Introduction
Medorrhinum,
an attenuated preparation from the gonococcal discharge, which
develops due to gonococci, is a far-reaching remedy of
multi-miasmatic type often missed in practice. The statements,
‘Nosode is not always a nosode’ and ‘it has in its stock,
beyond the ken of anti-miasmatic and intercurrent usage, acute
and chronic dimensions’, aptly apply to Med.
A nosode is a
blend of the disease-potential and the host-response; hence,
it represents the dynamic potential of germ, host and their
inter-action to become the powerful and complex healing force
to meet the inveterate morbific conditions. Med. is
characteristic in a way that host-response is almost minimally
represented in gonococcal pus from which Med. is
prepared.
Minimal Host Response
Two aspects need
to be mentioned here -
1. Congenital
immunity to gonococcus does not exist in a human. A person who
suffered from this disease also does not produce true immunity
and he may therefore be repeatedly infected with gonorrhea.
Different antibodies (complement-fixing, agglutinins, etc.)
appear quite rapidly in the blood in gonorrhea, but they do
not prevent complications or repeated infection. These
antibodies evidently have no defense function and are
‘witnesses’ to an existing or previously existing infection (Ilyin).(3)
2. Phagocytic
immunity also fails to develop in gonorrhea. The purulent
secretions of patients suffering from acute gonorrhea are
usually found to
contain many gonococci arranged in clusters both inside and
outside the polynuclear neutrophils. Phagocytosis, however, is
incomplete. The gonococci do not die in the phagocytes, but,
on the contrary, they multiply. Such phagocytosis, therefore,
does not protect the body from infection, but protects the
causative agents from the effect of specific immunity humoral
factors (antibodies) and the natural resistance of the
body.(3)
Source information vis-à-vis Medorrhinum
Source information
is of paramount importance in perceiving the essence of the
drug and Med. is no exception to this.
1. Neisser’s
gonococcus, which causes gonorrhea, became adapted as a
parasite mainly on mucous membranes covered with columnar
epithelium.
2. The
gonorrheal process is usually restricted to the urogenital
organs and sometimes affects rectum and occasionally the
conjunctiva. Only rarely the infection acquires a generalized
character.
* Hahnemann,
very early in his career, coined this term for ‘chronic miasms
disease-parasites.’
3. The
word ‘gonorrhea’ comes from GK: gone seed, rhota
flow and Galen (2nd century, A.D.) suggested this
name in view of inflammation attended with the discharge.
4. According
to WHO experts, no less than 150 million people on earth
contract gonorrhea every year. In some developed countries
(such as USA, France, Sweden and others) gonorrhea incidence
is second only to that of influenza among infectious diseases.
(The figures may be less today.)
5. The
clinical picture of gonorrhea had undergone marked changes (pathomorphosis)
in terms of increase in the average duration of the incubation
period, a mitigation of the inflammatory reaction and other
signs (Ilyin) (3) after introduction of antibiotics.
6. Gonococci come from the
group of Gram-negative diplococci. They are lentil-shaped
about 1.5 mm long and 0.75 mm wide, arranged in pairs with
their concave surfaces facing each other. Gonococci change
their morphological and tinctorial properties under the effect
of unfavorable factors to the point of becoming L-shaped.
7. Like
other causative agents of venereal diseases, the gonococci are
strictly human parasites. Outside the human body, they perish
rapidly.
8. In
pus, the gonococci retain their viability and pathogenecity
only till the pathological substrate dries.
9. Since
gonococci are extremely unstable outside the human body,
infection usually occurs by the sexual route.
10.
Gonococci very rarely multiply in the bloodstream causing the
development of sepsis.
11.In
chronic inflammation the columnar epithelium sometimes
transforms to stratified squamous epithelium with
keratinization. The infiltrate of lymphoid elements
penetrates deeper, acquires restricted local characters and
may be replaced by cicatricial tissue.
This information
allows us to peep into homoeopathic perspective of Med.
The Sycotic stigmata
The gonorrhea is
not a ‘dry’ infection and Med. has inflammation that is
catarrhal in nature. The sycotic stigmata that is preponderant
in it amply represents the behavior of gonococci and
gonorrheal process. The gonorrheal process is restricted to
uro-genital organs and in Med., under the sycotic dominance,
one gets simple to malignant pathologies originating from
suppression of uro-genital diseases. It is the characteristic
of Med. that even with advanced pathologies, a person may
remain plump and well nourished despite pretty long suffering.
Changing the morphological/ patho-morphological or tinctorial
properties and becoming L-shaped on the part of the organisms,
as also retaining viability and pathogenecity in pus reflect
the survival instinct and the struggle. Med’s viability is
manifested well through its passionate and vivacious (we will
deal with it later on) characters and through its plump
constitution. The character of gonococci that they rarely
multiply in the blood stream and rarely cause sepsis typifies
the non-suppurative sycotic inflammation and comparatively
little action over blood. The unstable character of gonococci
typifies the unstable personality character of Med. that
represents the confused state of mind of sycotic dominance.
Gonococci are
human parasites. They have affinity for human species and they
penetrate human body chiefly through the sexual route. Med. is
the representative of the sycotic miasm, which has
‘proliferation’, ‘hyperplasia’, ‘overgrowth’, and ‘exuberance’
as the key words. And all these pathologies thrive on the
vital energy of the system. Gonococci, Med. and sexual
route then become the inter-link to explore the drug, as the
drug is prepared from a sexually transmitted material.
Sexuality
Sexual energy is
the most important of the vital energy and in Med. we get
early sexual awakening, precocity and early indulgence in sex.
The animation, the romanticism, the vivacity allow the system
to develop the sexual relations without any barrier. Early
exposure to pornographic films, early sexual experiences and
even history of sexual abuse play a big role in Med’s
evolution. The following rubrics (bold-3 marks, italics-2
marks, and normal-1 mark) amply demonstrate the sexuality in
Med.(4)
Ø
Homosexuality, Men –
Med
Ø
Homosexuality, women –
Med
Ø
Lasciviousness, lustful –
Med
Ø
Nymphomania –
Med
Ø
Obscene –
Med
Ø
Rape, ailments from –
Med
Ø
Satyriasis –
Med
Ø
Sexual abuse, ailments from –
Med
Ø
Shameless –
Med
Ø
Shameless,
children, in – Med
Ø
Masturbation, disposition to –
Med
Ø
Masturbation, children to –
Med
Ø
Sexual desire, excessive –
Med
Ø
Sexual desire, uncontrollable
– Med
Ø
Sexual desire,
insatiable – Med
Ø
Sexual desire,
perverted – Med
Ø
Sexual desire, violent –
Med
Med. is able to
impress upon others by virtue of his plump make-up, high-flown
language, sensitive and vivacious nature, intuition and
clairvoyance and a sort of heroic behavior! Med. girls are
sensual, attractive and their body gestures often reflect the
sexuality.
Owing to
anticipatory anxiety, restlessness and impatience as
dispositional characters, Med. cannot enjoy the sexual act in
a patient way. There is little foreplay, more hurry and
finish! Med. is greedy in sex, never happy with one partner
and goes in for multiple partners. Regular visitors to
prostitutes are often Med. Med. is always better after
discharges (like Lachesis who is also sexually
oriented). Being passionate, he cannot keep off his sexual
passion for long and go forward. It is here that Med. can’t
keep himself away from anxiety, panic and remorse after
out-of-the-way sexual relations, esp. when he develops some
sexually transmitted disorder. Many Med patients go the
extreme defence of shamelessness in order to ward off feelings
of shame, ‘Look at me, go ahead, look. I have no sexual
shame’.
Med. is vulnerable
to land into a full-blown addict, given his need for
flamboyance and exaltation and emotional trauma of sexual
abuse during childhood which evokes the shame. One has to
understand that shame and addictions are natural partners.
Deeply shamed Med. look outside and find ‘something’ that will
take away his shame for a little while. Then Med. becomes a
victim of ‘shame alone doesn’t inevitably cause addiction any
more than addiction inevitably causes shame’. Med. is addicted
not only to sex, but to a variety of forms like alcohol,
morphine drugs, brown sugar, lottery, gambling etc.
Is Med.
representative of the confusion, a male develops (and a woman
is spared) owing to the single urethral tube and a single
opening through which a man has to continue his journey for
normal physiological excretion and for quenching sensual
appetite? (1) Med. does represent this confusion through
shifting for the latter, through development of gonorrhea and
through the consequences of suppression of gonorrhea.
Exuberant
Every remedy in
Materia Medica is like a living, vibrating individual that
represents aches and pains, bits and pieces, beer and
skittles, the ins and out and the thrills and spills and every
remedy has two zones.
1. The
normal zone where the personality traits are flexible,
adaptive and creative.
2. The
abnormal zone where the personality traits are inflexible,
maladaptive and hence creative problems therefrom. Traits are
“basic” to each individual but understanding that it is only
the extremes of personality that make a trait problematic and
thus a “disorder” is essential. Materia Medica is a record of
“pathos” and hence it contains “disordered” state of the mind.
Med.’s exuberance
should be understood from the normal zone in that they are
intuitive, artistic, curious, and imaginative and free
thinking. When taken to extremes, he moves into schizotypal
personality disorder. He becomes an intuitive filled with
magical thinking traits such as clairvoyance with the
resulting social isolation (misanthropy), when he thinks that
he is odd and unusual. He becomes oversensitive to real or
imagined criticism (sensitive, reprimands to; touchy; easily
upset by a harsh word).(2)
He often becomes
an entertainer, actor etc. and becomes heavily involved in his
relationships. He seizes the opportunity to become dramatic
and seductive using his emotional sensitivity and sensuality
to respond in an exciting manner. When driven to extremes, he
becomes overly dramatic. This disturbs his I.P.R.
(inter-personal relationship) resulting in introversion,
self-accusation, remorse and despondency. As a matter of fact,
he doesn’t want to cut off I.P.R., but heavy involvement, more
from sexual orientation and curt, censorious behaviour coupled
with misanthropy, quarrelsomeness and even cruelty make the
situation difficult for others to continue I.P.R. He is
himself rude with others and at the same time sensitive to the
rudeness of others.(2)
The sycotic
stigmata produce the exuberance at mind and physical level.
Merriment produces an attraction to the outer world and the
motive is to live the life fully (vivacious). Exuberance in
Med. makes it ‘materialistic’. ‘Id’ has grater dominance and
he cannot go for platonic love (Carc. has this amply). He has
penchant for momentary excitements, fleeting adventures and
shortsighted hedonism. Dilettante by trait, he falls in love
easily and falls out of love just as easily. He believes in
“life, liberty and the pursuit of joy” - chiefly his own! He
demands a great deal, but surrenders little, particularly when
it comes to his all-important freedom (selfish). He looks at
life through his rose-colored glasses, over indulging in
pleasure principle. Apparently he gives the feeling of being
sociable, confident, vivacious, and self motivated. But
careful interrogation allows a homoeopathic physician to know
the innermost feelings and traits. When driven to extremes, he
moves towards the ‘narcissistic’ personality (love, of her,
own sex with).
Med. needs to be
compared with Mercurius. Merc. has ‘use and throw’
attitude. He has pathological detachment to family. He doesn’t
go for anxiety of conscience and there is no guilt. Med. on
the other hand, develops guilty feelings and remorse. Merc. is
a real macho. It is syphilitic and hence more perverted. It
has the central theme of ‘fluid consciousness’. (5)
Imbalanced
Med. cannot
maintain a neutral state of mind. He is basically very
sensitive, obsessive and although he lives in his emotional
world with a lot of imaginations, ‘emotional intelligence’ is
lacking. He behaves as an adventurous fellow, but he has not
that organized and mature mind. Emotional push makes him
hurried and crazy. He actually suffers from ‘chronic
hurry sickness’. He has delusion that time passes too slowly
and in order to get over this delusion, he jerks about like a
water bug on a pond. When he eats, he may gulp down the food
like a hound dog. He finishes his entire meal before his
companions are through with the appetizer. The rapidity
extends to all fields - thinking, moving, walking, and
decision-making and also performing several things at once.
He has a ‘polyphasic’ behavior and he can’t concentrate on
doing one thing at a time. This results in ‘confusion’. He is
unable to finish one job in an efficient manner. This agitates
him. Fussily, he bustles and makes mistakes to land into lack
of confidence, despondence and frustration.
Med. presents the
polarity, two opposing attributes, which pull the ego
functioning to develop stress and strain and consequent
psychic and somatic manifestations.
P O L A R O P PO S I T E S
1.
Absent- minded
1. Active- minded
2.
High-strung
2. Unstrung
3.
Timid
3. Courageous
4.
Talkative
4. Indisposed to talk
5.
Weakness of memory 5.
Active memory
6.
Dull in morning
6. Bright in evening
7.
Cross, depressed, or
7. Exhilarated and playful
prostrated during
day at night
8.
Rudeness
8. Sensitive to rudeness of
others
9.
Introversion
9. Extroversion
10.
Precocious
10. Backward
11. Cruelty to
animals 11. Love
of animals
12. Hurried
12. Procrastination
13.
Self-reproach
13. Reproaches others
14. Fear of
darkness 14.
Better with the onset of
darkness
15.
Anticipation of death
15. Even if serious, no fear
of
death
16.
Vivacity
16. Abject pessimism
