HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH TO INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE

Dr.S.K.M.SASTRY,M.D(Hom.)
One cannot divorce medicine and theology. Man exists all the way down, from his innermost spiritual, to outermost natural. Rapid industrialisation, apart encouraging Nation's progress is also causing a major threat to the environment, and more do so to the industrial work force.

Today's industrial worker is exposed to very highly complicated environmental threats. He is forced to interact with social , domestic, psychological and occupational environments and there 'by falling prey for various mental and physical ailments/disorders.

Keeping in view the rate at which Industries are polluting the environment and the health of an industrial worker, the Nation has seriously focussed its attention and raised an alarm to protect the environment and the health of industrial work force.

An attempt is made by the author to improve audience awareness on the homoeopathic system of medicine which is in a position to render much needed help in taking care of industrial work force and their families under the current environment impact.

Homoeopathy considers the aetiology and totallity of the symptoms in diagnosing and treating the diseases. Aetiology and symptoms are interrelated. Wherever clear cut aetiological factor could be identified/ established the treatment will be focussed on that. At times it so happens that a specific cause cannot be identified and in such cases the totality of the symptoms guide in treating the diseases.

If cause is treated there exists no totality of the symptoms, and if the totality of the symptoms are treated cause will disappear. Homoeopathically aetiological factors are classified as under.

CONSTITUTIONAL APPROACH IN DIAGNOSING AND TREATING THE SICKNESS

" The external man is but an outward expression of the internal; so the results of the disease (symptoms) are but the outward expression of internal sickness" opines Kent. Constitutional approach is generally based on mental and physical built up of an individual. It is a natural `gift' to every living organism Which is endowed with an animating force (Vital force) to protect and preserve the health from diseases. On the other hand there is also a natural `curse' in the circumstances (i.e disease force (miasm)) and it's effects on the health. The impact of such tussle between the vital force and the circumstances results in good health or disease.

There are umpteen evidences that the `circumstances' has caused worry to the health of an individual and a light is thrown on all salient aetilogical features as classified earlier.

The present Industrial environment calls for competitive spirit, advanced skills and other major achievements Which in turn provocates psychological disorders such as dejections, anxiety, depression, grief,anger, jealousy, insecurity, fatigue, emotion, fright, poor human relationships, mental exhaustion etc., besides this our constitution is also seriously affected by electro magnetic waves (Radio, T.V) ultra sound waves and cosmic rays. All these things disturb mental and physical health to a great extent.

Man must be studied as he is, as he was, every thing of man and human race in general in order to understand the diseases. In Homoeopathy there are several medicines where psychological, impact plays a major role in causing physical ailments.

Homoeopathy does miracles there. Some of them are given below to have an idea of the action of Homoeopathic medicines.

CHAMOMILLA

ANGER: Acidity, Asthma, Convulsions, Gastralgia, Vomiting
VEXATION :Gastralgia.
ACONITE


ANGER: Palpitation, Pain in the chest, Fever, Congestion of the Brain.
EMOTIONS :Asthma.
FRIGHT: Amenenohoea, Apoplexy, Gastritis, Fainting,pain.
VEXATION : Apoplexy.

IGNATIA

ANGER : Grief depression.
ANXIETY : Stiffness of back.
EMOTIONS : Neuralgia, Paraplegia.
FRIGHT : Any physical complaint, Nervous colic, Hemicrania
GRIEF :Any physical complaint, Abortion, Amenorrhoea, Chorea, Convulsions, Epilepsy, Gastralagia, Insomnia Indigestions, nervous , palpitation, paralysis etc
DISAPPOINTMENTS : All effects from disappointments and Bad news leads to Vomiting.

GELSEMIUM

FEAR & FRIGHT : Nervousness, Diarrhoea.
EMOTIONS : Abortion, Diarrhoea, Micturition, Paralysis.
FATIGUE : Diarrhoea.
GRIEF : Indignitions, Palpilation.

STAPHYSAGRIA

ANGER : Amenorrhoea, Cough, Hemiplegia.
VEXATION : Cough.
DISAPPOINTMENT : Ovarian problems.

COLOCYNTH

ANGER : Colic, hemiplegic.
VEXATION : Amenorrhoea, diarrhoea,

OPIUM

ANXIETY : Faintness
FRIGHT : Abortion, Amenorrhoea, All bad effects, Fainting, insomnia, Palpitation, vertigo.
SHAME : Bad effects from shame resulting various complaints.

NUX VOM

ANGER : Joint pains , Fever, Vomiting
MENTAL EXERTION : All effects of mental exertion, chills, sleeplessness
WEEPING : Anger.


HYOSCYAMUS

JEALOUSY : All bad effects, Catalepsy, Epilepsy
DISAPPOINTMENT LOVE / PROMOTION Etc.,: Convulsion, Epilepsy

LACHESIS

JEALOUSY : Catalepsy, Epilepsy.

There are many more medicines which are useful to different mental causes. Much of the mental conditions mentioned above have been tried in homoeopathic dispensary. Which has rendered positive signs of satisfactory results.

IMPACT OF OCCUPATIONS

As the nature of work calls for serious involvement of industrial work force it is likely to cause various occupational disorders as detailed in the classification.

A) MECHANICAL It is needless to say that the industrial work force are liable to come in contact with machine and tools and there is every chance that they may get seriously injured.

Usually falls, cuts, lacerations, punctured wounds, blunt wounds, fractures, haemorrhages, shocks are seen in the hospitals of industries. They need to be attended skillfully.

There is a wider choice of homoeopathic medicines for various injuries. For eg: Arnica for blunt and bruised, Aconite in haemorrhages after injuries, Hypericum and Ruta for nerve injuries, Hypericum and calendula for lacerated, ledumpal in punctured wounds, cantharis for burns. Rhustox for tendors, muscles and joints, ruta & Synphytum for bones and periosteum, cicuta, Nat.sulpha & Arnica shocks after injuries.

With a little first aid and surgical interference homoeopathic treatment will defenitely yield the desired results.

This kind of practice is generally seen in private homoeopathic dispensaries where in satisfactory results are recorded than in the industrial hospitals.

B) PHYSICAL: Industrial work force invariably is exposed to physical environment as mentioned in the classification and often they cause disorders.Apart from routine first aid & conventional methods of treatment the following homoeopathic treatment is also recommended.

HEAT
Hyperpyrexia Bell, Gels, Nat.C.
Heat Exhausion Acon,Ars,Anti.crude.
Heat Syncope Mez, Nat.M, Gloni.
Heat Cramps Cuprum, Bell
Burns Cantharis, Calendula Apis mel.Rhus Eox
Prickles heat,Rash Utricaria Nat.M,Nat.C, Rhus T,Hepsur

COLD
Trench Foot Acon
Frost Bite Acon, Kali Bich, Agaricum
Chill Blain Apis, Calc. Ph,AgaricusKali Br.Sep,Rhus.V
Occupational cataract Cinararia, Ruta, Bell (Conventional)
Lightening bad effects Nux. Vom. Phos
Asthma in thunder Sep, Sili, Syph.
Air embolism Conventional
Pressure Explosive
Noise Occupational deafness Bell
X Ray , Radium Cancer
Radiation Leukaemia X Ray ,Cobalt,Aplastic Anaemia Ferrum. Radium
Pancyto penia Ferrum , X Ray
Electricity Shocks Nat Phosphorus conventional
Burns Cantharis,Conventional
Exertion Loaders, pullers Arnica, Rhus Tox Working day & night Nux.vom,
cocculus.
Standing, varicosity Lach, Puls, Haem, Arnica



C) CHEMICAL: Normally chemical substance is known for causing allergies to an individual in it's own way. As such no chemical is absolutely harmlers. Hardly there exists any industry which do not make use of chemicals. Depending upon the seriousness of the action of the chemical homoeopaths decide the plan of their treatment. First aid and conventional methods are initially tried before the commencement of homoeoplathic treatment. All superficial allergic manifestations can be well looked after by homoeopathy alone. The treatment involves merely the removal of cause, and, in some cases, anti-doting the poisons chemically, and dynamically.

- Primarily homoeopathy induces immunological therapy as it not only cures the current diesease, yet, it also helps the body to develop its immunological mechanism with which the native can gain/restore its health in long run.

- The chemicals produce local and systematic disorders some times to the extent of death. Fumes, gases, dusts, metals and metalic compounds, acids, alkalies etc., are the main reaction found in industrial workers Homoeopathic treatment for some of the affections are given below:

SKIN AFFECTIONS


Dermatitis, Urticaria, Itching, Cracks, Fissures, Eczema. Cancers are same of the affections. That are commonly come across in industrial workers.

. Apis.M and Rhus Tox are useful for mercurial and carbolic acid affection.
. Rhus Tox is also useful in skin allergies of miners, dyers
. Hep.Sulph for synthetic allergies and metallic allergies.
. Nit. acid for mercurial allergies.
Causticum for scabies type of eruption due to sulphauricum.
. Anacardium, Croton.Tig for Rhustox poisoning.
. Graphites for Arsenic poisoning.
. Ars alb for bad effects carb acid
. Staphy for warts in mercurial poisoning.
. Lachesis for Mercurial poisoning leading to blackness of skin.

RESPIRATORY AFFECTIONS
. Acetic acid, bell, acon. for carbon monoxide.
. Amm. carb for charcoal vapour in asthma for miners due to coal dust.
. Lyssin and brom for sneezings in the workers who get exposed to dust.
. Aurum for asthma after abuse of mercury.
. Nat. mur in catarrhal conditions after abuse of nitrate of silver.
. Kalibich for lung dieseases for cortizone users.
. Carb.an, carb. veg. Nat.ars for asthma due to coal dust.
. Acid mit for TB due to potassium poisoning.
. Nat-Ars and carduns Marinus for Miner's Asthma.

CARDIO VASCULAR AFFECTIONS

. Digitalis for coaltar affection on heart.
. Ars, crotalus, phos. for anaemia in Allumina poisoning.


DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AFFECTIONS

. Hep. sulph. for comstipation & diarrhoea due to mercurial poisoning
- Staphysagria - for gum bleeding in mercury poison.
- Ipecac, Mer, Pulsatilla for diarrhoea in copper poisoning.
- Opium in constipation for lead poisoning.
- Nux. V, Podo for Biliousness in mercury poisoning.
- China for diarrhoea in opium poisoning.
CNS - China for hemoplegic in Arsenic poisoning.


GENERAL AFFECTIONS

- Pencillins for bad effects of pencillin.
- Sarsaparilla for burning pains in mercury poisoning.
- China for suicidal terdencies after mercurial poisoning.
- Acetic acid for headache in opium poisoning.

D)BIOLOGICAL AGENTS: Strictly speaking Homoeopaths do not consider the microbes as causes of the diseases. The man was already diseased even prior to the entrance of the microbes and provided favourable conditions to grow bacterium.

The diseases like tetanus , encephalitis, brucellosis fungal infection, leptosporosis are to be handled by taking symptomatology into consideration, ledmapal, hypericum, calendula medicines have been found to be more useful to prevent tetanus in injuries.

TOTALITY OF THE SYMPTOMS

- Since it becomes difficult to find out specific cause for all the numerous varieties of diseasea, Totality of the symptoms is only the resouece to diagnose the case. The symptoms are nothing but the reflections (effects) cause. Homoeopathy has its credential to characterise the patient for treatment.
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CLASSIFICATION OF AETIOLOGICAL FACTORS.

CONSTITUTIONAL OCCUPATIONAL Internal psychological External Electro magnetic Mechanical Physical Chemical Biological Accidents Injuries Dusts Gases Metals Acids & Alkalies Heat Cold Light Noise Radiology Physical Electricity extertion Lightening Tetanus Encephalitis Brucellosis Fungal infection Leptosporosis

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CONCLUDING REMARKS

- Homoeopathy exists as law and doctrine and operates in the world of its causes, if this were not so it could not exist in the world of ultimates. In a given situation in addition to first aid and Conventional methods homoeopathic system of medicine renders quite alot of useful and vital services to the industrial work force at a very nominal cost, thus saving very valuable lives and money.
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REFERENCES

1. Dastur H.P (1960)- Doctor's Approach To Industrial Medicine.
2. Bnarji D.P (1968) Indian J. Industrial medicine.
3. S.K.M. Sastry (1989) Interaction between man and environment.
4. J.E. Park Text book of preventive and social medicine.
5. Staurt close The genius of Homoeopathy.
6. Samuel Hahnemann Organon of medicine.
7. Kent Repertory of homoeopathic materia medica.