Rajan has been coming to me for treatment for the last one year. He comes from a lower class — financially. In fact I hardly charge him. Over the last few weeks he comes mostly with his child who suffers from recurrent, throat infection which by now is well under control.He walked in with bloodshot eyes, unclean, unshaven, untidy — hair unkempt and overgrown, neither trimmed nor combed. He looked nothing short of a drunkard.
One gets patients from all strata of society. A poor patient walking in is rare but quite OK. I treat all to the best of my ability. But drunkards are not welcome. If one drinks at night and goes home, I have nothing to say. But do not go to any doctor drunk. You are disrespecting him.
As he walked in I tried to smell liquor — no smell. “Rajan , which fest did you attend?” I do not care to hide my displeasure. He smiles weakly standing at the table, waiting for me to wave him to a chair. I do not do that. “You see Rajan, this is my clinic. I do not welcome drunkards. If you have taken a drink go home and sleep.” He gets the message right. He sits down in silence, waiting for me to finish. His red eyes almost give him away.
“I’ve not taken a drink for at least a week doctor?” I raise my hand to stop him. Now I know the whole story. One has heard it too many times. Allergic itching of the eyes, congestion, redness, tears, severe itching, aversion to light (photophobia). Your eyes only add to your picture, I tell him straight. A shaven chin, clean shirt and hair in its place makes you at least look like a gentleman (whether you are or not is a different story). I would say it makes you presentable. I ask him may be three more questions. Which weather you like most. Cold weather, he answers. In food, which are your favourite dishes. Sweets, he says. I have my remedy. And yes with sulphur he is well on the way to recovery.
Belladonna: Redness of eyes, itching, at times tears, with congestive, throbbing headache. Within one or two hours the patient becomes miserable. Eyes turn red very fast. Fullness, swollen feeling in the eyes, etc are other problems. This is what I call a jet age remedy. Things happen fast. The patient wakes up in the morning with no problem at all. When given correctly this remedy acts equally fast.
Pulsatilla: Itching red eyes, at times one at a time. Washing with cold water gives the patient a lot of relief. The next morning they stick to each other (Agglutination). The patient feels better in open air and outdoors. Usually the pulsatilla patient is a women. If she is emotional and weeping easily, pulsatilla is all the more indicated.
Euphrasia: It’s a great eye medicine. Complaints appear in great varieties and the irritation extends to the skin, around the eyes, even to the nose, producing nasal catarrh. Tears follow the eye irritation. Why even the cold here is tearful with sneezing. Incidentally this remedy has a great effect on prostate and infrequent urge to urinate at night is well taken care of. It is aggravated by touch and scratching. Amelioration at night and in open air.
Arg Nit: Conjunctiva becomes swollen, ulceration of the margins of eye lids. Aching tired eyes. Blurred vision. Not much itching, just closing eyes and pressing them gives a lot of relief. There’s irritation without much inflammation. It becomes worse from warmth and cold application ameliorates.
Nit Acid: The first characteristic about this remedy is the patient will have sharp, sticking pains, ulceration of cornea, opthalmia, with aversion to light and constant tears, aggravated in the evenings and night. The patient will have abnormal craving for fatty things like ghee, butter, cream of milk, etc. Other useful remedies are cantheris, Merc, Hepar Sulph.
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