“In seeking for the specific homoeopathic remedy, i. e., in this juxtaposition of the phenomena of the natural disease and the list of symptoms of the medicines, in order to discover a morbid potency corresponding in similitude to the evil to be cured, the more striking, particular, unusual and peculiar (characteristic) signs and symptoms of the case should especially and almost solely be kept in view; for there must especially be some symptoms in the list of the medicine sought for corresponding to this if the remedy should be the one most suitable to effect the cure.’
Strange rare and peculiar is a phrase often used in homoeopathic circles, and one in which it appears to give licence for any symptom to be used in the case taking. However, from the aphorism 153 taken from the 5th edition above, we can see the explanation and understanding of the meaning clearly, or we should if we dismiss the veil of Swedenborgianism from Kent that obscures the true case-taking skills as outlined by Hahnemann.
All disease is a collection of symptoms that define the ‘type’ of disease, and from this collection of symptoms, a disease can be classified and if well known, the pathology and progression and even prognosis can be elicited from knowledge.. and within that disease, we can pick out the defining expression that is peculiar to the reaction of the sick person to its influence. (this is not dismissing those diseases that have never been seen before and affect the host in a very unique way).
Reading carefully, we can see that the symptoms that are to be used, are the ones that define the host’s reaction to whatever the infection is, in a characteristic way AND also are defined in a remedy in a similar manner.
To complicate matters, the defining symptoms, may or may not be known to be within the sphere of the presenting disorder, yet are present.
Let me give an example from a remedy, and from a presenting symptom. It is my experience, that a marked and strange and characteristic symptom can be present and have nothing to do with the complaint, yet will also contain the symptoms taken in the intake.
Take a patient with a respiratory disorder. Lack of oxygen has caused the lips to discolour. Normally will be blue, yet in this patient, the skin is mottled, blue and orange and red, and diffuse over the lips.
Another patient with severe psoriasis, on close examination, has the same mottled skin all over her legs between the eruptions.
Yet another patient with skin allergies has presented patches of the same discolouration across his back.
In taking the case of each, the characteristic symptom is the skin discolouration. using that, regardless of the problem, there are few remedies, if actually only one, that produces that patterning. In the main, you will also find that other symptoms of each individual disorder are present in the remedy.
That remedy is Psorinum.
If a symptom is present to such a marked degree, it can become characteristic of both the disease AND a remedy..
We will talk more at another time regarding characteristic symptoms.
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Vera Resnick
The Institute for Homoeopathic Medicine 
Little steps and reminders.
A few days ago, a colleague of mine outlined a health issue with a young male family member. It was a difficult situation involving a stroke, various underlying problems that all would appear on the surface to be well suited to homoeopathic treatment. My colleague was lamenting the fact that he had to suffer in silence in not being in a position to treat the patient.
For those of us who have been in practice a while, we have become accustomed to this scenario. As young thrusting homoeopaths, we wanted to treat everyone and everything, and then we learned that many do not want what is offered. Even Family, especially family. We learn about free will and choice and stand back as people get sick and take strong suppressive medication and slowly get worse in the long term.
When we take on a patient, sometimes we see that life style changes are required. This involves telling the patient that they have to adopt new ways of doing things, and even a job change to get better. Not always going to go down well with the patient.
If we are not medically qualified, we always have to make sure that we treat diseases with the knowledge that our actions are going to be scrutinised heavily by the medical profession in the event of a fatality.
Many homoeopaths ‘choose’ to work with the patient seeing an allopath at the same time, and ‘manage’ the allopathic prescriptions given, letting the patient decide what they want to take and don’t want to take. A person consulting a homoeopath usually makes their own decision after reading the effects of prescribed medicine.
My professional life and successes has the phrase ‘spontaneous remission’ litter throughout. Annoying isn’t it..
Oh, my colleagues relative died. In the end we can only do what we can do.
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