by Dr Krishnamurthy

The different stages of a disease are:

a)     Irritation

b)     Inflammation and

c)     Degeneration

Another way of classifying is:

a)     Functional and

b)     Structural

I would like to illustrate this with the example of Aconitum. This remedy has its proper place more in the patient's home medicine cabinet than in the homoeopath's practice.

Let me elaborate on that statement: A man wants to change a light bulb at home and stands on a rather wobbly chair to do so. The chair tips and the man falls to the floor. Consider what state of mind the patient is in at the moment of the fall. One could describe it as 'fear, anxiety, restlessness'.

If a single dose of Aconitum is given at that moment (within a few seconds), all further after-effects can be prevented. A short time later the injured body part will swell and Aconitum will no longer have any effect. Aconitum is only useful as an acute remedy; it is not indicated in inflammatory and degenerative processes. In other words: by the time the patient has reached hospital or the doctor's practice, the acute Aconitum symptoms have already passed and the remedy is no longer indicated. Therefore it should not be missing from any home medicine cabinet.

A homoeopathic doctor was once giving a lecture to colleagues. Suddenly he collapsed; a heart attack was suspected. One of the audience – himself a homoeopath – ran onto the stage and put a few pellets into the unconscious man's mouth. In the next moment the lecturer got up and continued his lecture. That's how Aconitum works. The sooner one can respond in an emergency, the better for the patient. Aconitum will be of little use for the chronic consequences of a trauma.

******************************
Photos: Narayana Verlag