Pulsatilla: tonsillitis - Dr. Gheorghe Jurj - Homeopatie

Dr Gheorghe Jurj, MD, DScCourse: Visual SemiologyXXIX Brazilian Congress of HomeopathySão Paulo, 2008

• 6 year-old girl, consults with fever (39.4 oC) and erythematoustonsillitis.• Frequent colds with running nose and inflammation of the throat.• Nasal obstruction, cannot breath at night and sleeps with openmouth. Cough “from the throat”, as if trying to eliminate a lump.During consultation, coughed rarely, dry cough.• NET doctor has suggested adenoidectomy.• 2 or 3 episodes of middle ear infection.• In the past year took ATB 10 times.

• All along theconsultation, tossingon the chair.• Notice her posture

• Every time, beforeanswering aquestion, turns toher mother

• Cannot breaththrough the nose,the mouth is open allthe time• Dry lips, cracks onthe angles. On theleft side,eczematization

2 GesturesLicks the corners of the mouthBites the lower lip

• Red tongue, papillaeincreased in anteriorpart, whitish coatingin the posterior part;Crack on the middleline and transversally(“cross-like”)

• Pharynx congestive;large tonsills(touching in themiddle line); whitespots of suppuration

• NATRIUM: dry lips; nasal obstruction; well-behaved, quiet... But,usually with much secretions, thirst, suppurated tonsillitis is lessfrequent, congestion is not as intense.• CARBON: perspiration of the scalp, wet hands, cold-blooded• MERCURIUS: important remedies of suppurated tonsillitis inchildren, high fever, copious perspiration, thirst, copious yellowwhitishsuppuration in tonsillsc• REMEDIES OF ACUTE INFLAMMATION (Phyt, Bell, Acon, etc.):presentation is more dramataic, much more congestion

1 MOUTH - CRACKED - Tongue fissured - Centre2 MOUTH - CRACKED - Tongue fissured3 FACE - CRACKED - Lips4 FACE - CRACKED - Lips - Lower5 MOUTH - DISCOLORATION - Tongue - white - heavily coated6 THROAT - DISCOLORATION - redness - Tonsils7 THROAT - DISCOLORATION - redness - Uvula8 THROAT - INFLAMMATION – accompanied by - cough9 THROAT - INFLAMMATION - Tonsils10 FACE - DRYNESS - Lips - licks them frequently11 FACE - DRYNESS - Lipspuls. sulph. merc. nit-ac. bapt. apis cham. mez. nux-v. bell.10/17 8/15 7/15 7/15 7/14 7/12 7/12 7/9 7/8 6/141 - 1 - 2 1 - - 2 - -2 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 1 23 1 3 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 14 2 1 - 2 - 1 1 1 1 -5 3 - 3 - - - - 1 1 -6 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 - - 37 2 1 1 - 3 2 - - - 38 1 - - - - - 2 - 1 -9 1 2 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 310 1 - - - - - - - - -11 3 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 2

• Calm, quiet, “perhaps too quiet”• Cries easily; always asks permission to doanything• Thirstless, esp during fever• Sleeps rolled up or on the back, with the handson the head

Pulsatilla 30x e/6-8 hours until resolution of tonsillitis, then 200CH for 1 month.No further recidives appeared; tonsillectomy was ruled out

1. “Mental atmosphere”, reflected also in her posture: sitting on the edge of the chair,with fixed hands; turning always to look for her mother2. Nasal obstruction, esp in the night – constant of Pulsatilla in children. Although ageneric sign of adenoidism, according to the context its value may increase.3. Licking the lips – its value is increased by the local context (lips, tongue, pharynx)4. Although tonsillitis is suppurative, secretion is white, in relatively welll delimitatedareas, on a background of intensely red congestion, but not as in Bell, Lac-c, Merc orLach. Moreover, as in Apis, tonsills are swollen, touching each other on the middleline (Bar-c) but no other symptoms of these remedies are present.