Aedes aegypti
Introduction: (Read Part 2 here)
It is rarely that we find ourselves prepared to tackle emergencies and so it is only natural that things get badly messed up in such situations of crisis. It is not quite so rare to find many waiting to fish in the troubled waters.
Recently we witnessed such conditions during the outbreak of chikungunya epidemic in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state. The officials of the dept. of health and family welfare, as always bereft of ideas or plans to tackle the epidemic, readily washed off their hands claiming that modern medicine does not offer any treatment for chikungunya. Further, it was claimed that homeopathy and ayurveda have remedies to offer, not only to provide for treatment but also for prevention of chikungunya . Many camps were organized in the Primary Health Centres, Anganwadis etc. for the free distribution of homeopathy drugs for the ‘prevention’ of chikungunya.
The Govt. of Karnataka issued a front page advertisement in all the dailies on June 13, 2008 detailing the steps taken by the government in tackling the epidemic. Among other things, the ad claimed ‘chikungunya is a self-limiting disease that resolves in 8-10 days‘ and that ‘it was not fatal‘, and furtuer went onto to claim that the government had ensured adequate supplies of ‘life saving drugs and other medicines needed‘ for the treatment of chikungunya. It also claimed that ‘homeopathy and ayurveda drugs are useful in preventing chikungunya and that ‘people can use these drugs‘ to prevent the infection.
Contrary to what is well known in the medical literature, the district health officer claimed that the incidence of chikungunya would drop following the rains! Meanwhile, thousands suffered from the infection across the district. Many doctors, who had never seen such cases in the past, were unclear about the management of the infection and some practitioners of alternative systems of medicine posed as experts of chikungunya and wrote reams on the virtues of alternative therapy in the management of this disease. While many doctors and hospitals rendered selfless service, stretching all their limits, some original, many alternative and most quacks hiked their fees and rendered ‘special’ service. The media reported the events ‘as they where’ and provided lots of space for the ‘experts from alternative medicine’ and all this only helped to worsen the confusion.
We wrote to the District Health Office and the state Health and family Welfare department seeking information under the Right to Information Act, 2005, regarding the reasons and supporting evidence for organising the camps distributing homeopathic tablets to prevent chikungunya. The answers received clearly reflect how the administration responds to such epidemics and how the public health administration irrationally surrenders itself to the ‘alternative medical systems’ when the specialists from modern medicine are found wanting in formulating a scientific and rational strategy to tackle the epidemic. (The full text of the questions and answers are providedin Part 2 of this article)
Chikungunya and Modern Medicine:
It has been widely reported in the media that modern medicine has nothing much to offer in the treatment of chikungunya. Combined with reports that there were deaths due to chikungunya (none of these deaths were ever confirmed as due to chikungunya), such statements have only increased confusion and panic among the people. This has provided a golden opportunity for the proponents of the ‘alternative systems’ to claim the market and make the most of it.
But what are the facts?[1-5] copyright : AJC1
chikungunya virus
Every attempt has been made to study chikungunya since its identification as a mosquito borne illness in 1952. The ultra structure of the virus, its modes of spread, symptoms, complications, manifestations in infected pregnant women, infants and the elderly, morbidity and mortality, chronic arthritis and its management strategies and many other aspects of chikungunya have been studied in detail in several countries and the reports have been published in many reputed scientific publications and by WHO.
In the recent years, chikungunya has been spreading across 23 countries of Africa and Asia, including India. The changes in the viral genome have apparently made it more virulent and the same viral serotype has been found across Africa and Asia. The disease is self-limiting and in most patients resolves in 4-10 days. There is no need for any specific treatment for chikungunya other than acetaminophen in case of high fever or severe joint pain. Rare complications may require specific supportive treatment. About 12% patients may have persistent joint pains and such patients may need chloroquine tablets. There are no drugs or vaccines to prevent chikugunya and the spread of infection can be prevented only by means of controlling the vector mosquito.
Thus, modern medicine is clear about the strategies for management and prevention of chikungunya. More research is underway to understand its pathogenesis and to develop a vaccine.
Is there any specific treatment available for chikungunya in the ‘alternative systems’ of medicine?
The answer is a big NO. The fact is, none of the ‘alternative systems’ of medicine even consider chikungunya as a separate disease entity. Most of the so called ‘alternative systems’ consider the various diseases that afflict humans as manifestations of imbalance between man’s internal and/or external environs and the concept of single causes like infectious agents does not exist in these systems. That being the case, these systems offer ‘treatment’ based largely on the symptoms alone, (fever, jaundice, joint pain etc.,) whatever be the cause.[See below] But ironically, while writing on chikungunya, most of these ‘experts’ of alternative medicine have not hesitated even a bit in ‘copy-pasting’ the details of chikugunya, including the fact that it is a viral illness, from various resources of modern medicine!
All these ‘alternative systems’ suggest piece meal treatment for the various manifestations of chikungunya and nowhere one finds a holistic or complete treatment. [6-13] The word chikungunya is nowhere to be found in the Boericke’s Homeopathic Materia Medica, often cited in the articles on the treatment of chikungunya written by homeopathic ‘experts’.[6,7,14] It is hard to find any studies on the efficacy of such alternative medicines in the treatment of chikungunya in any peer reviewed literature. Even the two studies, cited by the Karnataka Health and Family welfare department as evidence for the efficacy of homeopathy in the management of chikungunya, have not been published so far.[15-17] Therefore, there is no evidence or support to substantiate the claims of the ‘experts’ of the alternative systems that these systems provide specific and effective treatment for chikungunya while modern medicine has nothing to offer.
References:
1. Powers AM, Logue H. Changing patterns of chikungunya virus: reemergence of a zoonotic arbovirus. J Gen Virol. 2007;88:2363-2377 Full Text available at http://www.sgm.ac.uk/jgvdirect/82858/82858ft.pdf
2. Pialoux G et al. Chikungunya, an emerging arbovirus. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007;7:319-327 Full Text available at http://www.ifmt.auf.org/IMG/pdf/TLIDarticle.Chikungunya.pdf
3. Isabelle Quatresous. Chikungunya outbreak in Réunion, a French ‘overseas département’ Eurosurveillance, 2006;11(5) At http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=2904
4. Chhabra M, Mittal V, Bhattacharya D, Rana U, Lal S. Chikungunya fever: A re-emerging viral infection. Indian J Med Microbiol [serial online] 2008 [cited 2008 Jun 24];26:5-12. Available from: http://www.ijmm.org/text.asp?2008/26/1/5/38850
5. Swaroop A, Jain A, Kumhar M, Parihar N, Jain S. Chikungunya Fever. Journal, Indian Academy of Clinical Medicine 2007;(2):164-68 Full Text Available at http://medind.nic.in/jac/t07/i2/jact07i2p164.pdf
6. Sunila Chikungunya: Homeopathic Management. Available at http://www.similima.com/chikungunya.html
7. Thomas M. Chikungunya and Homeopathy. Available at http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/homeopathy/Chikungunya_References.htm
8. Chikungunya Available at http://www.hpathy.com/diseases/chikungunya-symptoms-treatment-cure.asp
9. Chikungunya - Homeopathy for treatment and prevention Available at http://www.homeopathyhelps.com/chikungunya-treatment.htm
10. 10. Thomas M. Chikungunya and Homeopathy. Available at http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/homeopathy/Chikungunya_Homoeopathy_Treatment .htm
11. Vallabhassery BS. Chikungunya Available at http://www.hospitals-directory.com/harticle6.htm
12. Fight Chikungunya and Viral Fever with Ayurveda Available at http://www.keralaayurvedics.com/media/articles/fight-chikungunya-and-viral-fever-with-ayurveda.html
13. Spencer Jones Chikungunya [ Chicken Guinea ] Available at http://www.siddhaphysician.com/Chikungunya-Chicken-Guinea.html
14. William Boericke Homœopathic Materia Medica Available at
http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/index.htm
15. Rejikumar R. Personal communication to author by e-mail
16. Biju SG, Sarathchandran. A Pilot Study on Treatment of Chikun Gunya. Available at http://www.slideshare.net/shebees/chiqun-gunya/ and http://similiacare.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/cgunya2t.pdf
17. Rejikumar R, Dinesh RS et al. A Study On The Prophylactic Efficacy Of Homoeopathic Preventive Medicine Against Chikungunya Fever. Available at http://www.similima.com/gen126.html
Related posts:
I am closing this thread.
woww………….how intolerant comment it is……
“very good Dr. paramesh, the conversation is picking momentum
i would go for paramesh’s view points and it is the truth
Dear dr kakillya ! its high time for you to get a deeper study on Homoeopathy , because many things have to be learned by self after a through understanding.
who ever termed Homoeopathy as a pseudoscience is a fool !, because its one of indian system of medicine.
always thing how much you know before commenting
egoististic personality dosent give anything to the society other than passing comments like a fool”
By saying so, you yourself showed your impatient imbecility…….. You cant make a valid argument against why it is considered as pseudo science, but MR Rama Krishna, you just involved in name calling. That doesnt help you as a responsible person arguing for homeopathy. And I dont know what you mean by Indian system of medicine, Do you mean it is considered as Indian traditional medicine or it is a Indian traditional system ? woww……its very funny you call others egoistic, but when look at your comment, what you think you are ? it makes nothing other than laughs……….
Nobody stops anyone to help society, but, I dont care for your intolerant ignorance,…but Please dont make fool of the people………false hope is not a solution for the society……….. Homeopathy is a Pseudo Science,…..as u mentioned it is a indian traditional system of medicine that necessarily means it is Scientific……..
Homeopathy is a Pseudo Science
Mr paramesh, read the comment above your last comment you posted,…..see, who got irritated ? Please dont call Mr ram krish as rationalist…….
Hey homeopathyeans,…stop your irrational impatient egoistic comments ,..Please
Dear Paramesh, I have not ‘said repeatedly’ anything; it is your own repeated assertion (and you have said it once again) that homeopathy treats symptoms by considering them in various permutations and combinations (and in totality). However, at the end, the treatment is for symptoms, even in totality – not for the CAUSE of the disease. Allopathy tries to find and treat the cause of the disease wherever possible and also provides symptomatic relief wherever needed.
It is a defeatist attitude to say that so many things are beyond human comprehension – what is beyond our understanding today will be well understood tomorrow. Centuries ago it was thought that the Earth was flat or that the Sun circled around the Earth. Today we are talking of subatomic particles like quarks, gene splicing, cloning, gene therapy, stem cells etc. Just because there are unknown or unoccupied areas in the realm of understanding the universe around us, we need not allow that space to be occupied by charlatans and pseudoscientists. Science knows no diplomacy; a spade should be called a spade because it is a spade. Pseudoscience, witchcraft, sorcery, astrology and superstitions have thrived millennia because they always promise the sky and the gullible easily fall prey.
Our endeavor here is not to demean anybody, but to unseat those who have occupied these spaces and also to educate everyone, even practitioners of pseudoscience.
The comments of Ramakrishna Rao reminds me of the aphorism ‘offence is the best form of defence’. That is the standard practice of all the charlatans, self-proclaimed ‘gods’, religious hotheads and practitioners of pseudoscience. All we want to know is the evidence for the efficacy of homeopathy in chikungunya and I am yet to see anything on that. If anyone of you have, please post it, we are eagerly waiting.
Coming to fools and foolery, let me remind that homeopathy is NOT an Indian system of medicine but had its origins in Germany, the home country of Hahnemann, who is considered its father (More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy). Having now known what the ‘deeply knowledgeable’ know about homeopathy, it seems rather strange to me that everyone should read homeopathy ‘deeply’!
Thanks a lot Dr Ramakrishna, it is not only you, majority of the world population is there with Homoeopathy. That’s why it is irritating/frustrating so called rationalists and partriots, who rarely think rationally and do things in a grossly irrational manner.
very good Dr. paramesh, the conversation is picking momentum
i would go for paramesh’s view points and it is the truth
Dear dr kakillya ! its high time for you to get a deeper study on Homoeopathy , because many things have to be learned by self after a through understanding.
who ever termed Homoeopathy as a pseudoscience is a fool !, because its one of indian system of medicine.
always thing how much you know before commenting
egoististic personality dosent give anything to the society other than passing comments like a fool
Its very sad that I read an answer from a person, who is supposedly help others welfare and think objectively and rationally, claims that homeopathy exist past 250 years and for that matter, argues in favor of that pseudo-science.
Lot other bunch of pseudo science exist thousands of years, does that mean, they are worth a discussion in scientific view ? for eg, astrology……how come a call for collaboration of science and pseudo science is worth a consideration ? How come this pseudo science couldnt so far withstand rigorous scientific testing but calling science to give it soft approach and free pass. How come it is allowed to give false hope to the desperate people ?
Hello Dr Kakkilaya,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
You are saying one thing repeatedly. i.e.Homoeopaths dont have any specific treatment for chikungunya except symptomatic treatment( like in allopathic sysem) But i strongly disagree with this. Because symptomatic treatment in allopathy and Homoeopathy are totally different. I would like to explain these one e.g.
If a patient comes with high fever, chills, headache, skin rashes with itching, severe joint pains the symtomatic treatment in allopathy is Antipyretic for fever, analgesic for pain, anti pruritic for itching. This is treating the individual symptoms.
whereas in Homoeopathy, no treatment for individual symptom. The treatment is for the totality of symptoms. the case is interpreted in the following manner.
FEVER- HIGH GRADE
CHILLS
HEADACHE- WITH MODALITIES
ITCHING - WITH MODALITIES.
JOINT PAINS- WITH MODALITIES, JOINTS AFFECTED- SMALL/LARGE;
FIXED GENERAL TOTALITY- that is patients general state with the acute illness, like thirst, appetite, sleep, bowel and bladder movements.
CONCOMITANT symptom- associated symptoms with the chief complaint which will not have any pathological or physiological relation with the chief complaint but there is strict time relation.
So considering these medicine will be decided which will remove the whole disease. Only one medicine will cover this totality. By doing these a Homoeopath tries to remove/eradicate the whole disease. If we do a piece meal treatment for each symptom then the disease will not extinguish.
( ref- Dr M L Dhawles Principles and practice of Homeopathy, ICR Publication, Mumbai)
SECOND POINT:
Several types of prescriptions are there in Homoeopathy. Classical Homoeopathy is one where Homeopaths follow Hahnemannian method 100%. But Hahnemanns contemporaries also mentioned about other methods like DR CLARKE, DR NASH, DR BURNETT. ( refer their text books) Here the specific disease treatment. for e.g. for MUMPS- Phytolocca as specific remedy; MEASELES- pulsatilla as specific remedy, Recurrent sore throat- streptococcinum; recurrent boils- staphylococcinum. SO MANY DRS ARE FOLLOWING THESE METHODS ALSO.
Hence you can see abundant disease names and medicnes in Murphys repertory, and even in Boerickes materia medica.
Like in any other system, a uniform method is not practied and it cannot be practiced also. BECAUSE for deriving the totality patients cooperation is atmost important.
i think sir, You can refer some of the Homeopathic literature if you want to verify these things. I would like to suggest some of the book for you for better understanding the concepts of Homoeopathy.
1. SCIENCE OF HOMOEOPATHY, BY GEORGE VITHOULKAS.
2. PSYCHOLOGY OF HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA- PHILIP BAILEY,
3. ELEMENTS OF HOMOEOPATHY- SANKARAN.
4. TALKS ON CLASSICAL HOMOEOPATHY.
Once again dear dr kakkilaya,
The most complex creature in this earth are human beings. If you feel that allopathy is succeded in tackling all human diseases it is a great blunder. there are so many diseases like degenerative diseases of brain, psychitric diseases, dermatological conditions, allergic diseases are beyond humna comprehesnion. So whatever reserach is going on will reveal only one sided information.
SO I ONCE AGAIN REQUEST YOU TO STUDY IN DETAIL THE IMP HOMOEOPATHIC LITERATURE BEFORE YOU COMMENT. THE SYSTEM IS VERY MUCH ALIVE SINCE 230 YEARS INSPITE OF OPPOSITION BY SO CALLED “RATIONALISTS” WITH IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS BECAUSE OF ITS TREMEDNDOUS HOLISTIC AND PATIENT FRIENDLY APPROACH.
SO BE UNPREJUDICED, SO THAT ALL OF US TOGETHER CREAT A HEALTH SOCIETY.
Dear Paramesh, Thank you for your detailed response. If anything, all that you have written only buttresses my contention that in homeopathy, only symptoms are treated and not diseases.
What you have written in 873 words, quoting Hahnemann, can be simplified in just 24 words: A treating physician should identify a disease based on its symptoms and treat accordingly and he should also similarly identify epidemics and treat accordingly.
As per your own admission, ‘there are more than 58 medicines for chikungunya totality’ and prescription ‘is based on the individual characteristic symptom’. So, it is very clear that homeopathy offers a large number of drugs for the SYMPTOMS of chikungunya, and nothing specifically against the chikungunya virus, the causative agent (which homeopaths now seem to accept). And that is precisely what I had contended.
‘Homoeopathy has preventive approach in an epidemic disease’ in general (and nothing in particular) and there is no specific preventive drug (or a vaccine) for chikungunya in homeopathy. This is exactly what I had contended too.
Although homeopaths can also make use of the best of scientific and technological developments, the homeopathic materia medica is meant for treating symptoms and not the causes of diseases. This fact is very much evident in all that you have written and cannot be refuted.
Lastly, chikungunya being a vector borne disease, like malaria, need not affect every one and even among the affected, the symptoms can be variable depending on many host factors. As of now, there is no other known mode of spread. If the homeopaths have discovered some other, that may please be published.
hello dear dr Kakkilaya,
It is a wrong notion among allopathic drs that Homoeopathic don’t require to know diagnosis, organism etc. lab investigation and other investigations are the contributions of various scientists like phycists, chemists, microbiogists, atomic scientists and how an allopath can claim that it is theirs?????
To make it very clear, No where in Homoeopathic literature it is said that you must ignore the diagnosis part. To quote from Hahnemann’s organon of medicine aphorism no.3. “If the physician clearly perceives what is to be cured in diseases, that is to say, in every individual case of disease (knowledge of disease, indication), if he clearly perceives what is curative in medicines, that is to say, in each individual medicine (knowledge of medical powers), and if he knows how to adapt, according to clearly defined principles, what is curative in medicines to what he has discovered to be undoubtedly morbid in the patient, so that the recovery must ensue - to adapt it, as well in respect to the suitability of the medicine most appropriate according to its mode of action to the case before him (choice of the remedy, the medicine indicated), as also in respect to the exact mode of preparation and quantity of it required (proper dose), and the proper period for repeating the dose; - if, finally, he knows the obstacles to recovery in each case and is aware how to remove them, so that the restoration may be permanent, then he understands how to treat judiciously and rationally, and he is a true practitioner of the healing art’”.
So Hahnemann clearly says knowledge of disease – diagnosis in the first sentence itself. It is true for both acute and chronic diseases. As far as chikungunya is concerned, unfortunately when Hahnemann had written organon in 1790, the chikungunya was not there. But he clearly mentiones the management of epidemic diseases in aphorisms:
§ 100-102
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 any way regard to pure picture of every prevailing disease as if it were something new and unknown, and investigate it thoroughly for itself, if he desire to practice medicine in a real and radical manner, never substituting conjecture 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 its 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 respects 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 remains the same, such as smallpox, measles, etc.
§ 101
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 can 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 adapted remedy for it.
§ 102- 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 (e.g., loss of appetite, sleeplessness, etc.) become precisely defined as to their peculiarities; and on the 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.1 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 extent of such an epidemic disease and the totality of its symptoms (the knowledge whereof, 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 sufferings of several patients of different constitutions.
1 The physician who has already, in the first cases, been able to choose a remedy approximating to the homoeopathic specific, will, from the subsequence cases, be enabled either to verify the suitableness of the medicine chosen, or to discover a more appropriate, the most appropriate homoeopathic remedy.
So Dr Hahnemann clearly gives these guidelines regarding preventing and treating epidemic diseases – what ever it may be. So it is very much applicable to chikungunya or any epidemic disease coming for next 1000 years also.
Now let me answer to your questions one by one.
First - Homeopathy recognizes chikungunya as a viral disease. Because no where in Homoeopathic literature it is said that epidemic diseases are not at all caused by a microorganism. In addition it also says that prior to the disease there will be some diathesis( disease attracting power) like emotional stress, physical exhaustion, malnutrition. So in any acute disease the pathogenesis is like this.
Altered susceptibility >> diathesis >> attraction of virus/ bacteria/parasite or any organism>> DISEASE. ( REF- kents lecture on Homoeopathic philosophy, chapter1,2,3) Homoeopathy says virus/bacteria are not the sole cause of infection. That can be very much seen in practice. Even in epidemics only some contract the disease where else others will not have any manifestions of it which allopaths may not agree. We can not blame only Aedes egypti alone. By doing several measures like fogging and other mosquito control measures how far we are successful in controlling the epidemics.
SECOND : VERY CRUCIAL QUESTION.
CHIKUNGUNYA word is no where found in Homoeopathic literature. It is not only chikungunya there are some other diseases like HIV/AIDS, leptospirosis, Kayasanur forest disases, and some chronic disorders/ deposition disorder like Haemochromatosis, Amyloidosis etc. But it does not mean that we don’t have any treatment for it. As far as chikungunya is concerned, the management is like management of any epidemic disease. All the epidemic diseases have common general factors which are there since antiquity and remain so for centuries. So already I have quoted from oganon. Now coming to the treatment part, Homoepath has a drug index( materia medica and repertory). So when we note down all the symptoms of chikungunya like FEVER WITH CHILLS, BODYACHE, JOINT PAIN, SWELLING, RASH ETC what we need to do is make the totality of the symptoms. The totality of the symptoms should match the medicines in our materia medica. So when we analysed the materia medica and repertories there are more than 58 medicines coming for chikungunya totality. Now how to prescribe, is based on the individual characteristic symptom. For e.g Bry alba is given for chkgnya patient when there is fever, joint pain worse by movement with increased thirst, dryness of mouth constipation etc. ledum pal is given when the foot is involved better by cold application with skin rash. Phytolocca is indicated when the joint pains are worse at night with terrible headache, Actea spic is indicated when there is handjoint involvement, similarly every drug has some common symptom and some guiding symptom. So when a such approach is there how can we say that we dont have any m edicines for chikungunya? some of our latest books like MURPHYS LOTUS MEDICA, AND REPERTOY WHICH ARE PUBLISHED IN UK IN 2001, HAVE A CHAPTER ON LATEST DISEASES AND UPDATING IS GOING ON. HOPE IN THE NEXT EDITION THERE WILL BE CHAPTER ON CHIKUNGUNYA TOO.
THIRD :
Yes. In homoeopathy there is specific treatment for chikungunya, but no specific remedy. 100 patients of chikungunya may require different medicines but not the same medicine for all 100 people. Hence for curative management we need to take the individual case presentations in to consideration. ( ref:Hahnemanns materia medica pura, introduction; Kents lectures on material medica, Repertoy of Fredrick schryones- ext chaper- joint pain.
FOURTH :
Homoeopathy has definite preventive approach in any epidemic disease. REF: WHOLE TEXT BOOK OF OGANON, BY SIRCAR. GENUS EPIDEMICUS. even in the history of Homeopahty there were several instances where Homoeopahty was successfully sued to prevent various epidemic diseases like scarlet fever, measles etc. ( ref- introduction chapter, ML tylers drug pictures). Homoepathic preventive medicine distribution is not a new thing. The basic priniciple in selecting a preventive medicine is clearly mentioned in the guidelines by Dr Hahnemann.( aphorism 100-107) 6th edition.