A 12-day-old infant was brought to my clinic by his parents on July 3, 2001. Previously, when the baby was 8 days old, he had been admitted to the District Hospital on June 29, 2001, due to muscle rigidity, facial grimaces, muscle spasms, and inability to breastfeed as he could not suck from his mother’s breast. The symptoms began to show on the 4th or 5th day after birth, prompting the parents to take their baby to a paediatrician, who diagnosed the situation and recommended hospitalization. The patient received treatment in the hospital for 4 days, yet there was no sign of improvement. Instead, the patient’s condition worsened, prompting the attending physicians at the hospital to refer him to a teaching institution in Kolkata for improved care. However, following the suggestions of some friends, the patient’s party chose to explore homeopathy and transported the patient straight from the hospital to my clinic on July 3, 2001.
I noted the subsequent symptoms:
- He exhibited muscle rigidity
- He grew stiffer and more rigid when anyone made contact with him
- Facial grimaces
- Muscle contractions
- Trouble swallowing
- Cessation of breastfeeding as he was unable to suck from his mother’s breast
The parent attempted to feed their baby by allowing collected breast milk to fall drop by drop onto his mouth, and as they let the drops land, spasms occurred, making it difficult for the baby to swallow the milk.
I observed a unique symptom, specifically that the patient showed increased rigidity and stiffness upon being touched by anyone, so I used the “convulsion or spasm touched, when” rubric from Phatak’s repertoire, which only included Cicuta v. Therefore, I prescribed Cicuta virosa.
Prescription overview:
- July 3, 2001: Cicuta virosa 30/4 doses to be taken in every 3 hours, then Nihilinum for a duration of 7 days.
- July 9, 2001: The patient’s family reported a minor improvement, but I noticed no significant change, except the infant was able to swallow with difficulty small drops of collected breast milk. Therefore, I prescribed Cicuta virosa 200/4 doses and rubrum for a week.
- July 22, 2001: The patient showed improvement and was able to suckle from his mother’s breast gently. Stiffness was present but of reduced intensity; Cicuta virosa 200/4 doses and placebo were given for 7 days.
- July 29, 2001: The patient showed improvement in all areas, so I prescribed just Nihilinum 30 for a week.
Thus, I finished his treatment on September 15, 2001. Though I needed to prescribe Sambucus 30 since he experienced coryza, making it difficult for the baby to suck his mother’s breast because of nasal obstruction. No additional medication was required; only Cicuta fully healed the patient, even though most infants with the illness do not survive. However, in this instance, the chosen remedy, Cicuta, revived the baby from death to life. He is in good health and running well so far.
