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Let me begin by sharing how I happen to be
acquainted with Dr. Currim. Like most people driving through town,
I am often racked with indecision over which case conference tape
to play in my car, except that one day I came across "Clinical
Experiences with Carcinosin" by Dr. Ahmed Currim, and I thought,
"This sounds like it might be interesting." Well, that
was an understatement! When I got home, I went right to http://www.minimum.com/
to see if Dr. Currim had any other conference tapes, and I ordered
them right away. Then I wondered if he would actually speak me,
so I sent him an email, and to my surprise, he answered it months
later! "Who are you," he said, basically. But he also
said that he would be happy to do this interview, so, let me tell
you a little bit about him.
First of all, his credentials take up a whole
page and would consume an entire article, so I'm afraid we can't
mention them. No, seriously, you can click here to read Dr. Currim's
dizzying list of accomplishments: http://homeopathydoctor.com/credentials.htm
-- which include an MD from the University of Brussels, a PhD in
math from the University of Colorado, a BSE in chemical engineering
from the University of Michigan and somewhere in the middle of this
he also graduated from Harvard with a degree in Physics, and it
goes on from there. How did Dr. Currim come to learn homeopathy?
Well, he was relaxing one night before his math final at the University
of Colorado--something I often did, because I knew I wasn't going
to pass anyway--and he happened to have received Kent's Lectures
on Homeopathic Philosophy in the mail that day, so he stayed up
all night to read it! How many of you out there have pulled an all-nighter
before an exam, NOT reading the book you were about to be tested
on? No one? I didn't think so.
Dr. Currim, I might begin by asking you how
you discovered homeopathy and what your medical practice is like.
Homeopathy was introduced into my family by my mother in 1942.
I was treated for asthma when I was 13 with good results. Thereafter
until age 24 I remained without much knowledge. In January 1966
during my final exam in mathematics I relaxed for the night by starting
a book I had received from my yoga teacher: Kent: Lectures in Homeopathic
Philosopy. That night I did not sleep from the excitement of the
book. The rest is a bit of history: Completing my PhD in math, being
a college math professor for 3 years, entering medical school in
Brussels, completing the MD, returning to USA to do my internship
and residency, working in an ER; using homeopathy wherever I could,
whenever I could....
Well, since you weren't busy...
...and now in my medical practise which is a Family Practise doctor's
office, I do general Internal Medicine; family practise, general
pediatrics, including some obstetrics, gynecology, elementary orthopedics
and I use homeopathy almost exclusively.
You say you worked in an ER and used homeopathy?
:
I treated many pathological conditions; I could easily give you
25 to 30 short cases and 2 or 3 long cases. I successfully used
Acon., Ant-t., Ars., Bry., Bell.,Carb-v., Dig.,Hep.,Ign.,Kali-c.,Lach.,Lyc.,Nux-v.,Phos.,
Puls.,Rhus-t.,Sars.,Spig.,Sep.,Sulph...I usually gave medium (1M)
to high potencies (10M, 50M). The results were very satisfactory
( very good or no result; never an exacerbation). I was able to
help 3 dying patients to a peaceful end with relief of pain or horrible
dyspnea when the regular meds gave no result; also some ob and gyn
patients. Most of the remedies were based on knowing Kent's Repertory
and the important characteristic symptoms of the remedies and a
faith in the truth of the doctrines.
Since you say you could easily give many
examples of successful ER prescribing, would you give us some that
might be instructive? Any stories you could share with us would
be very much appreciated!
Case 1: 49 y old male, lawyer had an extensive Anterior MI (miocardial
infarction) with compromise to his heart. He was in the CCU (Cadiac
Care Unit) and developed Dressler Syndrome ( a complication) which
involves pericarditis (Kent pg. 835), pleural effision (Kent
pg 829) and a cardiac arrythmia. I was on call that night and
was called to see the patient. He complained of chest pain worse
on moving even a little. (Kent pg. 843) Deep breathing was
painful also Kent pg.843). He had received Demerol every 2 to 4
hours with some deadening of the pain. What was peculiar was that
he was angry that his business needed his attention (Kent page
10) and he had to leave the hospital and wanted to go home (Kent
Rep. pg. 51). The worse from moving, pericarditis, pleural effusion
and mind symptoms pointed to Bryonia, which he recieved in 1M potency.
He fell asleep in a few (15 to 20) minutes; did not call for his
demerol for 4 or 5 hours, and could be transfered out of the CCU
to the floor in the morning. He felt much better with much less
pain. There was less fluid in the lungs and the pericardial friction
rub was reduced. I had also spoken to him kindly and requested him
to let go all his thoughts of working. He was happier. Two days
later he thanked me for taking the time to talk to him and said
I was right about slowing down his work and that he would do so.
He eventually left the hospital and went through a cardiac rehab
program, and I lost being his care giver. I had been only 5 days
in the hospital when I was asked to see him and I had little experience
caring for such severly ill patients, but I acted to the best of
my ability using my elementary knowledge of homeopathy to bring
this man relief.
I saw all the earmarks of Bryonia in this
case--talks of his business, says he wants to go home, worse least
movement-- and I wondered if it meant that to prescribe, even in
the ER, you need a complete case?
In my experience I was able to do good work with what I call para
153 (of The Organon) or black letter symptoms from Kent. Usually
there was very little time and I had to act fast. Another case:
Case 2: 80 + yr female had her third MI, I was called. She was
in Acute Pulmonary Edema and Cadiogenic Shock. We could not find
a vein because all veins had collapsed. A surgeon was coming to
do a cut-down (to find a vein). The woman was in acute respiratory
distress. She was very anxious, and was drinking water in small
sips; her heart rate was very rapid. I slipped a few pellets of
Ars, 1M in her mouth. It was only 20 or so seconds. She gave a big
sigh and closed her eyes and her breathing and heart eased as she
went on into the beyond. No more pain of cut-down or trying again
and again to find a vein. No more respiratory distress; just a peaceful
end. (Read Kent's essay in his Lesser Writings--- I truly verified
what he wrote on at least 5 occasions.) I felt privileged to be
allowed to help these people in their last moments of life and thank
the Master for his teachings so full of truth.
Did you know to carry certain remedies in
your pocket, since you were working in the ER? By the way, we should
probably point out that these remedies do not cause "death",
they allow the suffering patient to relax, as all correctly-prescribed
homeopathic remedies do, so that the patient dies peacefully instead
of in agony and fear, which is a real blessing!
Yes I carried about 300 remedies with me. They were wrapped in small
paper packets neatly labeled in alphabetical order for easy access.
Case 3: 60+ year male was going to have cardiac cathertization
in the morning because of chest oppression. His attending wanted
him catheterized so that he could have his procedure easily the
next day. But he was difficult to catheterize (Spasm?). The nurses
were unsuccessful. I was called to try. I spoke to the patient and
reassured him. He had had pain when the nurses tried to force the
catheter up his penile urethra. He told me that he thought it was
probably because " he had difficulty passing urine and could
only pass urine while standing. I had some Sarsaparilla but only
in 10M (Kent pg 661Left column) I gave it to him. 10 minutes later
I went to his bedside spoke to him with lot of reassurance, telling
him I had given him a natural remedy to help his urethra. I succeeded
easily in getting the catheter through the urethra into the bladder.
He voided; had a comfortable night. In the morning his BP was lower,
the chest oppression was better. (Was this due to Sars.? Kent 838-Oppression,
or was this due to a restful night and less pain or stress?) He
told the cardiologist how well he had been taken care of by me.
The cardiac catheterization went well and without incident. After
the procedure he was able to urinate more easily and did not have
to stand; but could do so sitting on the toilet bowl.
So Elaine this is a very minor story ; but it brought both the
patient and me a lot of satisfaction and also brought a piece of
knowledge of Sars. that I never knew.
Case 4: 47 or 48 y white male with metastatic lung cancer, in severe
respiratory distress and in great pain. Mets to liver. Jaundiced.
Total Bilirubin about 20!! I was called at around 4AM. I saw a man
lying in the bed with nasal O2; very yellow with the jaundice. I
was asked to give him more morphine (MS) (Orders of the attending
physician) to soothe his pain and suffering. He had already had
over 25 mgms of IV MS. He had rattling respiration, was in severe
respiratory distress. I could not count his pulse; but the nurse
(who had pediatric experience) thought it was about 180. I asked
him about his pain and he groaned and begged of me to give him relief,
so great was his suffering. Kent pg 9: Begging, entreating: Ars.,
stram. Here was some one with so much suffering who was terminal.
I sent the nurse for more O2. I had 3 remedies in my pocket: Ant-t.1M,
Ars.10M, and one I cannot remember. Since the man was suffering
so much and was begging I was able to get 3 or 4 pellets of Ars.10M
in his mouth. The result was almost instantaneous. He looked at
me with such a loving thankful glance, and gave a deep sigh. I had
the stethoscope on his chest and heard his heartbeat slow down from
the 180 and within 30 or 45 seconds it was about 60/min. He closed
his eyes, and went off to the happy hunting grounds. No more suffering;
no more respiratory distress; just a quiet whoosh of 2 or 3 breaths.
I loved Kent's account of these kinds of cases in his Lesser Writings
and could only feel a deep sense of gratitude for being able to
assist this man in his last moments to decrease his suffering.
I immediately had to deal with his grieving wife and daughter,
who were in so much distress, yelling almost hysterical. I was asked
to give them "something to calm them". I told them that
in my culture the doctor tries to comfort the grieving family and
asked them each to drink some water from the cups in the room, and
that water at such times soothes the person.(The cups had Ignatia
10M dissolved in them.) They drank and a few minutes later I observed
that the lower eye lids of both mother and daughter were not so
red, they had calmed down and they effeciently took care of the
death certificates and went home. I could go back to my sleeping
room. The next day I could read the nurses notes after they had
written them before leaving the shift and noted that one of the
nurses had written how the patient was drinking cold water in sips
and restlessly moving his toes, confirming the prescription of Ars.
So this is one more experience.
Recently I have had the privilege of treating a 4 year old boy
with seizures. He was operated on for cancer in the brain which
destroyed many of his normal functions. I had treated him before
with little success. But recently the father tried again. I got
symptoms of constipation, grinding teeth at night, chronic dilation
of pupils led me to try Opium 30 2 or 3 times per day with excellent
results. There is a marked decrease in seizures and marked improvement
in constipation, and sleep and I have continued with Opium 200.
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