There is no replacement for the disciplinary learning of medicines. But are we really in close connection with our drugs? Is it not the truth that the technology has deviated us from following the Hahnemannian methodology of prescribing? I am not against progress and development, but the system suffers from this neglect. Eventually it's the patient who becomes the scapegoat. I am on a quest to relearn the materia medica, to get to know the drugs intimately and to discern the points of similarities and differentiation between them. There are no shortcuts in learning. Dr. Hering has rightly said
“THEY WHO UNDERTAKE THE PRACTISE OF MEDICINE CHIEFLY BY THE AID OF EXTRACTS AND REPERTORIES, WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE MERE NOVICES, WILL NEVER ACCOMPLISH WHAT BELONGS TO SKILL, FOUNDED ON SCIENCE AND CARRIED OUT PRACTICALLY, WITH DILIGENCE AND CARE.”
When new into practice, it takes time to gain the trust of the people around us, to gain their confidence, to begin their history with us. I say history because, for a homoeopath, it is important to cultivate a good relation with our patients. It is a bond, that often lasts the test of time, the test of diseases, sometimes even the test of criticisms. We learn the little things and the big things about them and they understand the depth of homoeopathy and willingly give it time when needed. The treatment process have to begin somewhere. Very many patients like to make small beginnings, take baby steps, feel the waters before taking the plunge. Often, these beginnings are with a stuffy nose here, a cough there, a fast relief for a toothache or a handy remedy for a fever. The most familiar remedies are the most useful during this period. It maybe almost correct to say that the medicinal chest is surely incomplete without these two saviours, Bryonia and Rhus tox.
In a previous post on a comparison of fevers between the two drugs (read here)) , I have outlined the general similarities and differences. It doesn't give an actual picture of their indications in the specific circumstances.
