WELCOME
“WORKSHOP ON EMERGING AND REEMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF
KERALAM”
PRESENTATION BY
Dr. J.HARIKRISHNA PILLAI MD (Hom)
HEAD OF THE DEPT. OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
Dr.PADIAR MEMORIAL
HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICAL COLLEGE,
CHOTTANIKKARA
FIRST OF ALL LET ME APPRECIATE THE HON’BLE
VICE-CHANCELLOR AND OTHER OFFICIALS OF THE
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY FOR ORGANIZING A
PROGRAM LIKE THIS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT
THIS EVENT WILL BE A MILE STONE IN THE HISTORY
OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM OF KERALA. THIS IS A
UNIQUE PLATFORM FOR THE LEGATES OF
DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE TO EXCHANGE
THEIR VIEWS .

“One
of the first duties of the physician is to
educate the masses not to take medicines”
Sir William Osler- 1849-1919
VIEWS FROM HOMOEOPATHY ON
INFECTIOUS DISEASES EPIDEMIC
ORIGIN OF HOMOEOPATHY
Homoeopathy's roots emerge from the
findings, teachings and writings of Dr. Samuel
Hahnemann
(1755-1843).
Hahnemann
graduated from medical school in 1779 and
started his own medical practice. He soon began
his first homoeopathic experiments in 1790, as a
result of his disillusionment with such common
medical practices of the day as purging,
bloodletting, and the use of toxic chemicals.
At one point, he gave up his own daily practice to work
as a chemist. while translating medical texts, he began
a project to translate William Cullen's Materia Medica
into German.While working on this project, he became
fascinated with a species of South American tree-bark
(cinchona) which was being used to treat malariainduced fever.
Hahnemann ingested the bark and discovered that it
caused symptoms similar to malaria. He continued his
research into "cures" and the idea of "similar
suffering," and began compiling his findings. Similia
similibus curentur, the Latin phrase meaning "let likes
be cured by likes," is the primary principle of
homoeopathy. A homoeopath searches for a
substance that produces in a healthy person those
same symptoms a patient experiences.
THE PRINCIPLE OF VITAL FORCE
EVERY SYSTEM OF MEDICINE HAS ITS OWN
THEORIES OF CAUSATION OF DISEASES. IN
ADDITION
TO
THE
THEORIES
OF
CAUSATION
DESCRIBED IN MODERN
MICROBIOLOGY
AND
PATHOLOGY
HOMOEOPATHY BELIEVES IN THE THEORY
OF VITAL FORCE.
DEFINITION OF VITAL FORCE
BY Dr. HAHNEMANN
In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy),
the dynamics that animates the material body (organism) rules
with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism
in admirable harmonious, vital operation, as regards both
sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason-gifted
mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the
highest purpose of our existence.
LATEST OBSERVATION ON
LIFE FORCE



A fundamental but elusive step in the early evolution of
life on Earth has been replicated in a laboratory.
Researchers synthesized the basic ingredients of RNA,
a molecule from which the simplest self-replicating
structures are made. Until now, they couldn’t explain
how these ingredients might have formed.

However, though researchers have been able to show
how
RNA’s
component
molecules,
called
ribonucleotides, could assemble into RNA, their many
attempts to synthesize these ribonucleotides have failed.
No matter how they combined the ingredients — a
sugar, a phosphate, and one of four different
nitrogenous
molecules,
or
nucleobases
—
ribonucleotides
just
wouldn’t
form.
Ultra Diluted Medicine
Homoeopathy has been mired in controversy
due to its concept of drug dynamisation leading
to ultra diluted form of medicines. "Since these
kinds of medicines do not come under any
measurable pharmacological standards, the
attention of scientific fraternity has been
focused on this apparent lack of existence of
material substance in homoeopathic medicine
and to its potency concept in the light of
Avogadro's law, rather than on its effectiveness,"

Homoeopathy medicines beyond 12th potency
do not contain even a single atom or molecule
of the medicinal substance. Yet these medicines
are effective in the treatment of large number of
diseases and particularly the ones that are
considered incurable in modern medicine.


Electronic division of BARC has been actively working
on this aspect of homoeopathic medicines for the past
three decades and their initial experiments with
potentised medicines have recorded 50 to 150 per cent
increase in the blood flow in affected parts of the body
within 30 minutes of the indicated medicine in variety
of patients
Dr.Srinath Rao- Researcher

"The reproducibility of these experiments
largely depended upon the choice of indicated
medicine, which was determined subjectively,"
“But with the development of Medical Analyser, BARC
scientists, headed by J D Jindal, have shown that
physiological variability show change in the spectrum
caused by randomly selected potentised medicine and
randomly selected control subjects (volunteers) in 2004
and "this opened the door to us for using physiological
variability in the field of homoeopathy”
Dr.Srinath Rao- Researcher
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
DIFFICULTIES TO SELECT PREVENTIVE MEDICINES IN CERTAIN DISEASES
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.
Even Louis Pasteur noted that
“Terrain is more important than the seed”
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.
“The good physician treats the disease; the great
physician treats the patient who has the disease”.

Sir William Osler
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.
ROLE OF SOCIAL AND
ENVIORNMENTAL FACTORS

Homoeopathy is giving utmost importance for
personal hygiene, social and environmental
factors in the prevention of communicable
diseases
Reasons for homeopathic preventive medicine becoming one of
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.
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
Dr.Hahnemann’s guidelines for selecting the
effective preventive medicine


§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 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. That
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.
FROM HISTORY
There are a number of events where
Homoeopathy played a vital role in the control
and prevention of communicable diseases
.Unfortunately controlled studies where not
conducted .
Eg. Cholera in Russia 1830
Cholera in USA -1849
Spanish Influenza- 1918
LATEST SCENERIO

A
TRIAL WITH HOMOEOPATHIC
MEDICINES CONDUCTED TO PREVENT
DENGUE FEVER IN BRAZIL WAS (
2001&2007)
A
SUCCESS
.
THE
DOCUMENTS OF RCT ARE ATTACHED
HERE.

ANOTHER RCT STUDY CONDUCTED TO
DETECT THE EFFICACY OF ULTRA
DILUTED BELLADONA ( A
HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE) IN
CONTROLING THE GROWTH OF JE
VIRUS WAS A SUCCESS . THE
DOCUMENTS OF THE STUDY ARE
ATTACHED HERE.
RAPID ACTION EPIDEMIC CONTROL
CELL- HOMOEOPATHY (RAECH)

An organization formed by the Dept. of
Homoeopathy, Govt. of Kerala, to initiate control
measures at the onset of any epidemic of
Communicable diseases. During the outbreak of the
Epidemic fever in 2007, RAECH distributed
Homoeopathic preventive medicines in all districts of
kerala . A follow-up study was conducted on the
efficacy of the same and observed a protection rate of
73.83% among people who took Homoeopathic
preventive medicine.
THE
HOMOEOPATHS OF KERALA
EXPECT TREMENDOUS SCOPE FOR
RESEARCH UNDER THE HEALTH
UNIVERSITY TO PROVE THE EFFICACY
OF
HOMOEOPATHIC
PREVENTIVE
MEDICINE. LET US BE OPTIMISTIC .
THANK YOU