SCOPE OF PALLIATION

IN HOMOEOPATHY

• PROF (DR.) PARTHA CHAKRABORTY

– PROF, LINCOLN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE,

MALAYSIA
– FOR.ASST PROF, B.V.HOM. MEDICAL
COLLEGE, INDIA
– Email: drpartha@yahoo.com
 Palliation
Definition:

Palliation is defined as temporary

relief of a symptom or a group of
symptoms in a patient before the
disease can actually be cured or where
there is no scope of curing the disease
 • Palliation - a taboo in
Homoeopathy – confusion
prevails whether we should
resort to palliative practice
• Homoeopathy – 2nd largest
medicine – lots of various
cases come to us - all cannot
be cured
 References in Organon
• Aphorisms 57 – 62

• Aphorisms 286 – 291

• Hahnemann discussed about palliative

methods in details
 Examples of palliation in our practice

• 1) Patient suffering from eczema  given Graphites

on local manifestations  recurrence  psoric taint
noted  Sulphur given with full cure

• 2) Colic -> given medicines on local manifestations

and modalities  temporary relief  h/o urine
infection or urethritis  Sycotic  Medorrhinum
 Examples of palliation in our practice
• 3) Case of skin allergy  not relieved by medicines
(acting in palliative way)  h/o thyroid problem in
mother in IU life  Thyroidinum will cure

• 4) Case of OA  Symphytum, Rhus tox given on

modalities  palliates with recurrence 
Medorrhinum prescribed given on fundamental
cause will cure
 WHY DO THESE HAPPEN?
1. Patient seeks fast relief – to provide them fast
relief, we prescribe on local sx only

2. Patient unable to provide detailed and correct

totality  incomplete information  helpless
physician  cure becomes zigzag

3. Busy doctor – to clear patients quickly – detailed

case taking avoided

4. Pts already on Allo drugs  difficult to withdraw

 Palliation happens because

• We miss out
–Exciting cause

–Maintaining cause

–Fundamental cause
 Scope of Palliation
1. Acute phase in chronic case

2. Incurable cases

3. Cases where there is permanent

structural damage / irreversible changes

4. Cases with medicinal obstacles

5. Cases where there is lack of an organ

1. To antidote sudden, acute exacerbation in a

patient undergoing chronic miasmatic treatment

– Belladonna to reduce inflammation in a case continuing

CALC CARB

– Nux vom to reduce dyspeptic troubles in a case

continuing SULPHUR
2. To alleviate the sufferings in really incurable cases

– lack of characteristic symptoms

• Kent’s observations 1,2,5,6,7 and 8 – normally

theses cases are people living with serious illness

 2. Incurable cases:

– Conditions having intense pathological changes

provide little scope for curative action.

E.g: Neuromuscular disease like Parkinson’s, epilepsy esp.

severe cardiac problems, advanced rheumatoid arthritis,
Cancer, Chronic kidney disease
3. Permanent organ damage / Irreversible
structural changes

– Can be relieved of sx like pain, infections but

structural deformity cant be reversed
– E.g. Brachial plexus injury in RTA case

– COPD – permanent change in lungs

– Ankylosing spondylitis
 4. Chemical or drug obstacles

– Many drug dependent patients come to us

where continual use of allopathic medicines

prevent homoeopathic medicines from acting –

e.g corticosteroids, antibiotics, radio or

chemotherapy etc – palliation can be obtained

5.Patients lacking in any of vital organs

(Observation 8 of Kent)

–E.g. Patients with one kidney

–Patients after splenectomy

–Patients after cholelithoctomy

Thank you