MINDING THE MIND IN THE CLINIC:

APPROACHING CHILDREN - 11
By DR ASHOK MOHANTY

A boy of 9 years old came to me for the treatment of multiple warts on his scalp. The warts were very hard and while combing, the upper hard crusts sometimes fall off. Other than this there were no problem the boy was facing. The parents were concerned as it started with one small pimple like eruption on the scalp but within one year there are at least 6-7 big warts.

Dr.: “Do you face any problem due to this eruption?”

Boy: “No, they don’t trouble me at all. I take care while combing.”

Dr.: “Any other problem?”

Boy: (Smiling) “No, I am OK.”

His father added, “He never complains of anything regarding these eruptions. He is so sincere that he takes care that everything is very much organized at his end so that we are not troubled as he has a younger naughty sister and we are much preoccupied with her all the time. Even he sometimes helps us to manage her sister’s routine so that we are not troubled.”

Dr.: “Any other problem does he have?” (To parents)

Father: “No, he doesn’t complain of anything else also. He is so intelligent that he manages everything on his own. He does homework on his own and helps his sister to do hers. At this age also he is so understanding and caring that even if there is a problem situation for us he helps us by giving some suggestions. Even during minor ailments like cough & cold he will never lie down and complain like her sister, rather he helps his mother during local shopping of vegetable and groceries. Whenever his mother is sick he will help her in domestic works.

He is very caring and loves her sister like we do. At the same time he also loves if we appreciate his works and love him, rather each time he does some good work at home or school he looks at us in such a way that we hug him and appreciate him for the good work done.”

There was no acute condition associated with the problem so no further complaints.

A dose of Carcinosin 30 reduced the size of the warts and in few months they fell down.

Rubrics taken for repertorization of the above case:
TIDY
CARES, full of - others, about
INTELLIGENT
DUTY - too much sense of duty
AFFECTATION
CARESSED; being - wants to be caressed
AFFECTION; loves

In the above case the remedy was selected by taking into consideration the information given by the parents as there were no acute conditions of the boy. The main information given by them was, “the child never troubles them”.

Let us now understand in detail this piece of information which is quite often told to us by parents accompanying the child with varied complaints.

Why a child doesn’t trouble the parent, may it be in acute condition or in a chronic illness?

In the above case it was because of the rubric, “CARES, full of - others, about”. As the child cares about his parents he doesn’t want to trouble them.

Carcinosin child is very intelligent as well as affectionate. He loves affection very much rather he always has a deep craving for affection from others (AFFECTION; loves, CARESSED; being - wants to be caressed).

He is very tidy which means not only in appearance but also in behavior and manner it is very difficult to find a fault in this child. He will go to school in time and keep his bag & books in proper place, do his home work on his own. As he is very intelligent there is no need to remind him about any of his work or duty. He is very duty conscious. He feels it is his duty to help his parents and his younger sibling also. But the only thing carcinosin wants that in return he should be given lot of affection.
Cocculus Indicus child is also in the rubric “CARES, full of - others, about”. But unlike Carcinosin’s intelligence it is more so because of his recognition. Cocculus Indicus recognizes his need to care for others as a mother nurses his child. Cocculus Indicus wants nothing in return. That’s the reason it is there in the rubric, “RESPONSIBILITY - taking responsibility too seriously”.

While doing a duty a person expects some remuneration either in terms of money or honor or love or appreciation etc but when a person is responsible for something he feels it is his own and does the same without expecting anything.

We have another remedy Pulsatilla in this rubric which also doesn’t complain during sickness. Pulsatilla child always has a need for love and affection. When he is with his parents he never complain for anything because he feels if he irritates them, they may abandon him. He don’t want to leave the bed of love which he is in, so to be in that state he never complains for minor ailments. (BED - remain in bed; desires to)

Let me share with you another case of one of my colleague. He rang me telling that his son who is 7 years old, is coughing very badly since last one week. He tried many medicines but there was no relief. When I asked him,” What he is doing now?” He replied, “He is just lying on the bed and telling nothing. Even if he is coughing badly, when we ask him about any problem, he just keeps quiet and tells us that ‘I am OK.’ His mother told me, last time when he had this type of violent cough we were forced to take him to hospital and he was admitted for few days and given lot of medications. May be to avoid that he always tells that I am OK?

A dose of Hyoscyamus 30 cured the cough.

Hyoscyamus does not complain about his problem because he feels his complain will initiate the process of taking him to the hospital where he will again be troubled like the previous time. The doctor there may give him medicines or injections which would be very painful for him. He wants to escape that situation hence he doesn’t complain.

Rubrics:
WELL - says he is well - sick; when very
FEAR - injury - being injured; of
INDIFFERENCE, apathy - complain; does not

From the above cases we can infer that though the parents tell about their non-complain nature of children but the cause behind the non-complain may vary as we have seen in the case of Carcinosin, Cocculus, Pulsatilla and Hyoscyamus. While taking a case please take utmost care to understand the reason why the remedy is present in the rubric, don’t just prescribe the remedy because of its presence in the rubric.

In the next issue we will discuss few other remedies where the parents express similar non complaining nature of this child like Opium, Strammonium, Arsenic alb, Lachesis etc.