Note: "D", "P" and "M" stand for Doctor, Patient and Mother respectively; important sentences are highlighted in italics, the homoeopath's conclusions are in brackets. The names of the patient and his friends have been changed.
Age / Sex: nine-year-old boy
Diagnosis: low IQ (clinical diagnosis, no IQ test performed), slow learning.
Main complaints:
- The patient is a slow learner; he has difficulty understanding at school
- He cannot maintain eye contact
- He is very shy and introverted - he does not cope well with new people and does not initiate interaction
- Confused: the child responds confusedly when asked something
- The child has difficulty following instructions
- Lack of appetite
General physical condition:
- Temperature: Warm (constantly needs a fan or air conditioning)
- Thirst: thirsty all day (thirsty, drinks moderate amounts of water)
- Appetite: poor (can endure hunger)
- Cravings: sweets, chocolate
- Stool: normal; passes without straining; sometimes scanty
- Urine: normal
- Sweat: moderate sweating on the scalp, back and under the armpits, unpleasant odour
- Sleep: normal, sleeps on his back, talks in his sleep about everyday events (what happened at school etc.)
- Dreams: cannot describe dreams
Physical sensitivities:
- Clothing: Can wear tight clothing
- Sun: Occasional headaches; feels weak when exposed to the sun
- Noise sensitivity: unremarkable
- Travel: nothing notable observed
- Physical appearance: The child is thin and lean, with a long neck and sharp facial features. He has a pointed chin and long eyelashes, indicating sensitivity. He is very shy and introverted and unable to make eye contact.
D: Hello Ian, how are you? (I offer him my hand.) |
D: Which school do you go to? How many friends do you have?
P: The patient shyly turns his head to one side; only when his mother insists does he name his school and say that he has two friends.
D: What are their names?
P: He says in a subdued voice "Rahul and Vivek".
D: What games do you like to play?
P: I don't play much. I always sit in a corner and watch my friends play.
D: Why don't you play, and why do you sit in a corner, Ian?
P: I'm afraid of getting hurt while playing; they might hit or push me.
D: What would happen if you were hurt? What if they hit you - aren't you brave enough to stand up for yourself?
P: I don't like to play, I'm afraid of falling, or my friends might push me; even when I play correctly, they hit me.
D: Can't you defend yourself?
P: No, I get scared because I can't talk to them or explain it to them, and I can't defend myself.
His mother says that he is always verbally abused and beaten; he cannot fight, he is afraid, and therefore he does not play; he believes he cannot play like the others. The child is fearful and has many anxieties ... He cannot strike back (cowardice). He fears he will fall when playing, or that his friends will want to fight him (aversion to play), he lacks confidence. He cries easily like a sensitive child.
D: (Addressing the mother) How is he doing at school? Does he understand what he learns or reads?
M: He is not good at learning, he sits for hours but he cannot concentrate. I practise reading with him. He says he knows what he has learnt, can recite it on immediate questioning, but later he cannot remember it. He is also tense before exams.
D: What is he sensitive to? What makes him angry?
M: He is very sensitive; when I scold him, he feels bad immediately. If his teacher is unfair to him, he does not speak to me or to her; sometimes he sits in a corner and cries. When I try to comfort him, he does not like it. After some time he comes and speaks to me again.
(The patient is sensitive to rough behaviour, which makes him angry; he cries in a corner and does not want to be comforted.)
Prescription: Barium muriaticum C 200, single dose, prescribed on 10 June 2010.
Why Barium muriaticum:
Hot and thirsty
Sensitive, shy and reserved
Slow, weak at learning and understanding
Hides in a corner
No contact with strangers
Thin patient with long neck
Confusion when following instructions
Muriaticum has sharp facial features and is very sensitive, especially to the rudeness of others.
"Carbon" types are slow and fat with a round face, lethargic and extrovert, therefore Barium carbonicum was not considered.
Follow-ups (Summary):
24.6.2010: His comprehension begins to improve. He understands what he is told, although he still works very slowly and cannot maintain good eye contact. After the remedy he developed a cold and coughed for three days, after which his appetite and sleep improved.
(Sac. lac. (placebo) was given for one and a half months).
14.8.2011: He can make eye contact, and his comprehension and ability to follow instructions have improved. He behaves more interactively, talks more and has started to play. During this time he had a short cold for three days with a runny nose, cough and mild fever, which resolved on its own.
(Again, Sac. lac. (placebo) was given for the next two months.)
9.10.2010: His shyness has completely disappeared and his ability to interact has improved. He interacts well and has become curious. His mother says he understands things and can also express himself. At school he is now getting good grades. He had soft stools for two days.
(Sac. lac. (placebo) was given for the following two months.)
15.1.2011: For the first time the patient approached me, wished me a "Happy New Year" and asked me: "How are you?".... His mother says that he is doing well at school and his ability to interact has improved enormously. Now he wants to play with his friends, and he even occasionally quarrels with them when he is properly engaged in play. Overall he is much better.
(Sac. lac. (placebo) was given for a further two months).
28.3.2011: He has no complaints, has grown and has gained 2 kg. There were a few more colds with runny nose and cough, which improved on their own.
(Sac. lac. (placebo) was given for a further two months).
27.6.2011: The patient is completely healthy. He has no complaints and has grown a bit more. Some episodes of colds and coughs resolved on their own.
(Sac. lac. (placebo) was given for a further two months).
27.9.2011: The patient is completely healthy and has no complaints. He now understands things much better and can follow instructions well. Colds and coughs resolve on their own.
(Sac. lac. (placebo) was repeated.)
The patient attends further follow-ups with me and shows continued improvement. |
