Dr.P.

Sankaran-

Behind almost every conversion to Homoeopathy lies an anecdote - usually a very

interesting one and I may be permitted to add my contribution to this.
I studied allopathic and Indian Medicine in my college and started practising after
graduating in 1943. My results were good and bad, all that a beginner could expect.
And I had almost settled down to a professional routine.
However, around the year 1945, I started developing a feeling of fatigue in the
evenings associated with a feeling of internal warmth. Gradually these sensations
increased and there actually developed an evening rise of temperature, upto 99 oF.
As a member of the medical profession, all kinds of pathological and radiological
investigations as well as the expert advice of eminent colleagues were easily
available to me. Accordingly, the blood, stools, urine, etc., were examined, and
radiographs were taken but the disease could not be diagnosed. All the time, the
temperature continued to rise, regularly upto 100 oF or more in the evenings. There
was also weakness associated with a loss of weight. I had lost about two 28 pounds
in a month. It was clinically suspected to be malaria and I was given quinacrine.
Nothing happened except that my body became yellow. Some hidden focus of
infection was suspected and I was given sulpha drugs but these had to be
discontinued because they produced severe vertigo. I also took liver extract
without any improvement. It was then suspected to be amoebiasis and I took some
emetine with temporary benefit. Ultimately it was suspected that it might be a case
of incipient tuberculosis and I was advised change of air, as there were then no
specific drugs for the condition.
The whole series of investigations and treatment were merely a source of
disappointment to me. They only helped to discourage me more and more. So, as I
looked around in desperation, I thought of Homoeopathy. I had no knowledge of
Homoeopathy and I had no faith in it; my impression of Homoeopathy was that it
was some sort of a medical fad. Yet, such "fads" were sometimes known to do the
trick where the highly developed modern sciences had failed. So I decided to
consult a homoeopath, particularly as there was a well qualified allopathic
physician who had somehow become a convert to Homoeopathy.
The physician asked me to write out my symptoms and bring them to him. I did so
and presented the list to him. He did not examined me thoroughly physically nor
did he go deeply into my various investigation reports. But he merely read my
notes, asked me one or two questions, then referred to a book and prescribed a
drug. While I was disappointed to see that this physician did not examine me
thoroughly, I was annoyed that he looked into his book and prescribed, as though
my case and my medicine were recorded in print! Further he asked me to take only
one dose of the medicine he prescribed for me. When I enquired how often I
should repeat the doses, he advised me to take only one dose and wait for 15 days.
How could one dose of medicine act for 15 days... Surely this was stretching one's
credulity too far.
However, notwithstanding this series of shocks, I decided to experiment. I went to
a homoeopathic pharmacy and ordered a dose of the medicine in 30th potency as
directed by the physician. I expected that since this dose was to act for a fortnight,
it must be a very powerful and, therefore, a very expensive drug. But to my utter
surprise, the chemist charged me only one anna (one penny) for the dose, with the
result that even the little faith I had completely evaporated. But, strange to say,
within three days of taking this dose, I found such a tremendous beneficent effect
that cannot be described in mere words. The feeling of fatigue and fever
disappeared. I regained all the original energy that I had lost during my illness. I
actually felt as if someone had removed from my body all my old and useless
blood and replaced it by fresh blood. I quickly regained the weight I had lost and
was able to take up all my original activities with redoubled vigour. I felt very well
for at least six months after which I think the dose of medicine had to be repeated.
That a single dose of medicine costing so little could give me such tremendous
relief for six months, whereas the most expensive medicines prescribed after lots of
investigations had failed miserably was a great surprise that I could not surmount
for a very long time.
Incidentally, I want to mention here my belief that the homoeopath who can
appreciate the system most is the person who has suffered and has been himself
benefited by homoeopathic medicine.
This incident filled me with gratitude for the system and stimulated me to study
this science which in the past I had always equated with quackery. During the next
two or three years I studied all the books I could get hold of. I read Kent's Materia
Medica and Robert's Principles and Art of Cure and several other books
repeatedly. But still I had not the courage to test Homoeopathy on any patient.
However, an opportunity soon arose for me to see the effect of Homoeopathy
objectively. A child of 4 years in our family had a severe attack of smallpox from
which she eventually recovered. But though she recovered, she did not regain her
original health or vigour. On the contrary, she started weakening and emaciating
steadily. She became more and more listless and inactive and soon ceased to stand
up or walk. Still later, she failed to sit up too, she could only lie down. She even
stopped speaking; when she wanted anything she would merely roll her eyes. Her
condition was most pathetic but none of the several physicians whom we consulted
could do anything because all investigations that had been done failed to show the
presence or nature of any gross disease. However, it was very clear that the child
was declining very rapidly in health and perhaps in another fortnight or a month
she would be lost to us.
At this stage, a homoeopathic friend of mine arrived and I consulted him about
this child. In this case also, without thoroughly examining the child but only on
hearing the history that the child had been declining since the attack of smallpox,
he prescribed three doses of Variolinum 30, 200, 1000 to be given, one dose daily
for three days. In this case too, I was rather perturbed that this physician instead of
taking very active steps, was merely putting his whole faith in three little powders
of medicine. But again, strange to say, within a week the child's condition was
reversed; she started regaining all her original activity and also grew as chubby as
before, and in the course of a month or two became perfectly normal. In the words
of the father of the child, who wrote a letter of thanks which can be considered a
classic, the child regained her original vivacity and vitality and he considered that
Homoeopathy had justified its greatness by this singular success!
So, here again was a case which had completely stumped our allopathic colleagues
who, not being able to see gross evidence of any disease even though the patient
was declining and dying, could do nothing whatsoever, whereas Homoeopathy
stepped in with a few doses and set everything right. So this encouraged me to
study the subject of Homoeopathy more vigorously. Very soon, another occasion
presented itself.
A close relative of mine was getting recurrent attacks of intermittent high
temperature for over three years. These attacks used to last for two or three weeks
at a time. It had been diagnosed as malignant tertian malaria and had generally
responded to quinine. But this time there was a recurrence of the temperature
which had lasted for about a fortnight and in which quinine had no effect
whatsoever. At that time, quinine was the only certain antimalarial remedy. So, the
relatives of the patient were very much worried and they telephoned to me. This
was on 7th November 1947. I responded to the call and went and saw the patient.
The patient had a temperature of 107.1 oF, a temperature which I had never
encountered so far in my life. Naturally I was extremely upset and in panic I ran to
my nearest Physician-friend. However, this physician was not available and,
therefore, I left a word that he should come at once as soon as he returned to his
clinic. Meanwhile, we procured some ice and rubbed it all over the head and body
of the patient, but the temperature came down only by 0.3 oF and stayed at 106.8
oF. As quinine had already been tried without effect and no other measure was
available except to take him to the hospital, I decided to try my Homoeopathy
without, however, any hope that it would help. So, I studied his symptoms in the
homoeopathic way and found the following points:
Temperature 106.8 oF; Pulse 112. Even with such high temperature patient was
conscious and loquacious and was asking us why we were all looking so worried
as, after all, nothing was wrong with him except for a little fever. He complained
of great bodily soreness. The history was that almost every time he got the
(recurrent) temperature, it used to rise very high but the patient would not feel it
much. He was also listless.
Finding the marked disproportion in the pulse-temperature ratio, the tendency to
hyperpyrexia, the soreness, the feeling of well-being in spite of the seriousness of
the condition, etc. I decided to try Pyrogen. Since I had not prescribed for a single
case so far, I had no homoeopathic drug at all with me. So, I procured the drug in
the 30th potency and administered one drop. Whereas I myself had very little
confidence, the relatives of the patient had no faith at all that the one drop of
medicine was going to do anything, particularly, as his aunt remarked, "It was not
sufficient even to go down his throat." However, as we watched with trepidation,
the miracle happened again! We were measuring his temperature every 15 minutes
being apprehensive that it might rise further but luckily it dropped rapidly as
follows:
6.00 p.m. : 106.8 oF 6.45 p.m. : 102.4 oF
6.15 p.m. : 104.6 oF 7.00 p.m. : 102.0 oF
6.30 p.m. : 103.0 oF 8.00 p.m. : 100.0 oF
He perspired so profusely that all his clothes were drenched but when we changed
his clothes, he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up next morning, he was quite
well; he said that for the first time in so many attacks of fever, he was feeling fit in
spite of the fact that he had suffered for a fortnight. Since then, he has not had any
more such attacks in the last 20 years.
These three instances in which I had found Homoeopathy acting like a charm were
enough to convince me that this was the system which I should study and practise.
So, I discarded all my original volumes of therapeutics and replaced them with
homoeopathic books. To this day I have not regretted this change. On the contrary,
I have earned far more appreciation and gratitude and derived far more satisfaction
than I ever should have dreamt of securing by doling out routine prescriptions of
other systems of medicine. Every aspect of Homoeopathy such as the intelligent
case taking, the system of matching the disease-picture with the drug-picture, the
single drug, the minute dose, etc., has appealed to me and I really enjoy practising
Homoeopathy.

1986: This is one of the earlier cases that I saw, and recorded on video. The man,
58 years old, had had a heart attack. He also had hypertension and diabetic ulcers.
Particularly, there was a very large ulcer covering most of the dorsum of one foot,
and he had been advised to get the foot amputated. But given his history, the
operation was a high-risk one, so surgery was ruled out. He therefore had few
options. The bones of his foot (metatarsals) had undergone osteolysis and had
dissolved.

He was an Income Tax officer. He was known for being responsible and upright
and had shown exemplary honesty and dedication. Apparently, even his bosses
were somewhat afraid of him, because of his uprightness and high sense of
responsibility.

His first heart attack came about thus. He had conducted a search-and-seizure
operation, and found some papers incriminating the party concerned. He stored the
papers in his office drawer. The next day, they were missing! He felt that his own
reputation was at stake, and was extremely concerned that it should not be stained.
As a result, he moved heaven and earth to get those papers back, and finally did!
But on the evening of that day, he got the heart attack.
Having gleaned this background information, I gave him Aurum metallicum 200.
He showed much improvement in his general health and the ulcer. After about two
months on the remedy, an X-Ray of the affected foot was repeated. The bones that
had dissolved re-appeared!

CLINICAL CASES OF DR.S.R.PHATAK.

All the cases illustrated below are taken from the book "Clinical experiences" By
.S. R. Phatak. The book is essentially a
compilation of cases from Dr. Phatak's clinical practice. Interestingly, the second
part of this book consist of failed cases
of Dr.P.Sankaran, who then had consulted Dr.Phatak to make a head way.
Case 1: [Following case was first seen by Dr.P.Sankaran, as the patient did not do
well, he was referred to Dr.Phatak]
"I was called to see a young married lady suffering from retention of urine. Some
five weeks ago she had developed fever
which was treated with Chloromycetin. The temperature dropped to normal, but on
the same day she had developed
retention of urine. Not being relieved by any medicine she was catheterized four
times in a day. It was thought that the
retention would disappear gradually, but it did not. So a neurologist was consulted
who found nothing abnormal and
thought it must be due to shock. She was discharged from the hospital without any
specific treatment. She continued to
catheterize herself till I saw her.
Since there was a possibility of fright causing the condition, I gave her Opium in
potency with no good result. Thereon I
consulted Dr.Phatak, who diagnosed it as Hysterical. On looking into Kent's
Repertory under the rubric "Bladder, retention
of urine, in hysteria", we found only one drug, that too in bold type- Zinc. So she
was given Zinc 200. We the second dose
she had copious flow of urine without resorting to the catheter. Since then she
neither required catheter nor medicine.-
"Elements of homeopathy"-The value of the Repertory- P.Sankaran.
Case 2: [Following case was first seen by Dr.P.Sankaran, as the patient did not do
well, he was referred to Dr.Phatak.]
"I was once treating a patient who had mumps. The swelling of the parotid gland
had appeared on the right side. I had
taken the symptoms and had given him Merc.i.f, but there was no relief from the
severe pain he had. There upon I
consulted Dr.Phatak.
Dr.Phatak asked the patient as to what was the effect of pressure. The patient
replied, that pressure on the affected part
made the pain worse. Dr.Phatak, then asked him on which side he lay down. The
patient replied that he lay on the
affected side as it gave relief. There upon Dr.Phatak asked "Does it not hurt you to
lie on the affected side?" The patient
answered that though he lay on the right side he took care to see that the pillow did
not press on the affected part, so that
the affected part was more or less unsupported. Interpreting this symptom as
'Hanging the affected part >, Dr.Phatak
gave him Conium which gave relief in one day.
Case 3: Lady aged 25 years with one daughter. She was suffering from
tuberculosis of the spine in the dorsal region.
Several months before the actual pain in the spine had developed she used to suffer
from repeated short attacks of
abdominal colic from time to time for which no obvious cause could be found.
When the pain in the spine began to
increase, these attacks stopped. When the spine became very painful and her
movements became restricted an X-ray
was taken. This showed that the two dorsal vertebrae were affected with T.B. She
was kept in jacket of plaster of paris for
6 months and cod liver oil was given internally. After the removal of the plaster,
she felt better but four months afterwards ,
she began to feel the pain in the spine again which began to increase day by day.
Again an X-ray was taken and this
showed that the lesion had not completely healed. The same treatment was advised
but she was reluctant to undergo the
same treatment again. It was at this stage that I was called to see her…
When I saw her, she was lying on the ground on a rather hard mattress with one leg
stretched out and the other drawn up
alternatively. Finally, I asked her why she was keeping one leg stretched and the
other drawn up. She told me that she
did not feel comfortable on a soft mattress and that keeping on leg stretched and
the other drawn up gave relief to her
pain.
For this peculiar position Dr. Kent, gives Lac-c and Stann. I had no choice left
except to select stannum, which covered
Tuberculosis of the bone, lying on hard surface >, lying with one leg stretched and
the other drawn up. (Attitude Bizarre).
Within four months she completely recovered except for a slight deformity in the
dorsal spine with Stan 30, 200, 1m
Case 4: Case of Rheumatoid arthritis with severe pains worse at night. The pains
are better with very hot applications. I
gave the patient Radium Bromide which relieved the pain and to some extent
reduced the deformity.
Comments: Were the above-mentioned cases merely a keynote prescription?
Here we see how Dr.Phatak has exactly followed the guidelines emphasized by
Boger.
I quote from Collected Works of Boger by Robert Banan "The final analysis of
every case resolves itself into the
assembling of the individualistic symptoms into one group and collecting the
disease manifestations into another, then
finding the remedy which runs through both, while placing greater emphasis on the
former."
A closer look at all the above cases shows that though Dr.Phatak took the most
individualizing symptom for the purpose
of Repertorization, he kept the background portrait of the case quite clearly in his
mind. The final choice of the remedy
covered both- the individualizing aspect as well as the common symptoms of the
disease.
Till date we have always focused only upon the individualizing characteristic
symptoms and literally neglecting the
pathological aspect of the case. The above mentioned cases tell us that it is
imperative that we clearly grasp the
pathological aspect of the remedy. The pathological aspect of the remedy
constitutes- the pathogenetic process that the
remedy is able to unfold in the individual, the target organ specificity of the
remedy etc. Phatak's MM, as mentioned
earlier in the article, gives this understanding under the Generalities section of
every remedy.
Case 5: A case of Peripheral neuritis. The neuritis was relieved both by eructation
and by passing flatus. The pains were
also relieved by hard pressure and movement. The patient had already consulted
eminent allopathic physician but found
no relief. I combined the rubrics "Flatulence up and down passing Amel" (Boger's
Synoptic key, Pg. 79) and "pressure
Amel" (Pg.27) and found Argentum nitricum coming out. This drug completely
relieved him.
Case 6: Case of a woman of 40 yrs who was suffering from acute cystitis for three
days. She had burning in the urethra
during and after micturation, the pain being relieved only by sitting cross-legged
and bending forwards and applying
continuous pressure over the genitalia. It was worse on lying or in any other
position. She had already received Cantharis
and Merc.cor from another physician (on the indication "Bending double amel")
with no relief. I gave her Nitric Acid on the
symptoms "Steady pressure amel" and she felt better in a day.
Case 7. Patient came with troublesome symptoms, viz. he had profuse salivation on
coughing. On coughing, the saliva
used to dribble from the mouth. He had no other symptom and I had to prescribe
on this symptom alone. I looked into the
Repertory, and I found three remedies given under the rubric "Salivation increased
with cough" - Am.m; Lach; Verat.alb. I
tried the remedies one by one, but found no result at all. Later on, I generalized the
modality and took it as "Coughing agg
(general) and combined it with "Salivation." Five remedies came out, out of which
Nux-V came out to be more
prominently. I gave the patient Nux-V which completely cured him.
Comments: Dr. Phatak says "I have always found it much safer to rely upon the
Generalities than the particulars. Even if
there are no generalities in a case, I often generalize a particular symptom and I
have found this more successful. In a
way I follow Boeninghausen's method.
Case 8: Patient with valvular heart disease complained of an uneasy sensation and
pain extending from the occiput to the
shoulders with palpitations agg. From exertion. The case improved under
Onosmodium.
Onosmodium has : " Pains going downwards from the occiput to the shoulders agg.
Exertion"
Case 9: Some time back, there was a case of asthma in a girl of 22. The asthma
subsided under some homeopathic
medicines but she developed edema of the right foot for which she consulted me.
Interpreting this as " Compensatory
effects" (Boger's Synoptic Key, page 289), I gave her Prunus Spinosa which put
her all right. Prunus Spinosa, has also
respiratory symptoms and dropsy of feet.
Comments: The case illustrates the application of the concept of concomitant.
Concomitant- a phenomenon which coexists
& varies with the chief complaint- in this case is of highest importance. As I
understand, a concomitant symptom is
an essential constituent of the "essential pattern of affection."
Case 10: Young boy with prolapse of rectum. He had great craving for eggs, but
when he took eggs his prolapse would
be worse. He was given Calc.carb which completely cured the condition.
Comments: [Refer above point 6. Structure & content of Phatak's repertory.]
The abovementioned cases clearly depict the flexibility with which Dr.Phatak
evaluated symptoms in any case. This
flexibility is completely unlike the modern ways. In the modern practice of
homeopathy it is already predetermined what is
to be looked for in the case and what is most important in the case. This has lead to
rigidity in approach. It has lead to
rigid schools of thoughts in homeopathy! The issue is not so much about having
different viewpoints, but more of being
rigid about what we think the truth is. Essentially correct scientific thinking should
liberate us from rigid approaches; it
should by its innate nature promote integration of differences. Are we going wrong
somewhere?
Case11: Long ago I was consulted by a young lady who had developed black pores
on the face. She became so selfconscious
that she avoided meeting people. Once however she had to go and attend a social
function. There someone,
an acquaintance, asked her how she developed the pores. This embarrassed the
patient so much that next day, she got
convulsions and thereafter the convulsions seemed to recur on and off. I gave her
Opium and her seizures disappeared. I
gave her Opium on the rubric "Embarrassment agg." For which my Repertory
gives only four remedies viz. Ambr, Ign, Op,
and Sulph. Homeopaths generally know well that Opium covers the effects of
fright, but it also covers the effects of
embarrassment.
Comments: In Phatak's case and also Boger's cases the mental symptoms are
seldom given the importance the way we
modern homeopaths give. The case above is one such illustration where emphasis
was given on mental symptoms. Here
also, Dr.Phatak and Boger seem to be following the same dictum, viz …. mental
attitudes, causation, have their own
place in the selection of the remedy, when they are very marked."
The question, that still remains unresolved in my mind, is this "Are we treating the
mentals the way they should be?"- As I
think aloud, - the modern homeopathic approach has seen brilliant cures with fair
amount of consistency with the way it
treats mentals, yet an equally good number of cases are merely palliated (in spite of
there being a possibility of a
complete cure). This leaves us with space of improvisation. Secondly, I am sure
Dr.Phatak and Dr.Boger, had their share
of failures too. One could hypothesize that may be the modern approach might
have better worked on those failed
cases…In any case, the failure of these Masters will not be available to us to study
the pattern of their failure. Had this
literature been available, we would see their limitations. I think, knowing the
limitation of their approach is imperative. It
will complete the circle and bring to light a larger picture. Such a study will carve a
niche for both- the modern approach
which we follow today and the approach followed by these Masters.
Conclusively, I could safely draw the following inferences about Dr.Phatak's
rationale:
a) Every principle/concept he has mentioned is largely true for most of the cases,
yet these are NOT dogmas or inflexible
rules.
b) There is always a possibility of doing something not confirming to what is
stated as 'rules' which can be equally true in
a particular case. It is, therefore demanded out of the homeopath to remain with a
fluid-like state of awareness so as to
pick out these instances. Thus treat them effectively.
c) The only factor that is UNCHANGEABLE is the responsibility on the physician
to grasp the "Identifying
marks/Individualizing features" of the case and the remedy. Where in the case
these are available remains an open
possibility. According to these Masters, most likely (not necessarily always), they
are to be found in the Generalities,
Modalities & the Mind.
d) The ability to grasp the essence of the case and the remedy - Generalization of
the highest order. This ability has to be
cultivated through practice. It is the practice of hard core logic- induction and
deduction- while studying every remedy and
every case, without any exception.
Unfortunately, homeopathic education training, never trains the physicians into
truly using logic. It has at best created set
rules of evaluating cases and understanding the remedy. Thus paying emphasis to a
certain aspect of the case/remedy at
the cost of the other. These set rules are in tune with the limited view point of one
of the other schools of thinking that
have mushroomed up in recent times.
I hope this article has at least thrown light on some vital principles which
Dr.Phatak and Dr.Boger based their practices
upon. I think, even with the best attempt, only some important issues can be
brought out by writings like these. If anyone
has to really imbibe their teachings, it has to be a personally exercise. For those
who feel intrigued, inspired, or in
someone touched by the teachings of these Masters, I would suggest that they form
a small study group and take up
each individual cases of these Masters and solve them as if it were a real case
presented to you. Find the best possible
remedy that you can, and then cross check what was given in the case. Try and find
out the disparity between what you
did in your thought process (not just the remedy) and what could have been the
Master's thought process. This retroanalysis
is the core essence of this exercise. When you solve several cases in this fashion,
very gradually over weeks of
persistent effort each piece of the jigsaw begins to fit and a superb pattern emerges.
This insight is worth the toil. This
idea may at first seem too laborious and far from practical applicability.
Nevertheless, in my practice I have made a
whole-hearted effort to integrate the approach of Phatak and Boger. This
integration of their approach is not replacing
what we do in our Modern approach, but a thorough conglomeration of the two
viewpoints.
It has resulted into : a) A solid consistency in my ability to produce improvement
(in both acute and chronic cases) - i.e.
towards a cure. b) More than anything it has given me a cutting edge insight into
clinical decision making, interpreting
cases & follow ups etc. c) It has given me glimpse of the method to take a case
towards cure when you know that you
have managed to prescribe only a partially similar remedy; i.e. when is the next
remedy required and what will be the
totality that would point towards the second prescription.