Words: Dr Joseph KELLERSTEIN
Studying the homeopathic Materia Medica — the scientific compilation of remedial substances used in the practice of homeopathic medicine — can seem like spending time playing video games. You think you’re making it to the next level, but really it’s only a fantasy. Well, just get one severe case of infectious disease, while it’s hot, and life will change all that. It truly becomes a blessing having studied such remedies for both the doctor and patient.
Agnes, well, she was one of them. Most of us, homeopaths, get pretty smug about our healing abilities as long as we know the bad ones go to the emergency room first.
Well, I guess Agnes was an escapee. She was 82 — a tough old bird and a real force to reckon with. Deep lines on her face, slender and a determined look, her appearance was reminiscent of Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies. Ah, the image stays in my mind’s eye.
I was comfortable, nestled in my consulting room way at the back of the office. My receptionist, as is normal, escorted the patient in and introduced us. She looked at me with piercing eyes and a brief smile. After the niceties, I settled back in the chair and began to examine the intake form. I didn’t make it much past the first complaint when my mind flipped into anxiety. It read ‘gangrene.’ I think that’s all I recall. After looking up I was quickly put in my place. Yes, she had seen the doctors and, no, she wasn’t going back because she would rather die than lose the foot. Death did not scare her at all. The foot was definitely on the blackish side.
How could I not take the case before authoritatively sending her back to the hospital? It was surprisingly brief. This poor lady was a chain smoker and had been for some decades. She promised to quit if only we could get rid of the pain and hopefully save the foot. Of course, it was getting worse quickly. The pain robbed her of any decent sleep. I uttered the magic words, ‘Tell me all about that.’ In response came, “It’s horrible… the burning… It wakes me up between 1:00am and 2:00am every night. I am forced to pace with the pains and the horrible anxiety. The only bit of help comes from applying heat.”
I was, as if the symptoms, came singing out of the textbook and indicated only one remedy that would pace after midnight with anxiety and had burning pains which were worse with heat. Arsenicum album.
I gave no promises and said the foot might very well need to come off and made risks evident. I gave her Arsenicum album 10M — just one dose, right there, and several to take for night time when waking from pain. The burning, restlessness and duration of waking diminished steadily, until it was mostly gone by the end of the first week.
She checked in with me every three days to the cessation of symptoms. It was one, or two, months after that Agnes proudly presented a lovely pink foot.
She actually presented a video with a series of pictures of the foot, as it returned to optimal health.
