The author states that asthma is not an easy disease to treat but in some cases cure is possible. He relates the case of a 44-year old man who has had recurrent attacks of asthma for twenty years since suffering from a severe attack of bronchitis. His totality of symptoms was taken and Arsenicum album was prescribed but without success. Natrum sulphuricum was then administered in ascending potencies over ten months with anti-sycotic Thuja occidentalis as an intercurrent remedy. This treatment resulted in less frequent but equally severe attacks of asthma. Lycopodium clavatum with Thuja intercurrently over 9 months finally cured the patient's symptoms.

Luffa operculata was introduced Dr Willmar Schwabe into the homoeopathic materia medica from South America where it is used traditionally for treatment of sinusitus. Provings by Dr Raeside in London produced many allergic respiratory symptoms which are listed in this article. 100 cases of asthma were treated by Luffa by the author. Two doses per day were found satisfactory in most cases. 6x potency mostly gave good results, changing to 12x when 6x stopped giving relief. Luffa operculata was found not to be a deep-acting remedy, its duration of action being 6 to 34 hours, but the remedy could be taken daily for months. While the patients were free from asthma symptoms they could be treated at the same time with a constitutional remedy.

HOMEOPATHIC DRUGS, DRUG THERAPY, CHILD, OSTEOPATHY, TRADITIONAL MEDICINE CHINESE, HOMEOPATHY

At least 12% of children are affected by asthma, and at least 90% of children with asthma have inhalant allergies. Some of this may be due to food intolerance, and a tendency to bronchial hyper-reactivity seems to be genetically determined. A case is described of a family who all have allergies of some description. The daughter, Janie, now aged 9 is treated for asthma conventionally using inhalers and steroids. An osteopath, a homoeopathic physician and a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine then each describe how they would treat Janie and the expected outcome. The homoeopathic physician would conduct an in-depth interview and prescribe a constititutional remedy, 3 doses only, to be taken all on the same day, at 30c potency. He would take skin tests to test for allergies to house dust, pollens, feathers, fur and moulds. Ten days after the first remedy he would prescribe the worst of her allergens at 30c. Conventional medication would not be removed and would only be reduced very slowly on improvement. When weaning a patient off steroids, it is helpful to use a homoeopathic potency of Cortisone. After one month, reassessment is necessary if there has not been good improvement, although a correct homoeopathic prescription can last for several months without needing to be repeated. The likelihood of great improvement is very high.