Gunpowder a homoeopathic medicine

Gunpowder
Introduction…
 In the olden days of black powder, gunpowder was recognized by our soldiers as a remedy for certain forms of suppuration and by them it was taken crude in teaspoonful doses mixed in hot water.
 It was also used by shepherds, sprinkled on bread and cheese, to cure and prevent wound poisoning acquired in shearing and handling sheep.
 The American-Indians found it useful in snake-bites, boils, carbuncles and other skin affections.
 But crude gunpowder is neither a convenient nor a pleasant remedy to take.
 The most frequently used preparation of gunpowder is in the homoeopathic third decimal (3x) trituration, either prescribed in the form of powders or of compressed tablets.
 In this form, gunpowder is one of the most powerful and efficacious remedy in our Homoeopathic Materia Medica.
 The 3x trituration is what is called a “low attenuation,” that is to say, it is not highly infinitesimal but it is sufficiently so to have lost all taste or smell of gunpowder, and to be in no sort of way explosive.
 The great sphere of action of gunpowder is in cases of septic suppuration – or, in other words – of wounds that have become poisoned with the germs of putrefaction.
 Dr. Clarke states that in such cases, One tablet every two hours when there is fever and Two tablets three or four times a day when the temperature is normal.
 Gunpowder may also be used as a prophylactic.
 That is to say, it will not only cure septic suppuration when present, but it will afford such protection to the organism against harmful germs, that wounds will be less likely to become septic in one who is under its influence.
 As a prophylactic one tablet to be taken once a day.
 Judging from analogy, it is expected that this would also afford protection against other forms of blood-poisoning as well as against poisoned wounds.
 It has also proved effective against the infection of spotted fever or cerebro-spinal meningitis.
 In cases of boils, carbuncles, skin affections including eczema, abscesses, whether septic or not, blood-poisoning from bites of insects, ptomaine poisoning, from food that has been improperly preserved, it is advised that One tablet every hour or two hours according to the urgency of the symptoms.The same dosage would apply in the case of illness from any of the protective inoculations or vaccinations that are now in such vogue.
Constitution of Gunpowder
 The Gunpowder which we are concerned is the Black Gunpowder, whose three cardinal constituents are Sulphur, Carbon and Nitre or Salt-petre.
 Modern smokeless gunpowder is of a different composition.
 As sulphur, carbon and salt-petre are three potent medicines well known to pharmacy and physics, it is not surprising that a combination of the three should also be a medicine of great potency.
Therapeutic powers of Gunpowder
 There is a certain piquancy in the fact that gunpowder is a remedy for the accidents of warfare; but some instinct put into the minds of our soldiers long ago that gunpowder could cure as well as kill.
 The Indians of North America and Canada have found in it a remedy for snake-bites.
 The shepherds of East Anglia, as already mentioned, use it extensively in treating their flocks and themselves for wounds and blood-poisoning of many kinds, and for protecting themselves against wound infection.
 Now the great point about Gunpowder is that it has a broad and clear indication that hardly anyone can miss - blood-poisoning.
 An ordinary cut or wound in a healthy person heals quickly but if a morbid virus is introduced, or if the person’s blood is impure or of low vitality, then the part swells, suppuration ensues and the limb may be threatened. Or if a limb is bitten by a poisonous snake, the same thing happens, only more rapidly and the constitutional symptoms are more rapid in development.Or poisonous matter of some kind may be introduced into the system by other ways – breathing foul air, drinking polluted water, eating tainted food etc.
 The poison quickly finds its way into the blood.Boils, carbuncles, eruptions, abscesses or other manifestations appear, showing unmistakably that the blood has been poisoned. To all these conditions Gunpowder acts as an antidote.
How does it act? It may be asked, In what way does it act? Does it exercise an antiseptic action and kill the germs?
 In a certain degree, there is some such action. Carbon and sulphur, with sulphur derivatives such as sulphurous acid, are very potent antiseptics and germ destroyers.
 But the amount of these taken in the preparations is quite insufficient to exert a direct germ-killing action.
 But Gunpowder, in the homoeopathic attenuations, so acts on the blood as to render it antiseptic, or more strictly speaking, to assist or increase its normal antiseptic action.
 This is because the healthy living blood is a potent germ destroyer and the reason why all persons do not succumb to infection during epidemics, is that the blood of those who escape is equal to killing the germs which attack them.
 So this is the normal antiseptic action which gunpowder enhances.
 It can now be asked: How can an infinitesimal amount of Gunpowder, or of anything else for that matter, effect this?
 Substances when undergoing the process of graduated attenuation of the homoeopathic method, while losing their coarse physical properties, acquire others which are somewhat closely analogous to the properties of radium.
 In this way, a substance which has been in contact with radium, through the action of radium rays, becomes itself radiant.
 So the homoeopathically attenuated substances are raised to a higher pitch of vibration and become capable of conveying their vibrations to the persons who take them, just as radium can convey its vibrations to bodies in contact with it.
 The fact remains that Gunpowder, taken in minute quantities, enables the blood to get rid of disease germs which the constituents of Gunpowder in substantial amounts would kill if added to the same in a test-tube.
:
- Sulphur is a well known remedy for boils, eruption, itch, eczema and suppressed impurities and eruptions. Carbon (Carbo vegetabilis) covers very similar ground. Saltpetre (Kalinitricum) has a powerful action on the skin, opening the pores.
 A teaspoonful of this in hot water was a favourite remedy for gonorrhoea among soldiers in those days.
Conclusion
 “An ounce of wisdom is often worth many tons of experience.”
 Just as in warfare, the chance of success very often lies in an intelligent anticipation of the enemy’s intentions and capabilities.When cholera invaded Europe a little over a century ago, the medical world was divided into two camps:- the followers of Hahnemann on one side, and all the rest on the other. Before the epidemic arrived, reports of cases of the disease were brought and published. From the symptoms described, Hahnemann was able to name the remedies that were likely to be called for. Consequently, his party, who exercised intelligent anticipation of what was to come, were all ready for action when the invasion occurred. The other party, who may be called the party of the “Wait-and-Sees,” never were ready, and lost over 70% of their patients, while the homoeopaths saved over 70% of theirs.

Dr. Boenninghausen “Father of Repertory”.
By
Dr. Aijaz Aziz Sulemani
Asstt. Professor
M. N. Homoeopathic Medical College,
and Research Institute, Bikaner.

As long as the method of curing diseases by drug according to the principles of homoeopathy exists, the name of Dr. Boenninghausen will always be associated with that of Dr. Hahnemann. His contribution to homoeopathic science and literature was phenomenal.
Boenninghausen’s works in the order of their appearance are as follows -
The cure of cholera and its preventatives - 1831
Repertory of the Antipsoric medicines, with a preface by Hahnemann – 1832
Summary view of the chief sphere of operation of the Antipsoric remedies and of their characteristic peculiarities, as an Appendix to their Repertory - 1833 .
An attempt at a Homoeopathic Therapy of intermittent fever – 1833
Contributions to a knowledge of the peculiarities of Homoeopathic remedies -1833
Homoeopathic diet and a complete image of a Disease (for the non professional public. - 1833.
Homoeopathy, a manual for the non medical public.1834.
Repertory of medicines which are not Antipsoric. 1835.
An Attempt at showing the Relative kinship of homoeopathic medicines -1836.
Therapeutic manual of homoeopathic physicians, for use at the sickbed and in the study of Materia medica pura - 1846.
Brief instruction for non physician as to the prevention and cure of cholera - 1849.
The Two sides of the human body and Relationships. Homoeopathic studies -1853.
The Homoeo. Domestic Physician in Brief Therapeutic Diagnoses, An Attempt -1853.
The Homoeopathic Treatment of Whooping Cough in its Various Forms - 1860.
The Aphorisms of Hippocrates, with Notes by a Homoeopath -1863.
Attempt at a Homoeopathic Therapy of Intermittent and Other Fevers, especially for would-be homoeopaths.
Second augmented and revised edition, Part I. The Pyrexy - 1864.
Dr. Boenninghausen was far ahead of his time. He was first to:
Published a general repertory at a time when there was no short-cut approach to the study of growing homoeopathic materia medica.
Introduce the concept of Grading or Individual evaluation of each remedy to the given symptom.
First to enunciate the principle of Grand generalisation or Doctrine of Analogy.
Recognised the presence of Concomitant symptoms in a prover or in a patient.
Being a criminal lawyer and working in agriculture land he started realising the comparative value of remedies with each in relation to the patient. And this laid down the foundation of concordance or relationship of remedies., That no remedy work in isolation.
They are either have some common symptoms in their pathogenesis or contrasting symptoms or modalities or location of action or concomitant by which we differentiate one from the other. We should study them in comparison so that we know which to prescribe amongst them (what to give, when to give, why to give).
Boenninghausen therapeutic pocket book has 482 small pages.
It contain 335 rubrics which are not to be found in Kent’s 1423 large pages.
In brief he at once raise the repertory from a mere index or dictionary to the pedestal of a system.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDIZATION WITH EMPHASIS ON “MAINTAINING CAUSE” AND “CLINICAL INVESTIGATION” DURING HOMOEOPATHIC CASE TAKING

RECENT ADVANCES IN HOMOEOPATHY

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDIZATION WITH EMPHASIS ON “MAINTAINING CAUSE” AND “CLINICAL INVESTIGATION” DURING HOMOEOPATHIC CASE TAKING

(I) Professional standardization-

Homoeopathic medicines dispensed and used since Dr Hahnemann’s Era

Homoeopathic medicines dispensed and packed in this modern era

With availability of blister packing machine, standard of homoeopathic system of medicine has been improved.

(II) Maintaining cause-

Along with our homoeopathic medicines which are based upon holistic approach ( including blood group to form symptom totality) if we give due consideration to maintaining cause many life threatening diseases can be managed for example, following justification can be given, particularly for the cases belonging to blood group B.

Symptoms observed in this blood group :

· Weak memory

· General debility

· Hypoglycaemia after having meal

· Cramps in calf < during sleep

· Unrefreshing sleep

· Prone to Chronic Sinus Infection

· Higher rate of kidney infection

· Desire for sweets after meal

· Desire – ice cream, tomato,

· Stool- just or few minutes after having wheat in their meals

· Dislikes for pumpkin. brinjal

Hence the maintaining cause found in this group of patients is:

Dairy products; Ice cream

CEREALS – Wheat

VEGETABLES - Pumpkin, radishes, tomato.

Fruits - Coconut, pomegranates, star fruit

JUICES - Tomato juice (ketchup)

Keeping in mind the aforesaid, following Homoeopathic medicines can be used along with constitutional remedy, in order to avail complete cure

1) Alfa Alfa with ginseng + vitamin b12 concerning symptoms related to indigestion and abdominal discomfort

2) Lecithin -for anaemia, common in young girls

3) Gingko biloba- amnesia(nerve tonic)(which begins in elderly persons but also seen in young adults)

4) kali phos -(to enhance muscle activity and ameliorates the complaints related to cramps in calf region)

5) Gnaphylium – cramps in calf

6) Petroselenium – kidney infection

7) Collinsonia – sinusitis

8) Mag carb – nervous disorders, fatigue, depression, low immunity. Adequate magnesium is necessary for proper muscle functioning. Magnesium deficiency promotes excessive muscle tension, leading to muscle spasms, tics, restlessness, and twitches. This is due to an imbalance of the ratio of calcium to magnesium, as calcium controls contraction, while magnesium controls relaxation. magnesium also affects carbohydrate metabolism in a different manner, as a magnesium deficiency appears to create resistance to insulin, Insulin resistance increases levels of insulin, which may result in a form of diabetes.

(III) Clinical Investigations should be performed in this group of patients

(1)– Food allergy- for wheat, tomato, coconut.

(2) HbA1C - glycolated haemoglobin-more prone to type I diabetes

(3) Serum creatinine & serum potassium –kidney functioning

(4) Serum iron-

a) Elevated in Haemochromatosis, Aplastic anaemia, Haemosiderosis, Haemolytic anaemias, Pernicious anaemia

b)Decreased in Iron deficiency anaemia, Nephrosis, Chronic renal insuffiency, Paroxysmal nocturnal haematuria.

EXERCISE Profile : (three times a week 30 – 40 mins.)

Cycling, swimming, jogging, brisk walking

Conclusion : Since the homoeopathic system of medicine is purely based upon keen observation therefore it is the duty of the physician to also analyse and evaluate the maintaining cause with help of clinical investigation.