Articles of the month
HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH TO WATER BORNE DISEASES IN CHILDREN
Dr Megha Handique, Dr Sunita Jain, Dr Dhanaji Bagal, Dr P G Mukhiya, Dr M R Jatkar,
Dr Ajay Kale, Dr Pravin Bhasme
Introduction:
Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated fresh water is consumed. Contaminated fresh water, used in the preparation of food, can be the source of food borne disease through consumption of the same microorganisms. According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal disease accounts for an estimated 4.1% of the total daily global burden of disease and is responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people every year. Waterborne disease can be caused by protozoa, viruses, or bacteria, many of which are intestinal parasites.
Protozoa Infections:
Name of Diseases -
  • Amoebiasis
  • Cryptosporidiosis
  • Cyclosporiasis
  • Giardiasis
  • Microsporidiosis


Parasitic Infections(PI)
Name of Diseases -
  • Schistosomiasis
  • Dracunculiasis
  • Taeniasis
  • Fasciolopsiasis
  • Hymenolepiasis
  • Echinococcosis
  • Ascariasis
  • Enterobiasis


Bacterial Infections(BI)
Name of Diseases -
  • Botulism
  • Campylobacteriosis
  • Cholera
  • E. coli Infection
  • M. marinum infection
  • Dysentery
  • Legionellosis
  • Leptospirosis
  • Otitis Externa
  • Salmonellosis
  • Typhoid fever


Viral Infections(VI)
Name of Diseases -
  • Adenovirus infection
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Hepatitis A
  • Poliomyelitis
  • Polyomavirus infection


Transmission:
WBD spread by contamination of drinking water systems with the urine and faeces of infected animal or people. This is likely to occur where public and private drinking water systems get their water from surface waters (rain, creeks, rivers, lakes etc.), which can be contaminated by infected animals or people. Runoff from landfills, septic fields, and sewer pipes, residential or industrial developments can also sometimes contaminate surface water.
CONCEPT OF ACUTE DISEASES IN HOMOEOPATHY
Dr Hahnemann in his”Organon of Medicine”6th edition in aphorism 72 explain that the diseases which have morbid processes of the abnormally deranged vital force,which have a tendency to finish their course more or less quickly,but always in a moderate time these are termed as acute diseases(Organon of Medicine 6thedition ).

Acute diseases are defined as “diseases which begin suddenly, progress faster, run a definite course and finally end either with recovery or death.”

Dr Hahnemann in his “Organon of Medicine” aphorism 73 gives different varieties of acute diseases. They are individual, sporadic ,and epidemic diseases. Further he explained that acute diseases are caused by some exciting causes, being injurious influence to which a patient is particularly exposed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Homoeopathy is the humanistic medicine based on totalistic, dynamistic and individualistic substratum.

Clinical study:
1. Period of study:
This clinical study of waterborne diseases conducted from the outdoor patient department (OPD), from peripheral health centre and schools, between Dec 2010 to Dec 2011. Totally 30 cases were identified & taken for the study.
2. Inclusion criteria:
Patients of both the sexes, between the age group 1-18 Yrs Cases with acute history of waterborne infectious diseases are included.

3. Exclusion criteria:
The cases with present complaints of severe complications were excluded from the study.

4. Clinical protocol:
The data has been collected by purposive sampling method and processed in a standardized format with the following steps:
  • Patients have been selected as per the inclusion criteria.
  • The details of research work have been explained to the patients and their parents, their consent has been taken.
  • Nosological diagnosis of a case had been done with adequate available investigations.
  • All cases have been taken in the standardized case record.
  • Processing of the case had been selected after analysis, evaluation and synthesis of the case.
  • References from Materiamedica, “Complete Repertory” and “Homoeopathy Clinical Repertory” by Robin Murphy have been used for the individualization and selection of the remedy.
  • All the cases have been followed up for a period of three to six months as per guidelines from Organon of Medicine and Homoeopathic Philosophy.


Selection of the Remedy:
A detail study of the case was done after case taking. Appropriate Investigations have been carried out as per the need of significance of the advancement of Pathology of a given case of waterborne disease and appropriate Homoeopathic medicine given as per the indications based on the totality of the case.
RESULTS:
Results shows that 44% male patient and 56% female and homoeopathic remedies are having good prognosis in treatment of waterborne diseases. Miasmatic study shows Psoro-Syphilitic miasm has only 10%, sycotic 4% and 86% Psoric miasm.
DISCUSSION
The present study comprises of detail study of various clinical manifestations of water-borne diseases in children and the efficacy of Homoeopathic similimum in their treatment.

The acute diseases are managed the way it is expressed according to the criteria given in Organon, firstly it may manifest in the form of indisposition, may not require treatment. Secondly the complete disease picture may not come up initially where a physician has to wait and watch till the full blown picture emerges. Thirdly it may represent as a fully blown picture with marked functional changes requiring urgent treatment.

Homoeopathy is an art and science. It is science because it is based on the therapeutic law of nature i.e. “similia similibus curentur” and it is an art because to arrive at totality and to get similimum drug it needs a skill.

Case taking forms the most important aspect in clinical practice. The cases taken for study were taken in detail. To get the complete picture of the patient, the search was made for knowing the life space of the patient which gives the idea of the true picture of his disposition and mental state. This understanding helps in defining the patient, mental state of the patient.

Family being the soil and the patient is an individual being the seed. So the family along with the past history of the patient is necessary, it help to knowing the fundamental miasmatic background, its co-relation with the presenting complaints and clearing with an appropriate antimiasmatic remedy. Anti miasmatic drugs are given when these are indicated.
CONCLUSION
My study is concerned with –‘To study the efficacy of Homoeopathy in the management of waterborne diseases in children’.

Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated fresh water is consumed. Contaminated fresh water, used in the preparation of food, can be the source of food borne disease through consumption of the same microorganisms. According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal disease accounts for an estimated 4.1% of the total daily global burden of disease and is responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people every year. It was estimated that 88% of that burden is attributable to unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene, and is mostly concentrated in children in developing countries. Waterborne diseases can have a significant impact on the economy, locally as well as (inter-nationally). People who are infected by a waterborne disease are usually confronted with related costs and not seldom with a huge financial burden. This is especially the case in less developed countries. The important elements which were used to solve the cases were A/F, Physical and mental generals and particulars. In majority of cases where the Repertorial totality had remained the significance of prescription but in some cases the constitutional and Anti-miasmatic prescriptions were also given.

The result of the treatment in waterborne diseases is found to be Recovered in 36.66% cases, Improved in 46.66 % cases, Satisfactory in 6.66 % cases and Not Improved in 10 % cases.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST:
We declare that the research involved in the above manuscript has been carried out at an educational institute as a part of dissertation work. We did not receive any funds that could influence our work. We also state here that the institute where we are working have not paid us any honoraria, consultancy fees and the findings of this study have not been submitted as a part or as a whole to the patenting authorities of any country.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is a matter of profound honours and privilege for us to receive constant encouragement, inspiration, advice and guidance from Dr. ARUN BHASME Principal, S.K.H. Medical College, Beed, Dr V R Kavishwar, principal, PHMC,Khamgaon, Dr G D Pol, Chairman,YMT HMC, Mumbai, Dr Mrs P P Page, Principal, YMT HMC,Mumbai, Dr Chandrakant Mokal, Chairman, HMC, Dapoli & Dr B N Golekar, Vice Principal,SKHMC, Beed for successful completion of this work.
BIBBLIOGRAPHY:
  1. Nelson Text Book Of Pediatrics.
  2. O.P. Ghai, Essential Paediatrics.
  3. Guyton Arthur C., Text Book Of Medical Physiology.
  4. Meharban Singh Pediatric Clinical Methods.
  5. Sarkar B.K. Organon Of Medicine.
  6. Close Stuart, The Genius Of Homoeopathy.


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