ASTHMA MAISAMATIC VIEW

1. Spasmodic contraction of respiratory tract due to irritation secondary to hypersensitivity=Allergy=PSORA

2. Thickening of respiratory tract—chronic=SYCOSIS

3. Thickening of CV system with hypertension or later enlarged heart causing exertional dyspnea=SYCOSIS

4. Destruction of alveoli, bronchi, bronchiectasis, emphysema=SYPHILIS

5. Severe irreversible spasm—a kind of croup=SYPHILIS

Never treat the acute spasm or acute attack with anti-spasmodic remedies or anti-asthmatic remedies, e.g., acon, bell, mag-p, blatta, ant-ars

Need for the constitutional medicine but there is a time constraint when the acute problem arises. So what to do?

We need to find the emotional reaction in an acute illness.

The emotional reaction tells us the disposition.

¶210 “…in all corporeal diseases the condition of the disposition and mind is always altered.”

¶211: “This holds to such an extent that the state of the disposition of the patient often chiefly determines the selection of the homeopathic remedy…”

BASIC QUESTION TO ASK: “What do you do during the attack?” It is not, “What do you feel?”

• Do you like people talking to you and asking questions?

• Do you like attention, care or help from others?

• Do you wake others at night or not?

• Do you weep during the attack?

• Do you become irritable and quarrelsome?

• Do you suffer quietly by yourself?

• Are you cheerful, happy?

Angry and irritable constitutions do not like people interrogating them. (AWOTA)

Need to observe. Is there a frown? Gestures. “Please no more questions. Just relieve my asthma.”

Ask the person who accompanies the patient, “If you repeat a question, does the patient get angry?”

When the person is doing something how does he react when someone disturbs him? (AWOTA) & DISTURBED; Aversion to being:

Nux-v: anger when disturbed, with noise, children playing outside. Ars-alb: anxiety about the disease. “Doctor, what do you think about my disease? Is it curable? Do you think I should take this medicine or that one?” If Ars is disturbed when eating he can get annoyed.

ANGRY WHEN QUESTIONED/DISTURBED: HOT: bry, nat-m CHILLY: nux-v, ars, ph-ac, coloc

Bryonia is very much like nux-v but hot. Short, thick neck. Strong finger joints (indicates good business aptitude)

What is meant by consolation? A caress? Stroking the hand, the face? Do you like it when someone inquires about you? Offers to get you water, etc.? If they say, yes, you can use CONSOLATION amel. Is there a difference between sympathy and consolation? Consolation = “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Sympathy = “Oh, you poor fellow, you shouldn’t have to suffer so much.”

CONSOLATION; amel:

CHILLY: ars, gels, hell, phos Hell is slow in comprehension and reflects long before answering.

HOT: puls, carc, asaf, gels

CHANGING from hot to chilly to hot = CAMPH

CONSOLATION; agg.

HOT: bell, carc, nat-m, plat, sulph

CHILLY: ars, calc-p, kali-p, nit-ac, pall, sep, sil, stann

Does the patient weep during the attack? Which constitutions weep? The timid, the anxious, those who want to attract attention, the hysterics.

Weeping, fearful, wanting help:

HOT: puls, calc-m, calc-s, sulph, lyc CHILLY: calc-c, phos, kali-c

Calc is generally accompanied by someone every visit. Needing someone the first visit, not the second: lyc, snakes

If the mother always speaks for the older child it could suggest DOMINATION by parent. Those who perspire when they answer→PERSPIRATION; Talking agg. Shaking hands: calc hand is soft. Hand can be flat, not curved.

Calc-m is more introverted. Seldom obese. Left-sided Calc-c left-sided as a child. Later, right-sided. Sensitive as children. Calc-i is a sad calcarea. Insecure, wanting support, money, god. Anxious, restless, glands++, emaciation, loves trendy clothes and cycling. Desires open air but HEADACHE riding against the wind. Small children after reading a few lines complain of HEADACHE.

Calc-s angry, egotistical Wants support of FAMILY, MONEY, GOD Like all calc they are insecure, anticipatory, Lamenting that he is not appreciated. Hates those who disagree. WEAKNESS; Anger: Not into sports. Fear of being injured. Fear of sports. Desires to walk but loses the desire as soon as he starts. Calc-s is COURAGEOUS.

Calc-fl more money-minded. Insecure. anticipatory, Accumulates money . Hardness of glands. Hair & nails grow fast (fl-ac)

DOES SHE BECOME IRRITABLE AND QUARRELSOME? Arguing. Must prove a point. Decides to wake up husband in order to make her point that she was not feigning, that it really was a severe attack.

Consider: kali’s, ophedias,

DOES HE QUIETLY SUFFER ALONE?

An attitude of, “I prefer to solve my problems alone.” Suggests the patient is independent. It might be he does not want to disturb another person out of timidity, out of guilt, out of pride, out of confidence.

A contented person v. an indifferent one.

Contented: op, mag-m, mag-s, Opium is a good planner, has hyperacute senses. Can have deep sleep or light sleep, Magnesiums: when to consider? Obese, round features, robust (MS), always smiling, never complaining. A patient who comes back again and again and does not complain. Very patient people. Slow, calm, composed, smiling. MS will talk to you only when they know you. GI Liver infection. Ask, “Can you eat immediately on waking in the morning? The magnesiums usually cannot because of liver problems. Heavy head. (all magnesiums) Mag-c has more GI problems. Mag-s, more connective tissue problems/ Mag-m affects the glands more. Alumina a soft metal. Ladies smiling. Can be dominated by other stronger metals. Like Sil will bend to an extent then not. Strong tendency to be constipated.

Contentment v. Indifference Contentment more positive. Indifference more apathy. Resignation. “I have to live with my fate.” Despair. “Nothing works. I am never going to get better.”

One attitude: Why trouble others? I’ll be okay tomorrow Contented: op, mag-s, alum, phos, sepia

“This is an everyday affair.” op, mag-s, fl-ac, nat-m, sep

“I am strong enough and independent enough”→ merc, sep, aur, ferr, Indifferent, does not like sympathy: sep, nat-m

Ego & haughty I don’t want others to know my weakness→plat, lyc, verat.

CONSCIENTIOUS: ign, lyc, aur

Anxiety of conscience: “I don’t like to trouble others as it would make me feel bad”: aur, alum, psor “My husband has to work hard all day and I don’t want to disturb him.”

Case of man with asthma. Never asked for help. Wife told sir. Please tell him to eat. He eats only once a day. He will eat a small amount of food that he has allocated for four days and no more. Why? “I am afraid we’ll use up all the money if I eat too much.” This man did all the housework. Afraid of his wife. When she took a bath, he stood outside holding her clothes for her. Fear of poverty. Pessimist. Timid. Lean and thin. Given Psorinum. Wife got Cenchris: DUTY; averse to domestic: cenchris, lyc, nux-v, sep, sil, sulph

Are you afraid and do you need someone to be near? = CONSOLATION; amel

Do you become panicky?

Timid, anxious, wanting support: calc, carc , gels, phos, puls, sil

Dominating and quarrelsome Kali ars, lyc, verat, lach, china, nux, sulph, tarent, hep, snakes

Panicky:, acon, kali s, stram, sulph, puls

Those who suffer alone. They do not wake others. Why? Possibilities→

• Self-sufficient • Conscientious • Indifferent: cocc gels, mag-s, op, sep, stram • Anxiety of conscience: aur, ars, alum, dig, chel, psor, sulph • Introverted, timid • Contented • Despair • Haughty, egoistic

Too timid to complain: Carbons, carc, ign, sil, cocc, magnesiums, ph-ac