ROLE OF ANATOMY IN UNDERSTANDING HEALTH

HEALTH is a condition in which the spiritual Vital Force rules with

unbounded sway and retains all parts of the organism in admirable,
harmonious, vital operations as regards to both sensations and
functions.

“Health is defined as a complete physical, mental, social and

spiritual well being and not merely absence of disease”. Health is
multidimensional. It is a state of being in which every cell, every
organ and part of the body performs the functions normally,
harmoniously and so smoothly that the consciousness is not aware
of organs and parts, thoughts and ideas flow freely and the
reasoning is clear and logical, the emotions react rationally and the
entire being vibrates with vitality, harmony and charm. Health is the
balanced state of body and mind. There is perfect homoeostasis
between extra cellular fluid and internal environment. Nervous
system, General adoption syndrome (stress response) and immune
response are well co-ordinated.

Physical :-state in which every cell and every organ is functioning at

optimum capacity and in perfect harmony with rest of the body. It
includes dietary, breath, sleep, bowel and bladder movements, BP,
weight height, exercise, tolerance etc.

Mental :- mental health is the ability to respond to many varied

experience of life with flexibility and sense of purpose - A state of
balance between the individual and the surrounding world. It
includes happiness, calmness, cheerfulness, self satisfaction, no
conflict within self, no self condemnation, not easily upset, self
control and open to new ideas.

Spiritual – A awareness of self or soul living without attachment to

any object. It include integrity, Principle, ethics and purpose of life.

Social : - forms friendship which is satisfying and long lasting keeps

friends and social relationship hearty and frictionless acts for benefit
of society in accordance with real capacity.
“saint like attitude is healthiest to possess”

Health signifies a state of equilibrium, while disease signifies the

loss of equilibrium, which is indicated by signs and symptoms.

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Disease is total response of an organism to adverse environmental
factors – External or internal and is conditioned by inherited or
acquired and manifests itself through symptoms in 3 spheres:-
1) Mental 2) Emotional 3) Physicals

(1) Mental plane – Healthy mind should be characterized by 3

qualities –
(a) Clarity – having reasonable ability to make judgments
regarding good or bad, right or wrong.
(b) Coherence – thoughts connected logically and has strong
thought process.
(c) Creativity – having ability to remember and reproduce
information collected through various sense – Any kind of
creative act and he feels happy in serving others and
himself.

If any of these qualities are reduced or missing, the person

is ill at the corresponding level. Freedom from selfishness
and acquisitiveness leads to a healthy state of mind.

(2) Emotional plane – As long as a person is serene and calm

he can proceed without restriction in creative work for
himself and others. From the moment passion appears,
there is anxiety, anger, fear etc. Individual having positive
feelings can say that he is healthy on emotional level.
(3) Physical plane – Every pain, every discomfort appearing in
the body inevitably limits what ever freedom existed before
the symptoms appear. Thus the state of physical health can
be defined as freedom from pain, a state of well being.

Emotional health, mental health and physical health are not

separate entities. Healthy mind cannot exist without healthy body or
healthy emotions and vice-versa. The degree to which one of these
components is affected can vary from person to person, but
ultimately it is person as a whole is affected.

Anatomy and other allied subjects have long been incorporated in

the Homoeopathic syllabus in addition to Homoeopathic subjects.
Adequate knowledge of all these subjects is absolutely necessary in
order to practice Homoeopathy successfully. But the knowledge
should be an integrated one and not isolated. The great drawback of
teaching institutions is lack of these integrated approach. As a
result, allied subjects are taught independently without any attempt
to correlate. A student reads all these subjects just to pass the
examination but fail to understand the real utility of the same in
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that actual practice of Homoeopathy. The teachers of allied subject
rarely try to establishes a link between allied subjects and
Homoeopathy. The ultimate outcome is a good clinicians, but poor
prescriber.

IMPORTANCE OF ALLIED SUBJECTS :-

(1) Nosological name of the disease. Patient wants to
know the diagnosis, which is their criteria to judge the
merit of a physician and legal modalities, death
certificate, court etc.
(2) Prognosis of case – prognosis depends on the seat of
disease, depth of disease, stage and nature of disease
and structural changes taking place.
(3) General management – Rest, Exercise, diet,
physiotherapy etc.
(4) Prevention of disease
(5) Second prescription – is often not reasonable because
of lack of proper follow up. One has to observe and
interpret the changed symptoms including physical
and lab findings. Suppose a patient comes after 15
days of 1st prescription and reports that his condition
is unchanged but on examination it is found that the
extent of enlargement of liver is much less that what it
was 15 days back. Naturally we can easily understand
that the patient is improving though he himself may
not be able to understand or does not like to admit the
same. We are not to interfere with the action of
medicine already given, because if we change the
medicine here, the case may be spoiled. But, the
patient generally felling as a whole must be better
simultaneously with such improvement of physical and
laboratory finding.
(6) Pathological changes help in arriving at miasmatic
diagnosis.
Hypo functional – Psora
Hyper plasia – sycosis
Dystrophies and degeneration – sphilitic

(7) Selection of potency – depends on the susceptibility of

the patient. If structural changes are there, the
susceptibility of the patient become lowered and lower
potencies are indicated. In case, where the disease is
at the dynamic plane with functional symptoms, the
susceptibility is high and patient require high
potencies.
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 IMPORTANCE OF ANATOMY

(1) Location and knowledge of disease – which organ is

involved in the disease presented by the patient. Say –“Pain
right hypocondrium”- without proper knowledge of
Anatomy, the seriousness of illness and complications
cannot be determined.
(2) Affinity of drugs towards certain organs
Chelidonium – liver
Cratagus – Heart etc.
(3) To understand diagnostic technique – a pre – requisite
(4) To differentiate between normal and abnormal
(5) To understand course of disease – referred pain in sciatic
nerve may be because of lumber pathology.
(6) To understand Anatomical terminology mentioned in
Homoeopathic literature.
(7) Histological Study – differentiates minute differences. Eyes
and mind gets trained to differentiate minute differences
and hence it is an indirect training to appreciate minute
difference between the same disease and different patients
– example of connective tissue.
(8) The effect of one organ upon different parts of the body.
Pscho-Neuro-Endocrine- Homoeostatic- Equilibrium
(9) For selecting potency of Homoeopathic medicine – High
potency is not advisable in advanced pathological cases.
(10) Concept of health – Homoeostasis is normal functioning of
the human body, whereas the body tends to keep all the
normal functions and structures of the body is proper
harmonious operations. Homoeostasis involve automatically
the reciprocal interplay, provides continuous automacity and
the same is mentioned in Aphorism 11 – Disease is when
this automacity is lost or harmony is disturbed all the cells
of the body suffer (and not a part)
(11) Stage of disease – Primary secondary, Tertiary.
(12) Limitations of Homoeopathy - #, Perforation of ulcer
(13) Prognosis of case – size of stone in kidney/ ureter.
Monitoring progress of disease, curability and non-curability
of disease.
(14) To differentiate between Primary and reflex symptoms -
Vomiting may be of GIT symptom or cerebral cause.
(15) To know correct location of organ – Any ectopically placed
organ to be abnormal though it may at times function
normally.
(16) Congenital deformities – play an important role in certain
disease.
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(17) To differentiate between common and uncommon
symptoms- which help in Prescribing a true similinum on
individualistic totality.
(18) More scientific assessment of treatment like – utrine
Fibroid, PCOD, Varicocele, undecended testes.
(19) Clinical examination of patient and diagnosis – which help in
selecting a clinical or organopathic remedy.

“THE DRAW BACK OF ANATOMY IS

COMPARTMENTALIZATION, FORGETTING THAT
MAN IS ONE UNIT”

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 RELATIONSHIP WITH HOMOEOPATHIC PHILOSOPHY

Man is very very complex entity, which can be studied from diverse
aspects – Mental, Emotional and Material

(1) Aphorism 6 – explains the concept of disease to an

unprejudiced observer. When a patient comes to a
physician, we take note of complaints in detail regarding
their mode of onset, location, sensation modalities and
concomitants. Then we try to ascertain state of health of
the patient before the onset of the present complaints, what
important disease the patient suffered in the past, the
family history etc- and his own observations and findings
and lastly laboratory and other investigations. The totality
of all these constitute the portrait of disease in its entire
extent. The apparent “Causa Morbi” may be the effect of the
original disease and not its cause.

For example, rise in urea may not be considered as casuse of

uraemia, but they are the effects of a grossly damaged
kidneys. Hence as physician, we are to take care of the totality
of symptoms of the patient including the rise in the blood urea
and not merely focus our attentions to blood – urea alone. This
is possible only when we are free from any fixed preconceived
notions (Prejudice) about the hypothetical causation of
disease. If all the subjective and objective symptoms of the
patient disappear and the organic changes including laboratory
findings become normal and the patient regains his previous
normal health, which we consider as cure.

The totality of symptoms as stated above constitute a single

unit beginning with the cause and ending with ultimate. This
unit is to be considered as a whole during Homoeopathic
Treatment and not part by part. Symptomatic treatment of
liver complaints, GIT complaint or skin may palliate the patient
from time to time but patient as a whole does not move in
path of cure, rather the palliated disease manifestation
(suppressed) may affect the vital organs making the case
much more complicated.

Hence our aim should be to arrive at the totality of symptoms

in any disease and not the single symptom in order to select
the homoeopathic similimum aphorism – 6, is the only
prescribing guide by all who claim to be Homoeopathic.

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 (2) Kents 12th observation
a. Observation 6 states – Too short relief of symptoms
decrease (conclusion is )
i. Interference with the action of remedy
ii. Rapid Process going on- is acute.
iii. Structural changes – organs are being destroyed
(Chronic)

If there is destruction or organic changes, the

susceptibility is low and lower potencies are required

b. Kents 7th observation – a full time amelioration of

symptoms, yet no special relief of the patient
i. Patient with one kidney, Surgical intervention
ii. Furious structural change in certain places

(3) Miasm classification – according to cellular pathology, there

are 3 types –
a. Deficiency – Lack – Hypofunctional – Psora
b. Hyperactivity – Hyperplasia – Excess – Sycosis
c. Deviation , Dystrophies, Dysfunction, Degeneration –
Syphilis
Sycosis has fibrinous conditions, hypertrophies, obesity increase uric
acid, Rheumatism, Nephrotic syndrome
Syphilis has alopecia, acne, deformed nails, ozoena, duodenal ulcer,
athro sclerotic changes, auto immune disorders etc.

(4) Types of symptoms – There are 2 types of symptoms on

which the law of similia can be applied

a. MATERIAL PATHOLOGICAL COMMON SYMPTOMS

b. UNCOMMON INDIVIDUALIZING CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS

a. Material Pathological common symptoms, objective – It has

the following advantage
(1) They are comparatively grosser, more obvious and as
such more easily accessible to any body.
(2) Every drug has selective affinity for certain organs,
Pathogenesis of drugs, help us a great deal in
eliminating certain drugs.

b. Uncommon, characteristic, determinative, secondary

symptoms – individualize a patient and are the basis of
prescription. They are difficult to find out.

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A HOMOEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN CAN HARDLY AFFORD TO
NEGLECT MATERIAL PATHOLOGY ON THE FOLLOWING
GROUNDS.

(1) Many of the strange and inexplicable symptoms in our

Materia Medica are getting explained by progress of
Pathological knowledge – Ravenous hunger and
emaciation due to thyroid, Empty feeling in stomach
not relieved by eating of Sepia is due to sagging
down of viscera etc.
(2) In evaluation of symptoms many characteristic
symptoms become common symptoms in relation to
certain pathological conditions – Excessive thirst,
craving for sugar in diabetes, Bearing down pain in
abdomen > by setting with crossed lower limb –
Sepia, because of organic prolapse due to structural
deficiency.
(3) In administering a deep acting remedy with
destructive propertes – Hepar, Sil, Sulph, Phos etc for
malignant tumour in degenerative stage etc give us
timely and highly useful warning.
(4) In management of case – the pathological diagnosis
help in cautioning against craving, Aversion and
habits of particular patient – diabetes, damaged
heart, Peptic ulcer etc. The Problem of contagion is
decided by pathology.
(5) Prognosis – kent’s 12 observations are highly sound
and invaluable in long drawn chronic case, but these
are hardly applicable in emergency case etc.
(6) Pathological Homoeopathy is easier and can be
acquired by any body.

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UNCOMMON, INDIVIDUALIZING SYMPTOMS HAVE LITTLE TO
DO WITH MATERIAL PATHOLOGY DUE TO FOLLOWING
REASONS

(1) Most of them are subjective symptoms

(2) Most of them are dependent upon their relation with
environmental factors.
(3) Many of them are still remaining inexplicable in-spite of
development of pathology.
(4) Many of the peculiar objective constitutional features are
still remaining unexplained – Head Sweat of Calcaria; foot
sweat of Siliciea, sticky discharge of Graphites.

“True Homoeopathic therapeutics, must be curative and so must be

based on strict individualization of case and the corresponding
remedy can derive little direct help from material pathological data”.
Even the general management of the case depends mainly upon
individual pecularities of the case as to desire, aversions,
Idiocyncrasies, peculiar modalities etc rather than pathological data.

True Homoeopathic therapeutics based on strict individualization

shall ever remain far superior to crude form of Homoeopathy.

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 RELATIONSHIP WITH MATERIA MEDICA

(1) Meaning of terms used by prover –

Materia Medica is primarily collection of signs and symptoms
from various sources and most important is drug –proving. Drugs
are proved on healthy human beings – may be physicians and
common folk from various environments and societies and these
provers used ordinary terms to describe their signs and
symptoms. One has to understand what these provers mean,
when explaining certain signs and symptoms in layman’s term.
When using vague term such as ‘Pain in abdomen”, abdomen
donates the entire part of trunk below the diaphragm and only
physician with the knowledge of anatomy can distinguish the pain
in various areas as related to the organs situated in that
particular area. Similarly the term leg by layman donates the
entire portion from hip to foot – but only a physician knows that
this terms indicates the portion of the lower limb that lie between
the knee joint and ankle joint.

2. To understand the range of remedy – each drug has its range

of pathogenesis. Restless may be a symptom in typhoid fever, but
Aconite will not cover typhoid fever.

Let us take an example of “ARTERIAL CONGESTION’ and the

common remedies prescribed.

a) ACONITE – produces active exaltation of the arterial

circulation with paralysis of capillaries, acting through the
sympathetic nervous system, thus producing various
types of active congestion and inflammation. But its
action ends there. It cannot produce any change in the
quality of blood and other tissues – so, of no use in
toxemia and subsequent stage of inflammation where
organic changes have already started.
b) BELLADONNA – Produces arterial congestion, through its
primary action on the central nervous system and the
inflammation produced passes rapidly into subsequent
stages of suppuration. There is active arterial turmoil.
c) GLONONINE – produce congestion through its action on
medulla – oblongata and irritation of para-sympathetic
nervous system with dilation of peripheral blood vessels,
pupils etc. Its action ends with arterial turmoil and no
further.
d) VERATRUM VIRIDE – Produces only passive arterial
congestion by its paralyzing action on the cerebro –
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 spinal nervous centres – congestion accompanied by
prostration and convulsions.
e) AMYL NITRITE – produce only passive arterial congestion
through its paralysing action on nerve centres.
f) FERUM PHOS – Produces passive congestion due to semi-
paretic condition of blood vessels.

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 Drug Produces Through Remarks
ACONITE Active Sympathetic - Cannot produce
arterial nervous system any change in
circulation the quality of
blood and other
tissues
- No use in
toxemia and
subsequent
stage of
inflammation.
BELLADONNA Active Central nervous Stage of
arterial system inflammation passes
circulation into stages of
suppuration.
GLONONINE Active Medulla – oblongata There dilation of
arterial and irritation of peripheral blood
circulation para-sympathetic vessels, pupils etc.
nervous system no further turmoil
VERATRUM Passive Paralyzing action on Congestion
VIRIDE arterial the cerebro – spinal accompanied by
congestion nervous centres prostration and
convulsions
AMYL NITRITE Passive Paralysing action on
arterial nerve centres
congestion
FERUM PHOS Passive Due to semi-paretic
congestion condition of blood
vessels

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 DRAWBACKS OF THESE OBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS

(a) The material pathological symptoms were scarely brought

out in Homoeopathic proving. They were mostly derived
from toxicology or from animal pharmacology.
(b) Objective pathology deals with end product of dynamic life –
processes and hardly takes into account the various
subjective or functional phenomena. There is no means for
observing how the selective affinity and other peculiar
functions of particular cells are changed.
(c) They are common symptoms in all cases of similar type of
disease and can hardly be used for individualization of a
case or drug.
(d) And as such, they can hardly be used for curative
therapeutics, although may often be useful for palliative
therapeutics.
(e) Uncommon, characteristic symptoms are our sole basis for
individualizing a case and they are our sole guide in curative
therapeutics. They are often wrongly described as strange
and inexplicable phenomenon. But there are many
phenomena which could not be explained in older days and
have nevertheless became obvious in the present
development of knowledge of pathology and pharmacology.
But this explanation, has not at all derived them of their
role in the matter of individualization – that are not
common in all cases, rather they predicate the peculiarity of
the individual. These symptom earn their attribute of
uncommonness from the following properties –

- Peculiar modalities – Peculiar concomitants

- Peculiar individuating features – Mental, temperament,
constitution etc.

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 RELATIONSHIP WITH REPERTORY

Repertory is not the selector - it is rather our helper. Too much

dependence of repertory in all cases may not bring desired results,
because then we may not be interested in getting the total picture
of the symptoms of the patient, rather we would select the medicine
mechanically and face inevitable failure. We may loose faith in
Homoeopathy and compelled to use two or three medicines at a
time or even mother tinctures, tonics, specifics etc. Repertory
cannot serve the full purpose of a physician – had it been so, then
repertorization might be done by a layman.

Materia Medica and repertory contain names of diseases and

pathological conditions in which they have been found useful, but
any drug may be indicated in any disease provided the totality of
symptoms in covered. Of course, I personally don’t advocate the
teaching of therapeutics- The disease gives its manifestation
through a particular organ and we start teaching therapeutics with
the symptoms of the part affected. As per principles of
Homoeopathy, the importance given to local symptoms is limited as
these symptoms don’t represent the patient as a whole.

The basic principle of SIMI, MONO, MINI must be followed.

CONCLUSION

We must not forget that basically we are Homoeopaths and

knowledge of Anatomy and other para-clinical and clinical subjects
must therefore be Homoeopathically oriented.

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