Words: Dr Manfred MUELLER
The young gentleman, in his early thirties, was a little self-conscious about his looks. He had been plagued by severe acne of the face, a condition diagnosed as tuberous acne, although one could argue that was really cystic acne. You could see significant acne scaring over his cheeks, chin and all over his face, even the nose. He was otherwise in excellent health. He kept in excellent physical shape with regular yoga exercises and an all-organic, vegetarian diet.
He had come to America with his family from the Punjab, India. His father, while keeping up his ties with the Sikh community, had raised him to observe a deeply religious life, however outside of the constraints of any organised religion. Though raised in the Sikh tradition, he was dressed in comfortable Western clothing and attended regular J Krishnamurti dialogues.
“I have had this ever since puberty. It breaks out at regular intervals, about once a month.”
Homeopathy is a scientific medical treatment that takes the whole person into account in selecting a suitable remedy. During a consultation the homeopath also explores if any emotional, or psychological, symptoms that may accompany a complaint.
“Have you noticed any relationship with the acne symptoms and your state of mind?” I questioned.
He did not see any connection. Even after exploring the minor stresses he suffered in his life there was nothing to tell that would be of interest.
We explored in detail the type of pimples he would get. They erupted about once a month, coming to a head, with whitish pus forming, and then receding without suppurating. After they healed, they left an ugly scar.
His health history was uneventful. Unlike most Americans who suffer from acne, he had never attempted any of the risky suppressive drugs. For example, Accutane, a common acne drug offered by conventional dermatologists, can lead to organ damage and psychosis.
In his case, one significant symptom was the regularity with which the acne appeared. Given its onset at puberty and regular monthly appearance suggested a hormonal link, something quite common with acne.
I questioned further. After taking his whole case I considered Silicea terra 30C or Calcarea silicata 30C, the most likely remedies. He had already tried Silicea as part of a low decimal potency combination remedy, marketed as ‘Schuessler Cell Salts.’ While it had helped somewhat, it never significantly improved the condition.
Sometimes remarks beginning with ‘by the way.’ or the things saved till the end of a consultation, provide the most significant clues for the homeopath. He was unmarried and felt there was a definitive internal conflict, often accompanied by erotic dreams, etc. The following day his face would erupt with acne and he was left feeling somewhat despondent and weak.
I chose Kali bromatum 30C, a remedy that has a link to ailments arising from actual lack of such fulfilment.
The next consultation confirmed that there had been almost no outbreak of acne. After several months of Kali Bromatum in gradually increasing decimal potencies the acne disappeared completely and permanently. Years later, he credits his homeopathic treatment for his permanent recovery.
Case-2
I received phone call from a man whose name I immediately recognised, although I had not been in contact with him for several years. Carl was in his early forties and had at one time attended The Homeopathic College [the homeopathic training programme I run].
Now, Carl sounded confused, disoriented, worried, and he was babbling something about that he had to get back to his job. It took some active listening on my part to learn that he was calling from Duke Medical Center [Durham, US], where he had been hospitalised with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever [RMSF, for short].
RMSF is a tick-borne disease caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii spread by bites from the American dog tick. Initial signs and symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever, headache, and muscle pain, vomiting, headache, lack of appetite, followed by development of petechia-like [pinpoint] rash and abdominal and/or joint pain. It is a serious condition that has been known to be fatal in some cases.
Conventional medicine usually treats RMSF with doxycycline to kill the bacteria. Doxycycline is in the tetracycline group of antibiotics; it is considered a broad-spectrum antibiotic. It is also interesting to note that doxycycline can have symptoms, such as urine retention, jaundice and yellowing of the skin, fever, chills and joint pains, confusion, severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate and more. Most people don’t suffer from all of these side-effects, but you can see how for some people the cure can be just as bad as the disease itself.
Back to the story. Carl muttered, “I’ve got to get out of here, they are killing me here, I gotta get out o’ here.” He quickly handed the phone to his girlfriend who explained he had been delirious at times, while on antibiotics, Tylenol [acetaminophen/paracetamol] and a sedative. He had a terrible headache, and he was aching so badly all over his body that he could hardly move.
She picked up the remedy Bryonia alba 30C, Acetaminophenum 30C and Doxacyclinum 30C from my office. The next day, Carl and his girlfriend dropped by to express their gratitude for his miraculous cure. His fever had come down after one dose, and by the next day he was able to check himself out of the hospital.
Homeopathy was able to provide a quick, effective and completely safe treatment to resolve this potentially life-threatening condition. I read in the paper a few days later that eleven people had succumbed to this disease that year in North Carolina, while under the best of conventional medical care.
