Allen College of

Homoeopathy

Addressing the use of

prophylaxis

Janet Banerjea R.S.Hom.

Joint Principal, Allen College of Homoeopathy,
“Sapiens”, 382, Baddow Road, Great Baddow,
Chelmsford, Essex CM2 9RA, England
Tel & Fax No. 44 (0) 1245 505858 & 59
allencollege@btconnect.com www.homoeopathy-course.com

This pandemic is causing anxiety for a lot of our patients and possibly
some of us too, who are continuing to work and support patients.
Currently the management recommendations put in place by the U.K
Chief Medical Officer are commendable however until now there are no
orthodox treatments available for COVID-19 only support, of additional
oxygen or a respirator if required and available.
The Homoeopathic community is keen for a pharmacy to have
permission to make a nosode to support those interested in this
approach. There is ample evidence that the protocol of a nosode could
reduce the incidence and protect some of the population who are
interested in this method. We would also suggest ongoing compliance
with social distancing and good hygiene.

Whilst we understand the principles and benefits of individually applied

homoeopathic medicine, Hahnemann did use the Genus Epidemicus
approach when necessary.

He successfully used Belladonna for an epidemic of Scarlet Fever and

Cholera.
The following examples illustrate the use of prophylaxis-

i
The positive outcome in the pragmatic clinical trial conducted by the
Brazilian Public Health System in Petrópolis to prevent influenza and
acute respiratory tract infections in children, in a blind, randomized
placebo-controlled trial is well documented.
ii
More recently (2007, 2008) the highly successful experience of Cuba
with homoeoprophylaxsis reducing disease incidence of Leptospirosis
after hurricane damage.
The results of such trials indicate a large reduction in disease incidence
and control of the epidemic. The results support homoeopathic
prophylactic formulation as a feasible strategy.
iii
Indeed, the reduction of antibiotics in cattle with an homoeopathic
approach is something that made headlines.

The Indian homoeopaths are lobbying their own ministers and

Government to remind them of the efficacy of homoeopathy in such
catastrophic times. In fact, Dr Subrata Banerjea was in Bangladesh
working for the West Bengal Government initiative in a cholera epidemic
in 1988, comparing the effectiveness of Homoeopathy, Allopathy and
Ayurvedic medicine. Homoeopathy achieved very good best results.
iv
There is plenty of historical evidence to support the use of
homoeopathy in calamitous situations. Epidemics of cholera, small pox
influenza and leptospirosis are highlighted below.

v
Indeed in §101 Hahnemann states that in…’a first case of epidemic
disease that presents itself to the physician’s notice he does not at once
obtain a knowledge of a complete picture as it is only by close
observation of several cases of every such collective disease that he
can be conversant with the totality of its signs and symptoms……even
can succeed in finding a suitable, homoeopathically adapted remedy for
it.’
vi
Boenninghausen had some excellent success in using Thuja
occidentalis in this manner in the prophylactic treatment of smallpox.
For instance Dr Michael Traub in an article published in 1994 (Journal of
Naturopathic Medicine Vol.5, No 1. ‘’Homoeopathic Prophylaxis’’) cites
successful homoeoprophylaxis in an outbreak of smallpox in Iowa in
1902.

The use of prophylaxis is not commonly used in everyday practice and

some practitioners may question the approach. However, the patients
we see (on phone and video links) are interested in anything we can do
to help them feel secure at present and for a medicine to specifically
support their immune systems alongside ongoing social distancing,
isolation and hand washing regimes.

Tony Pinkus of Ainsworths Pharmacy has potentised some sputum from

a patient exhibiting the following symptoms.

It must be stressed that, due to the poor availability of tests at the time of
infection, this patient is NOT yet a confirmed case of COVID-19.
However, as soon as an antibody test is made available, we will be able
to confirm the presence of IGG and IGM immunoglobulins for this variant
of coronavirus.

Patient is female. 28 years. She acquired symptoms in mid March by

contact with a friend in London. Unaware of this she travelled abroad on
a skiing trip to Switzerland where, her symptoms slowly developed, but
did not materialise properly until she returned home. The two people she
travelled and stayed with on the skiing trip did not acquire any symptoms
indicative of COVID19 over the following three weeks

The Chronology of the symptom picture was as follows:

• Gradual onset of elevated temperature with sweats and clammy

hands
• Frontal headache from left to right temple going behind the eyes
• Occipital headache as if hit by a cricket bat around the back of the
head
• Desire for fresh air, > fresh air but eventually must come inside to
avoid feeling chilled
• < movement, better hard pressure
• Great weakness, tiredness and desire to sleep
• Thirst increased
• Desire to take deep breaths of air
• Dry persistent cough arising after several days and lingering
• NHS 111 confirmed typical symptoms of COVID19 and although
they could not offer to test her they insisted she self-isolated
• Initial phase responded to well to Bryonia and second cough stage
to Phosphorus
• cough and weakness improved by 90%, energy returned to normal
level but a few days later tickly dry cough returned but without
other symptoms. Lingering cough remains

These collective symptoms were convincing enough to Tony to motivate

him to potentise this into a nosode

There are many authors who write about prophylaxis.

Dr Arthur .H Grimmer M.D
‘Prevention makes cure unnecessary.
It is true that agents employed bear a crude similarity to the
homoeopathic principle but because of the crudity of preparation and
administration we meet with much disappointment and considerable
consequential evil effects following their use’ (Talking about vaccination
of the day).
Homoeopathic prophylaxis never causes anaphylaxis or shock, never
results in secondary infection, never leaves in its wake serum or vaccine
disease or any other severe reaction; it simply protects - surely and
gently.

vii
Dr Grimmer treated many children who were prevented from going out,
to pools, movies or any other public gathering place all summer every
year for fear they may be victims of the large polio outbreaks in South
America. His success was close to 100%. Any more details??

Dr Elizabeth Wright Hubbard

‘Children are not accepted into Nursery school in New York without
immunisation of some sort against Diphtheria. I therefore give them
Diphtherinum 1M, three doses, twelve hours apart.
This has been proved by the Schick Test to rise that immunity.
In 1932 Chavanon published that 45 children (out of 45) had developed
antibodies to diphtheria, as measured by a standard test, after being
treated with Diphtherinum. Patterson and Boyd repeated this test in
1941 and 20 of 33 children treated converted to the Schick test negative.
Roux again repeated this study in 1946 with similar results.

Dr Donald Foubister
States in his book Tutorials in Homoeopathy p.112
At the royal London Homoeopathic Hospital Dr Lees of Dundee gave
one hundred contacts of Diphtheria the nosode in potency without a
single case developing the disease.
He cites examples of using 200C followed by 10M being successful
when working with prophylactics.

Dr Grimmer writes
‘’As to how employ the remedies I generally give a dose of 10M in most
cases. The 10M is a protective potency and the reaction is good at least
for the epidemic. If there comes another epidemic and they want further
protection, I repeat the process but only for that epidemic. That holds
good in all the protections that I have given polios and all.’’

David Little comments on this matter in his article ‘’The Origin of

viii

Prophylaxis’’

In conclusion the Allen College homoeopathic community welcomes

Tony Pinkus initiative and we look forward to a formal COVID-19 nosode
to become available to all of us, to be used with knowledge and
discretion for our patients who express an interest.
Stay Safe, Stay Home and Stay Positive
Quote by Lilly Pulitzer- “Despite the forecast, live like it's spring.”

i https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26828000
iihomeopathy+leptospirosis+cuba&rlz=1C1CHBF_enGB750GB750&oq=homoeopthy
+leptospirosis+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l7.16632j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

iii https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/12/prince-charles-use-
homeopathy-in-animals-to-cut-antibiotic-use
iv http://www.similia.lv/interesanti/par-homeopatiju/lives-saved-by-homeopathy/
v Organon of Medicine Samuel Hahnemann Translated by Dudgeon 1990 p.78
vi Concerning the Curative Effects of Thuja in Small-pox; Clemens Maria Franz,

baron von Boenninghausen; Allg. hom. Zeit, vol. xxvii, p. 21; and in The Lesser
Writings of Boenninghausen, L.H. Tafel trans./ed.
vii The Layman SpeakVol 5 No.3, March 1952 (from Collected Works of Arthur Hill

Grimmer, edited by Ahmed N Currim PhD MD

viii www.simillimum.com/thelittlelibrary/homoeopathicphilosophy/prophylaxis.html

https://www.homeopathycenter.org/homeopathy-today/homeopathic-prophylaxis-
tantalizing-question-surprising-answer

April 10th 2020

Pasted below: Homoeopathic prophylaxis By Arthur Hill Grimmer M.D

The views expressed in the following article are entirely of Drs. Grimmer
and his contemporaries. The views expressed below are not necessarily
representative of the Allen College of Homoeopathy.

Homœopathic prophylaxis.
By Arthur Hill Grimmer, M. D.
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet

Dr Arthur H. Grimmer

Preventive medicines occupies a prominent place today and it is logical that it

should, because prevention makes cure unnecessary.

As the Law of Similars excels in the power to cure, it excels more forcibly and
certainly in the art of disease prevention.

Especially in the realm of children's diseases have the attempts at prophylaxis

been chiefly directed and with some degree of apparent success. I say apparent
because there is need for refinements in the technique of administration and in the
preparation of the therapeutic agents employed, as there is still much to be desired
in results obtained by present methods.
 It is true that the agents employed bear a crude similarity to, the homœopathic
principle but because of this crudity of preparation and administration we meet
with much disappointment and considerable consequential evil effects following
their use.

Homœopathic prophylaxis never causes anaphylaxis or shock, never results in

secondary infection, never leaves in its wake serum or vaccine disease or any other
severe reaction ; it simply protects surely and gently.

While the homœopathic law provides specific remedies for specific disease
condition, such as Belladonna for scarlet fever, Diphtherinum and Merc. cyan. for
diphtheria, Carb. veg. and Cupr. met. for whooping cough. Lath sat and Gels for
poliomyelitis,Variolinum for small pox, etc., it reaches a much higher degree of
efficiency when the epidemic remedy is given for protection than is obtained by
the disease specific.

To illustrate : an epidemic of scarlet fever may have more cases with a rough or
a purplish rash than those having the typical smooth, shining, red rash for which
Belladonna is specific. Where the typical rough, darker rash prevails remedies
like Allan- thus andPhytolacca and Sulphur will give more certain protection, but
after the single epidemic remedy is found it brings the highest protection of any
other.

In diphtheria protection the remedy Diphterinum is the leading prophylactic, but

in some severe epidemics of the past Merc. cyanidehas proved to be very effective
as well as curative in this disease.

In whooping cough Carb. veg. has been a reliable protection in hundreds of

cases of young children and infants. But some epidemics require like Drosera and
Cup. met. and then they afford the most certain protection.

The remedy Lath. sat. has given the most certain protection in thousands of
cases exposed to polio through many epidemics over the last forty years. It easily
heads the list of homœopathic remedies for protection against that dreaded disease.
This remedy has the same affinity to the same centres in the spinal cord and brain
as the polio virus and acts as the-most perfect antidote both for protection and cure.
This single instrument in Homœopathy citadel of power should command world-
wide recognition both from the medical profession and the laity at large.

Against small pox Variolinum is an effective weapon, but we have others that
have proved curative and effective prophylactic agents in many epidemics of the
past, such as Sarracenia purpurea. Ant. tart., Vaccinimum and Malandrinum, Ant.
tart., in the third trituration rubbed on an abrasion of the skin produces a typical
vaccination scar.
 Malandrinum is the most potent antidote to the dangerous Septicemia
sometimes following vaccination and Thuja is the best antidote against the chronic
effects following vaccination.

It is strange so little has been said by homœopathic doctors familiar with the
wide spread possibilities of homœopathic prophylaxis, especially in the face of the
so many harmful and even deadly accidents that have followed the application of
the prevailing methods of protection against acute epidemic diseases.

As true healers and educators in progressive medicine it is our duty to give to

the world this knowledge for its protection and well-being.

It is also our duty to invite physicians of all schools of healing to test fully the
homœopathic art of protection against epidemic diseases. If such tests were
honestly made by sincere men of all schools of healing. Homœopathy would reach
its place in the sun.

DISCUSSION.

Dr. Roger Schmidt (San Francisco, California) : I thank Dr. Grimmer very
much for this very enlightening paper. I think it is a very important subject. I
would like to ask him two questions.

What about Pertussin in whooping cough as a preventive ? And secondly, do

you in your practice give routinely some of those remedies just as, allopathically
they have a set programme to give at a certain age. I mean the family will come, or
the mother will come to you, and say, "well at school they ask for this vaccination
or this type of immunization."

Then how do you handle this practically ?

 Dr Elizabeth Wright Hubbard

Dr. Elizabeth Wright Hubbard (New York City) : Mr. Chairman, I have found
that regular medicine knows that if you feed kids a lot of salt when there is a polio
epidemic around, they are much, less likely to get it. That is a very interesting
suggested thought, and when children in my practice are going to beaches where
polio is rife in the summer. < tell their parents to feed them salt pills.

I don't know whether homœopathic Natrum muriaticum would have any effect.

I am interested to know that the doctor uses Carb. veg. also that he
prefers Belladonna to Scarletinum. I believe that it does children good to have the
exanthematous diseases. I am sure that those children who have never had mumps,
chicken pox, etc, in childhood are far more likely to have serious diseases in later
life and are less healthy, because they have had no opportunity to throw off their
inherited psora. Therefore, in answer to Dr. Schmidt, I would say I never give a
child in my practice a preventive on general principles against any of those
diseases, except such as are required by the local board of health.

Children are not accepted in nursery school in New York without immunization
of some sort against diphtheria. I therefore give them Diphtherinum 1M, three
doses twelve hours apart. One other thing that is required by all summer camps
in New York State is the giving to children of tetanus protection, in which case I
give Hypericum in the 1M, three doses.
Dr. Schmidt : May I ask Dr. Hubbard about the question she arises there which is
controversia believe, about the merit of having those diseases during childhood or
not ? One edict would be that if you raise your natural immunity by having the
disease when you are a child under a suitable condition, then you avoid them later
on in life.

That question of eliminating psora is another point which is very interesting

indeed but both are theoretical, of course. By giving the homœopathic preventive,
you raise the immunity to diphtheria. For example, it has been proved by the Shick
test to raise that immunity.

Dr. Hubbard : I have heard it said that you even do for the child the same thing in
the release of psora that would be done by having the disease. For instance, if you
gave a child Morbillinum and it doesn't get the measles in the measles epidemic. I
have heard it said that Morbillinum does for the child what having the measles
would do for the child.

That I find it difficult to believe, but I would like to hear the opinion of some of
my elders and betters on that subject.

Dr. Schmidt : I can answer that question. A homœopath in Paris has conducted an
experiment along that line for many years. I don't know his very recent results, but
he has published a full book on that, and he has brought out the very interesting
fact that the higher he goes in potency, the longer immunity is proved by the Shick
test. I could not give you the exact data now because I don't have it in my memory,
but I remember, at least, that he said that the 9,000th potency would give an
immunity of about eight years. Therefore, 1,000th would give approximately only
2 1/2 years protection and a lower one, a 30th, would give protection only to a few
months.
 Dr Arthur H. Grimmer

Dr. A. H. Grimmer : Dr. Schmidt asked about Pertussin. That was one remedy I
did intend to put in but omitted it. I wrote that paper at the last minute and
hurriedly. That is a very valuable and good protection. It is also a remedy where
they come to you and haven't been well since a bad case of whooping cough.
Pertussin will then come in and help you very effectively. Thank you very much.
Doctor, for that suggestion.

As to how I employ the remedies, I generally give a dose of the 10M in most
cases. The 10M is a protective potency and the reaction is good at least for the
epidemic. If there comes another epidemic and they want further protection, I
repeat the process, only for the epidemic. That holds good in all the protections
that I have given polios and all.

During the epidemic, a 1,000th will surely take them through. I tell the patients
if they get a cold or treat themselves during that time, their protection is very much
impaired.

Dr. Hubbard asked about why I employed Belladonna rather than Scarletinum. I
don't know. I found Belladonna so useful in a typicalBelladonna type of that
disease-it has been perfect for me, and I suppose that was the reason it was
Hahnemann's remedy.

I don't know but that Scarletinum would be a good remedy. I think it would, but
I have obtained perfect results with the smooth variety. In epidemics of the type
that has the coarse rash, you will have to go to the epidemic remedy. Belladonna
will not protect.Scarletinum might in those cases. I don't know ; I haven't used it.
 One year in Chicago, we had a very, very malignant type of
epidemic. Phytolacca was the remedy and Phytolacca was the perfect protection.

Dr. Codd, a child specialist teaching at Hahnemann had the habit of

alternating Belladonna and another remedy. He lost a-lot of his cases. I had several
hundred cases. I did not lose any even before I got into the epidemic run. But
afterwards, I had no trouble. We got a very quick result with Phytolacca.

Dr. Hubbard : I would like to ask one question. I am confronted by people going
to Africa or Palestine who have to have prophylaxis against typhus and cholera and
yellow fever. What is the homœopathic prophylaxis against any of those.

Dr. Grimmer : Baptisia against typhus and typhoid. Arsenicum against yellow
fever. Cuprum metallicum or Veratrum album or Camphor against cholera.

Dr. Smith : We have cases going to the South Pacific and before they are able to
go, they require ten or fifteen vaccinations. If they give them internally, one will
antidote the other, won't it ? How are you going to do it ?

Dr. Grimmer : I think there is a lot of confusion that sets in with all those
numerous vaccinations at one time. I do think there is some interference. I don't
think there is a perfect protection from that. I generally antidote that with a dose
of Pyrogenium. I did that in World War I, I found Pyrogenium to be very effective.

Dr. Willber K. Bond (Greensfork, Indiana) : What is ... this going to lead to ?
There are so many mothers bringing their cards in from the school. The child
before he enters the school has to have his tetanus shots, smallpox vaccination,
diphtheria shots, and then on top of that, they have to have their booster doses.

Dr. Grimmer : I give them what I think is needed-the protection for the epidemic
prevailing-and give them a certificate that they are protected against all things. If
they are on a good strong antipsoric and doing well on the constitutional remedy
that is all the protection I give them and given them a written certificate that they
are protected.

Dr. Hubbard : Dr. Bond, in my practice, I ask the mothers to bring in their
children if they are going to camp -to bring them in the spring. I give them the
homœopathic tetanus and then their homœopathic something else in another two
weeks, so that they are not together. If they are going to school in the fall, I do it
during the summer.

Dr. H. A. Neiswander : Dr. Hubbard, might I ask you one question ? When you
fill out the reports the powers that be in the embarkation camp, do they accept your
immunization in that method ?
Dr. Hubbard : They don't know what they are accepting. I always buy the current
orthodox thing for instance of the cholera vaccine, Indian strains, if somebody is
going to India, or east Asiatic strains, if they are going somewhere else, or the
typhus or the typhoid. On all those there are biological numbers. The passport slips
require you to put down the maker and the number of the biological. They do riot
say used "They just say make and number of biological." I put down the make and
the number and the date, put the thing away for record somewhere, and give
my Baptisia and give them a certificate and have the darned thing notarized, which
impresses people in Suez or some other place, and so far I have had no kick and
nobody knows I don't do it the conventional way ; but I am careful, believe me.

Dr. Grimmer shamed me. He made me feel. I ought to stand up in the middle of
Broadway and say "Hi, hi you are not doing right in the board of health." I believe
that but I don't believe for a single doctor it is really worthwhile to battle with them
alone. I think we ought to battle with them as a group ; alone, I aim to keep out of
trouble.

A wise old lady once said to me, "Never pick a bone unless you know you are
going to get what you want off it." That has saved me a lot of trouble.

Source : I. H. A., June 1949.

WIKIPEDIA: "Schick Test:

The Schick test, invented between 1910 and 1911[1] is a test used to determine whether or not a
person is susceptible todiphtheria.[2] It was named after its inventor, Béla Schick (1877–1967), a
Hungarian-born American pediatrician.

The test is a simple procedure. A small amount (0.1 ml) of diluted (1/50 MLD) diphtheria toxin is
injected intradermally into the arm of the person. If a person does not have enough antibodies to
fight it off, the skin around the injection will become red and swollen, indicating a positive result.
This swelling disappears after a few days. If the person has an immunity, then little or no swelling
and redness will occur, indicating a negative result.

Results can be interpreted as:

1. Positive: when the test results in a wheal of 5–10 mm diameter

2. Pseudo-positive: when there is only a red colored inflammation and it disappears rapidly
3. Negative reaction:
4. pseudo negative reaction:
The test was created when immunizing agents were scarce and not very safe, however as newer
and safer toxoids were made available there was no more requirement for susceptibility tests.
(wiki)"

hmmmm - well the NHS school nursing brigade used the Schick Test when they were introducing
the BCG immunisation into UK secondary schools 14 years ago!!

* Highlights in the article are mine.