The author present a clinical case of 3 years old child having frequent cough and cold : constipation and asthma. Aggravation in rainy season and change of weather. She had chicken pox. Throughout the pregnancy her mother had dreams of water especially when she became depressed. Considering the rubrics of dreams of water, the author prescribed only one drug valeriana 30. On follow up, she has not had a single attack of asthma up until the present time.

This article describes a pilot study investigating the prevention and treatment of infantile asthma with the remedy Blatta orientalis. Children of both sexes up to twelve years of age were included in the study, who had had at least three attacks of bronchial spasm at intervals of not more than four months, or who had presented with a constant wheezing with or without an attack for at least two months. The study lasted for twelve months. Two tablets of the remedy in 3D potency were routinely administered 3 times a day to each patient for the duration of treatment. In the event of an attack, two tablets of Blatta orientalis D2 were administered every thirty minutes with decreasing frequency as symptoms eased. Patients were allowed to continue their conventional treatment but were advised to reduce the dosage as their symptoms improved. Intensity of attacks was measured according to the following criteria: a weak attack was avaluated as one which was ameliorated by oral medication such as the remedy or bronchodilators; a moderate attack would require a bronchodilator inhaler and/or adrenalin injection; an intense attack would require corticosteroids or hospitalisation. Results pertaining to frequency of attacks were calculated by finding the total sum of each patient's monthly attacks and dividing it by the number of patients studied during that month. Results showed that there was a drop in the average frequency of attacks from 3.27 +/- 7.23 in the period before the use of the remedy to 0.97 +/- 1.11 after one month and 0.74 +/- 1.18 after two months. These results were statistically significant. Results pertaining to intensity of attacks showed a decrease in intensity over the first two months which was also statistically significant. The authors conclude that this study demonstrates the activity of homoeopathic dilutions even if the treatment approach itself does not adhere to Hahnemannian principles.

Over a three-year period, the authors treated forty-five patients aged between 6 and 75 suffering from bronchial asthma with homoeopathic medicine. Eighteen patients suffered from endogenous asthma while the remainder suffered from exogenous asthma. Patients were classified into three groups according to the severity of their asthma at the time of presentation. Group 1 included twenty-five patients with mild asthma, Group 2 included seventeen patients with moderate asthma and Group 3 contained three patients with severe asthma. Each patient's case history was analysed in detail and the indicated remedy was prescribed according to the totality of symptoms. Medorrhinum was the most frequently prescribed remedy and was administered to eighteen patients while remedies given to the remainder were Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sulphur, Silicea, Psorinum, Lycopodium clavatum, Veratrum album, Bryonia, Thuja occidentalis and Lobelia inflata. In all but two very severe cases treatment did not exceed twelve months. Results were favourable with 37.7% showing full recovery in the first four months , 17.7% in six months and 28.3% in ten to twelve months. 8.8% of patients improved by around 70% while reducing their use of conventional medication and 6.6% improved by around 20-40% within twelve months. Some patients experienced aggravation of symptoms but the authors put this down to the law of therapeutic crisis. It is concluded that homoeopathy is an effective therapy in the treatment of bronchial asthma.

Acute Asthma is one of the most challenging acute states a homoeopath can be called upon to treat and requires a good knowledge of materia medica. The author has extracted some therapeutical hints under some selected medicines published in his book entitled Kent's Comparative Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica.