Osteosarcoma :: A case of Osteosarcoma – Thyroidinum

A 14 years old girl of thin built, wheatish complexion and limping gait was brought to me by her parents for consultation. She had pain and swelling in right leg just below the knee joint since 2 1/2 years. The swelling was reddish and shiny (ANGRY APPEARANCE). With my poor knowledge of clinical medicine I asked them if it is a case of cancer? The parents replied that it had been diagnosed as a case of Osteosarcoma of Right upper Tibia. (So many times we see patients who try to test the clinical acumen of the Homoeopathic physicians by hiding the diagnosis till the very last moment!)

The pain was constant and on repeated questioning the girl or parents could not give any character of the pain. Pains would < on exertion.

I asked if there ever had been any history of trauma? They said that there was no such history. On being asked repeatedly about any other source of trauma the parents disclosed that she was very fond of dancing. I asked what kind of music did she like for dancing? The parents replied that she was fond of very fast paced music. Now she could not dance due to her complaints. (So we can deduce that she must have suffered from minor traumas repeatedly due to dancing on the fast paced music.)

All through this time the child looked aloof and when I questioned about her behavior, the parents replied that she was very irritable and rude in behavior towards both of them. The parents also said that she was very dominating.

When asked about her liking in food or drink items, the girl immediately said sweets (her spontaneous reply in the absence of any suggestion gives 3 + intensity to the symptom.)

When I went back and inquired about the past history, I could get nothing substantial. The intra-uterine history revealed that the mother had been under stress throughout the 9 months and had suffered with nausea and vomiting till the end of pregnancy.

The family history of the patient also revealed no major or severe illness.

The reports of the patient, especially the X-Ray revealed that there were multiple fractures in the bone affected.

ANALYSIS

Looking back and reflecting we can see that there is a split in the psyche level (Conceptually speaking: she was split from her family- as evidenced from her rude and irritable behavior towards her parents) and at the same time we find fractures in the bone, splitting lesions themselves. This is a case showing a beautiful reflection of the psyche into the pathology (What is now known as Psychopathology). She was also very domineering.

We can find a lot of stress in the intra uterine time, which resulted in the constant feeling of nausea and vomiting.
A very marked concomitant in the case is her intense craving for sweets.

PRESCRIPTION

Satisfied now that the drug picture had clearly emerged I prescribed in that case
Rx
Thyroidinum 30, t.d.s X 3 days
To be followed by Placebo.

DISCUSSION

When we look up the drug Thyroidinum in the Boger’s ‘A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica’, then the very first line reads thus “Splitting sensation; chest; ensiform appendix; spine.” I would like to point out here what I learned from my Guru Dr. J. N. Majumdar that the first line of every drug in this priceless book is the soul of the drug/ essence of the drug. This splitting was evident in the case from psyche to the soma/ pathology.

Though in the book Boger does not mention bones as an important sphere of action of Thyroidinum but when he mentions chest, ensiform appendix (or xiphoid process) and spine, we can see that all are bony areas. So we can deduce that ‘the bones’ are also an important sphere of action of the drug.

The knowledge of physiology shows that the thyroid is the prime gland to be affected under all the states of stress (covering from the moment of conception, intra-uterine life). We also know that this gland strongly controls the BMR of the whole body, affecting from the brain and psyche to the skin and hair, each and every part of the body. Though we do not find, in the scanty provings of this drug any mention of domineering attitude but we can analogically derive from the physiological action the domineering attitude of the Thyroidinum Personality. (If we conduct intense provings of this drug then this symptom will manifest along with many others, so for the time being we may call such symptoms as Ornamental symptoms)

Craving for sweets is known to be a key feature of Thyroidinum.

So this is the drug which covers the patient in all the levels.

FOLLOW UP
I have been following the case now for couple of months, and she is still on Placebo. The intensity of pain and the swelling has decreased and she can move more comfortably than before. The X-Rays show that there has not been any increase in the size or number of fractures, which previously had been increasing steadily every month.

When we have prescribed thus (w)holistically in any case then all we have to do is to sit back and enjoy the Pleasure of Prescribing for a long time as the patient marches on the path of recovery.