PERCEIVING THE CLINICAL UTILITY OF

LESSER KNOWN REMEDIES

DR. BIPIN JETHANI M.D. (HOM.)
Reader, Department of Organon of Medicine,
Nehru Homoeopathic Medical College, New Delhi
E-mail: drbipin.jethani@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The so called lesser remedies are in fact not any way
lesser in the linguistic expression of the word but are merely less
often brought into play and most importantly when they are indicated;
they do just as good work as any polychrest can achieve. In my short
span of clinical experience; I have had occasionally an opportunity of
prescribing remedies that have been relegated to the sphere of lesser
known remedies. In this paper, I wish to share with the profession the
experience that I have so far gained with regards to lesser known
remedies.
INTRODUCTION: All drugs of very special and unique action, are
easily studied, and well worth learning up. The polychrests, "the
common drugs of many uses" will serve us ordinarily; and when we
have mastered Sulphur, Sepia, Lycopodium, Calcarea, Nux, etc., etc.,
we are a long way on towards running, fairly easily and successfully,
an ordinary out-patient clinic. But the less universally-useful
drugs, of very peculiar and distinctive features, are less
frequently, yet amazingly helpful. Once mastered, they romp in
brilliantly every time, and make prescribing an excitement and a
delight. Generally they do not "work out", unless for one who has
mastered the secret, that the best work is done with a few of the
"strange, rate and peculiar symptoms", fitting the case, rather than
with a host of somewhat indefinite general symptoms, which, if
politely given precedence, will often only suggest severe al remedies

of the polychrest type, and perhaps completely miss the one brilliant
and indispensable.
These enlightening words of the great compiler Dr. M.L. Tyler in her
drug picture of Lac caninum very aptly underlie the significance of
perceiving the enormous therapeutic efficacy of lesser known
remedies of our Materia Medica. As the epic Greek poet Homer
encapsulated in his famous saying in The Odyssey:
Very often a small rock holds back a great wave.
CASE DISCUSSIONS: To begin with; let me narrate a case of a 4 year
old female child who happened to suffer from recurrent attacks of
vesicular eruptions on face with intense itching and which used to be
worse in winters. The itching was worse at night and scratching used
to lead to thin discharge. The intra-uterine history of the case brought
to the fore fact that mother had suffered from severe vomiting for
entire nine months of pregnancy. The further evolutionary history of
child revealed that she had suffered from chicken pox at the age of 2
years and her developmental milestones and vaccination status did
not give a clue to prescribing. The anamnesis of the case and her
desire for sweets and cold water had made me think of Thyroidinum
which did not help. In subsequent case perceiving; a crucial aspect of
the case as emphasized upon by the parent came to light ---- the
child, being full of life and activity, manifested her mental excitability
especially at about the night time. She used to wake up from sleep
and demanded to play or involve in some frolic activity. In light of my
experience in the OPD of Dr. L.M. Khan at National Institute of
Homoeopathy where I had seen him prescribe Cypripedium on this
strong indication in case of a child suffering from recurrent tendency
to cough and cold; I prescribed her Cypripedium 200/ 9 doses. The
effect was wonderful and the concomitance of Cypripedium opened
the magic door.

Gleaning through the pages of ancient pharmacology; I found that the

drug Cypripedium was considered a nervine by the eclectics i.e. it was
used as nerve tonic, a medicine that acts therapeutically upon the
nerves, particularly in the sense of a sedative that serves to calm
ruffled nerves. It was reported that this plant was superior to opium
for inducing sleep and was once commonly used to treat various
nervous disorders.
John H. Clarke in his A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica has
stated that: It is indicated in the brain hyperaethesia of
children who wake in the night lively and full of play.
But in order to more appropriately realize the scope of therapeutic
utility of the drug Cypripedium; let us refer to Dr. N.M. Choudhary in
his scholarly work A Study on Materia Medica. He lucidly states that:
..often such functional irritability and cerebral hyperaesthesia end
in convulsions. A few doses of Cypripedium will avert the impending
danger.
This statement merely re-iterates the significance of homoeopathic
system of medicine in aborting in the disease in its nascent stage
before it has taken its full pathogenic potential. In fact, the immense
capability of this small drug in treating cerebral hyperactivity at the
functional stage should open a new vista for exploration of entire
therapeutic efficacy of such group of not well proven drugs.
A more thorough understanding of the drug Cypripedium further
widened the horizon of prescribing. The study of Boerickes
Homoeopathic Materia Medica led to appreciation of the ability of
this drug to produce Rhus like skin symptoms as was mentioned by
him as: The skin symptoms correspond to those of poisoning by Rhus,
for which it has been found an efficient antidote.
This convinced me of the clinical efficacy of Cypripedium in cases of
skin affections with the concomitance of reflex nervous excitement
manifested through sleeplessness; peculiarity being unnaturally
playful at night.

In the tune of elaborating upon the nervines; I would like to share my

clinical experience with another of the nervines ---- Senecio aureus.
Known as the Wild valerian on account of its marked action on
nervous temperaments; it has been often quoted as the Coffea of
women. Before I delve into the unfanthomed regions of this so called
minor drug; let me illustrate a clinical case that happened to report in
my NHMC OPD. This pertains to a 24 yrs. old female suffering from
PCOD with her complaints being delayed menses since puberty;
the delay in interval gradually increasing to such an extent that her
menses had not appeared since last 8 months. She was also suffering
from frequent attacks of sore throat especially in damp weather. She
had tendency to weight gain and gastric upsets occasioned by taking
fried or spicy food stuff. Her mild mannerism and self confessed
weeping disposition led me to think of Pulsatilla which I confidently
prescribed in 200 potency. However; the results were far from
satisfactory and the only things that perhaps held her on to my
treatment was attentive listening of her complaints and consolable
advices. A deeper understanding of the case revealed her inner state
of nervousness and brought to the fore an important symptom -dysuria appearing around the time that the menses were due
to appear. This subtle vicarious expression of the patient of nonappearing menses led me towards a drug which has a marked action
on the genito-urinary sphere ---- Senecio aureus.
The very important indication of this drug in form of catarrhal
affections consequent upon suppression of the natural discharge (in
this case menses) and elective affinity for female genitalia and urinary
system served as beacon light in this case. But it was Bogers A
Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica which opened a new panorama of
approach in this case. The first and foremost indication that he
mentions in his section on location was FEMALE GENITO-URINARY
ORGANS. Besides this; the first of the modifications that he mentions
is WORSE PUBERTY i.e. complaints tracing their origin since puberty.
Both these aspects fitted the case so very well that it merited further
in-depth study.
Elaborating in the first line of the body of the drug, Boger has with
his brevity in writing mentioned that this drug is of utmost value in
cases with Lack of reaction in Genito-urinary sphere.

Thus this drug is capable of arousing the vitality in affections of

genito-urinary sphere. In fact; Scudder, an eminent medieval
physician, wrote:
The Senecio exerts a specific influence upon the reproductive organs
of the female, and to a less extent upon the male. It relieves irritation
and strengthens functional activity. Hence it has acquired the
reputation of a "uterine tonic." It may be prescribed in all cases in
which there is an atonic condition of ovaries or uterus, with
derangement of function.
Furthermore; Boger impressed upon the vital import of the doctrine of
concomitance practically through the study of drug Senecio when he
describes its pathogenesis as:
Dysuria; with dysmenorrhoea.
Viewed in the light of the Boenninghausens concept of analogy; it
may perceived that Senecio is a wonderful drug in case of any urinary
symptom having a spatial or temporal association with any menstrual
abnormality. Be it amenorrhoea or dysmenorrhoea or menorrhagia
etc.; the association of menstrual irregularity with the urinary
symptom makes for a strong ground for prescription of Senecio
aureus.
Like the other members of Compositae; it has a marked influence in
causing hemorrhage in this case menstruation. The hallmark of this
drug is expressed by Dr. N.M. Choudhary as: Great variety of
conditions traceable to non-appearing menses. The same had
been conceptualized by Boger as BETTER MENSTRUATION. With all
these concepts in mind, Senecio was prescribed in 30 potency and the
result was establishment of regular menstrual flow.
Another case that is worth mentioning is a case of 38 year old male
who was suffering from recurrent sinusitis and had reported in OPD of
National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata with c/o regular paroxysms
of thick nasal discharge with frontal headache and nasal blockage.
The complaint was worse in damp weather and accompanied with
occasional difficulty in breathing during sleep. He was an anxiety
prone personality and had marked desire for cold food. I prescribed

Argentum nitricum which did him no good. A deeper understanding

of the case revealed that he was very sensitive to cloudy
weather and what was understood as aggravation from damp
was in fact extreme sensitivity to electrical changes in the
atmosphere. This sensitivity was of such intense degree that he
could predict the onset of rains from the intensification of his physical
suffering. This was leading me towards drugs such as Rhododendron,
Phos., Psorinum etc.
In pursuance of the forementioned strikingness; he also stated that he
had suffered from severe electric shock at the age of 13 years and
what was quite remarkable was his revelation that whenever someone
touched him while he touched a metallic object; they could feel the
electric current passing through them. On advice of Dr.L.M. Khan; I
prescribed him Electricitas 200; unit dose. The patients c/o recurrent
nasal blockage and frontal headache improved wonderfully and most
significantly; he was able to tolerate the cloudy weather well
could no longer predict rain through his body messaging!!!!!
Referring to Dr. H.C. Allens masterpiece The Materia Medica of the
Nosodes with proving of the X-ray; we find quotes that:
Intense
nervous
anxietyDreads
thunderstorm, suffers intensely

the

approach

of

This study of the proving of Electricitas enabled to grasp the fact that
the basis of prescribing in a given case should not be mere cause
(severe electric shock in this case) but its non-linear association with
effect as perceived through the records of proving (in this case,
extreme
anxiousness with
aggravation
from approach
of
thunderstorm).
It is worth mentioning here that Electricitas works especially well in
cases of Tubercular diathesis. In fact Dr. Seward has clinically verified
that injudicious use of electric baths brought on phthisis.
The next case in hand demonstrates the clinical efficacy of the
concept of synthetic prescribing so very well popularized by J.T. Kent.
This case pertains to a 36 year old patient who had trouble of
repeatedly developing nasal blockage with pain at the root of the

nose, occasionally extending to supra-orbital region. For the want of

time, the first prescription was Sticta 30. He was no better than before
when he next reported and when still repeated; there was only very
slight improvement.
The thread that helped to pull the string of the case was the spotless
shirt that he had always been wearing during every visit and which
was striking enough to merit questioning about his fastidiousness. He
revealed his subtle anxieties with regards to perfect cleanliness.
Taking into the fact that he was a chilly patient and the complaint was
brought on especially be dry cold air; I prescribed Arsenic alb. 200 but
the result was off and on improvement and relapses. It was at this
juncture that a smaller remedy again came to the rescue. With the
taint of Arsenic fastidiousness and location of root of the nose; the
attention turned towards Natrum Ars. This remedy in repeated doses
of 30th potency helped the patient remarkably.
With regards to Natrum ars.; J.H. Clarke has emphasized in his Materia
Medica that the irritating arsenical effects preponderate. This coupled
with the Dr. N.M. Choudharys remark that The symptom that should
lead to the selection of Natrum ars. is the pain at the root of the nose
a symptom greatly characteristic of this remedy was the
cornerstone that led to Natrum ars. prescribing.
Having delved on an imponderabilia, vegetable and mineral kingdom
drug; I would lastly take up my clinical experience with a little known
nosode. To begin with; it is an ode to Master Hahnemann who first of
all advocated the therapeutic utility of nosode as highlighted in 56
footnote of the Sixth Edition of Organon The Art of Healing
To attempt to cure by means of the very same morbific potency (per
Idem) contradicts all normal human understanding and hence all
experience..Moreover, in this way, undoubtedly, certain
diseases peculiar to animals may give us remedies and thus happily
enlarge our stock of homopathic remedies.
In the domain of nosodes; I would like to exemplify the drug Dysentry
Co.; a bowel nosode that should be employed on account of its
homoeopathic similarity. As Dr. H.C. Allen wrote in The Materia
Medica of the Nosodes in context of Medorrhinum:

If the symptoms of the patient call for this remedy, it should be

prescribed with the same confidence as any other remedy in the
Materia Medica, entirely irrespective of the sycotic history in the case.
Like every other nosode, it should be prescribed according to its strict
indications just as we prescribe Arsenic, Opium or Sulphur,
irrespective of its origin or the diagnosis
A 32 year old patient had reported with complain of frequent
palpitation, vague chest pain and occasional retrosternal heaviness.
He also had c/o slight dull ache in left iliac region which was better
after meals and recurrent passage of mucus in stool. The stool
examination report showed nothing significant. The most striking
observation in this case was anxiety writ upon his face a face
that spoke a lot of the strains in life that he had undergone. He was a
businessman who had set up his own garment export following
dispute with his father from whom he had separated. The efforts to
settle in a new place of residence with new business had taken on toll
on this apprehension prone individual. The apprehensions were
always accentuated by his penchant for orderliness. In the backdrop
of this information; I thought of drugs such as Argentum nitricum and
Arsenic alb. but the other details elicited from the patient did not
bring around any of these remedies into the scope of prescribing. The
dominance of nervous tension in the aetiopathology of the case with
centering of the effect on the intestinal tract made me think of
Dysentry-Co. which was prescribed in 202 potency; unit dose coupled
with dosage of appropriate counseling. The patient was much better
especially with regards to the somatisation of his mental uneasiness.
O.A. Julian has explicitly stated in his Materia Medica of nosodes
Dys. Co. is suited to Nervous types, tuberculinics, with restless mind;
restless and apprehensive. This personality trait with the chronic
tendency to passage of mucus in stool encompasses the
manifestations of Irritable Bowel Syndrome which this patient was
suffering from. However, the intensity of anxiousness with its somatic
expression and amelioration after eating clinched the issue in favour
of the drug Dysentery-Co.
To sum up the discussion; I would like just to mention that whatever
bit of learning that I have gained rests on the shoulders of stalwarts of

homoeopathic horizon who have guided me through their writings or

clinical cases.