Clinical evaluation of homoeopathic medicines
in behavioural disorders
Objectives: The objectives
of the study were to identify a group of most effective homoeopathic medicines
in the management of behavioural disorders and to identify their reliable
indications, most useful potencies and frequency of administration.
Methods: The study was carried
out by Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy at its Central Research Institute (Homoeopathy), Kottayam
(Kerala) from 1984 to 2005. A total of 4179 patients were
registered for the study, and 3424 cases had regular follow up for varying
periods. Out of 16 clinical conditions of behavioural disorders specified in
ICD-9, 13 clinical conditions such as Senile Dementia, Transient organic
psychotic condition, Schizophrenia, Affective disorders, Paranoid disorders,
Specific non-pyschotic mental disorders following organic brain damage,
Neurotic disorders, Personality disorders( Hysterical / Obsessive), Addictive disorders ( Alcoholism),
Disturbances of emotions specific to childhood and adolescence, Acute reaction
to stress, Depressive neurosis and Psychosomatic disorders were studied. A
detailed history of each case comprising of information from the patient and
others including the family was taken. Each patient was prescribed medicine on
his individual totality as per the homoeopathic principles.
Results: There were varying degrees of improvement; 1595 cases improved markedly, 766 cases
moderately, 426 cases mildly, and 437 cases did not improve whereas 200 cases
became worse. The more frequently indicated medicines were Arsenicum album, Belladonna, Calcarea
carbonica, Gelsemium, Hyoscyamus niger,
Ignatia amara, Lycopodium clavatum,
Natrum muriaticum, Nux vomica, Phosphorus., Pulsatilla, Sepia,
Stramonium, Sulphur, Tarentula hispanica and Tuberculinum.
Conclusion: The objectives to
identify the most effective medicines and their reliable indications have been
achieved as the symptoms of used medicines given in the literature on which the
prescriptions were based, were re-confirmed and verified in a number of cases.
However, the other objective like relationship between different medicines
could not be achieved. Multi-centric
studies, with well defined parameters for each clinical condition, are required for scientific validation.
Keywords: Homoeopathy; Senile Dementia Schizophrenia; Affective Disorder; Paranoid Disorder; Neurotic disorder;
Psychosomatic disorders
M.S.Pramanick, R. Shaw, V. A.Balachandran,
T.N.S.Kurup, E.C.Thomas, T.Vasanthiamma, B.Indra, Joseph Thomas ,D.M.Rao,
P.S.Sivdas, Anil Kumar Vicihtra, P.G. Mohanan***, K.R.Janardanan Nair,
S.Gopinathan, P. Paul Sumithran, A.K.N.Singh ,K.C.Muraleedharan, R.V.R.Prasad,
B.S.J.Raja Kumar.
Central Research Institute, Kottayam, Kerala.