An Irritable Child – Nux Vomica

The son of one of my colleague, aged 12 years had been suffering from fever for the last four days. Fever had been persisting at 104 degree F. Whatever remedies were given to him, whether homeopathic or allopathic, he would respond only for few hours and again, the fever would register 104 degree F.

When I attended this child, I was told that:
1. He was lying quietly without any movement.
2. He had no thirst.

Prescription:
I advised a dose of Gelsemium 30.

Follow up:
Even after half-an-hour, there was no result. I was told that he did not want to be disturbed at all. I was not happy with my prescription and so started observing my patient. I observed that:
1. He was lying with stiff neck and whatever he wanted to communicate he used to communicate without shaking the neck.
2. He got very irritated at the slightest noise around him. There were some guests in the other room for whom the radio had been switched on. Soon after hearing the sound of the radio, this child got irritated and ordered for turning off.

The following rubrics were analysed from Kent’s Repertory:
1. Irritable
2. Stiff neck during heat

Two remedies – Nux Vomica and Nat. Carb attained the highest marks.

Prescription:
He was prescribed a dose of Nux Vomica 30.

Follow up:
Within two/three minutes, the child fell asleep. I came back thinking that Nux Vomica would take care of him. This actually happened. In the morning his temperature was normal.

Comments:
In this case, careful observation of the patient, revealed his extremely irritable nature and over sensitiveness to noise and stiff neck. He was given Nux and not Nat. Carb, as irritability of Nux is much more than that of Nat. Carb. Also, there was no history of exposure to sun or chronic heat stroke, which ruled out Nat. carb.

Dr. M. L. Agrawal


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