| |
 |
| Editorial - Portrait of
the Carcinosin Personality. |
| -Dr. Praful
Barvalia |
|
|
|
The theme of nosodes
is interesting for various reasons. It teaches us not only about
nosodes, but also about our basic approach to materia medica.
These are the forces of our armamentorium packed with tremendous
power.
Being prepared from disease product, they represent the dynamic
potential of germs, host and their interactions. This makes
them powerful as well as complex. Equally complex is their application
in practice. It represents one of the several contradictions
of our professional conduct. Some physicians use them simply
as intercurrent, some glorify their indications and utilise
more than required. How do we use them judiciously? How do we
get accurate and comprehensive guidelines for application in
practise? How do we build up a portrait of these remedies?
The great master, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the scientist & the
artist, directed homoeopathic physicians to pay attention to
deviations from the former healthy state of the now diseased
individual and recognize the true and only conceivable portrait
of the disease (Aph.6). An artist sensitively receives impressions
of the subject and projects this experience on the canvas. A
portrait thus becomes a task demanding sensitivity, authenticity
and integrity of the artist along with mastery over skills and
methods and techniques he employs to give expression to his
perceptions. In contrast to an artist, the portrait drawn by
a Homoeopathic physician is quite dynamic. It needs to incorporate
ongoing clinical experiences of patients which may demand continuous
modifications. In order to ensure fineness and depth of portrait
it is important that it has multiple facets and evolutionary
perspectives. This is possible provided the physician has sound
conceptual base to analyze and synthesize clinical experiences
integrating psychosomatic, clinicopathological aspects.
Portrait of Carcinosin is a great illustration in this regard.
The profession is immensely grateful to Foubister for his excellent
work on this drug.
Perfectionism / fastidious nature is an important trait in this
remedy. We need to have a qualitative understanding of the trait
and psychodynamic dissection of the portrait. How can we achieve
that?
by undertaking in-depth study of psychosomatic profile of patients
suffering from Cancer especially the pre-illness phase.
by verifying these abstractions through psychodynamic study
of clinical cases of Carcinosin.
Cancer is the expression of a disorganizing action of diverse
external influences. Disorganization, perfection and integrity
are the main theme in the Carcinosin personality.
Psychosomatic profile of the patients suffering from Cancers
reveals traumatic childhood; although in later life they claim
it to be uneventful. Rejection from parent or sibling through
death or desertion is some of the significant childhood experiences.
How they are dealt with so that in later life you push them
down and evolve as earnest, serious, responsible individuals?
Denial of emotional attachments leading to dampening of spontaneity,
loss of pleasures and inhibitions of free expressions would
be natural outcomes
When we examine clinical experiences of Carcinosin, we see parallels.
Although they possess refined sensitivity and artistic talent,
the Carcinosin personality shows repression and denial as powerful
ego defenses around which various psychic and somatic patterns
manifest themselves. This becomes fertile soil giving way to
aberrant or depressed immune responses leading to prolonged
severe inflammatory illnesses or hypersensitivity disorders.
Rather than getting fascinated by a sweet, sensitive and precocious
child, one needs to be critical to perceive these faulty defenses
evolving in formative years.
Foubister spoke of strict parental control in Carcinosin children.
What are its implications? We see many physicians making hurried
premature equations of this observation with strong indication
for Carcinosin. This results in failure. Have we critically
examined what is the degree and level of identification this
child has with parents? Quite often we discover a rigid conservative
set up with strong moral values. Parents work situation also
appears disciplinarian and ethical. Perfectionist parents demand
excellent output. This gives way to perfectionist, obsessive,
fastidious, serious, conscientious traits of Carcinosin. We
need to develop strong conceptual base to perceive the totality
of disposition.
As mentioned earlier, the process of portrait formation by the
physician is dynamic. His updating of clinical experiences should
be rational. The process of perception demands artistic inclinations,
while its reflection demands total submission to the scientific
discipline. Portrait formation takes into account abstractions
as well as hard facts. He should verify repeatedly his findings
in the practice. In the absence of clinical insight and verifications;
speculative, fanciful interpretations prove dangerous to Homoeopathic
physician as the song of sirens (siren is one of a number of
winged women whose songs charmed sailors and caused their destruction)
in Greek mythology. It will not be improper to repeat the words
of caution: Homoeopathic prescribers should be on their toes,
as soon as he chooses to leave hard facts on the earth for charming
clouds of interpretations where the sky is the only limit! |
| |
|
|
|
This is the time when genetics has
achieved a recognized role as a core discipline that deals with
human variability and human heredity and has given fresh insight
about the inner nature of diseases, their causes, concomitants,
course and consequences. A homoeopathic physician wedded to
holistic perspective cannot afford to ignore this discipline.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
