Nosode of the tubercle bacilli
Little J. V. is 26 months old and suffers from recurrent colds with cough. On average he is ill once or twice a month.
At birth he weighed 2,600 grams and was therefore relatively light; he was delivered by Caesarean section because labour had stalled. After birth he had neonatal jaundice.
At the age of twelve months he developed bronchiolitis, was hospitalised and treated with antibiotics and an inhaler. Three months later the boy had gastroenteritis and had to stay in hospital again for over a week. The susceptibility to colds has been present since birth, with a persistent cough that is worse by day. The mother could say little more about the circumstances of the main complaint.
Symptom picture
Teething began at about seven months. Notable are the discoloured teeth; the mother had taken antibiotics during pregnancy. The boy began walking very early, at about eight months, but his speech development was delayed. He is a very restless child and cannot sit still for a minute. He constantly wants to go outside, to get out of the house. In addition he is very stubborn, has temper tantrums and screams when things do not go his way. This goes so far that he holds his breath while breathing and has spasms.
According to his mother the boy has a poor appetite. He practically has to be forced to eat; he will not take anything by himself. The mother reports that he often drinks only water and does not want to eat at all. He sweats at the nape of the neck, worse at night. He does not like to be covered while sleeping and kicks the duvet off when his mother tries to cover him. The boy talks in his sleep and wakes even at slight noises.
Examination
Marked hair growth
Weight: 10 kg
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Loud, harsh breath sounds
The tonsils are swollen
Mother's condition during pregnancy
“The boy is my second child; I have an older son. Since my marriage I have been living in an extended family; before that I did not know this. I come from a nuclear family. My in‑laws are good to me, but life in an extended family is very restricted.
We were then able to fulfil our dream and moved into our own house. At first I did not know I was pregnant because I was so busy with the moving arrangements. I only noticed in the second month. I was underweight throughout the pregnancy and that is why my son is too.
It was a shock when I found out I was pregnant. I did not want the child because it would restrict my freedom. We had just moved into a new house; I wanted to work and lead a self‑determined life. Previously I had lived like a housewife; I just wanted out of the daily routine, to move into a new house and meet new people. I did not like being at home day and night.
I had many plans; we had just become a small family again and I did not want a child. When I realised I was pregnant I cried for two days. I decided to keep the child because my husband wanted it. I had actually had a copper intrauterine device fitted and thought I could not become pregnant. When I decided to carry the child I was very tense because of the IUD. Would the child survive at all? Would it have problems?
I was very stressed, could not eat and had an aversion to food in general. In the last two months of pregnancy I did not gain any weight at all. I constantly worried whether I could cope with a mentally or physically handicapped child. Would I be able to manage? During the whole pregnancy I was very irritable and had no appetite. Even small things would set me off and I often shouted at my older son.
The main issue was my freedom, the ability to decide freely what I do and when I do it. The pregnancy would take that freedom away and after the birth I would be restricted for at least five years.”
There is a strong history of tuberculosis in the family; the grandfather and the uncle had the disease.
Remedy given: Tuberculinum C200, single dose.
Follow up 1
After 15 days: The child is better; the boy had no cold and no cough. He still weighs 10 kg. No abnormalities in breathing. Remedy given: Placebo
Follow up 2
15 days later: No cough and no cold; the boy now eats better. His temper tantrums have also improved. Another placebo was administered.
Follow up 3
One week after the placebo was given the boy developed fever with cough and a runny nose. The mother reports that this time the cough was worse at night, but her son did not wake from it. During the fever his face was flushed. The airways are clear, the tonsils swollen. Tuberculinum C200 was given, to be taken again three hours later if necessary.
The fever responded after the second dose and the cough was also much better two days later.
Follow up 4
15 days later the boy was free of fever, with no cold or cough. His appetite was better. The restlessness has decreased; he can now sit in one place for longer periods. The tonsils are still slightly swollen and there is mild congestion in the throat. Weight: 10.5 kg. A placebo was prescribed.
Currently the boy is still taking placebo and is doing well.
Case analysis
The following rubrics were selected for the mother's mental state during pregnancy:
MIND – COMPLAINTS FROM – expectation tension
MIND – DELUSIONS – sitting in a trap; in a
MIND – DESIRE; WISH FOR – strong desire
MIND – SELFISHNESS, EGOISM
The fundamental mental state of Tuberculinum can be better understood using the following rubrics:
MIND – DELUSIONS – crushed – crowd; overwhelmed by the hurrying crowd
MIND – DELUSIONS – trapped; in a trap
MIND – DELUSIONS – suffocating; as if he were
Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica - William Boericke
The feeling of restriction and tightness is clearly recognisable from the rubrics mentioned above. The sensation of suffocating and of being in a trap symbolises spatial confinement and the lack of freedom for personal development. When the possibility to pursue one's own interests is missing, this appears as dissatisfaction and frustration.
This frustration, together with unfulfilled desires, discharges itself in the form of violent anger, fears and nervousness. The anger often manifests in violent acts which can go as far as self‑mutilation. Fears frequently appear as restlessness and fidgeting. The great desire for fresh air and the taste for travel symbolise the wish for freedom. The energy blockages on the emotional level then lead to pathological changes in the airways, the glands, the digestive tract and the nervous system, etc.
Dr. Jayesh Dhingreja
Category: Remedy
Keywords: freedom, restriction, fears, Tuberculinum
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Source: http://www.interhomeopathy.org/tuberculinum_in_need_for_freedom
Image: 1011747280 by Kateryna Kon
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