate his 205th birthday. He was born on the 10th April,1755, and died a glorious death in harness on the 2nd July,1843, after 88 years enduring service to humanity. But he is immortal and he lives through all the numerous savants of Homoeopathy, all over the world.
He discovered the greatest truth of the nature’s designs in the matter of health, disease and its cure and the best way to celebrate his scared memory is to serve the people with the true knowledge of Homoeopathy and curing the sick in the true sense of the term. So we very humbly do our part.
In the foregoing numbers of the TORCH while we have been giving some hints on the use of the common Homoeopathic remedies for the prevention of epidemics, infectious diseases, gynaecology, hysteria, female breasts and lactation, dangerous acute stages etc., this time it has been suggested to hint at some of the common remedies which are useful in surgical cases.
Much has been discussed in the various journals on the above subject. Yet we often hear silly talks and silly questions from many patients, laymen and even some well-educated persons including some medical men.
The usual questions are –
1. Whether there is surgery in Homoeopathy?
2. Whether there is any homoeopathic cure for surgical cases?
3. Allopathic medicines may be useless and harmful in majority of cases, but have they not achieved tremendous success in surgery?
4. Have you got any such medicines in Homoeopathy as they have in Allopathy and surgery which can cause local and general anaesthesia?
Although the questions are silly and lack understanding, we have to face the questions all the same and to satisfy the enquirer.
But to understand the reasonable answers to all these, one must know (1) that the purpose of Allopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurved, Unani or any other system of medicine is to achieve a cure for the sick and also to understand (2) the scope of medicine and (3) the scope of surgery and (4) the best available or known rational means of achieving of the cure in the simplest, surest and quickest manner and if possible economically.
All will agree that the Allopaths take the help of surgery or send the patients to the surgeons only when they find that they cannot cure the case with medicines and they take all the risks of anesthesia and surgical operations only because they find the medicines known to them are useless for such cases. And they send too many cases to the surgeons, only because the scoope of Allopathic medicines is too limited.
Surgery by itself is another distinct branch of therapeutic science which professes to remove the diseased organs or undesirable particles from the body or to set right some deformities by mechanical manipulations, grafting and plastic surgery etc, which they are given to believe are not possible to be dealt with by medicines. But as the Allopaths , for their too limited knowledge of the scope of medicine are obliged to send to many cases too often to the surgeons they are obliged to accept surgery in wed-lock, so that they may save their face when the medicines fail to achieve the cure.
Homoeopathy has no enemity with surgery or the surgeons but as the scope of Homoeopathic medicines for the cure and prevention of many diseases developing into the surgical stage is too vast and large, they seldom need surgical assistance to help their patients. For example, ordinary boils tonsillitis, adenoids, warts, gangrenes, polyps, tumours, hernia, stones, may uterine and urinary troubles can be easily cured by the proper and judicious employment of homoeopathic medicines and so, as the scope of Homoeopathic medicines is wider for the cure of various disease the scope of surgery in Homoeopathic practice is naturally much smaller than in Allopathic practice.
In short it can be said that most of the diseases which occur due to some internal constitutional disorders or metabolic imbalance can by cured with homoeopathic medicines and so it leaves behind the only a small percentage of such cases to surgery which occur due to external causes such as crushed injuries, bullet wounds, splinters, organ damages etc.
In such cases homoeopathy does not deny the usefulness of surgical manipulation and do reserve the scope of surgery, in its teaching and practice of medical science as such.
We acknowledge that surgery is a very delicate art which needs precession skill and that some of the achievements of modern surgery are indeed very great and commendable feats. But we do object to indiscriminate demonstration of the precession skill of surgical feats on the human life and body in such cases where we know there are enough remedial agents that can cure the sick sparing the cost, risk and the torture of surgery. We also object to the present day fashion of unnecessary and risky measures of appendectomy and tonsillectomy and the exploratory laparotomy which seldom serves any useful purpose, but on the contrary makes the person more sick and robs him of some useful organs.
Many highly qualified and experienced veteran surgeons have themselves admitted the uselessness and harmful consequences of tonsillectomy, appendectomy, exploratory laparatomy, X Rays, Radium, Removal of Growths, Tumours, and even cancer, acknowledging the attendants risks involved and the subsequent evils.
Coming to the 4th question above, we have to say that any knowledge of any science is neither anybody’s monopoly nor there is any bar for anybody to make use of any knowledge for any useful purpose.
Those who ask such questions do not even know that the agents employed for anaesthetic purposes are not medicines for cures but just some harmful chemicals or gaseous agents which are employed to rob the patient of his sensitivity. If anybody has to burn he may use fire. If anybody has to cut, he may use any sharp bladed instrument. If anybody has to induce un-natural sleep, he may use any narcotic or hypnotic drugs, whether you call it Opium, Aspirin, Luminal or even Ether, Chloroform or Morphia. They have very little to do for curative purposes.
So this is this. As the surgeons or the surgery has been too much attached to Allopathy, they have been satisfied with whatever harmful but partially useful antiseptic dressing agents were suggested to them from time to time such as Tincture Iodine, Acriflavin, Mercuro-Chrom, Sulpha powders and now antibiotic lotions and ointments. If they had cared to look into the Homoeopathic literature, they could find many more superior and harmless dressing agents to help their work.
We never consider any branch of art or science to be water-tight compartments and we do not consider it a sin to take anything that is useful and beneficial for the patient from anywhere. But the allopathic trench is such that they do not even care to see what rewards homoeopathy offers. They sneer and frown at it and consider it a sin to use anything Homoeopathic.
If they had cared to see what Homoeopathy offers they would have embraced it. But let us not divert from the main issue.
In our foregoing issues of the TORCH, we have given some useful hints of some of the Homoeopathic medicines commonly useful in gynaecology, first-aid, and as prophylaxis in some epidemic diseases and have invited our allopathic friends to use of some such Homoeopathic medicines hinted below which we assure them will prove very helpful in their daily practice of surgical manipulations.
While these will give quicker and greater relief to the patients they will earn laurels for the surgeons as well.
Surgery is the field of war wounds, amputations, grafting, deformities, plastic surgery etc. are indeed very very plausible and useful and we do not dispute this but the following Homoeopathic medicines and many others as adjutants to surgery can definitely make the surgical manipulations more easier and will give the patient quicker relief and cure.
Arnica 200, 1M Given before operation will protect against shock and collapse and undesirable hemorrhage.
Arnica 1M or Rhus Tox 1 M Helps particularly in appendectomy, right sides hernia, lower right quadrant of the abdomen.
Phosphorus 200, 1M Given before or after chloroform, helps in shock, nausea, vomits, excessive bleeding in nervous patients.
Antim Tart 200 Before and after Ether Anaesthesia.
Carbo veg 200 Gas anaesthesia. Prevents shock and collapse and threatened peritonitis. (Also Arsenic Alb 200).
Acetic Acid 30 Debility from Anaesthesia.
Hypericum 200 Debility from surgical shock, lumbar puncture, nerve injuries, amputations, spinal or brain operations, Threatened Tetanus.
Acid Phos 30, 200 or Ignatia 200 Nervous or mental shock, emotional upsets.
Lachesis 200 or Plumbum 200 Strangulated hernia, Peritonitis (China, Bryonia).
Echinacea Gangrene, Blood poisoning, Septic, Offensive smell.
Gunpowder 3X Gangrene, , Blood poisoning, Septic.
Aconite 30 Shock, fear, fear of death, fever, restlessness, anxiety.
Opium 30 Fear, hard constipation, red & hot face, Strenuous breathing, hot sweats, sleeplessness, stupor etc.
Pyrogen 200 1M Fever, blood poisoning, pulse rate either too fast or too slow, not in proportion with temperature, Puerperal septicemia, septic.
Arnica 1M Unconsciousness due to concussion, loss of sight and hearing due to brain injury or shock. Soreness of body. Bruised feeling.
Pulsatilla 200 Patient lies with hands above the head, wants air, and washing the face & mouth frequently. Lack of thirst, mild, Timid, and yielding patients. Helps proper presentation of foetus in labour cases eliminating the necessity of caesarian operation.
Nux Vomica 30, 200 Irritable patients, indigestion, constipation, vomiting & retching.
Allium cepa 1M Neuralgic pains in amputated stumps (Hypericum ), pain fine thread like shooting.
Ammon. Mur 1M Tearing stitching pain after amputation of the foot. Panaritium.
Staphysigria 200, 1M Irritable & indignant patient. Pain like cutting by knife persists after operation. Abdominal operations. Colic, burning in urethera. Also clean cut injuries.
Veratrum Album 200, 1M Great prostration with cold sweat on forehead, body cold, pale face, vomits & stools, feature distorted, tetanic spasms.
Camphor 30 Collapse with body & breath cold yet wants to be uncovered; pulse rapid, respiration slow and sighing.
Carbo veg 30, 200, 1M Collapse, pulse imperceptible, cold breath, cold knees & body, wants oxygen or air. Eliminates necessity of oxygen cylinder.
Opium 200 or Helleborus 1M Persistent stupor.
Hepar Sulph 200, 1M Nervous and too sensitive physically and mentally, faints, due to pains or exertion. Promotes and controls suppuration (Silicea).
Chloroformum 200, 1M or Nitrous Oxide 200, 1M Persistent ill health after operation, does not feel well since last chlororm anaesthesia.
Solidago 1X Sabal Seruleta Q, Homeopathic catheter. Retention of urine. Eliminates the painful use of catheter.
Arnica 200, Phosphorus 200 Checks pain and bleeding of tooth extraction.
Sepia 200 Persistent swelling & pain after tooth extraction.
Symphytum 200, 1M Fractures, bone surgery, help growth of new bone and union of fractured bones.
Hekla Lava 3X Bony growths & bony hard tumours ( Conium, Calc. Fluor, Causticum)
Causticum 1M Tumours in robust patients with full, bounding and non-compressible pulse. Antylosis. Contracture of muscles.
Bovista 30 Hard swelling persisting on a fractured and joined bone.
Chamomilla 200 Maddening pains and angry uncivil temper.
Crocus Satvia 30, 200 Dark stringy bleeding. Sensation of something alive in abdomen.
Ipecac 30, 200 Bright red blood with nausea, vomits, coughing, fevers.
Sticta Pul 20, 200 Sleeplessness after surgical operations (Coffea, Kali phos)
Abrotanum 1M Pressing sensation in chest after thoracic surgery.
Ledum Pal 1M Punctured wounds, pains going upwards, wants cold application prevent tetanus.
Methylene Blue 6, 30 Surgical kidney, when pus cells continues even after kidney operation.
Aconite 30, 200 or Apis 30, 200 Post operative retention of urine, bloody & burning urine.
Bellis p 30, 200 Sore pains, suppurations, Bed sores. (Arnica, Calendula)
Baryta Carb 200, Cistus can 200 Enlarged cervical glands, tonsillectomy. Soft tumours.
Bellis P 30, Conium 200, Phytolacca 200 Post operative mastitis of female breasts.
Hep.Sulf, Psorinum, Silicea, Capsicum Before and after ear surgery.
Silicea 200, 1M or Anagalis 200, 1M Helps to throw out foreign bodies such as thorns, splinters, needless etc.
Merc Sulph 200, 1M Useful for absorption of plural effusion after thoracic surgery,. Hydrothorax, Meig’s syndrome.
Strontia Carb 30, 200 Collapse after operation ( carbo veg., Camphor, Veratrum). Lukeamea.
Aconite, Bell, Merc Post operative rise of temperature. (Pyrogen)
Arsenic Alb 200, 1M Great prostration, burning, restlessness and frequent thirst for small quantities of water. Midnight aggravation.
Kali Cynatum 6X Useful in metastasis following surgery.
Merc. Cynatum 200 Diphtheria, prevents the necessity of tracheactomy.
Strontia Carb 30, Arsenic Alb 30 Septic or gangrene due to dissection infection.
Vertarum Alb 30, 200 or Zincum 30, 200 Sudden debility, shock or collapse after pencillin injections.
Tarentula Cub.,Arsenic alb, Anthraxinum, Carbo Veg, Carbo Ani. Carbuncles, painful, burning & decomposing sores.
Hepar sulph 3X, Myristica 3X Helps easy bursting of abcess.
Hepar sulph 1M, Silicea 1M, Calc. Sulph 1M Helps drying up suppurating wounds.
Kali. Nit. 30 Sudden swelling of whole body.
Ammon. Carb 1M or Iris V 1M Will abort Panaritium and felons.
These are only short hints on some of the commonly useful medicines but for judicious use of these and many other Homoeopathic medicines, one must learn the characteristic symptoms of the medicines from full size materia medica.
But as one uses these medicines he learns how much helpful the Homeopathic medicines can be even in the surgical cases.
Besides these medicines, if our Allopathic surgeon friends learn the use of the Homoeopathic lotions and ointments like Calendula, Hypericum, Ledum, Abrotanum, Urtica urens, Bellis P., Rhus Tox, Hamamelis, Aesculus etc. they will we grateful for the knowledge and the ensuing results and will never go back to the allopathic antiseptics dressing medicines of questionable value.
And if Homoeopathic treatment is given on constitutional basis before any disease develops into the malignant stage or too advanced stage, they will find that 90% of the cases now considered surgical will be cured with medicines, which would of course make surgeons comparatively idle and the professional practice of surgery less lucrative.
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