WELCOME
HOMOEOPATHIC CONCEPT OF
PREVENTION
PRESENTATION
BY
Dr.J.HARIKRISHNA PILLAI , MD( Hom)
HISTORY OF HOMOEOPATHIC PROPHYLAXIS
THE FIRST USED HOMOEOPATHIC PROPHYLATIC
MEDICINE WAS BELLADONNA.
Dr.SAMUEL HAHNEMANN
HIMSELF USED THIS MEDICINE TO PREVENT SCARLET FEVER IN THE YEAR 1799
SOCPE AND LIMITATIONS OF HOMOEOPATHIC PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
SCOPE
1.HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES CAN BE SAFELY USED AS PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
2. THIS MEDICINES CAN BE ADVISED FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
3.DISEASE DIAGNOSIS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT
4. VIRAL AND BACTERIAL DISEASES CAN BE PREVENTED.
LIMITATIONS
CAN’T BE SAFELY APPLIED IN THE PREVENTION OF DISEASES WHICH ARE 100%
FATAL
Eg. RABIES
HOMOEOPATHIC
MEDICINES AND IMMUNITY
 We get sick not just because of micro organisms. Many
micro organisms, both pathogenic and non-pathogenic,
are always present in our body or regularly enter our
body through the nose, mouth, or other roots of entry or
opening. We do not get sick when our immune system is
strong enough to fight them, keeping our body healthy.
But when our immunity goes down, the micro organisms
multiply in our body and cause sickness. So the basic
cause of sickness is the decreased or deficient immunity
or body resistance. Micro organisms like bacteria and
viruses are only secondary factors, except in occasions
like epidemics in which a large number of organisms
enter the body simultaneously and become the cause of
the disease condition. In such a situation, the micro
organisms gain dominance and destroy the immunity in
the process of their fight for the upper hand.

In all the above conditions the homoeopathic treatment is the
most beneficial since the destruction of the immunity has
already taken place and needs to be stimulated to the healthy
level of existence for the cure to take place and for the complete
restoration of health. Hence, in order to get a complete cure, it is
most essential to increase or correct our immunity or body
resistance, rather than just kill or destroy the microorganism.
This is the situation in which conventional antibiotic therapy fails
to attain the goal. Antibiotics are able to kill the micro organisms
(only bacteria) , but they are not able to increase the immunity of
the body. This is one of the reasons why patients who get relief
after the antibiotic therapy suffer secondary infections because
the immune system still remains deficient in strength. So when
such individuals get exposed to organisms, the latter enter the
body and multiply, producing secondary infection.

On the other hand, when the patient get cured with
homoeopathic medicines, The patient regains immunity,
strength and vitality completely and there is less or no chance
to get a secondary infection unless (1) The patients expose
themselves to conditions which can decrease the immunity of
the body (2) The maintaining cause like the inhalation of toxic
gases or fumes etc. in the case of occupational diseases
persist, or (3) a large number of micro organisms enter into the
body, which are beyond the destruction , capacity of the
immune system, as in the case of epidemic diseases. But it is
important to remember that homoeopathic medicine has
already established its supremacy in curing epidemics all over
the world, eg: the epidemics of the 19th century like cholera,
particularly in Europe.
HOW HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE INCREASES THE
IMMUNITY OR RESISTANCE POWER OF THE BODY

As mentioned earlier, homoeopathic medicines are able to increase
the immunity of our body. But how is this possible?. A homoeopathic
physician makes a homoeopathic prescription through the holistic
approach by considering the totality of symptoms manifested in a
patient. These include the mental, emotional spiritual and physical
peculiarities of a patient and also the uncommon peculiar signs and
symptoms of the manifestations of the disease in each patient. The
same disease has different manifestations in different individuals
because the extent of damage to the immunity and other functions in
the body are different in different individuals. These manifestations
represent the corresponding reflection of their inner abnormality,
which is hidden from our perception. Hence, a Homoeopathic
physician gets hold of the hidden interior through perceivable
expressions like the totality of symptoms of the patient, by looking
the patient as a whole.
EFFECT OF HOMOEOPATHIC PREVENTIVE
MEDICINE AND GENUS
EPIDEMICUS
• An epidemic (epi=upon, demos=people) is the
unusual occurrence in a community or region,
specific health related behaviour or other related
event, clearly in excess of expected occurrence.
The term expected occurrence is one of the key
words in the definition as in one locality where no
cases of a particular diseases is reported even one
case should be potential epidemic. Where as in
another locality when hundreds of cases of that
particular diseases is endemically prevalent/it
requires lot many cases of it to be considered as an
epidemic.
Significance of Homeopathy in
epidemics
• In a country as large as ours, the occurrence of
epidemic is not infrequent and they usually
spread like wild fire creating chaos. And it is in
this chaos that homeopathy hopes to restore
order. When there arises situations where the
cause of the disease appears to be an enigma
and every other system of medicine is clueless
regarding what preventive / curative medicine is
to be given, homeopathy has been able to
solve the problem.
• Even when in the course of the epidemic there can be
changes in the strains of the causative organism and the
new drug cannot be found out in time, homeopathy can
overcome the crises. This is possible because unlike the
commonly used medicines, which are directed towards the
destruction of causative organisms, homeopathic
medicines aim to improve the immune system of the
individual. Here the basis of selection of remedy is not
dependent upon the nature of organism, but on the signs
and symptoms of the diseased individual.
• The age old adage \\ prevention is better than cure" holds
good here. When few cases of epidemic diseases are
studied carefully in all their aspects a single medicine can
be selected which will correspond with the characteristic
symptoms of the disease as well as that of the patient.
Homeopathy gives importance not only to the symptoms of
the disease but also that peculiar symptoms exhibited by
the patients and that is why they differ even when the
disease is the same. The climatic conditions during the
time of epidemic also plays role in remedy selection.
• In epidemics of such nature that are transmitted
only through bites of infected insects, the most
important preventive step is vector control.
However due to practical problems like large
population, poverty, poor hygiene and lack of
man power this becomes a long drawn
procedure. Hence the best solution is to
administer preventive medicines in the fastest
and the most extensive way.
Reasons for homeopathic preventive medicine becoming
the best option in epidemics
• l) Economic viability: Cost of the homeopathic
medicine is minimal from the consumer point of
view.
• 2) Distribution of medicine
Homeopathic medicines though packaged as
medicated globules, which makes the transport
distribution and administration easy.
•
3) Action of medicine:
•
Action is rapid in case of epidemic diseases of virulent nature
and the immunity rendered to healthy persons or an unaffected
person is immediate provided the dose taken is accurate.
•
4) Change in nature of disease: During an epidemic many a
times it is found that maturation of the infective organism has
resulted in the change in nature of epidemic and this requiring an
exhaustive research to found a different medicine since
homoeopathic medicines aim to boost the individual's own
immune system, genetic mutation will no affect the person.
•
5) Unidentified cause: In case of epidemic where the infective
organism is not found or if found is not always the signs and
symptoms characteristic of the disease to rely upon
Investigation of epidemic diseases and the selection of
genus epidemic
• Dr Sammuel Hahnemann has described
investigation of epidemic diseases and
also the selection of Genus epidemicus
after studying the nature endemic
prevalent in the given area in the
aphorisms 100, 101, 102 in Organon of
medicine
HOW Dr.HAHNEMANN DISCOVERED THE
PREVENTIVE ACTION OF HOMOEOPATHIC
MEDICINES
•
: " I reasoned thus, a remedy that is capable of quickly checking a
disease in its onset, must be its best preventive ; and the following
occurrence strengthened me in the correctness of this conclusion: Some
weeks previously three children of another family lay ill of a very bad
scarlet fever; the eldest daughter alone, who, up to that period, had been
taking Belladonna internally for an external affection on the joints of her
fingers, to my great astonishment did not catch the fever, although during
the prevalence of other epidemics she had always been the first to take
them. This circumstance completely confirmed my idea. I now hesitated
not to administer to the other five children of this numerous family this
divine remedy, as a preservative, in very small doses, and, as the
particular action of this plant does not last above three days, I repeated
the dose every seventy two hours, and they all remained perfectly well
without the slightest symptoms throughout the whole course of the
epidemic, and amid the most virulent scarlatina emanations from the
sisters who lay ill with the disease.“ Dr.Hahnemann
•
§100
•
In investigating the totality of the symptoms of epidemic and sporadic diseases it is
quite immaterial whether or not something similar has ever appeared in the world
before under the same or any other name. The novelty or peculiarity of a disease
of that kind makes no difference either in the mode of examining or of treating it, as
the physician must at any way regard the pure picture of every prevailing disease
as if it were something new and unknown and investigate it thoroughly for itself, if
he desires to practice medicine in a real and radical manner , never substituting
conjuncture for actual observation, never taking for granted that the case of
disease before him is already wholly or partially known, but always carefully
examining it in all, it's phases; and this mode of procedure is all the more requisite
in such cases , as a careful examination will show that every prevailing disease is
in many respect a phenomenon of a unique character, differing vastly from all
previous epidemics to which certain names have been falsely applied -- with the
exception of those epidemics resulting from a contagious principle that always
remain the same, such as small pox, measles etc.
• §l0l
• It may easily happen that in the first case of an epidemic
disease that presents itself to the physician's notice, he
does not at once obtain a knowledge of its complete
picture, as it is only by a close observation of several cases
of every such collective disease that he become
conversant, with the totality of its' signs and symptoms .The
carefully observing physician can, however, from the
examination of even the first and second patients, often
arrive so nearly at a knowledge of the true state as to have
in his mind a characteristic portrait of it, and even to
succeed in finding a suitable, homoeopathically adopted
remedy for it.
•
§ l02
•
In the course of writing down the symptoms of several cases of this kind the sketch
of the disease picture becomes ever more and more complete, not more spun out
and verbose but more significant (more characteristic) , and including more of the
peculiarities of this collective disease; on the one hand, the general symptoms,
(eg. Loss of appetite, Sleeplessness etc.) Become precisely defined as to their
peculiarities, and on other, the more marked and special symptoms which are
peculiar to but few diseases and of rarer occurrence, at least in the same
combination, become prominent and constitute what is characteristic of this
malady, all those affected with the disease prevailing at a given time have certainly
contracted it from one and the same source and hence are suffering from the same
disease; but the whole extend of such an epidemic disease and the totality of its
symptoms (the knowledge there of, which is essential for enabling us to choose
the most suitable homoeopathic remedy for this array of symptoms, is obtained by
a complete survey of the morbid picture) cannot be learned from one single
patient ,but is only to be perfectly deduced (abstracted) and ascertained from the
suffering of several patients of different constitutions.
• "The above preparation of copper, together with good and
moderate diet, and proper attention to cleanliness, is the
most certain preventive and protective remedy; those in
health should take, once every week, a small globule of it
(Cupr. [30C*]) in the morning fasting, and not drink
anything immediately afterwards, but this should not be
done until the cholera is in the locality itself, or in the
neighbourhood." (The Lesser Writings of Samuel
Hahnemann; S. Hahnemann (Dudgeon Edition), Cure and
Prevention of Asiatic Cholera, page 755.)
•
The key to finding a specific prophylactic is constructing a clear
picture of the prevailing epidemic. Hahnemann did not give a
prophylactic remedy unless there was a clear and present danger
of contracting the disease. This is why he said to wait until the
disease is in the near or in the locality. He did not want the
general populace to take preventative remedies out of fear and
phobia. Dread of the miasms have woven themselves so deeply
into the collective human psyche that it invokes archetypal fears
as seen in Lyssophobia. This is where the terror of getting a
disease leads to psychological disturbances and can even
psychosomatically mimic the symptoms of the disease! Nether
the allopathic doctor nor homoeopath should succumb to such
exaggerated fears by given too many medicines.
DIFFERENT METHODES OF
HOMOEOPATHIC PROPHLAXIS
• There are three major methods of
homœoprophylaxis:. These are the
constitutional approach, the genus
epidemicus remedies, and the nosodes.
All of these methods are very effective
and can be used together according to
the time and circumstances.
CONSTITUTIONAL PREVENTION
•
•
.
The study of preventive medicine should begin with an
examination of the diathetic constitution, innate temperament and
predispositions. The genetic blue print holds the key to
predispositions. The foundation of prevention is the remedy for
the chronic disease, that is selected by the essential nature of the
totality of the symptoms. Constitutional treatment removes the
susceptibility to infectious miasms as well as strengthening the
vital force. The chronic remedy provides the best general
protection from all diseases. This method is the central strategy
of Homœopathy because it removes the greatest number of
predispositions.
• The effectiveness of constitutional treatment in the prevention
of manifold diseases can not be denied. Anti-miasmatic
treatment in the early years of life prevents manifold diseases.
Susceptibility to acute miasms is based on the chronic
miasms. If we treat the chronic miasms we remove the
predispositions to acute miasms and their complications.
Those that suffer the most from the common childhood
infections like mumps and measles have psora or some other
miasm. Anti-miasmic treatment makes the human organism
more immune to infectious disease.
2. Genus Epidemicus Remedies
•
The second method of prophylaxis is the genus epidemicus
remedies. These remedies are chosen by the totality of the
symptoms of an epidemic as reflected in a group of patient. This
offers specific protection against epidemic, endemic and
pandemic diseases. For example, homœopaths in India have
confirmed that Lathyrus Sativa is an effective genus epidemicus
remedy for polio. The signs, befallments and symptoms of
Lathyrus have a close correspondence to this disease.
"Homœopathic physicians are satisfied that they have very safe
and better polio prevention in Lathyrus Sativa when properly
given." (Homœo Prophylactic Remedies; Sethi.)
3. Nosode Prophylaxis
• The third method involves the use of the nosodes that are
made from the same or similar disease genus. The
homœopaths who worked for the public health departments
of the USA gained great experience with the use of
nosodes against smallpox epidemics. In August 1974 in
Brazil, a major epidemic of meningitis threatened the
countryside. Homœopaths gave 18,640 children
Meningococcinum 10C, and 6,340 children were used as
controls. . Out of the 18,640 children given
Meningococcinum 10C there were 4 cases. Out of the
6,340 children in the control group there were 34 cases.
•
The above study shows the positive potential and minimal cost of
a mass public health program based on a single homœopathic
remedy. Any simple health care worker can be trained to assist in
such a program. Genus epidemicus remedies and nosodes are
used to provide specific prophylaxis. The genus remedies can be
found for new or unknown miasms. The nosodes can only be
used when the cause of the disease is known. When epidemic
diseases threaten the population, specific prophylactic remedies
can be applied immediately. Specific protection is useful when
one is traveling in areas with dangerous endemic miasms. The
homœopath may also use specific protection when treating
epidemics to offset exposure. Constitutional and specific
prophylactics are a functional polarity that completes our
therapeutic treasury.
• It is the life-force which cures diseases
because a dead man needs no more
medicines."
Samuel Hahnemann
MANAGEMENT OF AN EPIDEMIC.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
• HEALTH EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC
SHOULD BE IMPARTED REGARDING
THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AND IT’S
GENERAL CONTROL MEASURES LIKE
PERSONAL HYGEIN ,PROPER WASTE
DISPOSAL AND INSECT CONTROL.
SELECTION OF SUITABLE
HOMOEOPATHIC PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
• 1.CASE TAKING
• 2.TOTALITY OF SYMPTOMES
•
3. REPERTORISATION AND ANALYSIS
• 5.SELECTION OF MEDICINE
• 6 SELECTION OF POTENCY
• 7.SELECTION OF DOSE
CASE TAKING
• SHOULD BE DONE IN SPECIAL CASE
RECORD FORMS.
• MODEL IS ATTACHED
TOTALITY OF SYMPTOMS
• THE SYMPTOMS PRESENTED BY THE
MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS
SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE
TOTALITY.
ANALYSIS (USING SYNTHESIS REPERTORY)
RADAR
• YOU CAN USE RADAR WITHOUT
CONSIDERING THE INTENSITY OF
SYMPTOMES
MANY TYPES OF ANALYSIS
IN RADAR
• ANALYSING THE SOME OF
SYMPTOMS (SORT ALPHA.)
THE REMEDY WHICH COVERES THE
GREATEST NUMBER OF SYMPTOMS
IS GIVEN THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY
• ANALYSING THE SOME OF
SYMPTOMS (SORT DEG.)
THE REMEDY WHICH COVERES THE
GREATEST NUMBER OF SYMPTOMS
IS GIVEN THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY
• ANALYSING THE SUM OF DEGREES
SORT (ALPHA)
THE REMEDY WHICH COVERES THE
HIGHEST DEGREE IN THE
REPERTORY GIVES THE BEST
PROBABILITY
• ANALYSING THE SUM OF DEGREES
SORT (SPT)
THE REMEDY WHICH COVERES THE
HIGHEST DEGREE IN THE
REPERTORY GIVES THE BEST
PROBABILITY
• ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO THE SUM
OF SYMPTOMS AND SUM OF
DEGREES.
• THE RESULTS OF BOTH PREVIOUS
METHODS ARE ADDED
• THIS GIVES IMPORTANCE TO
TOTALITY AND DEGREE.
• CONSIDERING THE PROMINENCE OF A
REMEDY
• THIS METHOD CONSIDERES THE PROMINENCE OF
REMEDIES IN THE SECOND THIRD AND FOURTH
DEGREE AND USES A CERETAIN FORMULA TO
UPGRADE THE MORE PROMINENT REMEDY IN EACH
RUBRIC. AS A RESULT THOSE REMEDIES IN WHICH A
SYMPTOM OCCURES IN THE MOST PROMINENT WAY
WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST SCORE.
VITHOULKAS EXPERT SYSTEM
• HERE WE HAVE TO CONSIDER
SYMPTOMS IN VARIOUS INTENSITIES
FOR EACH SYMPTOMS .
• YOU CAN INCLUDE ALL SYMPTOMS
PRESENTED BY THE PATIENT.THERE
IS NO LIMIT.
INTENSITY 1
• SYMPTOMS CLEARLY PRESENT
INTENSITY-2
• SYMPTOMS VERY FREQUENT OR
VERY INTENSE
INTENSITY-3
• SYMPTOMS VERY FREQUENT AND
VERY INTENSE
INTENSITY-4
• SYMPTOMS VERY VERY FREQUENT
AND INTENSE
• NOT MORE THAN 80% OF THE
SYMPTOMS SHOULD HAVE AN
INTENSITY OF 1
• NOT MORE THAN 80% OF THE
SYMPTOMS SHOULD HAVE AN
INTENSITY OF 2
• NOT MORE THAN 50% OF THE
SYMPTOMS SHOULD HAVE AN
INTENSITY OF 3
• NOT MORE THAN 20% OF THE
SYMPTOMS SHOULD HAVE AN
INTENSITY OF 4
SELECTION OF REMEDY
• THE REMEDY CAN BE SELECTED
FROM THE SUITABLE ANALYTICAL
METHOD LIKE VES,SUM OF DEGREE
AND SYMPTOMS OR PROMINENCE
• THE ABOVE SELECTED REMEDY CAN
ONLY BE FINALISED WITH THE
CONCURRENCE OF MATERIA
MEDICA.
SELECTION OF POTENCY
• 30TH
IS THE MOST SUITABLE POTENCY BECAUSE THE
GENUS EPIDEMICUS IS TO BE APPLIED TO A LARGE
GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVING A WIDE RANGE OF
SUCEPTIBILITY. PERSONS WITH LOW SUCEPTIBLITY
MAY NOT RESPOND TO HIGHER POTENCIES
• THE DYNAMIC ACTION OF THE POTENCIES BELOW 30
CAN’T BE PREDICTED .
• ONLY WITH DYNAMIC ACTION OF HOMOEOPATHIC
MEDICINES RAPID IMMUNITY CAN BE ESTABLISHED
SELECTION OF DOSE
• THE DOSE WILL BE BASED ON THE MEDICINE
SELECTED.
• EACH MEDICINE HAVE A DIFFERENT DURATION OF
ACTION
• AFTER ADMINISTERING THE FIRST DOSE THE
SECOND DOSE CAN BE ADMINISTERED AFTER THE
MAXIMUM KNOWN DURATION OF THE MEDICINE.
• THIS SHOULD BE REPEATED UNTIL THE EPIDEMIC IS
UNDER CONTROL.
EXAMPLE WITH SCARLET
FEVER
Examples from a Pertussis
Epidemic
FROM HISTORY
• Several surveys have also been published
evaluating the efficacy of homeoprophylaxis.
A.D Fox treated 97 children with Pertussin to
prevent whooping cough. His survey in 1987,
with only 63% of the patients responding,
showed that as many as 18% may have
developed whooping cough after the treatment.
Golden, in the same survey mentioned above,
reported that his homeoprophylactic regimen
was 89% effective in preventing the diseases
treated
•
Studies during epidemics have also given some valuable
information. In 1902, during a smallpox epidemic in Iowa, Dr.
Eaton reported that 2806 patients were treated with Variolinum.
Of the 547 patients who were definitely exposed, only 14
developed the disease. Overall protection rate was 97%.24 In
1958, during an influenza epidemic in Great Britain, 1100 workers
were given prophylaxis and 500 workers were given no
treatment. There was no statistical difference in the attack rates
between the groups. And in 1974, during a meningococcus
outbreak in Brazil, 18,640 patients were given Meningococcinum
prophylaxis while 6,430 received no treatment. The treatment
group reported 4 cases to 32 cases in the no treatment group (23
times more effective than no treatment)
• Wayne Jonas provides us with the best-constructed study
on homeoprophylaxis in 1999. A nosode for tularemia was
tested against placebo and allopathic vaccination in 142
mice that were subsequently infected with tularemia. Six
different potencies of the nosode were used to account for
that variable. The nosode was given before and after the
challenge. The results showed that allopathic vaccination
produced 100% protection from death. The tularemia
nosode produced 22% protection compared to placebo.
Clearly the nosode had some efficacy, but much less than
vaccination.
•
But when data from the epidemics of the past is taken as a
whole, Genus Epidemicus prescribing clearly appears to be
effective. Discussions with numerous homeopaths today reveals
that this method has survived into modern practice, primarily due
to its efficacy. Moreover, the theory of Genus Epidemicus
prescribing is consistent with all primary homeopathic principles
laid down in the Organon, and proven over the past 200 years of
practice. The concept of similar disease is virtually identical to the
practice of conducting a proving. Symptoms are taken from a
variety of individuals, with varied constitutions, and summed
together to form the totality of the response to the presented
stress. Although further study on the prophylactic effect of this
style of prescribing is warranted, Genus Epidemicus prescribing
should be a tool in every homeopath¹s repertoire, both for
prophylaxis and for treatment.
REFERENCES
• Dr.SAMUEL HAHNEMAANN’S ORGANON OF
MEDICINE
• LIFE AND LETTERES OF Dr. SAMUEL
HAHNEMANN BY THOMAS LINDSLE
BRADFORD
• TODD.A.HOOVER, M.D
• WILL TAYLOR, M.D
•
THANK YOU