Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome and its repertorial rubrics

Contributed by Dr.George

Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome consists of Abetalipoproteinemia,Acanthocytosis and Apolipoprotein B deficiency

Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder in which the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is absent because of mutations in the MTP gene. Individuals who are homozygous for this disorder have total cholesterol levels <1.3 mmol/L (<50 mg/dL) and essentially no VLDL, IDL, LDL, or chylomicrons.

Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome is a rare disease passed down through families more often affecting males,in which a person is unable to fully absorb dietary fats through the intestines.

Because dietary fat as well as vitamins A and E are transported from the intestine in chylomicrons, these patients may have malabsorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin E deficiency in infancy and early childhood can result in neurologic problems. Moderately low levels of total cholesterol may also be associated with extreme reductions in HDL cholesterol; as noted above, these are almost always secondary to mutations in the gene for apo AI and a lack of apo AI in plasma.

The desires and aversions in Homeopathy

Contributed by Dr.George 

The desire for eggs is the strongest in Calcarea. Mostly, they like them soft-boiled, that is typical for Calcarea. Pulsatilla prefers them hard-boiled. And which remedy prefers them fried ? Natrum phosphoricum. (image)

Mistakes in homeopathic prescribing

The specific pitfalls most frequently met are as follows:

1. The physician does not bear in mind his homoeopathic philosophy. 

2. He fails to take a complete enough case, from which to deduce the true remedy. he omits the mentals, the profoundly important generals, or fails to elicit the modalities of the particular symptoms. 

3. He lacks patience. Having given the remedy he forgets that he must WAIT and WATCH. He repeats the remedy, in unwise zeal, before the definite slump comes after the improvement which has followed his remedy. more of a good thing does not mean a better thing in homoeopathic prescribing.

Prescribing on Mental Symptoms in Homeopathy

This is taken from -Homeopathic Practice-by Alfons Guekens_

Often it is very difficult to differentiate the mental, only the mental symptoms, for example, to differentiate Pulsatilla from Calcarea on the mental level, lets say fear of becoming insane, only on the basis of mental symptoms, on the basis of thoughts, the kind of fear, how the fear is expressed and things like that. It is very difficult and very dangerous, to differentiate only on the mental level,

NRHM to popularise pregnant mother's scheme in Kozhikode

The district National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is planning to launch a special drive to popularize the Union government-funded Janani Sishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) that has been introduced in eight selected government hospitals in the district.

The hospitals have been rendering free service to pregnant women opting for both normal delivery and C-section and free services up to 30 days for new-borns. In Kozhikode, the scheme is introduced at the Institute of Maternity and Child Health, Kottaparamba Women and Child Hospital, Beach General hospital, Perambra , Kuttiyadi, Thamarassery and Koyilanday Taluk Hospitals and Vadakara District Hospital.

The NRHM here has entrusted 2,050 Accredited Social Health Activists (Asha) workers and 750 health staff to popularize the scheme especially in rural and urban areas where people have not aware of the scheme. Asha workers will conduct door-to-door campaign to create awareness among women about the scheme.

A case study of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Homeopathy

Contributed by Dr Saji

A Female 36yrs, Housewife with Knee pain – Right : 4-5 months duration. Intense pain aggravated 3-4 days. Aggravated by walking, rising from sitting, ascending stairs . Pain in finger joints – vague pain, with mild stiffness aggravated in the Morning .Pain in wrists - occasional

She had temporary relief with pain killers at the beginning. The case was diagnosed as RA by an Post Graduate (GM) doctor. He referred the case to Homoeopathy.

On enquiry there was a history of Skin eruption 10 yrs back – On dorsum of feet – for about 3-4 yrs. Had AGN in the course of treatment. Both relieved with allopathic medication. Twin sister has  Eczema - RA; Mother has DM and Father* - HTN Husband is a Auto driver and has two children ( 5,1)

she has a sensation of heat and the Appetite is diminished. She  Desires sour food and has Unsatisfactory stools.

Homeopathy should be popularized by the Govt, says Dr Patel

Though the government has started giving more importance to alternative therapies, practitioners of these therapies believe efforts leave much to be desired. One such medico is Dr Manoj Patel, a homoeopath from Mumbai who was the chief co-ordinator in implementation of Government of India's department of AYUSH ( Ayurveda, Yog and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) project at Vadodara district of Gujarat. He has also been awarded as the best homoeopathic doctor in 2005-06.

Dr Patel was in the city recently for a seminar organized by city unit of Homoeopathic Medical Association of India. He also delivered a public lecture during the seminar that spoke about homoeopathy's dynamic method of treatment. Excerpts from a discussion he had with TOI.

UP stops NRHM Recruitment

The Uttar Pradesh Government has stopped the recruitment of contractual staff under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in all districts of the state with the immediate effect.

This decision was taken in the wake of a dispute between Minister of State for Revenue Vinod Kumar Singh and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Gonda over recruitment of contractual staff under NRHM.

The state's Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ahmad Hasan, said all appointments have been stopped in all districts.

Earlier, the recruitment of doctors under NRHM had been suspended in Gonda only.

Aethusa cynapium and some rubrics in homeopathy

Contributed by Dr.George
Aethusa is prepared from a very common weed of Europe known as the Fools Parsley.It is a great friend of the children as it helps us to cure many of their ailments.It is a great homeopathic remedy for children.

It has a very important place amongst the remedies we use to check vomiting of milk in infants-vomiting in infants.This intolerance of milk is due to a peculiar gastric irritation frequently met with in children during dentition(image)

Infant vomiting as soon as he/she drinks its milk, up it comes with great gush and in big quantity. If the milk is kept down for a little while it is vomited out in the form of big, thick, greenish curds.(image)

Arogya fair in Hyderabad

To showcase the strength of AYUSH system, the Union Health Ministry and the Andhra Pradesh government in collaboration with FICCI will organise a four-day ‘Arogya’ fair in Hyderabad.

The ‘Arogya 2012’ health fair, scheduled from October 12 to 15, will provide a platform for showcasing strength and potential of traditional medicine systems, exhibit R&D efforts in AYUSH sector, interact with practitioners, consumers and other stakeholders, project future trends and requirements of the sector.

It will also help create awareness among individuals and professionals about Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.

The fair will help attract stakeholders in AYUSH sector like manufacturers, retailers, consumer healthcare product manufacturers, health food producers and processors, medical practitioners and publishers.

Nobel prize in medicine 2012

Two scientists who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday helped lay the foundation for regenerative medicine, the hotly pursued though still distant idea of rebuilding the body with tissues generated from its own cells. They are John B. Gurdon of the University of Cambridge in England and Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in Japan

Their discoveries concern the manipulation of living cells, and lie at the heart of the techniques for cloning animals and generating stem cells, the primitive cells from which the mature tissues of the body develop. Dr. Gurdon was the first to clone an animal, a frog, and Dr. Yamanaka discovered the proteins with which an adult cell can be converted to an egg-like state. The prize was announced in Stockholm.

Both men had to overcome false starts in life. Dr. Gurdon was told as a boy that he was wholly unsuited for biology, and Dr. Yamanaka trained as a surgeon only to find he was not so good at it.

Skin, ointments and Homeopathy

Contributed by Dr.George

In homeopathy, skin diseases are considered as a internal disease and these require an internal medicine for its cure. The so called modern medicines do not consider this and they treat this as a local disease and suppress them with external applications and ointments. IS THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT CORRECT?

In the first look this seems to be correct as it gives you immediate relief, but actually it results in driving the skin disease internally into a more important organ of the body. THE LEAST IMPORTANT ORGAN OF OUR BODY IS THE SKIN. The body always tries to bring the disease to a least important organ of the body. Let me explain this.

Posts vacant in Kashmir Health Department

More than 3,500 posts are lying vacant in the state’s health department, the government said Thursday. The state’s health ministry has undertaken 13 projects under NRHM to supplement the requirement of health sector in the state.

The government claimed that efforts are being made to fill up all the vacant posts and 835 doctors and 3762 paramedics have been engaged under NRHM to improve the availability of manpower in these health institutions. The vacant 3580 posts in different cadres of health department have been referred to various recruiting agencies minister for medical and technical education R S Chib informed the legislative assembly on Thursday.

AYUSH colleges for UG/PG courses

Mumbai:The central government has given permission to 207 colleges and institutes for giving admission in under graduate and post graduate courses of Ayush during 2012-13. The government's approval comes Under Section 13C/A of the IMCC Act.

Of these, 169 colleges are Ayurvedic colleges, 31 colleges are Unani colleges and 7 colleges are Siddha colleges. Out of 169 Ayurvedic colleges, 39 colleges are Govt. colleges, 130 colleges are private colleges. Of the 31 Unani colleges, eight are Govt. colleges and 23 are private Unani colleges. Of the seven Siddha colleges, three colleges are Govt. colleges, four colleges are private colleges.

While the Government has allowed 8785 seats in under graduate courses in Ayurveda, 1523 seats have been allowed in post graduate courses. Of the 8785 seats in under graduate courses, 1765 seats are in the Govt. Ayurvedic colleges, 7020 seats are in private Ayurvedic colleges. Of the 1523 post graduate seats, 404 seats are in Govt. Ayurvedic colleges and institutes, 1119 seats are in private Ayurvedic colleges.

Homeopathic remedies for children

EXTREMITIES, Walk late leaning to:(page) Agar, bar-c, lyc, Calc, Calc-p, Caust, Nat-m, nux-v, phos,sanic, sil, sulph

Agaricus because of neurological, twitching problems. Baryta carbonica because of the combination of not knowing how, not understanding and weakness.Calcarea carbonica because of weakness. Calcarea phosphorica also. Causticum because of neurological problems. Don't forget Causticum in children with fear of animals! Further Natrum muriaticum who are late in learning to walk because they don't know how to walk.Nux vomica because of spasms.Silicea also because of weakness.Every remedy has its own reasons why it is late in learning to walk. Calcarea carbonica, Silicea and Calcarea phosphorica are remedies related to the bones, to make the bones stronger.

India and Switzerland discussed ways to work together in future

India and Switzerland today agreed to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding on health that will cover universal health coverage, non-communicable diseases and issues relating to pharmaceuticals, global health and complementary medicine.

Head of Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs Alain Berset met India's Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here and discussed ways in which they can work together in future.

The proposed MoU between the two countries is likely to be signed in Geneva in May 2013 at the next World Health Assembly. Azad said though Berset did not handle public health issues, today's meeting is a reflection of the keen interest that the two governments attach for more meaningful engagement in matters related to health of the both nations. Switzerland has amongst the best health indicators in the world.