Family Homoeopathy Blog

Apart from Chemistry and Botany, Dr Hahnemann was also interested in the scientific study of different languages, which really helped him while translating various works. At the age of 22, he mastered different languages like Greek, Latin, English, Italian, Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Spanish and German.

Now the literature of homeopathy is fully translated into English, hence the medium of instruction in homeopathic curriculum is English. However, we should know certain terms used in the original literature by the master and his disciples. It is said that by translating a word, the original meaning may slightly deviate, or the exact expression may change slightly. But the great Hahnemann and some of his followers could translate the words without any errors.

It is always good to know the original words and the source of origin. It also strengthens the historical backing.

Many friends in Ayurveda are facing difficulty because of lack of proper knowledge in Sanskrit. Our literature is fully translated in to English by the stalwarts. Otherwise we would have to study German in the first year of our curriculum. Of course, learning a language is a wonderful experience, above all, it is a part of international integration.

Here are some words used in the literature of Homeopathy:

Latin words

Aude sapare: Dare to be wise.

Cito toto edjento: It was the motto of Asclepiades, which means: speedily safely and agreeably.

Materia pecans: Material cause of the diseases.

Materia medica: Medical material

Novum organum scientiarum: It is the work of Lord Bacon (written in 1620). It means new organ of logical works.

Reine arzneimittellehre: Materia medica pura

Insuratio magma: It is the work of Bacon. It means great instauration.

Fragmenta de veribus medicamentorum positivus:  published by Dr Hahnemann in 1805. It means fragmentary observations relative to the positive powers of medicines.

Similia similibus curantur: It means like cures like (let like be treated by like)

Prima causa morbi: Primary cause of the disease.

Psora: It means itch (also used in Greek)

Repertorium (0r repertire) The word repertory is originated from this word. It means an inventory, a table or a compendium where the information is so arranged that is easy to find.

Rubrica: The word rubric is taken from Rubrica. It means heading, a guiding rule.

Tolle causm: Remove the cause.

Non  inutilis vixi: Not lived in vain. It is the inscription on Hahnemann’s grave.

Vis medicatrix naturae: The healing power of nature.

Organum: Organ or tool.

Greek words

Organon: It was Aristotle who used this word for the first time. It means instrument of work, a method of scientific investigation.

Homoeos: It means similar.

Pathos: It means suffering.

Miasma: It means heavy vaporous exhalations, noxious influences, polluted material, putrid vegetable matter etc.

Psora agria: It is the Greek word for psora.

Psora: Means itch (also used in Latin)

German words

Beruf: This word was used by Hahnemann in the first aphorism of organon. It means mission.

Organon der Rationelien Heilkunde: It was the title given to the first edition of Organon. It means Organon of rational art of healing.

Reine arzneimittellehre: It means pure medicinal teachings. It is the German title for Materia medica pura.

Die chronischen karnleit: Chronic diseases.

Medicamens au globule: It means medicine of the globules. It was the name given to 50 millesimal potency.

Medicamens a la goultte: It means medicines of the drop. It was the name given to Centesimal potency.

Heikunde der erfahrung: Medicine of experience published in 1805.  It is considered as the forerunner of Organon.

Mongrel sects: Means cross breed dogs. This word was used by Hahnemann to criticize those homeopaths who use palliation to avoid looking for the correct remedy(foot note to 149).

Hebrew word

Psorat: It means a groove or fault. Psora is originated from this word.

Conclusion:

The above given are a few words related with Homoeopathy. I will be glad to get a few more additions or corrections from the readers.

Dr Muhammed Rafeeque BHMS
Family Homoeopathic Clinic
Kerala, India.
www.familyhomoeopathy.com

rafi Homoeopathy

(Article published in the November 2009 issue of HomeoBuzz, www.bjainbooks.com)

A young boy named F was brought to me by his mother for his chronic pain in the lower limbs, especially the ankle and knee joints. She told me, he was worried not because of the pain, but was not been able to play football, the one and only game he likes to play. Many times he had to play with severe pain as he was the captain of his school football team, but now abstained from playing for a few months because of severe pain and recurrent spraining of ankles. Recently, he received the last call from his school football coach for the selection of new team, which doubled his tension.

Earlier he was treated by a number of doctors including a pediatrician and later by an orthopedic surgeon in a famous hospital in Kerala.

They had done several blood tests and investigations, but the reports were not given to him and kept there itself as a secret. However, they informed his parents that he is having Juvenile Arthritis and advised for longtime medication. He was getting worse even after repeated medication and their financial status was not good enough to continue with modern medicine. Hence, as an alternative they took Ayurvedic treatment from a Government hospital. He felt slight relief from his problems and needless to say the first thing to do after reaching home was playing football. But his first attempt itself was quiet disappointing. There was a sudden return of his pain and was not able to move, hence his schoolmates brought him home from the playground. Finally they consulted me for Homoeopathic treatment; with a question, can homoeopathy do something?

I took his case, but not in a detailed manner as I had some patients waiting in my visiting room to whom I had already given appointment for a detailed case taking. So, I decided to give him an acute drug on the basis of presenting complaints. Since they have not brought any investigation reports such as RA factor, ASO titer etc. I asked them do the blood investigations to diagnose the type of arthritis. As per the information given by his mother, he had history of repeated minor injuries. He was a successful player and was the main target of his opposite team. While playing they used to play foul by kicking on his legs to prevent his attempt to score. I thought repeated injury as causation for his pain. Drugs like Arnica, Ruta, Rhus tox came to my mind. As usual, I decided to start the battle with Arnica, which is the synonym of injury for most of us. Though I decided a remedy, I thought I should satisfy the patient by some sort of clinical examination. Hence I asked him to lie down on the examination table and started gently palpating the joints of his lower extremity. To my surprise, the joints that were swollen and painful were cold to touch. Immediately Ledum pal came to my mind. Even without searching for other characteristics of Ledum such as cold water amelioration, ascending pains, I prescribed him 5 doses of Ledum pal 200 and asked him to take one dose on every alternate day. Of course placebo was given to satisfy the patient and his panic stricken mother. The above prescription was not made after a detailed case taking and evaluation of symptoms; it was rather a blind prescription. Hence I asked them to see me after 10 days with the lab reports.

However they didn’t turn up. I felt he might have got cured completely or consulted someone else for quick relief. After about a month his mother came back with an apology for the late information because of his exams and his father’s transfer. She informed that his pain is completely disappeared and now he plays football without any kind of discomfort and again got selected to the school team. Because of great ease of symptoms, they even forgot to do the lab investigations. Though I got result with Ledum pal I wanted to watch the flow of his condition rather than declaring the case as completely cured. So I told his mother to inform his symptoms on regular basis.

His mother followed my instruction and used to report his condition. There was no recurrence of pain and no other new symptoms. Mentally also he was perfect. However occasionally he used to get throat pain just after taking soft drinks and ice cream. Prescription of drugs like Bryonia 3x, Rhus tox 6c etc. on different occasions helped him from acute complaints. A strong instruction to avoid cold items also helped.

Meanwhile he had a sprain of his elbow after falling during a football match and his friends took him to the same orthopedic surgeon from whom he had taken treatment initially. While taking his case, the surgeon asked about his leg pain. They disclosed the result with the homoeopathic treatment. Sadly, the surgeon denied it and told them that it is not because of Homoeopathy, the disease itself was self-limiting!

For the surgeon the cure is just a placebo effect but for the patient it was a kind of new life. This boy is now playing for the District Junior Football Team, scoring goals for his team. And for me, the selection of Ledum pal itself was a goal.

rafi Homoeopathy