Author:
Ashok Borkar
Book:
Interhomeopathy
Type:
Case
Chapter:
2014.11.08
A Synergistic approach: three cases
by Ashok Borkar
Case of Cerebral hypoxia with hallucinations and stupor
This is a case of an 85-year-old lady who had started hallucinating and was not in her full senses. Her daughter came to the clinic to give this history in October 2011.
“She has become forgetful. She does not remember how many children she has unless she is reminded. She does not want to talk. You have to ask her three or four times before she answers, and then she answers by just moving her lips: no words come out or the words are very soft, or she does not answer at all. She appears lost. She is a little better when relatives are around. She just wants to lie down. She is not focusing. She does not look at our face, she looks elsewhere. She has hallucinations. She sees children and says ‘give them something to eat.’ She wants to go back to live in Mumbai (the place has been sold 11 years ago). There is total apathy. She is not interested in anything. The other day, I burnt my fingers and I was showing her again and again but there was no response from her, just a blank look on her face. She is disinterested. Everything is slow; all her movements are slow. Her hands are icy cold. She cannot grasp objects; she can’t hold a teacup or a spoon. She likes fruit juices and cold drinks.”
Analysis
Rubrics Taken:
▪ General: Reaction lack of, old people in
▪ Extremities: Coldness hands, icy
▪ General: Food and drinks: juicy things, desires
▪ Mind: Dullness, understands questions only after repetition.
▪ Mind: Indifference, apathy, everything to
▪ Mind: Talk, indisposed to
▪ Mind: Forgetfulness of old people
▪ Mind: Homesickness
▪ Mind: Slowness of old people
Prescription: Phosphoric acid 30 twice a day for 3 days.
Follow-up
She started improving immediately, reacting, talking, and focusing her eyes. The hallucinations stopped. She was able to hold things in her hands. After about two months, there was a relapse and the same prescription was repeated, which promptly made her comfortable again. She has been in good health for the last ten months.
Why did Phosphoric acid act so well?
Clarke states: Phosphoric acid shows a marked action on the emotional and sensorial faculties, a drowsy, depressed, apathetic state being produced. Phosphoric acid causes illusions of the senses, as well as of the sensorium; bells are heard; ciphers, sparks, etc., are seen.
In Phatak’s materia medica, under Phosphoric acid we find: slowness of mind and special senses. The sphere of action is ‘emotions and sensorium’ and the mode of action is that it causes ‘slowness of the special senses’. This is her main peculiarity, this is where her individuality is seen clearly.