Hahnemann has mentioned guidelines for physicians to tackle any epidemic in his Organon of Medicine under the aphorisms 100-102:
In investigating the symptomatology of any epidemic or sporadic disease, it is NOT required to know whether something similar disease has appeared in the world before under the same name or any other name.
Physician MUST examine every prevailing disease as if it were something new and unknown.
He SHOULD investigate it thoroughly for practicing medicine in a real and radical manner.
He should NEVER substitute conjecture (guess or baseless opinion) for actual observations.
He should NOT consider this new prevailing disease as if already whole or partially.
He SHOULD examine this prevailing disease in all its phases.
Careful examination of such disease will show that it is of a unique character, and it differs from previous epidemics.
You will note that a false name has been applied to previous epidemics. There is only exception to epidemics of smallpox, measles, etc., as they had spread and resulted from a contagious principle, and remains same.
It may be possible that the physician may not be able to obtain complete picture of disease in the first case of an epidemic disease.
He may become conversant with the totality of signs and symptoms if he closely observes several cases of such disease.
A careful observing physician can form a characteristic portrait of the disease even from examination of one or two patients. Then, he can find a suitable homoeopathic remedy for it.
More complete disease picture will be known after writing down the symptoms of several cases which should include more significant, more characteristic and particulars of the disease.
The general symptoms (like loss of appetite, sleeplessness, etc.) should be defined as to their peculiarities, and more marked & more special symptoms constitute the characteristics of this disease.
This way the physician will be enabled to verify the suitableness of the medicine chosen, or to discover more appropriate, most appropriate homeopathic remedy.
The whole extent or the totality of the symptoms cannot be learned from one single patient. It will be obtained by a complete survey of the morbid picture, which is essential to choose the most suitable homeopathic remedy.
Dr. Singhal