Utility of Phatak's Repertory in Acute Prescribing

INTRODUCTION:

Acute prescribing as always posed hurdles for a neo-homeopath, who is trying his luck (!) in this wonderful healing system. Such difficult situations often present to you right since you take admission in a medical school. Relatives, neighbors, friends and foes meet you to seek relief from their cough, cold, diarrhea or headaches. Not knowing the process, one can find lost in the jumble of remedies, and can lose the confidence in oneself, unreasonably.

Fortunately, books and repertories do come to our rescue. Yet the representation, the volumes and the philosophy can make someone sick. To help us from such drastic situations, PHATAK’S REPERTORY can present to us as a helping hand, a true friend in need and a valuable guide during acute prescription.

REPERTORY CONSTRUCTION:

The repertory is primarily based on the BOGER’S SYNOPTIC KEY, and functions on the same philosophy. The most important feature of the repertory is its alphabetical arrangement of the rubrics, thus making it the easiest way to find our desired destination. Another unique feature is the inclusion of Indian food items, thus one can identify with the picture presented by the patient in a more refined manner.

There is a mythological tale from ‘Ramayana’ about lady Shabari. She tasted each and every berry, to be sure that it is sweet in taste, before presenting it to Lord Ram. Dr Phatak has done the same thing for us. He has confirmed, tested and clinically proven each and every rubric and remedy before including it to his repertory. Thus the inclusion has either come from his own case experiences and clinical observation or if it has been strongly justified by masters like Kent, Boger or Clark. Thus it is a time-tested repertory.

PRESCRIBING PHILOSOPHY:

Dr Phatak stressed on giving importance first to the modalities – in that too the causative modalities, followed by the time modalities and later the postural ones. It is often shared by his students that he used to make his patients try various postures to check the postural modification to the symptoms. Further, his repertory has followed the concept of ‘generalization’ and thus if you can’t find a symptom at the ‘particular’ level, you can generalize it to find a suitable remedy.

ILLUSTRATIVE CASES:

1. A case of an IT professional focusing on time modality

An IT professional, working in a reputed software company, consulted for the complaint of severe headache which was a part of an acute exacerbation of chronic sinusitis. His eyes were red, nose was congested and he complained of severe throbbing headache in frontal region.

Obviously I prescribed BELLADONNA, which did not relieve him at all in 24 hours. He came the next day with same symptoms, but this time the anxiety had increased. Actually he had to appear for the interview for US VISA a couple of days later and was worried about his sick appearance. Those were the days when ‘swine flu’ cases were at their peak, and he felt the red eyes and the nose will make the embassy officials worried about his health status, and it would affect his visa probability.

On further questioning about any specific time modality, he added that the headache peculiarly starts at around 10:00 am and lasts till 4:00 pm. It was a characteristic time modality.

I referred Phatak’s repertory:

Time, agg and amel - forenoon - 10 am agg - to 3 pm agg

Head - Pain - Throbbing or pulsating

Just two doses of NATRUM MUR 200 at 12 hrs interval were enough to relieve him off his entire symptomatology. He was quite healthy and fresh for his interview and is currently in the US.

2. A case of pulmonary hypertension

Mr DVK, a 66 yrs old man, was an old associate of mine. He was working as a public relation officer of the same hospital where I had done my internship. We knew each other since long time. He had seen my practice since its beginning and used to consult me for seasonal coughs and colds, whenever required.

It was last year’s august, when his wife called me for consultation. DVK had been admitted in ICU of our hospital with an acute exacerbation of pulmonary hypertension. His condition was quite critical since it was difficult to stabilize his oxygen saturation without external life supports. His treating physician did not believe in homeopathy and was thus not allowing adjunct medication. Finally DVK’s wife asked me to prescribe on the picture given by her.

DVK had become quite restless since the attack. He was constantly restless and had not slept calmly since was in ICU. It was difficult for him to lie down and the only position that was comfortable for him was a propped-up posture, keeping three-four pillows below his head. There was a marked loss of thirst since the attack.

I used the facility of diagnostic / clinical rubrics in the Phatak’s repertory:

Chest and lungs - edema pulmonary

Thirstless, aversion to water

Lying, head high, with amel

Restlessness anxious

Both ARS and ANTIM TART came strongly as the remedies covering the totality. A synthetic prescription was done with - ANTIM ARS 200 [since had a characteristic symptom totality with mental concomitant] to be given four times a day.

Within two days of starting homeopathic medication, his oxygen saturation started stabilizing like never before, his restlessness subsided and he was taken off ICU within the same week.

3. A baby with constipation

A three month old baby was brought with complaints of severe difficulty in passing the stools, although soft in nature. The complaint had started since the child was shifted to ‘Lactogen’ an artificially formulated milk, since the mother was unable to feed the child due to her long working hours. The child used to cry a lot while passing motions, which were surprisingly never hard in nature.

Along with the gastric complaints, the child was seen moaning constantly even while playing with the dolls in my consulting room. When asked about it, mother said , “he moans constantly even during sleep or while playing. There is no fixed reason behind the moaning, it just goes on almost as a background music. We have got used to it now!”

I searched Phatak’s repertory:

Constipation - infants of - bottle-fed, artificial food

Constipation - stool difficult from - though soft

Moaning, groaning - involuntary

Moaning, groaning - continuous

As indicated by the reportorial result, ALUMINA was prescribed in 200 potency to be given once a week. Within the first dose the moaning stopped and the child started passing stools comfortably. The dose was repeated in the next week, as well to complete the curative action.

The availability of a particular rubric “Constipation in bottle-fed, artificial food-fed children” was the key to the case solution, which was the highlight of the repertory. Most of the times, it is said that Phatak’s repertory does not represent particular symptoms well, but this case was an eye-opener. One must know where to find!

CONCLUSION:

If any one asks me to pick one repertory for the entire life left for me, I would certainly pick Phatak’s repertory. I have found it as the best guide while I was a beginner. Even today, after completing a decade of homeopathic practice, I find it as helpful as it was on the first day in resolving acute as well as chronic prescriptions, especially at the bedside.

It is easy to carry, easy to find rubrics due to the alphabetical representation and once you get accustomed with its language, it becomes your key-tool in resolving any kind of case that presents to you.

Dr Phatak has included each and every rubric and the representing remedies after confirming from the results in clinical practice. The use of this repertory has given me wonderful results, which have confirmed his observations and inclusions. Thus the circle is complete!!