MFCM037: A Contribution to The Discussion %22TB and Society%22.pdf

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extracted text: A contribution to the discussion ?
T.B. and society
B.K. Sinha.

The writer wishes to unite with other participants in under
standing and taking the necessary steps leading to the elimination
cf T.B. Although significant strides in medical scienqe has under
lined the fact that almost every body has a chance of winning the

battle of life and health against T.B., yet is continues to take a
heavy toll of men in productive age.

The situation is worse in

countries like India.

Technical and scientific mastery over the disease and people
succumbing to it, often helplessly, is a reality of our social

life. This phenomenon, like every thing that exist in nature is
a unity of opposites. All things contain two contradictory aspects
and have contradictory, mutually exclusive, opposite tendencies,
constantly struggling against and getting transformed into each
other, leading to the dissolution of the phenomenon i.e., resolut
ion of the contradiction and transformation thereby of the
phenomenon itself.

We must therefore ask the question? why do people succumb
to T.B., in a situation in which it is claimed that the drugs
have been discovered to eliminate the disease ? Is the claim
unreal ? Is the treatment and drugs with which to eliminate the

disease do not reach those who cuccumb to it ? or, are there
inadequacies which are being ignored ?.
Let us go into these questions further.

The claim of mastery
over the disease presupposes that the causes leading to the disease

Aare fully understood and that all of them are accounted for in
the treatment leading to its cure. But bodily process are
understood in a number of narrowly defined and distinct terms
like biochemistry, neurophysiology.etc. and no unifying theory has
been put forward in medicine that interrelates all these ways

of looking at human organism. Besides, the very instruments
we use can impose a limitation on the kind of information we
can obtain.

Moreover, with the advances in science, unknowabi-

lity has become a factor in complex computation. In view of
all this it may not be scientific enough for a scientist to
point physical cause cf the disease.

On the other hand, there is growing awareness to define

health as a state cf physical, mental and emotional well being
rather than a mere absence of disease and infirmity.- It means
that any thing that distrubs the harmonious functioning of
physical,mental and emotional functioning of life should be
considered as a cause cf disease, it is therefore easy to see
that the greatest source of such imbalance lies in the relation
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that men enter into with ether men in the society in the process erf

production and exchange cf material and spiritual values necessary
fcr man’s existence and growth.

It is this relationship which is

at the roots cf the needy and the sick not getting the treatment
and cure s the reality of cur social life.

Various aspects of the reality of our social life have been

sufficiently debated and desribed from various angles providing
quite a lot of information. Some of them is given below?
- Most of the people are forced by the circumstances to live in
extreme poverty.
- Govt., policies concerning handicrafts and small scale industry
is such that most of them must keep consuption or wages at the
lowest failing which they must go bankrupt.

- The percentage of Govt., expenditure on public health and other
services cf public utility has been declining. It means that
fewer and fewer people are in a position of availing these facilities. It means that those able to avail these facilities must

have links with the rich and the powerful or must have sufficient
means to bribe the authorities.

The ether part, services from the private institutions and
professionals are prohibitively costly and ruinous to the people.
- Taxes by the provincial as well as the Central Govt, has been
increasing and theratio cf direct tax to the indirect tax has
been decreasing. It means that the poorer ones are more heavily
taxed forcing them further deep in poverty and want.

- Drug manufacturing companies are extremely exploitative and
profit oriented and go to any length for profit including the

advertisement and sale cf useless and harmful drugs at exherbitant price.
And in this the Govt., often lets them do what they want.

If we look more closely then we find that all these aspects
of the reality are interrelated and that they together serve the
interests cf those who control the means cf production cither
through individual ownership or through the Govt. This ought to
give rise to another question s is it possible that the claim
that science has advanced to such an extent that a disease called
T.B.Z has been conquered and therefore no one need succumb to it
is put forward to serve this very interest ? It seems to be so.
Otherwise, the reality cf the disease having been conquered and the
disease taking its toll cannot exist side by side.

This drives us to a conclusion that on the one hand we should
look into the very claim critically, i.e., whether or not the claim
cf having discovered the remedies for cure of T.B., is correct;

and on the other hand look' for* an alternative system of cure
which will not suffer from the same antimony i.e., which all can

get if they so desire.

Another conclusion underlines the need of
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waging a struggle against the social reality in which people

succumb to such disease which are thought to be curable.

This should also bo kept in min’’, that any single work of the
above.outlined can achieve its objective in isolation from the
rest; all the three must go together tc give the desired result.
Homoeopathy seems to offer the solution.

It not provides a

frame work for looking into the claim critically, i.e., whether

or not the remedy for T.B., has been discovered leading to its
elimination but it he Ids the premise of making the remedy universa
lly available in terms of cost. And what’s more, it can be a tool
in the hands of the people struggling against the exploiters by free
ing the people and the contry’s economy from the chains of exploitat

ion tc a great extent. As manufacture of these drugs does not
require such technology in which monopoly can be established lead
ing tc super profit and monopolistic exploitation.
But it is not only on these ground that this system of
treatment is being recommended. Important though these grounds
are, but in the context of treatment, its recommendation rests
primarily on its effectiveness in practice. Many case can be
cited tc demonstrate the effectiveness cf this treatmen but I
cite only two examples
1.

Mrs. S.K.Suman Khonkar, 40 year old, from Sonegacn Wardha,

came to Dr. Bhongade with following complaints:

During in throat, dry cough, amelioration with cold applicat
ion, feverish, rigour of chill, recurrent coryza, pain in
chest, both apex, more in left with pain in back, left side
at the region of scapula, stitching and ulcerative pain,

agg. slight cold, sour food, slight air current, amel.

salt water gargling, tea, lying down, hot application,
pain in chest aggravating while coughing, weakness with
trembling of whole body agg. at morning, amel. after eating;
Rhumatic trouble, pain in lumber region, at circumscribed spot,
both sides, more in the left side, aggr. during sleep, touch,
changing sides, amel. hot application; spasm and rhumatic
pain in legs, agg. sitting, during sleep; amel. hot applicat
ion. Burning pain in soles, eyes, cracks in soles;
Thirst : more than normal.
Sleep : disturbed easily, sleepless for 2 hrs. after 2-3 am.
dreams : fearful, weeping during sleep. History cf profuse

menses, presently having early menses after 3 weeks lasting
for 4 days, clots, intermingled with red blood.
Lukeria : milky and thick, after loop insertion.
Had suffered from T.B two times, both lungs were affected.
Uncle too had T.B.

Children very succiptible to cold and coryza, lasting for long.

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Icon an-' thin, slew.

Physian’s observation

Temp. 98.5; Pulse 88 ; • B. P. 110 - 60.
Weight s 41 Kg. on 11.9.'81.
She came to the Doctor on 9.10.‘80
1 :.1C'SC .

Treatment s Phosphorus 200

Blood and Sputam tests on 14.10.‘80 indicated
Blood

H.B.

S

59
51
46
3
9600

P.
L
E.

T.L.C.
Sputam s A.F.B. Positive.
Treatment z

18.10.‘80.

1 . 11.
26.11.

30.11.

13.12

16.12
17.12

1 dcse

Phosphorus 200
ii

ii

Complained loose motion
Aloes 200
3 doses.
Aggravation of cough, sleepless after
3 - 4 am., no remarkable change
Phosphorus Im
1 dose
More cough, harshness, pain in chest,
tickling in throat.
Rumex 200
1 dose.
ii

ii

Constipation, ineffectual urging
Nux Vomica 200 6 doses

30.12

Cough aggravated, tickling in threat,
pain in abdomen and chest
Phosphorus Im.
1 dcse

15.1.’81.

Cough reduced. Pain in left leg,
constipation, ulcerative in vagina,
sensitive to cloth
Phosphorus Im
1 dose
Teeth ache, cough
Phosphorus■ Im 1 dcse

13.3.

1 .7.

18.7.
11.8.
20.8.

Feels better
Phosphorus Im 1 dose.
Ccugh agg. tickling in throat
Kali carb. 200.
Kali’carb. 200.

- Feels better, back ache, cough day time
Sujbphur

200

19.9.

Alround improvement
Sulphur im
1 dose.
Improvement continues.
The patient is cured.
Bleed and sputam test were done in the meantime, on 16.4.181
Bleed ?
H.B.
56
P.
56
L.
41
Sputam s A.F.B. Negative
E.
3
T.L.C.
11200

Even after the cure, the patient was given globles for
seme more time.

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The other example is frem Mozari, a village in Amravati
District. Ratnamala Tat Shelke, 38 year old, came to Dr.Gumble with
2.

following complaints s
extreme weakness, cough, white sticky but easy expectoration,
aggravation cf cough after delivery and in the summer,
burning during urination, urine yell w, worms in stool, unsatisfactory motion, loss of appetite, continious feverishness,
thirst, sweat on chest, face and head, regular 5 day menses.

Had been treated for T.B. before.

Physician’s observation s lean and thin. slow.
200
3 doses
Treatment ; 26.5.’84. Nitrum sulph
Rhustex 30 4 times daily for 2 days
1 .6.
3 .6.
feels better
Tuberculinum 200 3 closes
Improvement continues
29.6.
Tuberculinum 200
14.7.
Complains cf cold, loose metion
3 closes
Nitrum sulph Im.
Complains subsided
30,8.
Tuberculinum
lm.
3 doses
30.11.

feels much better, put on weight, cough,
feverishness, weakness reduced.
Nitrurn sujbph 1000 3 doses.

Blood test shows the reduction of Esnophelia
and increase of Hemoglobin

The patient is almost cured but the treatment is
continuing.
There are many more case histories of treatment that can be
cited for the proof of effectiveness of this treatment.

But the

difficulty is that pathological tests have not been done and there

fore the kind cf proof that is demanded from them is not available.
And the reason for this lack cf pathological test is that homeo
paths following the logic of homoeopathy do not believe in
pathological tests.
Moreover, these two case histories will reveal the difference
of medicines given to patients.
The reason is that homoeopathy does not believe in entities

called disease (S). It treats patients’ totality of symptoms
rather than a small group of them which give rise to such entities.
After all, they merely represent an arbitrary selection of certain

manifestations of illness that appear together with a certain degree
of frequency. Prescribing in homoeopathy is solely based on actual
observation of the effects cf homoeopathic medicines on healthy pers
ons-. Such observations define the range of the action of the medi
cines and. provide all the information needed to help select a proper

But this does not mean that the
suitable medicine for the symptoms categorised as T.B. could be any

remedy for an individual patient.

cne from some 2000 odd proved medicines listed in Materia Medica.

I

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Paradoxical though it may s:und, but there arc nearly 20 medicines
fr m which the most suitable medicines for most patients can be
selected depending cn peculiarity of symptoms in individual cases.
Then there is a nc.scde, Tuberculinum, which is found to be
helpful in many cases when there is a history of infection either

in the individual patient or in his parents.

Although routine

prescribing of the nosodes along isopathic lines is not consider
ed to be good homoeopathic psactice, it can be of great help, It
can be used not only to break up the lingering effects of the
disease, but also to reach deep into the constitutional pattern of
c patient and clear a chronic miasm that may have been implanted

long before through exposure.
the disease.

It builds body resistance against

Homoeopathic treatment holds a great promise for the suffer
ers and those interested in removing the causes of suffering but
all this lies buried in the heaps of abuse and ridicule against
hemoeopathy. It is true that advocated of homoeopathy and homoeo
paths themselves provided some basis for it, and did almost nothing
to counter and expose the abuse and ridicule, most of which is
motivated not by science but by counter-science. But neither evidence
nor logic has been put forward to refute the basic premises of
contrary. fresh insights have been gathered
homoeopathy. On the contrary,
from laboratory experiments to uphold the effectiveness of the
system and cure.
Science is defined as "the cognition of necessity”. Its
prime task, therefore, is to investigate and analyse the needs of

the society and to pave the way for its fulfillment. The significance of a scientific discovery depends sololy upon its importance
to society in the context of its needs, and the society's awareness
towards its needs, But the social needs and its awareness often
depends on the recognition of the class in power.

It is they who

decide what constitutes social needs and use the resources under
their command to fulfill it. If their policies produce such .results
which are contrary to the social needs then it reflects a stage of
development of the society in which the ruling class in existence^
its ideas and theories, its ' science ' cannot lead the society in
its forward march. This precisely is the situation in which we
live. In such a situation, the essence of science consists in
taking the theory forward by basing itself firmly on such experience,
Such data obtained in pracice which articulate and meet the social
need in a better way but are not considered 'scintific' enough by the
ruling ’science' of the day. It is a task that society will have to
take up. My submission is that homoeopathy should be examined in this
context, I hope, M.F.C. will come forward in doing the needful.
OoO
B.K. Sinha,
C/o Dr. M.N. Guipble,
Gurukunj Ashram,
Dist. Amravati, Pin : 444902.
Jan 20th 1985.

*J
REPDR.JE

i case finding by micros ony: D.R.Nagpaul, D.M.Savic
K.P.Rao & G.V.J.Baily, W.H.O./T.B./Techn.Informa
tion/ 68.63.
2. District T.B.Control Programme in concept & outline
D.R.Nagpaul, Ind- J Tub.XIV. 196-198.
\ 3' iological Survey of awareness of symptoms
Suggestive of Pulm. Tuberculosis’: Bull.Wld.Hlth.

Org.'29, 665-683, 1963.
4.

\ Sociological study of awareness of symptoms and
action taking of persons with pulm.T.B, Radha
Narayan S., S.Prabhakar, Susy Thomas, S.Pramila
Kumnri, T.Suresh and N. Srikanteramu.
grikantaramu. Ind J
Jo of
Tub. XXVI, 136, 1979.

5. Socio-cultural context of T.B.treatment:
Ind J Tub. 1982.

6. Prevalence of symptoms in a South Indian rural

community and utilisation of area health centre.
In cl J.Med.Res 1977,66,635.
7. Symptom awareness and action taking of persons
with pulm.T.B. in rural community surveyed repea.tedly to determine the epidemiology of disease.
Radha Narayan & H. Shrikantaran. Ind J Tub.28,
1?61, 1981'1
8. Some aspects of sputum examination in T.B.case

finding: Dr. Nagpaul, N. Naganathan & M. Prakash.
Ind J Tub. XXVI, 11, 1979.
9. Potential yield of pulmonary tuberculosis cases by
dirct microscopy of sputum in a district, of
.South India. G.V.J.Baily, D.Savic, G.D. Gothi,
V.B.Naidu & S.S.Nair, Bull.Wld.Hlth Org. 1967,
37, 875/892.
10. An operational study of alternative methods of

case finding for tuberculosis control, NTI
Bangalore. Ind J. Tub.XXVI, 26, 1979.
11. Active case finding in tuberculosis as a compo
nent of primary health care. K.S.Anoja,R.Chandra
sekhar, PI, A. Seetha , V. 0.Sunmuganandan & GE
Rupert Samuel. Ind J Tub. 1984, 37, 65.

12. Incidence, of sputum +ve T.B. in different epide
miological groups 5 yr.follow-up of a rural
population in South India: GD Gothi, A.K.Chakraborty & PI. J . Jayalakshmi. Ind J.Tub.XXV.No.2,
83, 1978.
13.A.

i study of some aspects of treatment cards in
a DTP: Seetha et al. Ind J. Tub.23, 90, 1976.

13B.

Feasibility of involving multipurpose workers
in xase finding in district tuberculosis
programme Aneja et al; Ind J.Tub. XXVII,
4, 158, 1960.

14.

Drug collection by patients through motivavation of the families: Seetha M.A.Srikantaramu M., Aneja K.S. and Harden Singh. Ind
J.Tub.XXVIII 4, 1981.
/

V
I15. Chemotherapy in national tuberculosis programme.
K.S. Ineja. NTI News letter 19, 58, 1982.
16. 'effect of treatment default in India* P,Ban-.-rji:
Proceedings of the XXtb. Ind T,B.Conference, Paris 9
International Union against T.B. 1970.
17. A study to de!.ermine the reliability op assess
ing the regularity of self administration of
drugs at home by patient’s attendance at the
clinic. S. Gehani, V.K. Perumal & T).G. Mathur.
Ind.J.Tub. 1984. 31,74.
18. Cost consideration in short course chemotherapy.
V.Sivaraman. Ind.J.Tub.Vol.XXX, 9, 1983.

19. Tuberculosis in India - A perspective, *0. R .Nagpaul:
J. of the Ind.Med.Ass. 71, 44-48, 1978.
20. Tuberculosis in India - The prospect- S.Shrinivasan : Ind J.Tub.XXIX 71, 1981.
21 . Recommendations made by tuberculosis Association
of India - A Scheme for primary health.care in
tuberculosis: Ind J. Tub. 1981, 28, 218.

22. National Tuberculosis programme - relative
merits of enhancing the operational efficiency
of different components of the treatment
programme. Ind.J.Tub.S.Radhakrishan Vol.XX 3,1983

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